Linda Thomas-Greenfield is reported to be Biden’s nominee for Ambassador to the United Nations, the Hill reports.
Thomas-Greenfield served as the Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs from 2013 to 2017, where she operated as former President Barack Obama and former Sec. of State John Kerry’s top diplomat in the region. Prior to this appointment, she served as Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources (2012-2013).
Thomas-Greenfield’s 34-year Foreign Service career includes an ambassadorship to Liberia (2008-20120), and foreign postings in Switzerland, Pakistan, Kenya, The Gambia, Nigeria, and Jamaica. In addition to the Bureau of Human Resources, her Washington postings include the Bureau of African Affairs (2006-2008) where she served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, and the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (2004-2006) where she served as Deputy Assistant Secretary.
The Biden-Harris teams continues to roll out a team that it says will reflect the diversity of America.
Mala Adiga, who served as senior advisor to Dr. Jill Biden and a senior policy advisor on the Biden-Harris Campaign, will serve as Policy Director to Dr. Jill Biden.
Previously, Adiga was Director for Higher Education and Military Families at the Biden Foundation. During the Obama-Biden administration, Adiga served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Academic Programs at the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, in the Secretary of State’s Office of Global Women’s Issues as Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the Ambassador-at-Large, and as Director for Human Rights on the National Security Staff.
Carlos Elizondo, who was a Special Assistant to the President and Social Secretary to Vice President and Dr. Jill Biden for all eight years of the Obama-Biden administration, will serve the incoming Biden-Harris Administration as White House Social Secretary.
In his previous role, Elizondo had responsibility for planning, managing, and successfully executing all events hosted by the Vice President and his family, to include visits by world leaders, members of Congress, business leaders, and other high-ranking dignitaries and celebrities.
Cathy Russell, who serves on the Advisory Board of the Biden-Harris Transition Team and served as Vice Chair of the Biden-Harris Campaign, will serve as Director of the White House Office of Presidential Personnel. During the Obama-Biden administration, Russell served for all eight years at the White House and the U.S. Department of State, including as Deputy Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden and the U.S. Ambassador for Global Women’s Issues, where she led efforts to integrate women’s issues into US foreign policy.
Louisa Terrell, who currently oversees legislative affairs for the Biden-Harris Transition Team, will serve as Director of the White House Office of Legislative Affairs. Terrell previous served as Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs in the Obama-Biden administration. Prior to that, she served as an Advisor to Tom Wheeler, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, and worked for several years on Capitol Hill, including as Deputy Chief of Staff for then-U.S. Senator Biden and Chief of Staff for U.S. Senator Cory Booker.
Biden announced the first round of new White House senior staffers earlier this week, including longtime aide Ron Klain as chief of staff, and his campaign manager, Jennifer O’Malley Dillon, as deputy chief of staff. Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA) will serve as Senior Advisor to the President and Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement. As ESSENCE previously reported, Richmond is the first—and only, thus far—American American official named by the incoming Biden-Harris Administration for a West Wing post.
To learn more about each new staff White House senior staffer, visit BuildBackBetter.com.