Hedieh "Roshan" Ghaffarian will serve as chief floral designer at the White House, the Obama administration announced Thursday.
The hire comes months after former head floral designer Laura Dowling, who reportedly clashed with first lady Michelle Obama, quietly left her post in February.
Downing was allegedly escorted from the White House on Feb. 13, three days after Michelle Obama unveiled a pricy redesign of the Old Family Dining Room. Downing’s style clashed with that of the first lady, according to sources.
"We are thrilled to have Roshan serve as our Chief Floral Designer and lead our tremendously talented, dedicated floral staff," Michelle Obama said in a statement. "Roshan’s life story is a powerful reminder that the American Dream endures and the president and I look forward to seeing her creativity flourish for White House guests to enjoy year-round."
Ghaffarian described herself as "deeply honored" to have been chosen for the job.
"I am humbled by the opportunity to serve in this Administration and will dedicate myself to advancing the tradition of excellence and elegance in the White House," she said.
Ghaffarian was born in Tehran, Iran, and immigrated to America following the Iranian revolution in 1979. She donated a modest amount to John Kerry’s presidential campaign in 2004, Federal Election Commission records show. Raised in Los Altos, California, Ghaffarian started her own flower business, Flower Affairs, in her family garage.
One of her relatives, Pouneh Ghaffarian, also appears to be a donor to the Clinton Foundation, having contributed between $250 and $1,000 to Hillary and Bill Clinton’s charity. Pouneh, a lawyer for the California government on the state public utilities counsel, also recently signed a letter urging Americans to support the nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers.
Ghaffarian will begin at her new post when Chinese President Xi Jinping visits the White House for a state dinner later this month but will not start full-time until October 18 after she relocates from California to Washington, D.C.