WARREN — The Upton Association’s fall First Wednesday series drew one of the series’ largest audiences for a program on “Dining with the Presidents, Presidential China, and White House State Dinners” by Janet Weir Creighton.

Judi Sheridan, Upton House Treasurer and series organizer, said Wednesday’s group was one of the largest ones to ever attend the monthly lectures.

Creighton retired last year after a four-decade career in public service. She has served as Stark County Recorder, Stark County Auditor, and later as the first woman mayor of Canton. She had planned to retire in 2007 — until she received a call from the White House.

“They had an opening because someone had to leave. It was the last year of George W. Bush’s term, and they needed someone with city and county experience and familiarity with state-level issues. And I could check all those boxes,” Creighton said.

From January 2008 to January 2009, Creighton served as Deputy Assistant to President George W. Bush and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at the White House.

Creighton said, “After my year in Washington D.C., I came home and thought, my mom always loved china. I still have a lot of her china and my grandmother’s china. I thought it would be fun if I could put a speech together about what it is like to go to a state dinner.”

She began collecting pieces of china after her return to Ohio. Creighton selects different pieces from China used under multiple presidents, enabling Creighton to discuss the history of White House china under various presidents.

Creighton displayed and discussed the patterns of china belonging to several presidents and first ladies, including George and Martha Washington, as well as Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. She said that it is difficult to obtain china from later presidents.

As the Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, Creighton and her staff of 11 people served as the liaison between the President of the United States and all the city, county and state officials in the 50 states and five territories.

Creighton said, “If you were the mayor and you wanted to come in and see the president, you would through intergovernmental affairs.”

Once a year, all the U.S. governors come to the White House. During Creighton’s year at the White House, she attended the governors’ state dinner, which she described in detail.

Creighton said the one person in charge of state dinners is the first lady, who runs the social arm of the White House. State dinners take place in the state dining room, which holds 132 people. The dinners are for presidents, royalty or other persons of high importance.