by Guest contributor Beth Solomon
Photo credit: Misc.
Before the military marching bands lined up, while most Americans were still sleeping, Judith Ann Stewart Stock, known as “Ann,” tiptoed into the hallowed halls of the White House’s East Wing to start her new job the day after Inauguration Day, 1993. “I got to my office at 6:15 am. There was absolutely no one around, there were no typewriters, the lights were off,” she recalls. Electricity surged through the pant-suited young staffer confronting the silence. “On Day One, I was managing open houses with 4,000 people coming to meet the Clintons and the Gores, another 1500 campaign staffers invited, a last-minute event — the President had invited the campaign band — another open house in another room, and 250 people coming for dinner. I finally got back to my office at 11:30 pm and thought, ‘What have I done? What have I gotten myself into?’”
Nelson Mandela Bill Clinton Ann Stock photo courtesy of Ann Stock
Top East Wing and West Wing White House staff like Stock (who served in the Carter, Clinton and Obama administrations), Anita McBride (Reagan and both Bush administrations), and Capricia Penavic Marshall (Clinton and Obama administrations), are among the most respected alumna of some of the most desired jobs in Washington — and the world. There’s no school, no training session, no manual you can study to prepare.
Capricia Marshall Ann Stock Rita Braver photo courtesy of Zimbio
“You need to have the ability to make judgement calls very quickly and judge the pros and cons of any decision instantaneously,” Marshall said. “You need to be able to articulate why something is not a good idea in a very measured, convincing, diplomatic way. Your advice will be heeded at the highest levels. And you’re moving at such a fast pace,” said Marshall, author of Protocol: The Power of Diplomacy and How to Make it Work for You (Ecco, 2020). The Ohio native worked for the Bill Clinton presidential campaign, becoming Special Assistant to First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, White House Social Secretary, and eventually Chief of Protocol during the Obama administration.
Working 24/7 in some of the most demanding rolls in government, such White House officials must be creative, extremely organized, flexible, and able to perform under extreme pressure — not to mention the unforgiving klieg lights of constant media scrutiny.
They must turn on a dime. “Whatever you planned for the day, it might change. You don’t know what the schedule is going to be,” Stock says. “Just getting your arms around the job takes six months. You’re working with the Usher’s Office to do the events in the House [of Representatives]. You’re working with White House electricians and maintenance men, the waiters, the butlers.” Like a ballet, it all has to look flawless and easy. Which requires extreme dedication, hard work and skill.
Bill Clinton Ann Stock Hillary Clinton photo courtesy of the White House
Today, as new crop of trusted and (usually) hyper-competent staffers transition into the White House, the world’s TV screens will be filled with the results of their creativity, people skills and hard work on their first day on the job. But also today, just as many White House staff will be out of job, as a new administration replaces the old. One might imagine, given their name recognition, proximity to power, and vast Rolodexes, that landing a new role in the private sector would be a cake walk for such prominent Washington players.
Not necessarily.
President George W. Bush, Mrs. Laura Bush welcome President-elect Obama, Mrs. Michelle Obama, Vice President-elect Joe Biden, and Dr. Biden to the White House. North Portico. Photo courtesy of the GWBush Library
After four or eight years in the White House, “You are pretty exhausted mentally and physically. You need a recharging of your batteries,” says McBride, who served as assistant to President George W. Bush and chief of staff to First Lady Laura Bush from 2005 to 2009, directing Mrs. Bush’s travel to 67 countries and all 50 states. “[When I left the White House] I was married and therefore had an income. But I was very worried about my young staff who did not have incomes.” McBride focused on helping her staff find jobs in the private sector, Congressional offices, and governors’ offices around the country.
“The job is so fast paced,” says Marshall, an attorney by training. “You’re working so hard. And then what changes is the pace. It’s hard to adjust to the slower pace of most post-White House jobs.” Marshall landed in consulting with FGS Global, attracted by the ability to solve problems in different industries and around the world, leveraging her vast network. “You can do the gambit because you have worked with so many different organizations,” she says. Stock, similarly, went on to serve on a number of boards.
When Inauguration Day involves a change of party as well as President, departing staffers can find themselves at a political disadvantage. “Sometimes having a profile can work against you because you are so closely identified with an administration” that is out of office. Because Washington prioritizes proximity to power, a high-level staffer coming outof the White House in these circumstances may “face headwinds,” McBride says.
President George W. Bush, Mrs. Laura Bush and Barbara and Jenna pose for a photo with Residence Staff in the East Room of the White House. White House photo by Shealah Craighead
“For people who have worked in agencies, they have specific expertise,” McBride continues. “But if you’re a generalist, it’s harder for people to figure out how you could fit into their organization.” McBride is now executive-in-residence at American University’s Center for Congressional and Political Studies, where she directs programming and national conferences on the legacies of America’s first ladies (the First Ladies Initiative) and their historical influence on politics, policy, and global diplomacy.
Whether transitioning in or out of the White House (or in and out of any job), these prominent executives say hard work, integrity and maintaining an excellent reputation are essential. “Do you want to be known as someone who is working hard or someone who is lazy?” McBride says. “Be the best person at your job while you have it.”
Capricia Marshall Barack Obama photo courtesy of the White House
Maintaining an active network is key, they say. “Join clubs. Volunteer!” advises Marshall. “Bring your business cards.” Whether starting a job in the White House or any organization, “everybody you meet is part of your network for the rest of your life,” McBride adds. “How you have treated people along the way — no matter what their politics — will always matter.”
