Blue Star Chronicles

Sylvia Panetta is Leon Panetta’s wife. She has been his wife and business partner for many years. Now the two are headed back to Washington to work for the Obama administration. Read her biography and see photos and a video below.

Sylvia Panetta

Just when some might have thought that Obama couldn’t cram another Clinton administration appointee into his administration, he does. He has just appointed Leon Panetta to be the U.S. top spy. He was former President Bill Clinton’s White House Chief of Staff. Now he will be Obama’s Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Sylvia Panetta has been by her husband’s side throughout his career. In fact, she ran his home district offices during his terms in Congress.

Public Sylvia Panetta biographical information is somewhat limited to her public service over the years. However, her maiden name is Sylvia Marie Varni. She was born in San Francisco, California. She started her education in pre-nursing and humanities at Dominican College in 1958. She graduated in 1962 from St. Joseph’s College in San Francisco with a degree in nursing. She studied humanities at Monterey Peninsula College from 1973 to 1974 and at Sonoma State University from 1974 to 1975.

She and her husband have three grown sons. Christopher, Carmelo and James. They also have five grandchildren. They live on a walnut farm in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.

She is vice chair of the Board of Trustees and managing director of the Leon and Sylvia Panetta Institute for Public Policy. She serves on numerous boards and has been awarded numerous awards for her lifetime of public service. She has focused much of her community volunteer efforts on children issues, education and health issues.

Sylvia Panetta - Photos