“As a young child in New Orleans raised by two teachers, giving back to one’s community was as important as reading, writing and arithmetic,” she recalls. “My father taught in the public school system and my mother ran the family day care business for children under five. I read to children at the day care centers and [my brother and I] helped my mother at Friday night bingo at the neighborhood church.”

That early influence clearly had a lasting impact; not long after arriving in Chicago in the mid ’80s, Rogers became one of the city’s most recognizable social figures. A stand-out guest on the gala circuit, she was even more active behind the scenes, most recently serving on the board of directors for the Museum of Science and Industry, Lincoln Park Zoo, Ravinia Festival, Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the Polk Bros. Foundation. (Rogers is on leave from these posts while she serves at the White House.) “I particularly enjoyed working with the talented staff at Polk,” she says. “We focused on the issues being tackled by many of the grassroots organizations in the neighborhoods of Chicago, including domestic violence, diabetes in the Hispanic community and housing issues.”

After years of civic engagement—and a virtual scaling of the corporate ladder—Rogers’ move to the national stage came as no surprise. Long before the Obamas were household names, Rogers was the ultimate “It” woman about town—first, when she garnered the spotlight as the head of the Illinois Lottery, later as the president of Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas. Smart, glamorous and philanthropic, for more than two decades she’s been one of Chicago’s most sought-after party guests.

After chairing and attending hundreds of galas (and acting as an early friend and supporter of President Obama), Rogers is channeling every ounce of her experience for her most high-profile role yet. She is responsible for all White House events: From humble press conferences to the annual congressional picnic for 2,500 (and literally thousands of events in between), all social activities—and invites— flow through Rogers and her two deputies.

The New Orleans native is much more than a party planner, however. Rogers’ goal is to fulfill the Obamas’ wish of turning the White House into “the people’s house,” by opening it up in unconventional ways. One recent example: an event that brought 150 children to the White House to attend a teaching session by jazz greats from around the country, with a finale that included performances by child protégés and masters side by side. And just before Father’s Day, Rogers brought the president and a group of inspiring men (including cabinet members) to local community organizations to talk about male responsibility and fatherhood, then invited 130 high school juniors and seniors to visit the White House for a barbecue that evening hosted by remarkable men from around the country, as well as senior male staff and cabinet members.

“I can really think of no finer gift at this point in my life than to serve our president and first lady,” says Rogers. “At the very heart of the work they are doing is a belief in service. Both have spoken about the importance of serving our nation, our communities, or simply our neighborhoods. We have incorporated these beliefs into our work here at the White House. The first lady has encouraged her staff to get involved in community service, and each month, the social office is volunteering at a local organization; last month, we helped to prepare a meal at a local soup kitchen.”

Despite her hectic schedule, Rogers has spent a fair amount of time in Chicago with her daughter, Victoria, a Yale undergrad who is home for the summer. But her ritual of Saturday brunches with a group of longtime pals—Linda Johnson Rice, Neal Zucker and Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett—happens with a little less frequency these days.

“What I miss most [about Chicago] is the group of friends that I left behind, who I have known for more than 20 years,” she says. We’ll keep her seat warm. ||MA