Brian Mosteller
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2016}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Brian Mosteller
| image = Official Photo Mosteller.jpg
| office = Director of Oval Office Operations
| president = Barack Obama
| term_start = January 20, 2009
| term_end = January 20, 2017
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1975|12|06}}
| birth_place = Akron, Ohio, U.S.
| party = Democratic
| spouse = {{marriage|Joe Mahshie|2016}}
| education = DePaul University
Ohio State University {{small|(BS)}}
| office2 = Senior Advisor, US Embassy Tokyo
| president2 = Joseph R. Biden
| termend2 = Present
| termstart2 = May 22, 2022
}}
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.
Early career
Mosteller was born in Akron, Ohio, and graduated from Revere High School.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ohio.com/akron/news/obama-aide-fondly-recalls-time-in-white-house-at-akron-luncheon-brian-mosteller-credited-with-helping-obama-keep-cool|title=Obama aide fondly recalls time in White House at Akron luncheon; Brian Mosteller credited with helping Obama keep 'cool'|website=Akron Beacon Journal|language=en|access-date=2019-01-08}} 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.{{cite news|last1=Warsinskey|first1=Tim|title=Akron native Brian Mosteller is President Obama's silent right-hand man|url=http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2016/02/akron_native_brian_mosteller_i.html|access-date=August 6, 2016|publisher=cleveland.com|date=16 February 2016}} 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.{{Cite web|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/author/brian-mosteller|title=Brian Mosteller|date=2016-02-02|language=en|via=National Archives|work=whitehouse.gov|access-date=2019-01-08}} 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.{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2016/02/15/meet-the-man-president-obama-depends-on-to-get-through-his-day/|title=Meet the man who can basically read President Obama's mind|last=Itkowitz|first=Colby|date=2015-02-15|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=2019-01-08}}
Obama era
Residing in Chicago, Mosteller assisted with the Obama presidential campaign at its inception in February 2007.{{cite web| last=Lowry |first=Rich |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2009/07/aide-helps-obama-run-on-time-025543 |title=Aide helps Obama run on time |website=Politico.com |date=January 15, 1929 |access-date=January 15, 2016}} 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.{{Cite web|title = Brian Mosteller|url = https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/author/brian-mosteller|via = National Archives|work = whitehouse.gov| date=February 2, 2016 |access-date = February 9, 2016}} 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.{{cite news|last1=Cardwell|first1=Jewell|title=Revere grad gets post in Obama Oval Office|url=http://www.ohio.com/news/revere-grad-gets-post-in-obama-oval-office-1.123575|work=Akron Beacon Journal|date=January 21, 2009}} Mosteller was one of the longest serving staff members in the administration.{{cite web|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/photos-and-video/photo/2013/12/president-obama-enters-outer-oval-office-brian-mosteller |title=President Obama Enters The Outer Oval Office With Brian Mosteller | The White House |date=December 13, 2013 |via=National Archives |work=whitehouse.gov |access-date=January 15, 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2012/02/obama-still-hasnt-replaced-reggie-love.html |title=Obama Still Hasn't Replaced Reggie Love |website=NYMag.com |date=February 16, 2012 |access-date=January 15, 2016}}
Anonymous colleagues noted that "if you [want a meeting] at two in the morning, you go through him"{{cite web|last=Marie |first=Ana |url=https://www.gq.com/story/the-monthly-dc-power-list-white-house-staffer-edition |title=The Monthly D.C. Power List*: White House Staffer Edition |website=Gq.com |date=April 6, 2010 |access-date=January 15, 2016}} and GQ Magazine ranked Mosteller on their "DC Power List"{{Cite web |date=2010-04-06 |title=The Monthly D.C. Power List*: White House Staffer Edition |url=https://www.gq.com/story/the-monthly-dc-power-list-white-house-staffer-edition |access-date=2022-08-07 |website=GQ |language=en-US}} 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."{{Cite book|title=West Winging It|last=Cunnane|first=Pat|publisher=Simon & Schuster|year=2018|isbn=9781501178290|location=New York, NY|pages=12}} In a 2017 interview, Obama said of Mosteller, "He’s a tireless manager and leader with a knack for sweating the small stuff"{{Cite news|date=2017-01-23|title=West Wingman|language=en|work=The Ohio State University Alumni Association|url=https://www.osu.edu/alumni/news/ohio-state-alumni-magazine/issues/january-february-2017/west-wingman.html|access-date=2017-03-19}} and in the former president's 2020 memoir, A Promised Land, Obama refers to him as "fastidious".{{Cite book|last=Obama|first=Barack|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1196086067|title=A promised land|date=2020|isbn=978-1-5247-6316-9|edition=First|location=New York|oclc=1196086067}}
Post-administration
In 2020, Mosteller was referenced as a "top aide" to tech mogul Mark Zuckerberg and headed his personal office for almost five years.{{Cite web|date=2019-07-09|title=Zuckerberg security chief out after harassment, racism allegations|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/07/09/zuckerberg-security-chief-out-after-harassment-racism-allegations/|access-date=2021-10-27|website=The Mercury News|language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Heath |first=Ryan |title=Boris Johnson's Conservative civil war |url=https://politi.co/3aBl7GN |access-date=2022-06-11 |website=POLITICO |date=June 6, 2022 |language=en}} He had departed Silicon Valley, California, for the East Coast and consulted on private projects before being hired by the Biden administration.{{Cite web|url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/mosteller|title=Mosteller Linkedin}}
State Department
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.
Personal life
Mosteller is openly gay.{{cite news|last1=Itkowitz|first1=Colby|date=February 15, 2016|title=Meet the man who can basically read President Obama's mind|newspaper=Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2016/02/15/meet-the-man-president-obama-depends-on-to-get-through-his-day/|access-date=August 6, 2016}}{{cite web|last=Browning|first=Bil|date=February 16, 2016|title=President Obama's Gay 'Anticipator in Chief' Has Large Role in Oval Office|url=https://www.queerty.com/president-obamas-gay-anticipator-in-chief-has-large-role-in-oval-office-20160216|access-date=February 16, 2016}} On August 1, 2016, at his official residence, then-Vice President Joe Biden officiated at the wedding of Mosteller and Joe Mahshie,{{Cite news|last=Reside|first=Rebecca Nelson,Alex|date=2017-01-19|title=The Bros of Michelle Obama's Office|language=en|newspaper=GQ|url=https://www.gq.com/story/the-bros-of-michelle-obamas-office|access-date=2017-01-21}} a member of First Lady Michelle Obama's White House staff.{{cite news|date=August 2, 2016|title=In a First, VP Joe Biden Officiates a Gay Wedding|work=New York Times|agency=Associated Press|url=https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/08/02/us/politics/ap-us-biden-gay-wedding.html|access-date=August 6, 2016}}{{cite web|date=January 12, 2017|title=Joe Biden Officiated at a Wedding and It Was Perfect|url=http://www.townandcountrymag.com/the-scene/weddings/news/a9240/joe-biden-officiated-wedding/|access-date=March 7, 2017}}
Gallery
File:P061214PS-0459 (15156035466).jpg|Mosteller works in the Outer Oval Office as President Obama completes a phone call adjacent.
File:Sec Clinton with Mosteller.jpg|Mosteller works on a speech with Secretary Clinton and other administration staff.
File:Marine One, Walter Reed Hospital LZ.jpg|Mosteller departs Marine One behind President Obama.
File:Biden with Mosteller.jpg|Mosteller with husband Joe Mahshie and Vice President Biden.
File:Mosteller with Emanuel.jpg|Mosteller with Ambassador Emanuel in Hiroshima, Japan
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References
{{Reflist}}
{{Obama Executive Office|state=collapsed}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mosteller, Brian}}
Category:Obama administration personnel
Category:People from Akron, Ohio
Category:Ohio State University Fisher College of Business alumni
Category:LGBTQ people from Ohio