BUSH: WOMEN, MINORITIES BELONG IN KITCHEN

First Woman White House Head Chef Hired (Nedra Pickler, AP, 8/14/05)

Kitchen duties may have traditionally been viewed as women's work, but not at the White House. Until now: Cristeta Comerford has been named executive chief.

After an extensive six-month search, first lady Laura Bush announced Sunday that Comerford was chosen from hundreds of applicants to head the executive kitchen. A naturalized U.S. citizen from the Philippines, she will be the first woman and first minority to hold the post.

The 42-year-old Comerford has been an assistant chef at the White House for 10 years. She worked under former executive chef Walter Scheib III, who resigned in February.

In the history of hiring, has there ever been an exhaustive world-wide search that didn't settle on the next-in-line?

Posted by dcohen at August 14, 2005 06:04 PM