Reggie Love leaving the White House by year's end

[Mike Corey]

Love, the former Duke basketball and football player who has been Obama's "body man" since the '08 campaign, will be leaving his post in the White House by year's end.

No word yet on what he plans to do next, but Love has indicated in the past that he had an interest in pursuing a professional degree after his days in the Obama Administration.

There will now be just one Duke alum in the White House--General Eric Shinseki, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Best of luck to Mr. Love in whatever he chooses to do next.

[OldPhiKap]

Does this mean he can start dunking on the President? Or do you have to let him get the lay-up until you resign?

Tough question for a man who owns the paint if he wants to. Ask Gloria Vanderbilt Commodore.

[Bluedog]

There will now be just one Duke alum in the White House--General Eric Shinseki, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Jeffrey Zients (United States Chief Performance Officer) and Macon Phillips (White House Director of New Media) are still there as well.

Good luck to Reggie. I'm sure he'll succeed in whatever he decides to do next in life.

[Mike Corey]

Great info, Bluedog.

My apologies for the omissions.

[doctorhook]

Can't wait for the tell all book.

[HCheek37]

Is this voluntary or mutual? Any new articles on the departure for Reggie? Any of the important/juicy info would be appreciated.

[devildeac]

Is this voluntary or mutual? Any new articles on the departure for Reggie? Any of the important/juicy info would be appreciated.

He's leaving to be come our big man coach...

[Mike Corey]

Is this voluntary or mutual? Any new articles on the departure for Reggie? Any of the important/juicy info would be appreciated.

My sense is that this is voluntary, and had been Love's plan from the beginning (to transition out now, I mean).

I'll keep my ears to the ground, but I would be surprised if there's anything more to this than Love being ready for a new challenge. By all indications, Love has been very good at his job, and that he has an excellent relationship with his boss.

[OldPhiKap]

My sense is that this is voluntary, and had been Love's plan from the beginning (to transition out now, I mean).

I'll keep my ears to the ground, but I would be surprised if there's anything more to this than Love being ready for a new challenge. By all indications, Love has been very good at his job, and that he has an excellent relationship with his boss.

The President is tired of losing the White House March Madness pool.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

It sounds like this is totally voluntary, though one would think that Reggie would have stuck around through the next election and then transitioned to someone else for what will hopefully be the next term (not to turn this into a political thread). But Reggie has stuck around longer than a number of Obama's other aides, and he's 30 years old, so he is definitely entitled to move on with his life. Between his Duke degree, the Duke basketball influence and Obama, Reggie should have absolutely no trouble landing whatever job he wants or getting into the grad program of his choice.

[77devil]

My sense is that this is voluntary, and had been Love's plan from the beginning (to transition out now, I mean).

I'll keep my ears to the ground, but I would be surprised if there's anything more to this than Love being ready for a new challenge. By all indications, Love has been very good at his job, and that he has an excellent relationship with his boss.

This seems exactly right. I wonder if there is some burnout involved in the decision to leave now instead of after the election next November. By all accounts Reggie was indispensable to the President during the 2008 campaign, and continues to be an important asset with a close relationship to Obama. Obviously, no one is irreplaceable, but the 2012 presidential race is setting up as a brutal 15 rounder and having Reggie on the team presumably would have been preferable.

[sagegrouse]

My sense is that this is voluntary, and had been Love's plan from the beginning (to transition out now, I mean).

I'll keep my ears to the ground, but I would be surprised if there's anything more to this than Love being ready for a new challenge. By all indications, Love has been very good at his job, and that he has an excellent relationship with his boss.

By all accounts he has been doing this job for four years. The job is a killer and exerts enormous demands on time, travel and schedule. Surely it is someone else's turn. Reggie is smart to leave government. I suspect he will have some wonderful opportunities.

sagegrouse

[Mike Corey]

The New York Times comes through:


For months, Mr. Love has been attending a part-time master’s in business administration program at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, and dividing his time between his studies and work duties just became too much, said several people who spoke with him about it. His schedule was so packed that “when he would describe it to you, you’d want to go to sleep,” said Arun Chaudhary, until recently the White House videographer.

[Mike Corey]

President Obama's statement on Love's departure:


"Over the years, Reggie has been a friend, a teammate, and an indispensable member of my staff. His ability to juggle so many responsibilities with so little sleep has been an inspiration to watch. He is the master of what he does. Even though I will miss seeing Reggie every day, I want to thank him for his service and wish him all the best as he begins a new chapter in his career."

The LA Times confirms that Love will now be pursuing his MBA full-time at Wharton.

[Verga3]

By all accounts he has been doing this job for four years. The job is a killer and exerts enormous demands on time, travel and schedule. Surely it is someone else's turn. Reggie is smart to leave government. I suspect he will have some wonderful opportunities.

sagegrouse

Reggie,

We are SO PROUD of you and are also in complete awe of what you have given to your country and sacrificed personally. Good decision to move on now. New life, new opportunities. You still may yearn for sleep with your Wharton MBA studies. You will be successful. Remember, you are family. We will always be with you.

[PallasAthena]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/11/us/politics/reggie-love-is-leaving-obamas-shadow-to-cast-his-own.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=reggie%20love&st=cse