Cristeta Comerford

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Cristeta Comerford

White House executive chef Cristeta Comerford working in the White House kitchen
Born	1962 (age 46–47) The Philippines
Cooking style	American, French, and ethnic
Education	University of the Philippines, Diliman (Attended)

Cristeta Comerford (née Pasia) (born 1962) has been the White House Executive Chef since 2005. She is the first woman to be selected for the post, and also the first of Filipino descent.

Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Personal life 4 Appearances in media 5 References 6 Further reading

[edit] Early life

Cristeta Comerford was born as Cristeta Pasia in the Philippines and grew up in Sampaloc, Manila. She completed her secondary education at the Manila Science High School. She attended the University of the Philippines, Diliman in Quezon City and majored in food technology. However, she did not earn her degree because she had left school to emigrate to the United States.

[edit] Career

She immigrated to the United States at the age of 23. Her first job was at the Sheraton Hotel near O'Hare International Airport. She also worked at the Hyatt Regency hotel. After Chicago, she moved to Washington, D.C., and worked as a chef at two restaurants. She additionally spent six months in Vienna as a rotating chef. Comerford was recruited by executive chef Walter Scheib III in 1995 to work in the Clinton White House.

Scheib resigned as executive chef in February 2005. Comerford was appointed by First Lady Laura Bush on August 14, 2005. She is the first female executive chef and the first Filipina to hold this position.^[1]

She reportedly was appointed to this position due to her handling of a large dinner that was held in honor of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.^[2]

She was referenced when George Bush mentioned about "his Philippine-American chef" to visiting Philippine president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in June 2008.

On January 9th, 2009, the Obama transition team announced that Comerford would be retained as the administration's head chef.^[3] Michelle Obama stated, "Also the mom of a young daughter, I appreciate our shared perspective on the importance of healthy eating and healthy families." ^[4]

[edit] Personal life

She lives in Columbia, Maryland, with her husband, John, and their daughter, Danielle.

[edit] Appearances in media

• "ABC NEWS VIDEO of First Lady Michelle Obama & her Executive Chef on Feb. 23, 2009". http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=6939075. 

[edit] References

[edit] Further reading

• "Cristeta Comerford Named White House Executive Chef". http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2005/08/20050814-1.html. Retrieved on August 15 2005. 
• "Hail to the Chef!". http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/21/AR2005082101106.html?sub=AR. Retrieved on August 22 2005. 
• "Pinoy and Mighty Proud of It! Cristeta Comerford makes it Big in the White House.". http://www.bangusresto.com/proud.html. Retrieved on August 22 2006. 
• "Cristeta Comerford is White House Chef (Photos)". http://www.rightpundits.com/?p=2656. Retrieved on January 10 2009. 
• "Yes, she can (cook)". http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/1375517,FOO-News-obama14.article. Retrieved on January 14 2009. 
• "The White House's commander in chef". http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/inauguration/la-fo-inaugurationbox14-2009jan14,0,4468079.story. Retrieved on January 14 2009. 
• Newsweek: No White House Food Fight

Preceded by Walter Scheib

White House Executive Chef 2005-Present

Succeeded by -

v • d • e Obama Administration personnel v • d • e Cabinet and cabinet-level Office Name Term Office Name Term Secretary of State Hillary Clinton since 2009 Secretary of Treasury Timothy Geithner since 2009 Secretary of Defense Robert Gates† since 2009 Attorney General Eric Holder since 2009 Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar since 2009 Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack since 2009 Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke since 2009 Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis since 2009 Secretary of Health and   Human Services Kathleen Sebelius since 2009 Secretary of Education Secretary of Transportation Arne Duncan Ray LaHood since 2009 since 2009 Secretary of Housing and Urban   Development Shaun Donovan since 2009 Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki since 2009 Secretary of Energy Steven Chu since 2009 Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano since 2009 Vice President Joe Biden since 2009 White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel since 2009 Director of the Office of Management and   Budget Peter Orszag since 2009 Administrator of the Environmental   Protection Agency Lisa Jackson since 2009 Ambassador to the United Nations Trade Representative Susan Rice Ron Kirk since 2009 since 2009 Chair of the Council of Economic   Advisers Christina Romer since 2009 †Remained from previous administration. Below solid line: Granted Cabinet rank although not automatically part of the Cabinet. See also: Confirmations of Barack Obama's Cabinet v • d • e Executive Office of the President Office Name Term Office Name Term White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel since 2009 National Security Advisor Jim Jones since 2009 White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Mona Sutphen since 2009 Deputy National Security Advisor Thomas E. Donilon since 2009 White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations Jim Messina since 2009 Deputy National Security Advisor for Iraq and Afghanistan Douglas Lute† since 2009 Senior Advisor to the President David Axelrod since 2009 Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Denis McDonough since 2009 Senior Advisor to the President Peter Rouse since 2009 Deputy National Security Advisor for Homeland Security John O. Brennan since 2009 Senior Advisor to the President and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement Valerie Jarrett since 2009 White House Communications Director Deputy White House Communications Director Anita Dunn Dan Pfeiffer since 2009 since 2009 Director of Public Engagement Christina Tchen since 2009 White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs since 2009 Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Cecilia Muñoz since 2009 Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton since 2009 Director, National Economic Council Lawrence Summers since 2009 Deputy Press Secretary Jennifer Psaki since 2009 Deputy Director, National Economic Council Diana Farrell since 2009 Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest since 2009 Deputy Director, National Economic Council Jason Furman since 2009 Director of Speechwriting Jon Favreau since 2009 Chair of the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board Paul Volcker since 2009 White House Counsel Greg Craig since 2009 Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors Christina Romer since 2009 Deputy White House Counsel Cassandra Butts since 2009 Member of the Council of Economic Advisors and Staff Director of the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board Austan Goolsbee since 2009 Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs Deputy Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs Phil Schiliro Lisa Konwinski since 2009 since 2009 Member of the Council of Economic Advisors Cecilia Rouse since 2009 Executive Clerk George T. Saunders† since 2009 Director, Office of Management and Budget Peter R. 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Montgomery since 2009 Deputy Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change Heather Zichal since 2009 Director, Office of Management and Administration Bradley Kiley since 2009 Director, Office of National AIDS Policy Jeffrey Crowley since 2009 Director, Oval Office Operations Micaela Fernandez since 2009 Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy Gil Kerlikowske since 2009 Personal Aide to the President Reggie Love since 2009 Deputy Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy A. Thomas McLellan* since 2009 Personal Secretary to the President Katie Johnson since 2009 Director, Council on Environmental Quality Nancy Sutley since 2009 Special Projects Coordinator and Confidential Assistant to the President Eugene Kang since 2009 Director, Office of Urban Affairs Policy Adolfo Carrión, Jr. since 2009 Chief of Staff to the First Lady Susan Sher since 2009 Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy John Holdren since 2009 White House Social Secretary Desirée Rogers since 2009 *Senate-confirmation pending.   †Remained from previous administration(s). v • d • e Office of the Vice President Position Appointee Position Appointee Chief of Staff to the Vice President Ron Klain Chief of Staff to the Second Lady Catherine Russell Counsel to the Vice President Cynthia Hogan Director of Administration for the Office of the Vice President Moe Vela Counselor to the Vice President Mike Donilon Domestic Policy Adviser to the Vice President Terrell McSweeny Assistant to the Vice President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Liaison Evan Ryan Chief Economist and Economic Policy Adviser to the Vice President Jared Bernstein Assistant to the Vice President and Director of Communications Jay Carney Press Secretary to the Vice President Elizabeth Alexander Deputy Chief of Staff to the Vice President Alan Hoffman Deputy Press Secretary to the Vice President Annie Tomasini Deputy National Security Adviser to the Vice President Brian McKeon Director of Legislative Affairs Sudafi Henry Residence Manager and Social Secretary for the Vice President and Second Lady Carlos Elizondo Director of Communications for the Second Lady Courtney O’Donnell