Thread: Desiree Rogers Resigning White House Job

Desiree Rogers resigning White House job
Published: Feb. 26, 2010 at 2:59 PM

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 (UPI) -- Desiree Rogers, saying she had laid the foundation to make the White House the "people's house," plans to resign next month as White House social secretary.

Rogers Friday told the Chicago Sun-Times now "is a good time for me to explore opportunities in the corporate world."

Rogers, a friend of the first couple and former Illinois State Lottery director, has presided over 330 White House events in the past 14 months, including the state dinner for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that was crashed by a couple angling for a reality television show.

"When I took on this assignment, we talked about the importance of creating the people's house. My work was really to create this framework," she told the newspaper.

"I think I completed that work. Our office has been able to lay the foundation for what will be known as the 'people's house' and it has already taken shape."

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2010/02/ ... 267214398/

Obama Selects Campaign Adviser As Social Secretary
Saturday, 27 Feb 2010 01:28 PM

It didn't take long for the White House to name the next social secretary.

Julianna Smoot, who was chief of staff to U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, takes over at the White House for Desiree Rogers. Smoot was finance director for Barack Obama's presidential campaign.

The White House said on Friday that Rogers, a longtime Chicago friend of the Obamas, was stepping down. That announcement came three months after an uninvited couple crashed the Obama administration's first state dinner. Rogers was criticized for her role in allowing the embarrassing episode to happen.

The president says Smoot shares the Obamas' commitment "to creating an inclusive, dynamic and culturally vibrant White House."

http://newsmax.com/InsideCover/White-Ho ... /id/351120