Katie Johnson is another young member of the new administration who, despite her youth, has virtually unlimited access to the internal workings of the White House as Obama’s personal secretary.

Johnson graduated from Wellesley in 2003 with a major in Political Science. At 27, she served as a special assistant to Rahm Emmanuel at the DCCC and an election campaign aide to Obama since January of 2007.

Johnson has no Facebook fan page, and isn’t the household name that Reggie Love is.

Wellesley Professor of Political Science Alan Schecter has taught Hillary Clinton, and was very impressed with Katie Johnson and even compared the two. Schechter helped Johnson start work at the DCCC, where she worked until Obama declared he would run for president.

At this point, Johnson began work in Chicago at the headquarters for the Obama campaign. After Obama’s victory, she was brought onto the transition team in Washingon. “And next I new,” Schechter said, “she had been appointed his personal secretary.”

“She was a remarkably capable student,” Schecter said of Johnson. “Very articulate, very thoughtful.”

He added, “She is outgoing and confident and practical. She has just a wonderful personality.”

When asked how he thinks Johnson is faring in her new job, despite her age and the great responsibility associated with the position, Schechter expressed only optimism. “She’s flourishing,” he said.

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