Global Indians: Biden inducts two more Indian-Americans in team
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Nearly three weeks before taking oath as the next US President, Joe Biden announced the appointment of two Indian-Americans to key posts in his team at the White House.
Announcing White House staff appointments on Tuesday, Biden said Gautam Raghavan and Vinay Reddy will be the new Deputy Director in the Office of Presidential Personnel and Director of Speechwriting, respectively.
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris also has roots in an Indian-American family.
Recently, Biden had appointed Indian-American physician Dr. Vivek Murthy as the next Surgeon-General of the US. He had served in the same capacity under the then-President Barack Obama also.
Reddy, who grew up in Dayton, Ohio, had earlier served as the Deputy Speechwriter for the Obama-Biden re-election campaign and as Chief Speechwriter to Vice President Biden in the second term of the Obama-Biden Administration.
In this year’s Presidential campaign, he served as the senior advisor and speechwriter for the Biden-Harris team and is continuing during their transition.
Gautam Raghavan, a first-generation immigrant, was born in India, raised in Seattle, and graduated from Stanford University, media reported.
At present, he is serving as the Deputy Head of Presidential Appointments on the Biden-Harris transition. Earlier, he was the Chief of Staff to US Representative Pramila Jayapal, the Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
Raghavan had also advised the Biden Foundation and is a Vice President of Policy for the Gill Foundation, among the oldest and largest private foundations dedicated to the cause of LGBTQ equality.
In a statement, President-elect Biden commended Raghav and Reddy as “respected leaders whose values and priorities align with my own and who will dutifully execute their roles to serve the American people.”
“Their dedication to overcoming the challenges facing our country are rooted in their diverse backgrounds and experiences, helping deliver the change America needs in these difficult times,” Biden added.
