ADOLFO CARRIN, JR.

January 9, 2012 Dear Friends and Colleagues, February marks the three-year anniversary of the date I joined the Obama Administration. During this time, it has been a privilege and an extraordinary opportunity to work alongside folks who are deeply committed to our country s future. In five weeks, on February 10th, I will be ending my tenure with the federal government to pursue exciting projects in the private sector and to continue my political activism and help reelect President Obama. I am grateful to the President for the opportunity to serve in his administration. As most of you know, I started at the White House, serving as Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Office of Urban Affairs. Our work resulted in the establishment of a White House Urban Policy Working Group and the first comprehensive interagency review in 30 years of federal government approaches and funding in urban and metropolitan areas. I m proud to have worked with my colleagues on the Domestic Policy Council, the Council of Economic Advisors, the OMB, the Office of the Vice President, my immediate counterparts in the Offices of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs, and our federal agency partners to advance a 21st century urban/metro agenda. Our work in the White House launched a set of policies and initiatives that aligned the work of federal agencies to offer place-based competitive opportunities for stakeholders throughout the country. These include, among many others, Regional Planning and Sustainability Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, Choice Neighborhoods, The Interagency Partnership on Sustainable Communities, The White House Neighborhood Initiative, the Strong Cities/Strong Communities Fellowship to assist troubled cities, a coordinated effort to end veterans homelessness, and a proposal to Congress for a National Infrastructure Bank included in the American Jobs Act. I didn t think it could get any more fun and interesting -- and then I received a call from my friend and fellow New Yorker, Shaun Donovan, to join him and a great team he was assembling at HUD to help implement these initiatives at the local level and transform the way the agency does business. The added bonus for me was that I would be able to do this front-lines work back home in New York City . . . and my kids also loved the idea of getting back to their home schools, their sports leagues, and their friends. Thank you, Mr. Secretary! While at HUD, I have had the honor to work with a group of exceptionally talented regional administrators, extraordinary leaders in all program areas, and most importantly, my staff and the best field leadership team in the country (sorry to my friends in the other 9 regions ). I inherited a team in Region II that was ahead of the curve on cross-program collaboration and interagency partnering. I cannot thank them enough for their spirit of cooperation and support in implementing the administration s priorities. All of this was made possible by the outstanding leadership and dogged

determination of a lady who has become a dear friend, Pat Hoban-Moore. Pat, thanks for understanding that the rubber meets the road in the field. Upon my departure from HUD, I will be launching Metro Futures LLC, an entity that will be dedicated to advancing investment in infrastructure, housing, and smart metropolitan growth. In this work, I plan to continue to make progress towards our shared mission of building competitive, sustainable and opportunity-rich communities across our great country. Thank you to all for your kindness and friendship. Adolfo Carrin, Jr.