Melania Trump names Lindsay Reynolds as her chief of staff: First Lady makes second staff appointment in two days

  • Melania Trump has announced Lindsay Reynolds as her chief of staff
  • Reynolds also served in the White House under President George W. Bush
  • Reynolds is Melania's second hire since her husband was elected in in November
  • Her first appointment was New York event planner Stephanie Winston Wolkoff
  • Natalie Jones, a former deputy chief of protocol appointed by President Barack Obama, is tipped to be the White House's new social secretary

By Hannah Parry For Dailymail.com and Associated Press

Published: 20:38 EST, 1 February 2017 | Updated: 02:04 EST, 2 February 2017

First lady Melania Trump has named Lindsay Reynolds as her chief of staff.

Reynolds will oversee operations in the White House East Wing, where the first lady operation is traditionally based.

'I am putting together a professional and highly-experienced team which will take time to do properly,' Melania said in the statement. 'I am excited to be organizing and bringing together such a dynamic and forward thinking group of individuals who will work together to make our country better for everyone.'

First lady Melania Trump (pictured last month) has named Lindsay Reynolds as her chief of staff

Reynolds has more than 14 years of experience in political fundraising and event management. She also served in the White House under President George W. Bush.

She is Melania's second hire since her husband was elected in in November. She has yet to hire a social secretary, or communications director.

Her first appointment was New York event planner Stephanie Winston Wolkoff as her senior advisor on Monday.

The 46-year-old, who made her name staging the Met Gala, and helped to organize President Trump's inaugural balls and dinners, is a longtime friend of the First Lady. The fashion-guru is married to David Entratter Wolkoff, a real estate developer, and has three children.

Her hiring shows that Trump will attempt to bring her circle of New York friends into Washington and into politics.  

Natalie Jones, a former deputy chief of protocol appointed by President Barack Obama, is tipped to be the White House's new social secretary. She was a finance director at the Democratic National Committee and for Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign before her role at the State Department. 

The First Lady made her first step in assembling her White House staff by hiring New York event planner Stephanie Winston Wolkoff (pictured at the Trump tower in preparations leading up to the inauguration)

Wolkoff, pictured with Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, has roots in the fashion industry. She has worked as a special events planner for Vogue, as well as a fashion director for the Lincoln Center

The first lady also acknowledges the slow pace of building her staff. She says creating a professional and highly experienced team 'will take time to do properly.'

Reynolds says in the same statement that she's working on updates and renovations to the White House public tour route, which has been closed temporarily. 

'I look forward to the opportunity to serve as the first lady's chief of staff,' she told the Washington Post. 'The first lady is thoughtfully selecting her team, establishing the office of the first lady and supporting her husband President Trump.' 

As chief of staff, Reynolds, will be responsible for representing the first lady in White House - even while Melania remains at in New York.  Melania has chosen to stay at Trump Tower with her son Barron until he finished school in June.

Reynolds, who founded an events planning firm, said that staffing the White House Visitors Office and opening the executive mansion for public tours was her priority.

Prior to her move into politics, Reynolds was a third grade teacher in Ohio.

But she has long had ties to the Republican establishment, as well as having plenty of experience of the inner workings of the White House under Bush.


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