Son of immigrant parents from Kerala led White House Military Office and helped organize Obama’s 2015 historic trip to India
Maju Varghese, US born son of immigrant parents from Thiruvalla, Kerala, is joining the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) as its new chief operating officer (COO) after leading the White House Military Office (WHMO) for about a year.
As deputy assistant to the president and director of the White House Military Office, Varghese till last month oversaw nearly 3,000 military and civilian personnel who ensure essential services for the daily and worldwide functioning of the presidency.
Varghese will join NED, Washington, DC-based independent, nonprofit, grant-making foundation dedicated to the development and strengthening of democratic institutions around the world, on Feb 7.
Read: Maju Varghese quits as White House Military Office head (January 24, 2022)
“We are eager to welcome Maju Varghese to the leadership team at NED,” said NED President and Chief Executive Officer Damon Wilson.
“His long track record of operational, managerial, and legal experience, and his demonstrated success working in complex, demanding, high-profile roles will be a great asset at a time of rapid organizational growth and change at the Endowment,” he said. “Maju is a consummate professional who brings an inspiring integrity and a generous character to all his interactions.
“His experience as the son of immigrants from India, his proven leadership, and deep commitment to our democratic mission will be integral to NED’s efforts to support those struggling on the frontlines of democracy around the world,” Wilson said.
With an annual appropriation from Congress, NED funds more than 2,000 grants in 102 countries. NED’s grants program is augmented by the International Forum for Democratic Studies, a research center that publishes the Journal of Democracy, the World Movement for Democracy, and the Center for International Media Assistance.
Read: Maju Varghese: Director of the White House Military Office (July 24, 2021)
Prior to his time in the White House Military Office, Varghese served as chief operating officer and senior advisor for the Biden campaign, and then as executive director of the Presidential Inaugural Committee.
He held multiple roles during the Obama-Biden Administration, including assistant to the president for management and administration, and special assistant to the president and deputy director of advance.
In that role Varghese helped to lead the team that coordinates the President’s events and travel, including his 2015 historic trip to India as chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations.
A lawyer by training, Varghese has also worked as a senior advisor at Dentons, chief operating officer at the Hub Project, and as an associate at Wade Clark Mulcahy, a law firm in New York.
Read: Maju Varghese appointed White House Military Office director (March 2, 2021)
Varghese is an alumnus of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Economics, and the Maurice A. Dean School of Law at Hofstra University, where he earned his Juris Doctor.
Varghese lives in Arlington, Virginia, with his wife Julie and their son Evan.
Read: NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR DEMOCRACY NAMES MAJU VARGHESE AS CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER (February 3, 2022)