{{Short description|American lawyer (born 1956)}} {{About|the lawyer|the actress|Tina Chen}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = Christina Tchen in the Oval Office.jpg | caption = Tchen in 2009 | office = Chief of Staff to the First Lady of the United States | president = Barack Obama | term_start = January 5, 2011 | term_end = January 20, 2017 | predecessor = Susan Sher | successor = Lindsay Reynolds | office1 = Director of the Office of Public Engagement | president1 = Barack Obama | term_start1 = January 20, 2009 | term_end1 = January 5, 2011 | predecessor1 = Julie E. Cram (Public Liaison) | successor1 = Jon Carson | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1956|1|25}} | birth_place = Columbus, Ohio, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | party = Democratic | spouse = {{marriage|Larry Pressl|end=div}}<ref name="Skiba">{{cite web |last=Skiba |first=Katherine |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-michelle-obama-top-aide-0106-220110105,0,1639356.story |title=Michelle Obama's New Chief of Staff 'Energetic' and 'Driven' |date=January 6, 2011 |work=Chicago Tribune |accessdate=September 15, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927212751/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-01-06/news/ct-met-michelle-obama-top-aide-0106-220110105_1_tina-tchen-michelle-obama-obama-plans |archive-date=September 27, 2016}}</ref> | education = Harvard University (BA)<br>Northwestern University (JD) }} '''Christina M.''' "'''Tina'''" '''Tchen''' (born January 25, 1956) is an American lawyer and a former official in the President Barack Obama Administration. She was CEO of Time's Up from 2019 to 2021.
==Early life and education== Tchen was born in Columbus, Ohio,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2018/07/chicago_lawyer_tina/|title=Chicago lawyer Tina M. Tchen to receive ABA Margaret Brent Award|website=www.americanbar.org|language=en|access-date=2019-10-24}}</ref> on January 25, 1956, to Chinese immigrants of Shanghainese descent who fled the People's Republic of China in 1949. Her father Peter Chou-Yen Tchen worked as a psychiatrist and her mother Lily was a scientist (chemistry from Syracuse University).<ref name="profiles">Who Runs Gov. [http://www.whorunsgov.com/Profiles/Christina_M._Tchen "Profiles: Christina M. Tchen"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090820090158/http://www.whorunsgov.com/Profiles/Christina_M._Tchen |date=2009-08-20 }}, WhoRunsGov.com, accessed August 2, 2009.</ref> In 1956, her father was facing deportation back to China but received help from Ohio Senator John Bricker.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15401822/peter-tchen-22-mar-1956/|title = Peter Tchen 22 Mar 1956|newspaper = The Newark Advocate|date = 22 March 1956|page = 8}}</ref> She grew up in Beachwood, Ohio, graduating from Beachwood High School in 1974.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cleveland.com/openers/2008/12/ohioan_to_head_white_house_off.html | title=Beachwood High alumna to head White House Office of Public Liaison | date=21 December 2008 }}</ref> She graduated from Radcliffe College of Harvard University in 1978,<ref name="Skiba" /> and received her J.D. degree in 1984 from Northwestern University School of Law.
==Career== Tchen worked for several years{{how many|date=October 2019}} for the Illinois Bureau of the Budget where she served as the Governor's budget analyst for the Department of Children and Family Services. In 1988, Tchen began as an associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, later becoming a partner at the firm in 1992, where she specialized in litigation in the federal courts.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/christina-m-tchen/gIQAEgiS9O_topic.html|title=Christina M. Tchen|date=2012-11-16|newspaper=Washington Post|language=EN|access-date=2018-11-13}}</ref><ref name="profiles"/><ref name="chief">{{cite web|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2011/01/05/tina-tchen-join-office-first-lady-chief-staff|title=Tina Tchen to Join Office of the First Lady as Chief of Staff|date=2011-01-05|publisher=The White House Office of the First Lady|location=Washington, DC|access-date=2011-01-05}}</ref> In 1992, she argued on behalf of the State of Illinois in front of the Supreme Court of the United States in ''Artist M. v. Suter'', which helped reform the state's foster care program by closing a loophole.<ref name="profiles" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.skadden.com/index.cfm?contentID=45&bioID=721|title=Christina M Tchen - Skadden, Arps|date=2008-12-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081231013953/http://www.skadden.com/index.cfm?contentID=45&bioID=721|access-date=2019-10-24|archive-date=2008-12-31}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oyez.org/cases/1991/90-1488|title=Suter v. Artist M.|website=Oyez|language=en|access-date=2019-10-24}}</ref>
During President Obama's campaign in 2008, Tchen was one of his biggest fundraisers, raising $200,000.<ref name="profiles" /> From Obama's inauguration in 2009 until January 5, 2011, she was the Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, previously known as the Office of Public Liaison.<ref name="chief" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2009/05/18/engagement-women-health-care-and-yarn|title=Engagement, Women, Health Care, and Yarn|date=2009-05-18|publisher=The White House Office of Public Engagement|location=Washington, DC|access-date=2011-09-15}}</ref> From 2011 until 2017, she served as Assistant to President Barack Obama; Chief of Staff to First Lady Michelle Obama; and Executive Director of the White House Council on Women and Girls.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aaa-fund.com/?p=6571|title=Tina Tchen to become Michelle Obama's Chief of Staff|date=2011-01-05|publisher=Asian American Action Fund|location=Washington, DC|access-date=2011-01-05}}</ref><ref name="chief" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/cwg/who/leadership|title=Council on Women and Girls: Leadership|date=2009-10-01|publisher=The White House Council on Women and Girls|location=Washington, DC|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111001194414/http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/cwg/who/leadership|archive-date=2011-10-01|access-date=2011-09-15}}</ref>
In 2017, she became a partner in the law firm Buckley Sander where she led the workplace culture practice and was head of the firm's Chicago office.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/06/arts/music/grammys-diversity-task-force-tina-tchen.html|title=Time's Up Co-Founder Will Head Recording Academy Task Force on Diversity|last=Sisario|first=Ben|date=2018-03-06|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-10-24|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name="Zraick 2019" /><ref name=":0" /> In 2018, she was one of the co-founders of Time's Up and led its legal defense fund that connected victims of sexual harassment with lawyers.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/01/movies/times-up-hollywood-women-sexual-harassment.html|title=Powerful Hollywood Women Unveil Anti-Harassment Action Plan|last=Buckley|first=Cara|date=2018-01-01|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-10-24|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The fund has raised more than $24 million by 2019 and has connected more than 3,600 workers in various industries to legal support for sexual harassment cases.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/07/tina-tchen-will-become-president-and-chief-executive-of-times-up.html|title=Tina Tchen will become president and chief executive of Time's Up|website=CNBC|date=7 October 2019|access-date=November 1, 2019}}</ref>
In March 2019, Tchen was hired as an adviser to investigate the Southern Poverty Law Center's (SPLC) "workplace culture" after allegations of sexual and racial harassment led to the firing of the SPLC's co-founder and resignation of its president.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/25/us/morris-dees-leaves-splc.html|title=Roiled by Staff Uproar, Civil Rights Group Looks at Intolerance Within|last1=Burch|first1=Audra D. S.|date=2019-03-25|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-03-27|last2=Blinder|first2=Alan|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|last3=Eligon|first3=John}}</ref><ref name="Zraick 2019" /> Also that year, she was named chair of the Recording Academy's new task force for inclusion and diversity following Neil Portnow and Ken Ehrlich's disparaging comments about women in the music industry.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2018/03/06/591213252/times-up-leader-tina-tchen-to-head-recording-academy-s-diversity-task-force|title=Time's Up Leader Tina Tchen To Head Recording Academy's Diversity Task Force|newspaper=NPR|date=6 March 2018|language=en|access-date=2019-10-24|last1=Tsioulcas|first1=Anastasia}}</ref>
On October 7, 2019, Tchen was appointed chief executive officer of Time's Up.<ref name="Zraick 2019">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/07/arts/tina-tchen-times-up.html|title=Tina Tchen, Ex-Obama Aide Will Take Over Time's Up|last=Zraick|first=Karen|date=October 7, 2019|website=The New York Times|language=en}}</ref> Tchen's leadership has come under scrutiny amid revelations of assisting prominent Democratic politicians Andrew Cuomo and Joe Biden about the response to women who were publicly accusing them of sexual misconduct.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/21/us/times-up-metoo-sexual-harassment.html|title=Turmoil Was Brewing at Time's up Long Before Cuomo|newspaper=The New York Times|date=21 August 2021|last1=Kantor|first1=Jodi|last2=Sundaram|first2=Arya|last3=Ryzik|first3=Melena|last4=Buckley|first4=Cara}}</ref> She resigned on August 26, 2021, in the wake of Cuomo's resignation when it was revealed Tchen worked with the governor to discredit his first accuser.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Time's Up leader Tina Tchen resigns in fallout from Andrew Cuomo sexual harassment scandal |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/times-up-tina-tchen-resigns/2021/08/26/6427c578-0679-11ec-8c3f-3526f81b233b_story.html |access-date=2021-08-26 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref>
== Awards and recognition ==
* Chicago Lawyer "Person of the Year", 1994<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.uschamberfoundation.org/bio/tina-tchen|title=Tina Tchen|last=lcrenshaw|date=2015-02-23|website=U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation|language=en|access-date=2019-10-24}}</ref> * "Women of Achievement" award from the Anti-Defamation League, 1996<ref name=":1" /> * Leadership Award from the Women's Bar Association of Illinois, 1999<ref name=":1" /> * American Bar Association's Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award, 2018<ref name=":0" />
==Boards and commissions== * Chicago Bar Association Foundation * Chicago Public Library (trustee) * Chinese American Service League (board member) * Judicial Nominations Commission for the Northern District of Illinois<ref>{{cite web|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/administration/eop/ope/staff/Christina-M-Tchen|title=Christina M. Tchen|date=2009-08-31|access-date=2011-09-15|publisher=The White House Office of Public Engagement|location=Washington, DC}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|35em}}
==External links== {{commons category|Christina Tchen}} *[https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/ope/staff/Christina-M-Tchen Profile] at White House Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs at WhiteHouse.gov *[https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/administration/eop/cwg Council on Women and Girls] at WhiteHouse.gov *{{C-SPAN|9265302}} *[https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2011/01/05/joining-office-first-lady Joining the Office of the First Lady], Tina Tchen, WhiteHouse.gov, January 5, 2011 *{{cite web|url=http://www.chinesenewshome.com/chicago/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7671|title=Christina Tchen.|date=2011-01-05|access-date=2011-01-05|publisher=Chicago Chinese News}} * [http://www.makers.com/tina-tchen Tina Tchen] Video produced by ''Makers: Women Who Make America''
{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=Julie E. Cram|as=Director of the Office of Public Liaison}} {{s-ttl|title=Director of the Office of Public Engagement|years=2009–2011|alongside=Valerie Jarrett (Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs)}} {{s-aft|after=Jon Carson}} {{s-end}}
{{Obama Administration personnel}} {{Chiefs of Staff to the First Lady of the United States}} {{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tchen, Tina}} Category:1956 births Category:20th-century American Episcopalians Category:21st-century American Episcopalians Category:American politicians of Chinese descent Category:Asian-American people in Illinois politics Category:Illinois Democrats Category:Illinois lawyers Category:Lawyers from Cleveland Category:Living people Category:Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law alumni Category:Obama administration personnel Category:Radcliffe College alumni Category:Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom people Category:American lawyers of Chinese descent Category:People from Beachwood, Ohio Category:Chiefs of staff to the first lady of the United States