Brian Mosteller (born December 6, 1975) is an American diplomat and operations executive, best known for being the Director of Oval Office Operations in the Obama administration, from 2009 to 2017.

Brian Mosteller
Director of Oval Office Operations
In office
January 20, 2009 – January 20, 2017
PresidentBarack Obama
Senior Advisor, US Embassy Tokyo
In office
May 22, 2022 – Present
PresidentJoseph R. Biden
Personal details
Born (1975-12-06) December 6, 1975 (age 48)
Akron, Ohio, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Joe Mahshie
(m. 2016)
EducationDePaul University
Ohio State University (BS)

Early career

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Mosteller was born in Akron, Ohio, and graduated from Revere High School.[1] He attended DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, and the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, where he graduated summa cum laude with a degree in international business.[2] He joined the Clinton administration in 1998. There, he traveled consistently for two and a half years advancing President Clinton and then-First Lady Hillary Clinton around the world and domestically.[3] In 2001, he was part of preparations for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, organizing the bobsled, luge and ski jumping competitions in Park City. His Olympic experiences continued as Operations and Logistics Manager for a private entity at the 2004 Summer Olympics and 2006 Winter Olympics.[4]

Obama era

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Residing in Chicago, Mosteller assisted with the Obama presidential campaign at its inception in February 2007.[5] Working in Iowa, New Hampshire, and other pivotal states, he developed many of the policies and procedures used by the teams organizing the candidate's travels and events.[6] He was involved in the on-site organization of the 2008 primary debates and executed the senator's role at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Following Obama's election, Mosteller moved to Washington, D.C., and started in the Oval Office hours after the inaugural.[7] Mosteller was one of the longest serving staff members in the administration.[8][9]

Anonymous colleagues noted that "if you [want a meeting] at two in the morning, you go through him"[10] and GQ Magazine ranked Mosteller on their "DC Power List"[11] in 2010. In West Winging It, a retrospect of the administration published in 2018, the author references him as "responsible for maintaining dignity throughout the West Wing."[12] In a 2017 interview, Obama said of Mosteller, "He’s a tireless manager and leader with a knack for sweating the small stuff"[13] and in the former president's 2020 memoir, A Promised Land, Obama refers to him as "fastidious".[14]

Post-administration

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In 2020, Mosteller was referenced as a "top aide" to tech mogul Mark Zuckerberg and headed his personal office for almost five years.[15][16] He had departed Silicon Valley, California, for the East Coast and consulted on private projects before being hired by the Biden administration.[17]

State Department

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Mosteller now lives in Asia as a Senior Advisor at the U.S. Department of State - serving as Chief of Staff to Ambassador Rahm Emanuel.[16]

Personal life

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Mosteller is openly gay.[18][19] On August 1, 2016, at his official residence, then-Vice President Joe Biden officiated at the wedding of Mosteller and Joe Mahshie,[20] a member of First Lady Michelle Obama's White House staff.[21][22]

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References

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  1. ^ "Obama aide fondly recalls time in White House at Akron luncheon; Brian Mosteller credited with helping Obama keep 'cool'". Akron Beacon Journal. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
  2. ^ Warsinskey, Tim (February 16, 2016). "Akron native Brian Mosteller is President Obama's silent right-hand man". cleveland.com. Retrieved August 6, 2016.
  3. ^ "Brian Mosteller". whitehouse.gov. February 2, 2016. Retrieved January 8, 2019 – via National Archives.
  4. ^ Itkowitz, Colby (February 15, 2015). "Meet the man who can basically read President Obama's mind". Washington Post. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
  5. ^ Lowry, Rich (January 15, 1929). "Aide helps Obama run on time". Politico.com. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
  6. ^ "Brian Mosteller". whitehouse.gov. February 2, 2016. Retrieved February 9, 2016 – via National Archives.
  7. ^ Cardwell, Jewell (January 21, 2009). "Revere grad gets post in Obama Oval Office". Akron Beacon Journal.
  8. ^ "President Obama Enters The Outer Oval Office With Brian Mosteller | The White House". whitehouse.gov. December 13, 2013. Retrieved January 15, 2016 – via National Archives.
  9. ^ "Obama Still Hasn't Replaced Reggie Love". NYMag.com. February 16, 2012. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
  10. ^ Marie, Ana (April 6, 2010). "The Monthly D.C. Power List*: White House Staffer Edition". Gq.com. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
  11. ^ "The Monthly D.C. Power List*: White House Staffer Edition". GQ. April 6, 2010. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
  12. ^ Cunnane, Pat (2018). West Winging It. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster. p. 12. ISBN 9781501178290.
  13. ^ "West Wingman". The Ohio State University Alumni Association. January 23, 2017. Retrieved March 19, 2017.
  14. ^ Obama, Barack (2020). A promised land (First ed.). New York. ISBN 978-1-5247-6316-9. OCLC 1196086067.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  15. ^ "Zuckerberg security chief out after harassment, racism allegations". The Mercury News. July 9, 2019. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  16. ^ a b Heath, Ryan (June 6, 2022). "Boris Johnson's Conservative civil war". POLITICO. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  17. ^ "Mosteller Linkedin".
  18. ^ Itkowitz, Colby (February 15, 2016). "Meet the man who can basically read President Obama's mind". Washington Post. Retrieved August 6, 2016.
  19. ^ Browning, Bil (February 16, 2016). "President Obama's Gay 'Anticipator in Chief' Has Large Role in Oval Office". Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  20. ^ Reside, Rebecca Nelson,Alex (January 19, 2017). "The Bros of Michelle Obama's Office". GQ. Retrieved January 21, 2017.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  21. ^ "In a First, VP Joe Biden Officiates a Gay Wedding". New York Times. Associated Press. August 2, 2016. Retrieved August 6, 2016.
  22. ^ "Joe Biden Officiated at a Wedding and It Was Perfect". January 12, 2017. Retrieved March 7, 2017.