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Former Obama campaign chief David Plouffe joins Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

Plouffe was President Barack Obama's campaign manager and recently an Uber Technologies Inc. board member.

By Ed Adamczyk
David Plouffe (L) joined the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative as its policy and advocacy chief. The philanthropic organization was founded by Mark Zuckerberg and Dr.Priscilla Chan. Photo courtesy of Mark Zuckerberg/Facebook
David Plouffe (L) joined the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative as its policy and advocacy chief. The philanthropic organization was founded by Mark Zuckerberg and Dr.Priscilla Chan. Photo courtesy of Mark Zuckerberg/Facebook

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 11 (UPI) -- David Plouffe joined the philanthropic Chan Zuckerberg Initiative as a policy and advocacy chief, the organization announced.

Plouffe, 49, formerly President Barack Obama's campaign manager, will end his day-to-day activities as adviser to Uber Technologies Inc., although he will remain a non-voting Uber board member. His involvement at Uber has diminished since former Google executive Rachel Whetstone was hired to lead the company's policy and communications divisions, Bloomberg News said Wednesday.

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The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, founded by Facebook magnate Mark Zuckerberg and Dr. Priscilla Chan, his wife, committed $600 million in September to fund a medical research center, and concentrates on global social causes.

"Advocacy has always been part of our approach. We wrote about its importance in our letter to our daughter when we started CZI. When we launched our science initiative last year, I spoke about how we need to change that our government spends 50x more treating people who are sick than finding cures so people don't get sick in the first place...I'm excited to work with David on this. He has great experience building movements as part of companies like Uber and as campaign manager for Barack Obama's presidential campaign," Zuckerberg wrote in announcing Plouffe's arrival.

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Zuckerberg added that Ken Mehlman, 50, former Republican National Committee chief and manager of George W. Bush's presidential campaigns, will join the philanthropic organization to head its policy advisory board.

"David and Ken built campaigns for different parties but have also come together to work on issues like marriage equality. David and Ken will announce more members of the policy advisory board over the next few months. They'll work together to find opportunities to work with governments, partners and people everywhere to advance human potential and promote equal opportunity," Zuckerberg wrote.

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