Jan 24, 2021 - Politics & Policy

Exclusive: 85% diversity on Biden people team

Alayna Treene

President Biden is seen standing before a group of TV screens before a virtual swearing-in of some administration appointees. — President Joe Biden conducts a virtual swearing-in ceremony for members of his new administration. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The Biden administration will announce a slate of political appointees to the Office of Personnel Management on Monday, and more than 85% of them identify as people of color, women or LGBTQ, according to a copy of the list obtained by Axios.

Why it matters: President Biden has pledged a diverse Cabinet and government, and his gatekeepers to it reflect that promise through their own ranks.

The backstory: The office is in charge of recruiting new government employees and managing their benefits. The president has yet to name an office director, but Kathleen McGettigan — a longtime civil servant who also served in a temporary capacity at the start of the Trump administration — currently is acting director.

Some of the new hires at the office:

Chief of staff: Chris Canning served as a senior adviser to the director of the office during the Obama administration.
General counsel: Lynn Eisenberg most recently served as deputy general counsel for the Biden-Harris campaign.
Press secretary: Shelby Wagenseller was deputy chief operating officer of the 2020 Democratic National Convention Committee.
Senior adviser to the chief of staff: Dave Marsh most recently served on the Biden-Harris transition team.
Senior adviser to the director: Mini Timmaraju most recently was executive director for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Comcast.
White House liaison: Jason Tengco was the chief of staff for the Biden-Harris campaign’s coalitions department.

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Exclusive: 85% diversity on Biden people team

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