User:WhisperToMe/Tomason

Until the publishing of The Situation Room photograph, Audrey F. Tomason, a woman identified by the White House as the Director for Counterterrorism, was unknown to the public. After the publication of the photo, because of the apparent proximity to U.S. President Barack Obama seen in the photograph, various rumors appeared regarding what her role is. She also gained notability as she was the only woman, other than Hillary Clinton, in the photograph. She also appeared to be the only person in the photograph under 40 years of age. Alexis Madrigal, a senior editor at The Atlantic said that Tomason "appeared to be an outlier in a room filled with the Administration's heaviest hitters."

As of May 2011 there is little published information about Tomason and her role for the administration. Daniel Stone, an editor at The Daily Beast/Newsweek, said that Tomason did not seem to be active on any online social networks. Stone added that there was a possibility that the photograph had outed a "sensitive national security employee." Michael Barrett, the principal at Diligent Innovations, a security firm, said "You can make a reasonable deduction that she's a member of the intelligence community. Is that a story [the White House] wants to put out there in public? The fact that we can see her face could potentially jeopardize her career." Sarah Anne Hughes of The Washington Post said "If it’s true that Tomason’s job is of the clandestine nature, it’s reasonable to think that this photo will not be good for her career. Neither will her new Wikipedia page." Tommy Vietor, a National Security Council spokesperson, said that there were other young staffers in the room, but Tomason as the only one in the photograph. Vietor said "[t]here were at least half a dozen people with similar profiles in the immediate vicinity where that photo was taken." Madrigal added "[y]et only one has a Wikipedia page. The luck of the camera's gaze means that history will be able to place Tomason at a decisive moment in war on terrorism, but not her colleagues."