SWE - Spring 2009 - (Page 22)

House hostess. Lucretia Garfield, independent and multilingual, was determined to make her position as first lady a full-time job, entertaining artists and writers and promoting education and culture. But her plans were never realized: Just months after he was inaugurated, President Garfield was assassinated. Now that Michelle Obama is settling into the East Wing of the White House, the world is wondering what she will make of her new, unpaid job. Everyone is asking, how will she interpret this notoriously demanding, unscripted role? It’s a sign of the times that we’re asking, not assuming. But we also want to know how active she will be in presidential politics and how directly she will influence her husband on matters of state. And how will she meet the competing demands of so many roles: mother, career woman, gracious hostess, goodwill ambassador, tireless campaigner, and poised public speaker? What’s next here and now? Michelle Obama has declared that she will be “Momin-Chief,” and that her top priority will be protecting her daughters. She has appeared on the cover of Vogue, and she has spoken at the Department of Education. She held a reception for Lilly Ledbetter, the Alabama woman whose name is on the Fair Pay Act that Barack Obama signed into law on Jan. 29. She has kept her old friends and assembled a staff with impressive political experience and communication credentials. The first lady has indicated she will delegate some of the details of running the White House, and that she wants to help military families and women struggling with work/life balance. Michelle Obama does not appear to have chosen any single direction, cause, or project. It might be a good idea to follow the example of Doris Kearns Goodwin, Ph.D. As the 2008 election season drew to a close, rather than predict who would win, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian listed what she considered 10 traits of great presidents. In her article, “The Secrets of the Great Presidents,” published in the Aug. 17, 2008, issue of Parade magazine, Dr. Goodwin cited examples of Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt’s executive abilities and grace under pressure, leaving it to readers to decide which current candidate demonstrated most of those traits. Carl Anthony, who serves as historian of the National First Ladies’ Library, has developed a similar list of the characteristics of a great first lady: • She makes good use of time. She enters the White House with a sense of urgency, feeling that every day not making the most of her “bully pulpit” is a lost day. • She puts together a reliable and thoroughly professional staff that understands and appreciates her and keeps her firmly in the loop with the West Wing and other government agencies and departments. • She strikes a balance between queen and commoner. That is, she exudes propriety and never forgets that she is an important role model, but she treats ordinary people with respect. She is both accessible and above it all. • She communicates sympathy authentically. She shows that she understands when people are in pain — both at home and abroad — and indicates a willingness to take up their burden. I 22 SWE SPRING 2009 http://www.mms.gov http://www.mms.gov http://www.usajobs.opm.gov

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of SWE - Spring 2009

SWE - Spring 2009 Heritage Club Contents President's Note View from the Executive Suite Editor’s Page Honoring Women’s History Public Policy Update First Lady: The “Second-Hardest Job in America” Bringing Science and Engineering into Public Policy At the Intersection of Engineering and Public Policy From Research to Reality Coffee Table Dialogues Membership Information & Calendar A&B Winning Essays from the Lava Lounge Engineering World: Issues • Events • Technology • People Point of View: Your Role in Public Policy Career Toolbox: Communicating with Congress; Finding Your Voice Corporate Partnership Council Media Shelf: Women’s History Opportunity Index SWE Scrapbook: Dressed for Success

SWE - Spring 2009

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