Meet RoseMarie, Former Assistant to John F. Kennedy, Jr.

Over the past several months, I have had the opportunity and privilege to work and visit with RoseMarie Terenzio, John F. Kennedy, Jr.’s executive assistant from 1994 to 1999. RoseMarie is now the founder of RMT PR Management, a public relations and talent management firm in New York City.

It was a pleasure to connect with RoseMarie again this past weekend at Behind Every Leader in the Silicon Valley.  She’s absolutely delightful to talk with in person.

In a recent interview, I asked RoseMarie to share some highlights of her career working with John.

1.  You worked as the executive assistant to John F. Kennedy, Jr.  Wow!  Tell us what it was like to support John?  Being John’s EA was an amazing experience.  Every day was different, and I learned so much about media, publishing, and most of all integrity. 

2.  How did you get your job supporting John F. Kennedy, Jr.?  I was working for John’s partner, Michael Berman at his PR firm, and he and John were friends.  John started coming into the office for meetings, but I had no idea that they were starting a magazine—George.  Once they got close to launching, Michael decided to sell the PR firm.  John didn’t have anyone working for him at the time so I started out supporting both of them, and John eventually asked me to stay on with him.

 3.  What did you most enjoy about your job?  I got to meet some of the most interesting people in the country, and I had the privilege of working with an amazing group of people at George who are still my friends today. Also, I learned something new all the time.

4.  You have written a New York bestseller.  Tell us about it.  My book, Fairy Tale Interrupted, is a memoir. It’s my story of a young girl coming to The Bronx and growing up with little means and entering John’s world which was glamorous and exciting.  The book goes through that period and how I had to survive his death and move on.  It’s also a tribute to my Mom.

5.  What advice do you have for administrative professionals interested in working for a celebrity?  It depends on the celebrity, but I think the most important thing is to be realistic about the job and understand that just because you are working for someone famous, the work is not all glamour and fun. It’s still a job.

6.  How has your career evolved, and what are you doing today?  After working for John, I was totally lost. I had no idea what I wanted to do and couldn’t imagine working for anyone else. I decided to go back to what I started doing, which is PR. I learned so much about the media from John, and I knew I could apply what I learned every day.

7.  Are you available for speaking engagements?  If so, how does someone reach out to you?  Yes. I am available, and those people interested can reach out to my agent, Steve Troha steve@foliolit.com or Sophia Lall in my office slall@rmtprmanagement.com.

8.  What is one or two of your fondest memories working for John F. Kennedy, Jr.?One of my fondest memories was dancing with John at the last George Christmas Party.  It was such a fun night, and the entire room stopped to watch us.  John made me feel very special while attending the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and getting to sit at John’s table was a magical night.

I have read RoseMarie’s book, Fairy Tale Interrupted.  Her book is not only captivating and fascinating, but she shares insightful stories as to her role as John F. Kennedy, Jr.’s former executive assistant.

In an effort to promote and share RoseMarie’s book, I have purchased several signed paperback copies and would like to give them away today to several of my readers who can assist me with promoting my blog.  The first four readers to post a comment today under this blog post to share how you have promoted “A Great Day’s Work” today online, within your office, or among your administrative professional friends will receive a signed soft paperback copy of RoseMarie’s book, Fairy Tale Interrupted.