The Colby Echo

Issue date: 2/25/09 Section: News

With the inauguration of President Barack Obama already one month behind us, several College alumni and benefactors have found themselves in important places in the Obama administration.

One notable alumnus, Peter Rouse '68, first started working for Obama as his chief of staff in the Senate, following the failed reelection campaign of then-Senator Tom Daschle of South Dakota in 2004. On November 16, after Obama finally clutched his Presidential aspirations, Rouse was appointed a senior advisor to then-President-elect Obama.

Another Colby alum, Emmet Beliveau '99, has also taken up a spot in the administration. After working in Al Gore's failed presidential campaign in 2000, Beliveau decided to go to law school at Georgetown University Law.

Post-matriculation from Georgetown Law, Beliveau again saddled up with the 2004 Kerry campaign, in hopes of a different outcome from the 2000 election. Despite the efforts of all involved, the Democrats again lost the election in 2004. After the 2004 loss, Beliveau decided to start his career as a lawyer, working for the world-class Washington, D.C. lobbying firm, Patton Boggs LLP.

After two failed election attempts, Beliveau again tossed his hat into the political ring. Beliveau, who was subsequently selected as executive director of the Presidential Inauguration Committee, has been with the Obama campaign since the former senator announced his candidacy in Springfield, Ill. Once Obama secured the presidency, Beliveau was put in charge of the swearing-in ceremony, the inaugural balls and several large public events preceding and following the inauguration.
According to a January 20 article in The Wall Street Journal, Beliveau has faced a wide variety of obstacles since he began planning. From the detailed logistics of the swearing in ceremony, including the 5,000 portable toilets required for the various inaugural events, to issuing last minute tickets for celebrities, Beliveau strove to anticipate all potential problems before they occurred.

Beliveau's permanent role in the administration is Director of Advance in the White House. Accordingly, he is in charge of any and all preparations for the president during trips abroad including transportation logistics and accommodations.
Mark Jablonowski, former member of the class of 2010, has also played an instrumental role in the Obama administration.

Jablonowski began working on the Obama campaign in the summer of 2007 and is currently on leave from the College. Jablonowski's technical prowess soon gained the attention of higher-ups in the electoral campaign and he was shifted to a more substantial role as the Obama campaign's information technology director for New Hampshire operations.

Continued...

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