Desiree Rogers
Desiree Rogers

There's no time to waste. Every day, there needs to be movement on something.

Desiree Rogers
Desiree Rogers

I love bringing people together. I think that the environment is so important in terms of what kind of relationships you might be able to create, how people get to know each other.

Desiree Rogers
Desiree Rogers

I think the Social Office is really the office where East meets West. For those that don't know, the East side is typically the First Lady's side of the house. The West side is typically the President's side of the house.

Desiree Rogers
Desiree Rogers

I'm from New Orleans, and I know that people do like to sit and talk and drink and, you know, have conversation; you have dialogue.

Desiree Rogers
Desiree Rogers

In London, a lot of the time you don't see the sun shine.

Desiree Rogers
Desiree Rogers

No one should walk into a party and have a stamp that says 'mayor' or 'businessman' on their head. Everyone is just there to have a good time.

Desiree Rogers
Desiree Rogers

Washington is like playing the Super Bowl, only there are no timeouts, no potty breaks, and the arena is filled with the media. In government, you have to learn to put yourself second in a big way. But I am a business person at heart. I like to be in charge.

Desiree Rogers
Desiree Rogers

I've always been searching. What am I going to do with all this - searching for that place where I could be me.

Desiree Rogers
Desiree Rogers

When a person makes a decision, people will always want a reason they understand, so they'll put a negative spin on things.

Desiree Rogers
Desiree Rogers

This ability to mix people together is something I learned early on.

Desiree Rogers
Desiree Rogers

My job is to make certain that I've done what I was asked and my department has done what we were asked to do by the president and the first lady and the State Department. I believe that we accomplished that.

Desiree Rogers
Desiree Rogers

I'm a business person at heart.

Desiree Rogers
Desiree Rogers

I don't consider myself flashy at all. I mean, did I dress like the average Washingtonian? No.

Desiree Rogers
Desiree Rogers

I don't do ordinary work. That is not me in the least.

Desiree Rogers
Desiree Rogers

We can't just rest on the fact that this is beautiful Chicago. I want to triple down on that experience and make it... life-altering.

Desiree Rogers
Desiree Rogers

I do feel strongly that we have got to do a little brand-positioning work. Wouldn't it be great to have something that everybody could say: 'Yep, that's Chicago.'

Desiree Rogers
Desiree Rogers

It's not a question that people have a very negative image of Chicago. They just don't think about it.

Desiree Rogers
Desiree Rogers

We have not really advertised Chicago internationally.

Desiree Rogers
Desiree Rogers

In many respects, we really are trying to not run the Social Office like a business, but we do have a strategy. We do have a mission. We are trying to standardize certain things so that our time is not spent on, you know, picking flowers or linens, that we've got standards.

Desiree Rogers
Desiree Rogers

I was in the White House for a year and a half. Up to that point, all my jobs had been very unglamorous.