Sylvia Mathews served as Deputy Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), where she worked on the development of policy, negotiated with the Congress on behalf of the President, and was responsible for coordinating budget and appropriations matters as well as legislative and management issues.

Prior to her term at OMB, Ms. Matthews was Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff to the President. In that position, she supervised the work of several White House offices, including the National Economic Council, the Domestic Policy Council, Public Liaison, Staff Secretary, Intergovernmental Affairs, Council on Environmental Quality, Press, Cabinet Secretary, and Communications. Ms. Mathews was also responsible for several special projects ranging from State of the Union Addresses to the President's historic trip to Africa.

Ms. Mathews was manager of the Economic Transition Team for President Clinton in December 1992, and served as Staff Director for the National Economic Council and Chief of Staff to Secretary of the Treasury, Robert E. Rubin during President Clinton's first term.

Ms. Mathews graduated from Harvard University in 1987, and as a Rhodes Scholar, received an honors degree from Oxford University in England. Ms. Mathews will be at the Institute of Politics for two weeks during the month of March.