Melody_Barnes

Melody C. Barnes (b. April 29, 1964, Richmond, Virginia)^{[citation needed]} was chosen by President Barack Obama to serve as the Director of the Domestic Policy Council for his administration. Obama announced her appointment on November 24, 2008. She was previously Executive Vice President for Policy at the Center for American Progress and led the CAP's Faith and Progressive Policy Initiative. She left the CAP in June 2008 to work on the Obama campaign. She also served on the advisory board for the Obama presidential transition team,.

She is a member of the New York State Bar Association and the District of Columbia Bar Association. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of The Constitution Project. She received her law degree from the University of Michigan Law School and her bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she graduated with honors in History in 1986. As an undergraduate, she was a Brother of Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity and a Sister of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.