The White House announced that Deborah Powell, a housing development specialist with the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, watched the State of the Union address with First Lady Michelle Obama.

“Having earned only a high school diploma, Powell built her experience outside of college and soon became interested in accounting and finance,” according to a press release.

“After spending 43 years of her life in her hometown of Flagstaff, Ariz., she moved to Oklahoma in April 2004 for a change of pace and is currently working on a project funded by the Recovery Act.

“A member of the Choctaw Nation, she is currently helping to track budgets and ensure bids for independent elderly homes. This project, which is still under construction, will provide homes for more than 86 elderly people in the Choctaw Nation. Powell is recently remarried, and enjoys hunting, fishing, and spending time with her family.”

It is customary for the first lady to invite special guests to watch the address.