White House Social Secretary
Encyclopedia
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
.
. 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 visit
s and accompanying state dinner
s. 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 non-political functions of the presidency and the political, 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.
, 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.
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
, the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
.
Function
The Social Secretary is head of the White House Social Office, located in the East Wing of the White House ComplexWhite House Complex
The White House Complex is the designation of the three principal structures and the adjoining outdoor ceremonial areas, which, along with the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, serve as the seat of the executive branch of United States government...
. The Social Secretary plans events ranging from those as simple as a tea for the First Lady
First Lady of the United States
First Lady of the United States is the title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the president of the United States, the title is most often applied to the wife of a sitting president. The current first lady is Michelle Obama.-Current:The...
and a single official guest, to dinners for more than 200 guests. The Social Secretary works with the White House Chief Usher
White House Chief Usher
White House Chief Usher is the title of the head of household staff and operations at the White House, the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States....
to coordinate domestic staff and with the Chief of Protocol of the United States
Chief of Protocol of the United States
The Chief of Protocol is an officer of the United States Department of State responsible for advising the President of the United States, the vice president, and the secretary of state on matters of national and international diplomatic protocol...
, an official within the United States Department of State
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
, to plan state visit
State visit
A state visit is a formal visit by a foreign head of state to another nation, at the invitation of that nation's head of state. State visits are the highest form of diplomatic contact between two nations, and are marked by ceremonial pomp and diplomatic protocol. In parliamentary democracies, heads...
s and accompanying state dinner
State dinner
A state dinner is a dinner or banquet paid by a government and hosted by a head of state in his or her official residence in order to renew and celebrate diplomatic ties between the host country and the country of a foreign head of state or head of government who was issued an invitation. In many...
s. The Social Secretary works with the White House Graphics and Calligraphy Office
Graphics and Calligraphy Office
The Graphics and Calligraphy Office is a unit of the Social Office at the White House, the official residence of the president of the United States...
in the production of invitations to social events.
The Social Secretary works on both the non-political functions of the presidency and the political, 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 BernardJeremy Bernard
Jeremy Bernard currently serves as the White House Social Secretary. Bernard was appointed to the position by President Barack Obama on February 25, 2011. He is the first male, as well as the first openly gay individual, to serve as White House Social Secretary.-Early life:Bernard was born and...
, 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.
Current staff
- Special Assistant to the President and White House Social Secretary: Jeremy BernardJeremy BernardJeremy Bernard currently serves as the White House Social Secretary. Bernard was appointed to the position by President Barack Obama on February 25, 2011. He is the first male, as well as the first openly gay individual, to serve as White House Social Secretary.-Early life:Bernard was born and...
- Deputy White House Social Secretary: Samantha Tubman
Further reading
- Baldrige, LetitiaLetitia BaldrigeLetitia Baldrige is an American etiquette expert and public relations executive.A graduate of Vassar College, she is a former State Department employee and was the White House Social Secretary to Jacqueline Kennedy....
. In the Kennedy Style: Magical Evenings in the Kennedy White House. Doubleday: 1998. ISBN 0-385-48964-1. - Clinton, Hillary RodhamHillary Rodham ClintonHillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
. 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.