Dinner is Served

A Behind-the-Scenes Look at a State Dinner

Deesha Dyer speaking in front of tables set for dinner. (© Carolyn Kaster/AP)

White House Social Secretary Deesha Dyer speaks to the media during a preview of the state dinner to honor Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and his wife in the State Dining Room in October 2016. (© Carolyn Kaster/AP)

White House Social Secretary Deesha Dyer speaks to the media during a preview of the state dinner to honor Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and his wife in the State Dining Room in October 2016. (© Carolyn Kaster/AP)

White House social secretary

Letitia K. Baldrige speaking, with other women in background (© AP)

Letitia K. Baldrige, social secretary for first lady Jacqueline Kennedy, holds a news conference November 22, 1960. (© AP)

Letitia K. Baldrige, social secretary for first lady Jacqueline Kennedy, holds a news conference November 22, 1960. (© AP)

Can you multitask like a pro? Start by building good relationships with the president, the first lady and their staffs. They are “whose vision you have to execute,” says Deesha Dyer, former social secretary (2015-2017). She is detail oriented (arranged invitations, seating charts and entertainment) and also a people person. “You have to love and want to work with people, because the White House is a place that’s open to everyone,” Dyer says.

This site is managed by the Bureau of Global Public Affairs within the U.S. Department of State. External links to other internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.