Michelle Obama's Staff

No presidential administration in U.S. history has been the target of more negative conspiracy theories and outright myths than that of President Barack Obama. Of course, there was the so-called “birther movement” that falsely claimed that Obama was a Muslim born in Kenya and thus ineligible to serve as president. Then came the equally false claims that Obama had shunned the National Day of Prayer and used taxpayer money to fund abortions.

Not even First Lady Michelle Obama was off-limits, as claims appeared that she had an “unprecedented” number of staffers. Even after the Obamas had left the White House, the attacks continued as a highly-liked post on Facebook claimed that Michelle Obama “had a staff of 23” while Melania Trump “has a staff of 4.” Was it right?

Michelle Obama's staff consisted of 18 employees who got paid nearly $1.5 million in salary in 2010, according to the administration's Annual Report to Congress on White House Staff.

The size of Michelle Obama's 2010 staff is comparable to the staff of former First Lady Laura Bush in 2008. Both First Ladies had 15 staffers directly under them, plus three more in the Office of the White House Social Secretary. The 15 employees who were members of Michelle Obama's staff in the Office of the First Lady were paid $1,198,870 in 2010.

Three more staffers worked in the Office of the Social Secretary, which is under the jurisdiction of the Office of the First Lady; they earned a total of $282,600, the administration's Annual Report to Congress on White House Staff stated.

Since 1995, the White House has been required to deliver a report to Congress listing the title and salary of every White House Office employee.

List of Michelle Obama's Staff

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Biography of Michelle Obama, First Lady of the United States

By Linda Lowen

Here is a list of Michelle Obama's staff and their salaries in 2010. To see the annual salaries of other top U.S. government officials go here.

• Natalie F. Bookey Baker, executive assistant to the chief of staff to the first lady, $45,000;
• Alan O. Fitts, deputy director of advance and trip director for the first lady, $61,200;
• Jocelyn C. Frey, deputy assistant to the president and director of policy and projects for the first lady, $140,000;
• Jennifer Goodman, deputy director of scheduling and events coordinator for the first lady, $63,240;
• Deilia A.L. Jackson, deputy associate director of correspondence for the first lady, $42,000;
• Kristen E. Jarvis, special assistant for scheduling and traveling aide to the first lady, $51,000;
• Camille Y. Johnston, special assistant to the president and director of communications for the first lady, $102,000;
• Tyler A. Lechtenberg, director of correspondence for the first lady, $50,000;
• Catherine M. Lelyveld, director and press secretary to the first lady, $85,680;
• Dana M. Lewis, special assistant and personal aide to the first lady, $66,000;
• Trooper Sanders, deputy director of policy and projects for the first lady, $85,000;
• Susan S. Sher, assistant to the president and chief of staff and counsel to the first lady, $172,200;
• Frances M. Starkey, director of scheduling and advance for the first lady, $80,000;
• Semonti M. Stevens, associate director and deputy press secretary to the first lady, $53,550;
• and Melissa Winter, special assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff to the first lady, $102,000.

Other Michelle Obama Staff

The White House social secretary is responsible for planning and coordinating all social events and entertaining of guests - a sort of Event Planner in Chief for the president and first lady, if you will.

The White House social secretary works for the first lady and serves as head of the White House Social Office, which plans everything from the casual and educational student workshops to elegant and sophisticated state dinners welcoming world leaders.

In the Office of White House Social Secretary were the following staffers:

• Erinn J. Burnough, deputy director and deputy social secretary, $66,300;
• Joseph B. Reinstein, deputy director and deputy social secretary, $66,300;
• and Julianna S. Smoot, deputy assistant to the president and White House social secretary, $150,000.

Melania Trump’s Leaner Staff

According to the June 2017 report to Congress on White House personnel, First Lady Melania Trump maintains a significantly smaller staff than her predecessor, Michelle Obama.

As of June 2017, only four people were listed as working directly for First Lady Trump for a total combined annual salary of $486,700. They were:

• Lindsay B. Reynolds -- $179,700.00 -- assistant to the president and chief of staff to the first lady
• Stephanie A. Grisham -- $115,000.00 – special assistant to the president and director of communications for the first lady
• Timothy G. Tripepi -- $115,000.00 – special assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff of operations for the first lady
• Mary‐Kathryn Fisher -- $77,000.00 – deputy director of advance for the first lady

As did the Obama administration, the Trump administration acknowledged several additional White House staffers beyond those listed in the report with the term “first lady” in their titles. However, even counting those employees, the total of nine for the current first lady compared to a high of 24 for Michelle Obama, Melania Trump’s total staff is relatively small.

For sake of comparison, First Lady Hillary Clinton retained a staff of 19, and Laura Bush at least 18.

Updated by Robert Longley