There is bad news and good news in the front offices of the rock ‘n’ roll franchise known as Bon Jovi. The bad news is that the band failed to make the cut for this year’s Rock Hall of Fame inductees. The good news is that the band’s front man, Jon Bon Jovi, was named by President Obama to the White House Council for Community Solutions, a group of influential individuals from differing walks of life who essentially help think up ways to spend tax dollars on mostly wasteful social programs.
As the White House explained it in its press release naming the Councils list of Whos Who, The Council will provide advice to the President on the best ways to mobilize citizens, nonprofits, businesses and government to work more effectively together to solve specific community needs.
Mr. Obama said that the men and women named to the Council have dedicated their lives and careers to civic engagement and social innovation. The President expressed his confidence that the group of activists will serve the American people well in their new roles on the White House Council for Community Solutions. I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.
In addition to Bon Jovi, the Council is made up of a tag team that includes leaders of legitimate charities and humanitarian outreaches, as well as some outright liberal political activists. Those named by the President to the Council include: Patty Stonesifer, a former CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Paula Boggs, executive vice president of Starbucks Coffee; Scott Cowen, president of Tulane University; John Donahoe, president and CEO of eBay; Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries; Judith Rodin, president of the Rockefeller Foundation; Jill Schumann, president and CEO of Lutheran Services in America; and Bobbi Silten, Chief Foundation Officer of Gap Inc., a clothing retailer whose brands include Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy. (Click here for a list of all appointees to the Council.)
A White House bio pointed out Bon Jovi’s work as Chairman of the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping the lives of those in need, then added the pop singers most impressive qualifications: Mr. Bon Jovi is also the lead singer of the Grammy Award winning group Bon Jovi, which has sold more than 120 million albums and performed more than 2,600 concerts for more than 34 million fans.
In a statement Bon Jovi said he was honored to have been selected for the White House advisory post: I have seen firsthand the powerful impact when people from the public, private and nonprofit sectors work together. All of us have a role to play in helping address some of our nations most serious problems, and I look forward to working with the rest of the council to help out where I can.
