Her new title may sound a bit antiquated, but the position is one of power. The White House social secretary plans all social events for the president and first lady, and those can be small events like a tea for the first lady or state dinners for hundreds.
Rogers, who is seen often at Chicago's best social gatherings , says she's ready to be a part of history.
"> I am extremely honored to have been selected for this position. I take it with great pride," she said.
Monday, President-elect Obama and first lady Michelle Obama announced Rogers would be the new White House social secretary, saying the businesswoman shared their commitment to bringing people together.
"[The White House should be] a place that people identify with and people feel like, 'I can go there. I should go and visit the White House, and it's not out of my reach.' In fact, it belongs to the people of the United States," said Rogers.
Rogers served in high-profile positions with Peoples Energy as president and as the Director of the Illinois Lottery. She will be leaving the position of president of social networking for Allstate to go to the White House.
Rogers new role as social secretary is historic. She will be the first African-American to hold the position. From her Chicago home, she told ABC7 Chicago that she is looking forward to welcoming Americans from a variety of backgrounds to join the Obamas at the White House.
"There's no reason why we can't mix people up a bit more. It's a good idea to make that beneficial to all Americans and it allows the people that will be there an opportunity to think differently. You don't always have to be sitting next to someone just like you.
Desiree Rogers is looking forward to inviting families to the White House. With the Obama girls, Malia and Sasha, there, Rogers wants to have events that will include American families.
The new social secretary is also a mother. Her daughter is a student at Yale.
