Sunday, February 1, 2009

Desiree Rogers on being the White House Social Secretary (Audio)

From NPR:

At the White House Thursday, President Barack Obama held a signing ceremony for a new law aimed at halting age, race or gender discrimination in the workplace. The signing was followed by a reception hosted by the first lady.

Invited lawmakers and dignitaries munched on fruit and pastries. Somewhere in the background, a tall woman was making sure everything was just so in the state dining room — from the yellow orchids on the tables to the apricot coffee cake.

Her name is Desiree Rogers and she is the new White House social secretary, responsible for planning events from state dinners to the annual Easter egg roll.

Rogers comes to the White House armed with a Harvard MBA, a long resume in the corporate world and a keen knowledge of the first family's tastes as a longtime member of their Chicago inner circle.

"One of the things that is very important to the president and the first lady is that the art be reflective of all Americans," Rogers says. "And so one of the things that's already being looked at is the possibility of how can we diversify the art collection."

Listen to the whole interview, here.

Home Page