Amelia Meets White House Worker With MN Roots
WASHINGTON (WCCO) -- When Amelia Santaniello was in Washington, D.C. this week interviewing President Obama, she met with a Minnesotan who works in the White House.
"Amelia was talking about her trip to Washington DC and how she was lucky to go to the White House and meet the president, and I thought, 'Oh, I know somebody else who works in the White House,'" said Lois Cleland.
Her daughter Jeannette Cleland grew up in Mounds View but now works in the East Wing as the Deputy Director of Scheduling and Events Coordination for the First Lady. It's a long title that basically means she's Michelle Obama's scheduler.
That is no small job, given she receives hundreds and hundreds of invitations.
Jeannette Cleland said that it's easy to work with the First Lady because she's a Midwesterner, as well.
"At the end of the day, she's a normal person too that wants to do regular people things," said Jeannette Cleland.
One recent example: her recent shopping trip to Target, wearing a simple cap.
