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ADC Welcomes White House Officials to 2012 Convention

posted on: Jun 12, 2012

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is proud to announce that White House Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes and White House Business Council Executive Director Ari Matusiak will be addressing an ADC White House Town Hall meeting with hundreds of Arab American community members during the 2012 ADC National Convention in Washington DC on Friday, June 22, 2012.

Ben Rhodes currently serves as Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and Speechwriting at the White House, overseeing President Barack Obama’s national security communications, speechwriting, and global engagement initiatives. Prior to that position, Mr. Rhodes served as Deputy Director of White House Speechwriting, and as a Senior Speechwriter for the Obama presidential campaign. Prior to joining Obama for America, he worked for several years as Special Assistant to Lee Hamilton at the Wilson Center, where he helped draft the Iraq Study Group Report and the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. He is the co-author- with Lee Hamilton and Tom Kean- of Without Precedent: The Inside Story of the 9/11 Commission. A native of New York City, Mr. Rhodes has a B.A. from Rice University, and an M.F.A. from New York University.

Ari Matusiak currently serves as executive director of the White House Business Council, one of the Administration’s main vehicles for engaging the private sector and civic leaders on jobs and the economy. Mr. Matusiak has extensive experience in community and economic development and developing strategic connections between the public and private sectors. He is the co-founder and former chairman of Young Invincibles, a national organization dedicated to improving the economic opportunities for 18 to 34 year olds around the country. Mr. Matusiak graduated with honors from Brown University and from Georgetown University Law Center, where he was a Public Interest Law Scholar.

“We are truly honored that President Obama’s deputy national security advisor and executive director of the White House Business Council will be addressing hundreds of community members at the 2012 ADC National Convention,” said Warren David, ADC president. “Since Arab Americans are a quickly growing demographic group within the United States today, we are very pleased that the White House appreciates our community’s contributions and we hope to continue a fruitful dialogue with the Obama administration on issues of importance to all Americans today.”

During the White House Town Hall Meeting on Friday, June 22, 2012 at the ADC National Convention, hundreds of ADC members will meet with Mr. Rhodes and Mr. Matusiak in an auditorium-style plenary session to discuss pertinent domestic and foreign policy issues which are affecting the United States today. The town hall meeting will conclude with a question-and-answer session where attendees will have the opportunity to interact with Mr. Rhodes and Mr. Matusiak on the issues discussed.