Utah man sent to 'casual' roundtable meeting gets a shock: Obama is sitting there

SALT LAKE CITY,  Utah -- You know your visit with the president of the United States didn't go all that swimmingly when you are cut entirely out of the official photo.

That's what happened to a Utah man who was sent by his employer to a roundtable discussion to meet with "a senior White House official' and didn't exactly dress up for the occasion.

This photo was posted on reddit.

"My friend at work was accidentally sent to a special round table meeting with President Obama," wrote the poster.  "Guess which one he is."

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Here's the back story as the reddit user tells is:

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And then one commenter added this.

"The officially released photo made me laugh."

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The photos are getting a lot of attention online including a quick mention on Mashable.

FOX13 in Salt Lake City reported the following:

So who is the gentleman who accidentally ended up at the roundtable discussion with President Obama at Hill Air Force Base?

According to Vivint Solar, a solar company based in Lehi, it is Lance Futch, a current Vivint Solar CAD designer and active member of the Utah National Guard.

Wednesday, FOX 13 News’ Todd Tanner spoke with Futch about the encounter.

“I walk into the room, everyone else is in suit and tie, and I did feel a little under-dressed,” he said.

He was wearing a white polo shirt from Vivint, and Futch said he had been told they wanted a Vivnt Solar representative at the event and that he’d dressed as instructed for the Friday meeting.

“We were told I may have an interview with a senior White House official,” he said. “…I was told this is going to be an informal event, wear business casual.”

But that “senior White House official” proved to be the U.S. Commander-in-Chief.

“I see the name tags,” Futch recalled. “I see President Obama, I see Senator Orrin Hatch… And my name, two seats down from President Obama.”


He said the president asked him about Vivint Solar and that it took him some time to adjust and figure out what to say, but he said he was glad for the opportunity.

“I was actually able to speak with him about something that’s important to me,” he said.

As for the photo-cropping, Futch said he wasn’t in the loop on that incident either.

“I didn’t even know that I was cropped out of a picture until earlier today,” he said. “…might have been spatial issues, trying to focus more on the President, also, I do admit: I was in a white polo.”

The shirt may not see future wear, because even though he described it as now being “special”, Futch said an accident with his 2-year-old son stained his now slightly infamous white polo.

“I got home, saw him, he tripped, busted his lip, and there’s now blood all over it because I picked him up,” Futch said.

Aside from the shirt, he also will have memories of his meeting with Obama -- and some commentary from his mother on his manners.

Futch recalled his conversation with his mom after the event: “She’s like, ‘You’re sitting there, and you have your elbows on the table. No one else does.’ …My thought process was like, I cannot believe these people are here.”

Futch is one of the 1,063 Utah residents employed by Vivint Solar in Utah, according to officials. He said he has also served in the Utah Air National Guard for almost five years.


Vivint Solar sent Fox 13 the following statement explaining the situation: