Kristina Schake, a cofounder of the organization behind a federal lawsuit challenging Proposition 8, has been tapped as first lady Michelle Obama's communications director, the White House announced Monday.
Schake (pictured above, from left: American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) cofounder Kristina Schake, board president Chad Griffin, and attorney David Boies) a board member for the American Foundation for Equal Rights and a founding partner of Griffin Schake consulting firm, based in Los Angeles, will leave both positions in her new role as special assistant to the president and communications director for Mrs. Obama, who highlighted Schake's experience in childhood nutrition and public health issues in a Monday statement.
"Kristina has done extensive work throughout her career on child nutrition and community health issues, and that paired with her experience as part of a military family will bring invaluable insight to our work on childhood obesity and our efforts to support military families," Michelle Obama said.
The position begins on December 6, according to Chad Griffin, AFERcofounder and board president.
"In our decade working together on campaigns from early childhood education to renewable energy and antitobacco to equal rights, Kristina has brought her sharp, strategic thinking, formidable skills, and steadfast passion to our clients and causes," Griffin said. "The entire Griffin Schake family is so proud of our friend and colleague."
The legal team organized by AFER, led by former U.S. solicitor general Ted Olson and trial attorney David Boies, faces its next hurdle in the Prop. 8 lawsuit next month, when oral arguments are heard by a three-judge panel of the U.S. court of appeals for the ninth circuit.
Supporters of the anti–marriage equality ballot measure, joined by a socially conservative county in Southern California, will argue two main points: that they have standing to appeal the case and that a federal judge erred in striking down Prop. 8 as unconstitutional in August.
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