The White House Office of Management and Administration

Abstract

The Office of Management and Administration (OMA) grew out of President Carter's 1977 reorganization of White House administration. Its title dates to the administration of George H. W. Bush. The head of the office, the assistant to the president for management and administration, currently handles numerous White House administrative functions such as salaries, office space, and budgeting, along with the allocation of perquisites like mess privileges and parking. OMA supervises units collectively called “White House Operations,” including the Travel Office, the Visitors Office, the Intern Program, and personnel security. The assistant for management and administration also oversees the White House Military Office. Drawing principally on interviews with former heads of the OMA and its predecessors, this article enumerates the great range of the office's responsibilities, highlights areas of potential controversy, considers the characteristics of a successful OMA manager, and summarizes the diverse approaches that have been taken to running the office.