The Mickey Ibarra Story

An in-depth look at Mickey Ibarra, from his childhood to the years served with President Clinton.

Video Summary

After serving as Assistant to the President and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at the White House from 1997-2001, Mickey Ibarra established a government relations and public affairs consultant practice in Washington, DC. His clients include both non-profit and business organizations, state elected officials, local government, education, technology and communication interests. Mickey Ibarra & Associates is also a partner with Winning Directions, a national leader in strategic communications and message development.

At the White House, Mr. Ibarra was responsible for building support for the President's policy initiatives and responding to the concerns of his partners in government. He practiced a policy of inclusion and consultation as President Clinton's principal liaison to state and local elected officials, as well as, the U.S. Territories.

In 1998, President Clinton appointed Mr. Ibarra to serve as a vice chair of the White House Task Force for the Salt Lake 2002 Winter Olympic Games. In addition, he co-chaired the White House Task Force on Drug Use in Sports and the President's Interagency Group on Insular Areas.

Mr. Ibarra is an accomplished public speaker having addressed over 150 audiences attending ceremonies, briefings, conferences, seminars, receptions, and other White House events. In addition, he delivered keynote commencement addresses at Northern Arizona University, Sam Houston State University, and Estrella Mountain Community College.

Prior to his White House appointment, Mr. Ibarra was the Political Manager for the National Education Association responsible for assisting with campaign strategy development, federal candidate support, political education, and state government affairs. He was the Senior Advisor and Director of Special Projects for the Clinton-Gore '96 campaign. A native of Salt Lake City, Mr. Ibarra taught at-risk high school students for five years in the Utah public schools. He served in the United States Army from 1970-73.

Mr. Ibarra was named an honorary mayor for the Salt Lake 2002 Winter Paralympic Games. He has received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Utah, and the President's Award for Public Service presented by the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO). Hispanic Magazine also selected him among the "25 Most Powerful Hispanics in Washington, DC." He serves as a member of the Board of Directors for both the One America Foundation and eLeaderTech, Inc. In addition, he is a member of the National Advisory Committee for the National Educational Leadership Initiative of NALEO.