Obama's Social Secretary Plans to Cut a Wide Swath: AP

White House social secretary Desiree Rogers, second from left, talks with from left, actress Dana Delany, actor and Creative Coaltion co-president Tim Daly, and executive director Robin Bronk, at their annual membership meeting in New York Thursday June 18, 2009. (AP Photo/David Goldman)Quoted via Associated Press:

NEW YORK (AP) — Stepping out in New York City to talk about culture, Desiree Rogers made one thing clear: This White House social secretary doesn't intend to stay closeted in her East Wing office for four years.

"One of the things the president and the first lady want to do is celebrate America," Rogers told The Associated Press as she arrived for an arts event Thursday evening. "So when it comes to arts and culture, we need to be out there. We need to see what people are doing."

Also, she noted, traveling outside Washington is a crucial way to find interesting artists and cultural figures to bring into the White House: "A lot of collaborations are born this way."

Rogers was the main attraction at the annual meeting of the Creative Coalition, a politically active, bipartisan group of entertainment industry figures founded by the late actors Christopher Reeve and Ron Silver. During a cocktail reception, she could barely move for all the well-wishers eager to meet her and press business cards into her hand. more