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Desiree Rogers Biography
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Businesswoman Desiree Glapion Rogers was born on June 16, 1959 in New Orleans, Louisiana to Roy and Joyce Glapion. Rogers graduated from New Orleans' Sacred Heart High School in 1977 and earned her B.A. degree in political science from Wellesley College in 1981.
In 1985, she earned her M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School. Rogers' father was very active in the city's Zulu Organization and was its president from 1976 to 1988. Rogers herself was Queen of the organization in 1988 and in 2000.
After graduate school, Rogers married John Rogers, moved to Chicago, Illinois and began working for AT&T. Soon thereafter, she became an executive for entrepreneur Larry Levy. In 1990, Rogers was appointed by Governor Jim Edgar, to run the Illinois State Lottery.
In 1997, she became Vice President of Corporate Communications for Peoples Energy. Rogers was promoted to Chief Marketing Officer in 2000. In 2004, she was elected President of the company's two utility subsidies, Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas. In this role, she also serves as a senior vice president of the Integrys Energy Group.
Rogers sits on a number of corporate and civic boards, including Equity Residential, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, the Museum of Science and Industry and Northwestern Hospital.
She has been included in Crain's "Top 25 Women to Watch" and "40 Under 40 Business Leaders." Black Enterprise magazine has included her in the "Top 50 Most Powerful African American Business Women" and the "Top 75 Most Powerful Blacks in Corporate America."
Rogers lives in Chicago with her daughter, Victoria.
Rogers was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on April 27, 2007.
FYI for those who were not aware... |
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Michelle Obama's new social secretary, Desiree Glapion Rogers was not only queen of the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club twice, but is kin to a very, very, very interesting lady who lies in the old Glapion tomb in St. Louis #1 right across from the city's first "Creole" mayor, Dutch Morial.
Her name?
But of course-no one other than Marie Laveau, who married into the Glapion line almost a good 200 years ago! Leveau, who lived from 1801 to 1881 remains known as the city of New Orleans famed voodoo queen, the epitome of Creole, and a lady who brought both fear and hope to many of her citizenry long ago. But even with that said, it just goes to show you how far back and prominent the Glapion name was and remains, when the city's most famous deceased resident, Marie Laveau herself, married into their family line, not the other way around!
By the way, if you want someone who is going to truly know how to throw a party or two, why wouldn't you have it be someone with ties to that original party city in the swamp going back over two centuries? Makes sense to me, and being blood to Ms. Laveau should keep most of not all of her enemies at bay to boot!
Don't believe the connection? Do the homework. Christophe (Louis Christophe Dumesnil de) Glapion had 15 kids with Laveau, of which your new Social Secretary for White House affairs is descended of, one way or another! Now there may be some who say that there is more than one set of Glapions who come out of New Orleans , but they are still blood one way or another.
There are three sets of Gagnier's out here in L.A. alone. Gagnier, Ganier, and Garnier. Once we figured out that all had their roots in either the 6th, 7th, 8th wards or Treme-it was all but confirmed. We are all, in some way or another blood line relatives-and not too distant ones at that. Itʼ just the way it was back then. I'm sure the Glapion story is no different.
Anyways, look forward to at least hearing about some of the greatest parties in White House history! How does the song go?
Marie Laveau is the Voodoo Queen......way down yonder down in New Orleans ....
She'd be proud of Desiree, no doubt!
Written by Robert Gagnier
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Article and supplemental info Compliments.. Mecshelle Kochinsky |
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