Did you know the president and the First Lady have a social secretary?

Well, they do. After all, somebody needs to keep track of who the leader of the free world and his wife spend their time with. But it’s a more important job than just scheduling who is wining and dining at the White House.

President-elect Obama’s transition team announced today that Desirée Rogers will be named White House social secretary. In that job, Rogers — a prominent Chicago businesswoman and Harvard University MBA, who will be the first African American to hold the post — will be responsible for working with the First Lady on White House functions and ceremonies, and will work to bring together world and cultural leaders for state dinners and other functions.

But the social secretary doesn’t just help the First Lady entertain. Rogers will also be responsible for every event or ceremony that occurs in the White House or on the grounds — like that little event that happens on January 21, the swearing in of Obama’s Cabinet.

Rogers, 49, is a friend of Michelle and President-elect Barack Obama’s, and a leader in Chicago corporate and civic circles. She also raised a lot of money for Obama’s campaign, and has long been a fixture on Chicago’s social and not-for-profit scene.

In recent years, Rogers has been named one of the "Top 25 Women to Watch" by Crain’s Chicago Business (2007), one of the "Top 50 Most Powerful African American Business [WOMEN]" (2007) and one of the "Top 75 Most Powerful Blacks in Corporate America" by Black Enterprise.

"This appointment sends a strong message that the Obamas want to use the White House strategically, to maximize its use in a way that is consistent with their philosophy — [to] open it to a broader range of people," Valerie Jarrett, a longtime Obama friend who is also close with Rogers, told The Washington Post. "Desirée is a heavy hitter — she comes with her own range of contacts from around the country. She’s close to Michelle and she knows everyone who will be working in the West Wing, so she will be able to create a synergy."

Meanwhile, there’s another addition to Michelle Obama’s East Wing staff. Melissa Winter, Michelle’s traveling chief of staff during the campaign, will be the First Lady’s deputy chief of staff. Born in Chicago, Winter spent 18 years on Capitol Hill, working for Rep. Norman Mineta, D-CA, and Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-CT, when he was running for vice president with Al Gore in 2000. She also served as his scheduling director during his 2004 presidential race.

Meanwhile, CNN and Politico report that Christina Romer, a Berkeley economics professor, will be chair of the president’s Council of Economic Advisers, which advises the president on economic policy and is part of the executive office. Some members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Romer and her husband David Romer, another Berkeley economist, were both advisers to Obama during his presidential campaign.