Don’t Tell the President
October 27 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
“Don’t Tell the President is a collection of the greatest tales of triumph and near-crisis in presidential advance. Behind every seamless campaign appearance and presidential affair lies the meticulous work of event planners and advance teams—the little-known professionals who transform political logistics into carefully choreographed performances.” – Jon Meacham, Foreword to Don’t Tell the President. We look forward to hosting two former staffers to President George H. W. Bush, Chief of Staff Jean Becker, and personal Driver Tom Collamore for illuminating first-hand accounts of pivotal and intriguing events from the Rose Garden to Air Force One and foreign trips to the campaign trail for every modern-day president from Lyndon Johnson to Barack Obama, a few First Ladies and even a vice president or two.
Purchase Tickets HERE!
If you are unable to attend the event, but would like to purchase one or more copies, please visit Buxton Books here.
Prior to the program, we invite our Fellows Members to enjoy Happy Hour from 5:00 – 6:00 pm, downstairs in the Dr. Suzan D. Boyd Fellows Club Lounge.
About the Book
Don’t Tell the President is a collection of the greatest tales of triumph and near-crisis in presidential advance. Behind every seamless campaign appearance and presidential affair lies the meticulous work of event planners and advance teams—the little-known professionals who transform political logistics into carefully choreographed performances. Here are illuminating first-hand accounts from dedicated employees who worked for every modern-day president from Lyndon Johnson to Barack Obama, a few First Ladies, a few vice presidents, and a few wannabes. Allowing us to witness presidential history and politics from a new angle, Don’t Tell the President brings together the hilarious chaos of Veep and the grandeur of The West Wing. It is a memorable and at times laugh-out-loud funny look at how many presidential events happen—and how many almost went awry.
About the Authors
Jean Becker
Jean Becker served as chief of staff for President George H.W. Bush for nearly twenty-five years. She’s the editor of Pearls of Wisdom by Barbara Bush; author of the New York Times bestseller, The Man I Knew: The Amazing Story of George H.W. Bush’s Post-Presidency; and Character Matters… And Other Life Lessons from George H.W. Bush. Her current book, Don’t Tell the President: The Best, Worst, and Mostly Untold Stories from Presidential Advance, written with Tom Collamore, came out February 3rd, 2026. Prior to her post as chief of staff, Jean served as deputy press secretary to First Lady Barbara Bush and was a newspaper reporter for 10 years, including a four-year stint at USA TODAY.
Tom Collamore
Tom Collamore first met President George H.W. Bush in 1978 as his driver and became part of his inner circle of staffers. Tom served in various roles throughout the twelve years of President Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush’s administrations and has been an advisor to the George and Barbara Bush Foundation for over thirty years. After government, Tom enjoyed a long career as a senior corporate executive and trade association leader. He’s the founder of Collamore Consulting Group, which provides strategic counsel to CEO’s of companies, associations, and nonprofits. He lives in Maryland with his wife, Jacqueline, and they are the proud parents of four grown children.