White House Social Secretary

The White House Social Secretary is responsible for the planning, coordination and execution of official social events at the White House, the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States.

Function

The Social Secretary is head of the White House Social Office, located in the East Wing of the White House Complex. The Social Secretary plans events ranging from those as simple as a tea for the First Lady and a single official guest, to dinners for more than 200 guests. The Social Secretary works with the White House Chief Usher to coordinate domestic staff and with the Chief of Protocol of the United States, an official within the United States Department of State, to plan state visits and accompanying state dinners. The Social Secretary works with the White House Graphics and Calligraphy Office in the production of invitations to social events.

The Social Secretary works on both the political and non-political functions of the presidency, coordinating events for the President, the First Lady, and senior political staff. The White House Social Secretary serves at the president's pleasure and is appointed by each administration.

First male to fill role

On February 25, 2011, the White House appointed Jeremy Bernard, the first male social secretary in its history. “I have long admired the arts and education programs that have become hallmarks of the Obama White House and I am eager to continue these efforts in the years ahead,” Bernard said during the announcing press conference.^[1]

List of White House Social Secretaries

References

Further reading

• Baldrige, Letitia. In the Kennedy Style: Magical Evenings in the Kennedy White House. Doubleday: 1998. ISBN 0-385-48964-1.
• Clinton, Hillary Rodham. An Invitation to the White House: At Home with History. Simon & Schuster: 2000. ISBN 0-684-85799-5.
• The White House: An Historic Guide. White House Historical Association and the National Geographic Society: 2001. ISBN 0-912308-79-6.

External links

• White House Historical Association website
• Records of the White House Social Office (1952 - 1961), Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library

White House Complex
White House
Executive Residence	Basement Basement Chief Floral Designer Ground floor China Room collection Office of the Curator Diplomatic Reception Room Library Map Room Vermeil Room State floor Blue Room Cross Hall East Room Entrance Hall Family Dining Room Grand Staircase Green Room Red Room South Portico State Dining Room Chief Usher Second floor Center Hall Dressing Room East Bedroom East Sitting Hall Family Kitchen Lincoln Bedroom Lincoln Sitting Room President's Bedroom President's Dining Room Private Sitting Room Queens' Bedroom Queens' Sitting Room Treaty Room Truman Balcony West Bedroom West Sitting Hall Yellow Oval Room Third floor Center Hall Diet Kitchen Linen Room Music Room Sun Room Work-out Room
West Wing	Cabinet Room Executive Office Oval Office Oval Office Study Press Briefing Room Roosevelt Room Situation Room
East Wing	Office of the First Lady Graphics and Calligraphy Office Presidential Emergency Operations Center White House Family Theater Social Secretary Visitors Office White House Military Office
Grounds	The Ellipse Jacqueline Kennedy Garden Lafayette Square North Lawn President's Park Rose Garden South Lawn White House to Treasury Building tunnel
Annex	Eisenhower Executive Office Building New Executive Office Building White House Conference Center Blair House Trowbridge House Presidential Townhouse
Nearby streets	15th Street 17th Street Constitution Avenue E Street East Executive Avenue H Street NW Hamilton Place Jackson Place Madison Place Pennsylvania Avenue State Place West Executive Avenue

White House Office
American Innovation Cabinet Affairs Chief of Staff Communications Counselor First Lady Executive Chef Floral Designer Social Secretary Intergovernmental Affairs Legislative Affairs Management and Administration Oval Office Operations Political Affairs Presidential Personnel Public Liaison Press Secretary Scheduling and Advance Senior Advisor Staff Secretary Trade and Manufacturing Policy White House Counsel White House Fellows