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.
The Chief Usher is, by description, charged with the responsibility "for
the effective operation of the White House Complex and Executive
Residence, site of Official and Ceremonial activities of the Presidency,
and a museum of our American history ... [Chief Usher] develops and
administers the budget for the operation, maintenance, and utilities and
supervises the Executive Residence staff." In carrying out this charge,
the Chief Usher must coordinate Executive Residence actions with a host
of organizations including the Executive Office of the President, the
National Park Service, the Secret Service, the General Services
Administration, the military, and other government entities. The Chief
Usher serves at the pleasure of the president and coordinates both
official and family life at the White House.
For operations involving official ceremonies, such as the State Arrival
Ceremony or State Dinner at the White House, the Chief Usher coordinates
activities with the White House Social Secretary in the East Wing, and
the Chief of Protocol of the United States, an official within the
United States Department of State.
In
coordinating the historic preservation of the White House, the Chief
Usher works with the White House Office of the Curator, the Committee
for the Preservation of the White House, and the White House Historical
Association.
The office for the Chief Usher is located on the State Floor, near to
the Cross Hall and Entrance Hall beside the entrance to the North
Portico. An 1815 floor plan for the White House labels this room as the
Ushers Lodge.
The longest serving White House Chief Usher was Irwin "Ike" H. Hoover,
who served as Chief Usher for about 25 years of his 42 years in the
White House. Gary J. Walters resigned as Chief Usher in January 2007
after serving in the position from 1986 when appointed by President
Ronald Reagan. The current and ninth Chief Usher is Angella Reid, a
former general manager of the Ritz-Carlton at Pentagon City, VA.
