The most seasoned and savvy member of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration is leaving City Hall — and the mayor’s loss is not the CTA’s gain.
Chief Operating Officer John Roberson is joining the Obama Foundation as executive vice president for the Obama Presidential Center. A vacancy in the Obama Presidential Center leadership team was created by the recent death of Lori Healey.
The Obama Foundation stressed that Roberson was not specifically hired to fill Healey’s shoes, and that when the Obama Presidential Center opens, Roberson “will succeed Robbin Cohen, who has led the Obama Foundation’s efforts to design, build and prepare to open the OPC for the past 11 years.”
Obama Foundation CEO Valerie Jarrett knows Roberson well, having served with him in the administration of former Mayor Richard M. Daley.
Jarrett said in a news release that Roberson has “the right background, experience and reputation to lead the operations of the Obama Presidential Center as we prepare to welcome the people of Chicago and the world to our campus next year.”
“John is well known for his rigor and commitment to excellence and his values-based leadership approach which aligns strongly with President Obama’s vision,” Jarrett said in the release.
Roberson did not return phone calls Monday.
The news release quoted Roberson as saying that “as a son of the South Side,” he could not be “more proud” to be among those charged with helping to “deliver this game-changing institution to our community and for our great city.”
“The Obama Presidential Center is going to be a world-class destination, and I am so humbled to lead the team that will open it,” Roberson said.
Last month, South Side Ald. David Moore (17th) lashed out at the CTA board for opposing Johnson’s behind-the-scenes campaign to install Roberson as CTA president. Instead, the CTA board has demanded a nationwide search for Dorval Carter Jr.’s replacement.
Moore accused the board of “moving the goal post” on the search process and outlined why Roberson, who once served as the alderman’s chief of staff, is the man for the job.
“Do not assume power that you do not have. Work with the mayor that put you here,” Moore told board members. “Don’t be a backbiting snake.”
On Monday, Moore learned that his former chief of staff was leaving city government entirely to go to the Obama Foundation.
“It’s a total loss — not to the mayor. It’s a total loss to this city first and foremost. I’m really disturbed by that,” Moore said. “It’s a great opportunity for him and I’m happy for the Obama Foundation that they got another superstar from the city.
“But had the CTA grabbed him, we would have this asset. … To lose that talent is heartbreaking, and it’s not good for the city. It makes our job even more difficult because that becomes heavy lifting that the aldermen have to do, in addition to having to take care of their wards.”
Moore was asked who he holds responsible for letting Roberson get away.
“I’m not gonna say it’s the mayor because, from my understanding, the mayor wanted to send him over to the CTA,” Moore said.
“It’s the board members who talked about, ‘Let’s do a search.’ The same voices and activists who didn’t say, ‘Let’s do a search for Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, who I think is gonna continue to do a fine job at the Park District. It’s those board members who think they know better than the residents and the elected officials, and they don’t. They need to stay in their lanes.”
Rich Guidice, Johnson’s first chief of staff, is another one of Roberson’s former bosses.
“John had a pretty good handle on day-to-day operations of Chicago city government. It will be a big loss from an institutional standpoint. There’s probably nobody in the office except for probably [Johnson aide] Lori Lypson who has a good knowledge base,” Guidice said.
“What we need to factor in there, too, is the relationship with some of the aldermen that John has been able to continue to have — even during some of the more difficult and challenging times with the administration. There’s that whole other part of political government” where Roberson’s loss will be felt, during what is certain to be a difficult budget season, Guidice said.
Roberson was once one of Daley’s favorites, hopscotching from job to job before falling out of favor with the notoriously demanding mayor.
He lost his seventh and final job with Daley — as aviation commissioner — after his name turned up on a list of cooperating witnesses in the federal investigation of City Hall corruption that included the Hired Truck city hiring and minority contracting scandals.