With the 2016 election having now come and gone, the next stop on the Presidential path is Inauguration Day 2017. Of course, before we get there, President Obama and President-Elect Trump have some residential matters to take care of. Yes, even the leader of the free world has to worry about pre-move packing checklists and moving day preparation, but not without some assistance from White House staff and Secret Service. While move-in is officially scheduled for noon on Inauguration Day, the President-Elect gets about a week’s head start on bringing his and his family’s belongings to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
A year or more before the transition, preparation for moving the outgoing President begins, with some items making their departure as early as the August prior to Inauguration. With so many moving parts and people involved in a transition of this scale, project management plays an incredibly important role in the process. As a result, White House staff members work with an extremely specific schedule of tasks to ensure the Presidential move is a success. Assorted items to be moved out include not only the first family’s belongings, but also an estimated 60 million pages of official documents and around 50,000 gifts given to the President by various heads of state. When it comes to furnishing the 55,000 square feet of President-Elect Trump’s new residence, the upcoming first family will receive a fund to cover decorative expenses. As with any move, there could be a vast difference between how things are planned and how they are executed, but the countdown to Inauguration Day continues.
The following infographic provided by Allied Van Lines details the planning that is involved.
