White House Briefing

On Friday, I had the opportunity to participate in a White House Community Leaders Briefing. Run by the White House Office of Public Engagement, this meeting brought together about 100 people from around the country. The group included religious leaders, educators, non-profit leaders, and entrepreneurs. The first session was held in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the White House. Then we walked across the front lawn of the White House to go to the East Wing. As we walked by and then when we came back out on the North portico, there were lots of people lined up by the fence taking pictures (so I guess I am a dot in some tourists' photos of the White House). The last part of the event was a Department of Education briefing in the White House Conference Center, which is close to the White House. During the various sessions we heard from administration officials, including the Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, the First Lady's Chief of Staff (the photo is one of her that I took during the meeting), the Chief Economist for the U.S. Commerce Department, a Deputy Director for the White House Office of Digital Strategy (the website, Twitter, and Facebook people), and a Deputy Director for the White House Office of of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnership (a video I shot of her talking about the President's Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge is here). Overall, it was interesting to see how the Office of Public Engagement works to advance the Administration's messages and programs and it was exciting to visit the White House and other Executive buildings.