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Jenna Bush Hager and her family are mourning the loss of her grandfather, former president George H. W. Bush.
“Waking up missing this giant of a man who gave me everything. He taught me and my family about service, family, decency, the power of gentle words and a beautiful heart. I will miss him desperately but so happy he and my Grandmother are back together,” Bush Hager captioned an Instagram post after her grandfather’s passing.
Bush Hager is known for her role as an NBC correspondent and contributor for the Today Show. She is married to Henry Chase Hager and the couple has two daughters together. Hager once worked for George W. Bush (Bush Hager’s dad). The businessman is currently a director at Kohlberg Kravis Roberts.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. He Married Jenna in Crawford, Texas, Back in 2008
The Hagers started dating in the early 2000s, but were reportedly not super serious very early on.
“This is not a serious boyfriend — I hate to have to be the one to say it on television. But he’s a very nice young man,” Bush Hager’s mother, Laura Bush, said during an interview in 2005. Two years later, however, Bush Hager was set to become a bride.
Hager asked Bush Hager to marry him in August 2007, after asking her father permission for her hand in marriage.
“They have been great, great friends all this time,” Hager’s mother, Maggie, said shortly after the engagement. Acknowledging that her son asked George W. Bush permission first, Maggie explained, “Anybody raised in this family follows the rules,” according to the Washington Post.
The Hagers married in 2008. They exchanged vows at her parents’ ranch in Texas.
“The couple said ‘I do’ in front of 200 friends and family in an outdoor, lakeside ceremony at 7:30 p.m. The nuptials were presided over by the Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell, a longtime religious adviser to President Bush,” reports InStyle.
2. He & Jenna Have 2 Daughters Together
The Hagers are proud parents of two little girls.
On December 12, 2012, Bush Hager announced her first pregnancy on the Today Show. Margaret Laura “Mila” Hager, was born four months later. The child’s first name is a nod to Hager’s mother, who shares the moniker. Her middle name, Laura, was chosen to honor Bush Hager’s mother.
In 2015, the Hagers became a family of four, welcoming another baby girl into their lives. Poppy Louise Hager was born in August and was given a very special family name. “Poppy” was President George H. W. Bush’s childhood nickname.
3. He Worked as an Assistant to Jenna’s Dad, George W. Bush, When He Was the President
Hager may not be a career politician, but, as the son of former Virginia Republican Party Chairman John H. Hager, he is fairly familiar with politics and how government works. Beyond that, he also has some political experience under his belt.
“Henry graduated from Wake Forest University in 2000, worked for Karl Rove, moved on to the 2004 reelection campaign, then joined the Commerce Department,” the Washington Post previously reported.
Additionally, Hager worked for George W. Bush, back when he was the President of the United States. He worked as a Staff Assistant to the Senior Advisor at the White House to President George W. Bush from 2001-2003. During the 2004 Presidential Campaign, Hager served as Deputy Operations Manager. He has also held various positions in the U.S. Department of Commerce, according to his bio on the Bush Center website.
4. He Graduated From the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia & Currently Serves as a Director at Kohlberg Kravis Roberts
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Hager attended St. Christopher’s School in Richmond, Virginia. After high school, he enrolled at the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia, where he earned his MBA. He went on to work for Constellation Energy before joining the Kohlberg Kravis Roberts firm in 2011. He is currently a director at KKR.
“He serves as the firm’s lead product specialist for the global energy and infrastructure platforms, working closely with the investment professionals to facilitate the global capital raising and asset management activities,” reads his bio on the Bush Center website.
In addition to his day job, Hager is involved in other ventures as well. He has been an active board member of the Coastal Conservation Association’s Building Conservation Trust since 2012, according to his bio.
5. He Lives in New York & Has a Beach House in Long Island
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The Hagers happily call New York City home. Not only do they have a house in the city, but they also have a beach house on Long Island.
Bush Hager sat down for an exclusive chat with One Kings Lane in which she talked about the beach house, which was recently renovated.
“It’s important to me that a house reflects the landscape it’s in. And here there’s sort of a whimsical kind of nautical beach vibe,” she told the outlet.
Both of the Hagers enjoy entertaining and cooking, which Bush Hager revealed in the interview.
“Henry loves to grill, and we both love to throw dinner parties, especially in the summer,” she explained.