Anita McBride, Former White House Advisor and Director of the First Ladies Initiative Joins at the Table with Susan and Lucy

February 27, 2023

Press: press@aifcoalition.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the American Italian Food Coalition (AIFC) released the first At the Table with Susan and Lucy interview of 2023 as part of the Coalition’s web series hosted by AIFC co-chairs Susan Molinari and Lucy Calautti. Susan and Lucy interviewed Anita McBride, Director of the First Ladies Initiative at American University and former chief of staff to First Lady Laura Bush.

In her At The Table interview, Ms. McBride emphasized the influence of the US-Italy relationship to American culture, cuisine, national security, and trade. She explained her work with the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) and the White House Historical Society to highlight Italian art and architecture influence in U.S. government buildings. Ms. McBride also spoke about her experience working with First Ladies in the White House and in Africa, stating:

 “I had a front row seat to history. I saw the impact, influence, and legacy of when this unique and unelected position… is used well, it has an enormous ability to change lives and impact history. That includes overseas [First Ladies], and of course the legacy of American First Ladies and their work at home… Look at the arc from Lady Washington to now Dr. Jill Biden. The progress… is groundbreaking. It has been an incredible experience to dive into the experience of our first ladies and what they’ve contributed, tried to do, where they didn’t succeed, where they made mistakes, how many of them really were the force behind their husbands to be President.”

This fall, Ms. McBride is publishing the first ever academic textbook about the impact of American First Ladies, entitled U.S. First Ladies: Making History and Leaving Legacies. It will be available for academic institutions to purchase in August, and the public in December. 

To watch the full interview, please visit aifcoalition.org/atthetable.

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The American Italian Food Coalition is an alliance of more than 450 Italian companies, manufacturers, and trade associations dedicated to ensuring American consumers continue to have access to high-quality, affordable imported Italian products including pasta, coffee, biscuits, and wafers. 

At the Table with Susan and Lucy is a web series hosted by AIFC co-chairs the Honorable Susan Molinari and Lucy Calautti, featuring discussions and interviews with prominent guests about Italian food, heritage, and politics.