It takes a lot to keep the White House running, and it’s not all just speeches and bills and foreign dignitaries either. In this regard, Kristen Jarvis has a special little niche when it comes to the first family: she’s Michelle Obama’s right-hand woman when she’s on the road.
A Newsweek profile describes the interesting path of Kristen, 28, a graduate of Spelman College. She met the Obamas in 2004, and she knew that Barack Obama would be important for her as well as the country. “We always knew,” she says now. “We always believed that if there was going to be a first African-American president, he was going to do it.”
During the campaign, Kristen had a wide range of responsibilities. She had to make sure Michelle always had several Sharpies, her BlackBerry, Oreo cookies, and hand sanitizer. “There’s no time to get sick,” says Jarvis, referring to her boss and herself. “You’re on call.” She also created a trailblazing spreadsheet - a list of black hair salons from Las Vegas to Chicago. “Hairdressers in every state!” she laughs now. “It was a struggle.”
As much as she takes care of Michelle, Kristen says the Obamas take care of her too. When Kristen’s brother passed away last year, the president called her cell phone directly. “It was the North Carolina primary night, a big day. And he took the time to call me. The first lady called me,” she said. “That’s why I’m here. I work for great people.”
Comments
missy
October 27th, 2009 - 12:19:30 PM
huh, i wonder what the black hair salons in wyoming looked like. or north dakota for that matter