February 6, 2010

Desirée Rogers


"[Desiree] Rogers is bright, creative, and has an extraordinary flair for style."
- Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President

Some women have style. White House Social Secretay Desirée Rogers is one of those very few women who not only have innate style, but uses it to her advantage. By style, I mean, front row holding her own next to Vogue Editor in Chief Anna Wintour AND joie de vivre when it comes to everything she does.

"The life of the party." - William Norwich, Vogue

Who else but Desirée could pull off an avant garde evening gown by Comme des Garcon to a White House State Dinner? Regardless of whether you like the dress, with her elegance and big personality, she wore the dress (not the other way around).

What makes Desirée convincing are her strong credentials and her desire to make a positive impact. No one likes a social butterfly who just sits there looking pretty. She graduated from Wellesley College and Harvard Business School, ran organizations and companies such as the Illinois State Lottery, Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas, and Allstate Financial's social networking site. She understands business and branding. She describes the Obama Presidency as a brand. “You have to think of the social office as a conduit by which we bring to life the ideals of the Obama Presidency,” Desirée says. Her goal os "to create an environment of inclusiveness so that all Americans feel like the White House is their home.... "This campaign engaged a lot of people in ways they had not engaged before. This is about continuing to capture that excitement."

"This is a woman who never sees a wilted bloom. The 49-year-old turns on just enough Southern charm to camouflage an aura of self-assuredness typically reserved for runway models or first ladies."
- Amy Chozick, Wall Street Journal Magazine


"She is fabulous in every direction, very stylish without being overdone, very sophisticated without being overbearing. Approachable."
- Ron Clemente, DC hair stylist


Desirée captures our attention with her refined style (often mentioned on Chicago best dressed lists), our minds with her business savvy, and our hearts with her natural talent in socializing. As the Social Secretary for the Obama administration, she represents and acts upon goals to strengthen the American spirit. "The common thread ... [is to be] able to do something wonderful—like adding a room to the house for an elderly mother, or paying for the grandkids' tuition. If I can re-create that kind of enthusiasm at the White House, then I'm doing my job," says Desirée.

"Desirée Rogers, the glamorous Chicago businesswoman, social figure, and friend of the Obamas’, is a change agent."

- Maureen Orth, Vanity Fair


She can make a difference, she will make a difference, and we can feel good about it when it happens.




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