Kosoglu was first South Asian American woman to serve as Chief of Staff in US Senate.
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris has named Rohini Kosoglu, who is of Sri Lankan Tamil descent, as her Domestic Policy Advisor as part of her an all female White House senior staff “building a team that looks like America.”
“These public servants reflect the very best of our nation, embody the president and vice-president-elect’s commitment to building a team that looks like America, and have the experience to hit the ground running on day one,” the Biden-Harris transition announced Thursday.
Kosoglu, who was named Domestic Policy Advisor “is not only an expert on some of the most important issues facing the American people, but also one of my closest and most trusted aides from the Senate and presidential campaign,” Harris said.
“Together with the rest of my team, today’s appointees will work to get this virus under control, open our economy responsibly and make sure it lifts up all Americans, and restore and advance our country’s leadership around the world,” she said.
Kosoglu currently serves as Senior Advisor to Harris on the Biden-Harris Transition Team and previously served as Senior Advisor on the Biden-Harris Campaign.
Before that, she was a Spring 2020 resident fellow at the Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
READ: Harris picks up Indian American Sabrina Singh to handle media (August 17, 2020)
Kosoglu has a dedicated career in public service and was the first South Asian American woman to serve as Chief of Staff in the United States Senate, according to her official bio.
She served as Harris’ Chief of Staff for her Senate office and later for her presidential campaign. Before that, she was Policy Director for US Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado, where she oversaw economic, health care and budget issues.
She has negotiated several bipartisan bills into law and served as a senior health care advisor during the drafting and passage of the Affordable Care Act.
She also previously served as a legislative aide to US Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan.
Originally from New Jersey, Kosoglu is a graduate of the University of Michigan and George Washington University and is a mother to three young children.
Leading Harris’ office as Chief of Staff will be Tina Flournoy, “whose deep experience, public policy expertise, and accomplished career in public service make her uniquely qualified for this important position,” Harris said.
“Tina brings a strong commitment to serving the American people, and her leadership will be critical as we work to overcome the unprecedented challenges facing our nation,” she said.
Flournoy currently serves as Chief of Staff to former President Bill Clinton. Prior to joining Clinton’s team, Flournoy was Assistant to the President for Public Policy at the American Federation of Teachers.
Nancy McEldowney will serve as Harris’ National Security Advisor. Her “distinguished Foreign Service career and leadership abroad will be invaluable as we keep the American people safe and advance our country’s interests around the world,” Harris said.
McEldowney served for over 30 years in the US Foreign Service, including as US Ambassador to Bulgaria and as Chargé d’Affaires and Deputy Chief of Mission in Turkey and Azerbaijan.
She also served as Director of the Foreign Service Institute and as Interim President and Senior Vice President of the National Defense University.
Meanwhile, media reports suggested that Indian American Vivek Murthy, who served as US Surgeon General under President Barack Obama is likely to return to his previous role, but with wider responsibilities in Biden’s health care team.
The 43-year-old Indian American doctor is one of the three co-chairs of the Biden’s Covid-19 Advisory Board.
“Murthy, a former US surgeon general, has been asked to reprise the role in an expanded version in the new administration,” The Washington Post reported Thursday citing an unnamed source.
Murthy will return to his previous role, but with a broader portfolio that will include acting as the top medical expert and public face of the fight against covid-19 pandemic, Politico reported.
(Correction: A previous version of the story wrongly identified Rohini Kosoglu as an Indian American. She is of Sri Lankan Tamil heritage.)
2 Comments
Correction. Ms. Kosoglu is of Sri Lankan Tamil descent.
who told Rohini Kosoglu is Indian American? do proper reaserch.