This chief of staff to the secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is her family’s primary breadwinner, but she doesn’t just work to pay bills. She’s proud to lead a staf that helps bring affordable housing to millions of americans—and show her daughter she loves her work.

Short Commute
My husband, a government it strategic planner, goes to work first. eleanor and I get ready, eat breakfast, and I drop her at preschool at 8 a.m. Her teachers are there waiting for her, great for working parents. I commute 15 more minutes to work and am at my desk by 8:30. Usually I work 60- to 80- hour weeks, so it’s important to me to live close to work. We gave up more house space to live right in DC. I’ll take time with Eleanor over a long commute any day.

Days of Service
I work for the secretary, a member of President Obama’s cabinet. We provide much-needed housing to millions of families. We have 80 field offices, 9,300 employees. I handle crisis management, communications, congressional relations and executing Secretary Donovan’s major initiatives. I travel up to six times a year and put in extra hours when needed—like when we submit the President’s budget to Congress. It can be tough, but I love serving my country.

Evening Synergy
Bernie or our nanny, who comes 10 to 15 hours a week, picks Eleanor up from school. Some days, our daughter goes to aftercare. I’m usually home by 7 or 8 p.m. Bernie and I are foodies and like to cook. But during the week, it’s got to be 30 minutes or less. I make curries, pasta and salad, and we love to grill. But last night, we had scrambled eggs—it can’t always be perfect! I strategically plan working dinners out so I get as many evenings at home as possible.

Bedtime and Dates
My favorite thing to do with Eleanor is read books. before bed, we snuggle, read and talk—“big topics.” The other night she asked, “What’s it going to be like when I grow up?” Then, “How will I know how to fill the car’s gas tank?” So the next day, we went to the gas station and I showed her how. After she goes to bed at 8:30, I usually do more work. Or Bernie and I read and listen to music. I’m a big believer in date night, so one or two times a month we get a sitter.

Family Weekends
Washington, DC, is a big cycling town, so on weekends we do family bike rides. I do some work but try to keep it to my iPad or conference calls from home. We have a new dog, a big deal! Bernie likes to garden. Ellie likes to swim, so we all go to the pool. Sometimes we hang with neighbors. We’ll have friends over and cook a big meal. When I’m at work, I’m in “the zone”; when I’m home, I’m all about family. Getting back to work on Mondays can be hard!

—As told to Paula Peters