Receptionist of the United States: a young Iraq war veteran, Darienne Page helps keep the west wing of the white house running smoothly.

• Author: Zeleny, Jeff
• Position: NATIONAL

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Have you met ROTUS?

It's a question President Obama asks many visitors to the White House. Obama, of course, is POTUS--the acronym used by the Secret Service for President of the United States. His wife, Michelle, is FLOTUS (First Lady of the United States). And then there's ROTUS (receptionist of the United States), 27-year-old Darienne Page.

"This is the receptionist of the entire United States," Obama said to Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. "How long was your confirmation hearing?" Holder asked with a smile.

"A lot of times he comes in and says, 'Receptionist of the United States!' or 'Rotus!'" Page says, recalling her interactions with Obama, who picked up the Rotus nickname from young aides. "And I'll say, 'Hello, Mr. President.' It's kind of cool."

Page presides over the beehive of activity in the West Wing lobby of the White House. While she is one of hundreds of aides who help the administration tick, her vantage point offers a particularly close view of this presidency.

STARSTRUCK BY TIGER

She is on hand to greet nearly every official visitor who has an appointment with the President or his top advisers. Overseeing the front of the house at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, she has served coffee to former Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain, made small talk with a delegation from Kazakhstan, in Central Asia, and tried to quickly chew a mouthful of almonds before saying hello to Tiger Woods.

"I tried not to be very starstruck," Page says of Woods' visit. "I'm usually not, but I was caught completely off guard."

One week this spring, the list of visitors ranged from the Democratic and Republican leaders of the Senate--Harry Reid of Nevada and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky--to Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller, who were in town for the premiere of Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.

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Page tries to memorize the faces of the Senators and Congressmen who come to the White House. But when the guests are unfamiliar, she has about five minutes to Google them after they pass through the security gate so she can make small talk while they wait. "All of the people that come in, I think, are humbled by the office, so they are all very nice," Page says.

For her $36,000-a-year salary, Page schedules all activity in the Roosevelt Room, a few steps from the Oval Office. Even with a dawn-to-dusk schedule, meetings...