Michael Strautmanis's guest appearances

Michael Strautmanis

Disability Matters

This Movie Changed Me

STAFFER

A.D. Q&A with A.D. Quig

Sharon Salzberg

Shea Serrano

David Carson

Scott Cooper

Dan Miller

Howard Cohen

Seth Godin

Tom Perez

Matthew Sanford

Steve Irwin

Jennifer Mathis

Chris Brogan

Karin Slaughter

Allison Jones

Eric Vaughn

OwlTail

This week's guest has been behind the scenes in Chicago politics for years, but just out of the frame. He’s crossed paths with Rod Blagojevich and Jesse Jackson Jr., worked on the Clinton/Gore campaign in the same political organization as a young Don Harmon and Phil Rock. But for the bulk of his career, he’s worked for the Obamas, starting as a paralegal to Michelle Robinson at the law firm of Sidley Austin - not long before she and a hotshot Harvard grad named Barack Obama got married. About 20 years after first meeting the Obamas, Michael Strautmanis is now very much in the frame as executive vice president of civic engagement at the Obama Foundation. He discusses not only the progress on the Obama Presidential Center’s construction in Jackson Park and the foundation’s fundraising efforts, but also concerns around housing affordability nearby, what it’s like as a guy who grew up mostly on the North Side to be handling a project with a big South Side impact, and how the foundation might play a role in addressing gun violence. Strautmanis also talks about what it takes to be a good “fixer” – a political problem solver – and the biggest political mess  he ever had to clean up. Remember that beer summit back in 2009?

A.D. Q&A with Obama Foundation executive Michael Strautmanis

“The Wiz” is a reimagining of the classic “Wizard of Oz” tale, complete with an all-black, all-star cast and Quincy Jones-produced soundtrack. Diana Ross stars as Dorothy, a 24-year-old school teacher who has never set foot outside her neighborhood in Harlem. When a violent storm transports her to a faraway place, she’s taken out of her comfort zone and yearns to find a way back. Lawyer Michael Strautmanis had never seen a movie that offered a warm portrayal of his experience growing up on the South Side of Chicago in a tight-knit African American community. His love for every aspect of the movie — from the iconic casting to the costume design and music — speaks to the idea that movies help us feel seen.Michael Strautmanis is a lawyer and the chief engagement officer at the Obama Foundation. He served in both the Obama and Clinton administrations and at one time worked for The Walt Disney Company, where he specialized in corporate citizenship. Find the transcript at https://onbeing.org/series/this-movie-changed-me/Subscribe to our weekly newsletter at https://onbeing.org/tmcmletter/

“The Wiz” is a reimagining of the classic “Wizard of Oz” tale, complete with an all-black, all-star cast and Quincy Jones-produced soundtrack. Diana Ross stars as Dorothy, a 24-year-old school teacher who has never set foot outside her neighborhood in Harlem. When a violent storm transports her to a faraway place, she’s taken out of her comfort zone and yearns to find a way back. Lawyer Michael Strautmanis had never seen a movie that offered a warm portrayal of his experience growing up on the South Side of Chicago in a tight-knit African American community. His love for every aspect of the movie — from the iconic casting to the costume design and music — speaks to the idea that movies help us feel seen.Michael Strautmanis is a lawyer and the chief engagement officer at the Obama Foundation. He served in both the Obama and Clinton administrations and at one time worked for The Walt Disney Company, where he specialized in corporate citizenship. Find the transcript at <a href="https://onbeing.org/series/this-movie-changed-me/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://onbeing.org/series/this-movie-changed-me/</a>Subscribe to our weekly newsletter at <a href="https://onbeing.org/tmcmletter/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://onbeing.org/tmcmletter/</a>

The Wiz — Michael Strautmanis

Joyce welcomes Michael Strautmanis, Senior Counsel, to the Obama-Biden Campaign and another campaign representative.  Discussed on the show will be Barack Obama’s disability policy.