Obama Nominates Tulane President to Council

President Barack Obama announced on Tuesday (Dec. 15) his intent to appoint Tulane University President Scott Cowen to the newly formed White House Council for Community Solutions.

“These impressive men and women have dedicated their lives and careers to civic engagement and social innovation,” Obama said of the nominees. “I commend them for their outstanding contributions to their communities, and I am confident that they will serve the American people well in their new roles on the White House Council for Community Solutions.”

The council will provide advice to Obama on the best ways to mobilize citizens, nonprofits, businesses and government to work together to more effectively solve specific community needs.

It will be composed of leaders from the nonprofit, private and philanthropic sectors, who will be charged with making progress on key policy goals. In addition, the council will provide strategic input to help the federal government promote greater innovation and cross-sector collaboration, and work to highlight citizens making a significant impact in their own communities.

“I am pleased and honored to work on achieving the critical goals of this council,” Cowen said. “New Orleans is a community in the process of re-imagining itself after Katrina. The lessons learned here and in other communities might serve as the pathway for building stronger and more vibrant cities in the future.”

Following the storm, Tulane became the first major research university in the country to integrate public service into its core curriculum. The university also has been instrumental in the remaking New Orleans' K-12 public education system, establishing a system of community health centers and rebuilding New Orleans' housing, infrastructure and economy.

In addition to Cowen, the list of 26 nominees includes his fellow New Jersey native Jon Bon Jovi, Patty Stonesifer of the Smithsonian Institution and Judith Rodin of the Rockefeller Foundation.