The Honorable Ellie Schafer is a former Special Assistant to President Barack Obama for Management and Administration and Director of the White House Visitors Office in Washington, DC.
In 2006, she accompanied then-U.S. Sen. Barack Obama on tour promoting his book, “The Audacity of Hope.’’ A year later, when Obama announced his candidacy for President of the United States, Schafer was on his team from day one, and was tapped to serve the 44th President of the United States at the White House.
Schafer has helped transform how guests perceive and experience 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. From private VIP visits to the sprawling Easter Egg Roll, she managed more than 1,500 events during her tenure which has resulted in more than 3.5 million guests visiting. She also consulted with Buckingham Palace, Palazzo del Quirinale in Rome and the FBI to make their tour programs more open and accessible to the public.