Indian-American Maju Varghese has been formally appointed as Director of the White House Military Office, announced US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday, 9 March.
His appointment as the Military Office Director was reported by Politico early March and was shared by Varghese on LinkedIn. The official confirmation came in on Tuesday from The White House.
Varghese will oversee military operations and provide support to The White House for Presidential missions worldwide, including transport, food, medical support and emergency services for President Biden.
A statement released by the White House announced other additional staff members who will serve in the Office of Administration, White House Counsel’s Office, Office of Legislative Affairs, Office of Management and Administration, White House Military Office, Office of Presidential Correspondence, and Speechwriting.
“The new staff bring a breadth of exceptional talent, diverse experience, and steadfast dedication to the White House and will play key roles supporting the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to tackling the crises facing the country and building back better,” said the White House statement.
Who Is Maju Varghese?
The son of immigrants from Thiruvalla, Kerala in India, Varghese was born in New York City and raised in Elmont, New York. Varghese is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and is a lawyer by training from the Maurice A. Dean School of Law at Hofstra University.
During Biden’s electoral campaign, Varghese ran the logistics for the nationwide, multi-million-dollar effort to elect Biden and Harris, mobilising tens of thousands of staff and volunteers.
He most recently served as Executive Director of the Presidential Inaugural Committee. Prior to that, Varghese served as Chief Operating Officer and Senior Advisor on the Biden campaign from the primaries through the general election, according to a statement released by the White House.
Varghese previously worked under President Barack Obama as his special assistant and deputy director of advance where he organised the former president's travel in the US and abroad while in office.
Varghese, who is now in his forties, has also served as a Senior Advisor at Dentons, Chief Operating Officer at the Hub Project and as an Associate at Wade Clark Mulcahy in New York.
Other Indian American Key Cabinet Members
US President Joe Biden has created history by appointing at least 55 Indian-Americans to key positions. These 55 do not include Vice President Kamala Harris, as hers is an elected position.
Further, nearly half of this group of Indian-Americans are women. They include, but are not limited to:
- Kiran Ahuja, Office of Personnel and Management
- Uzra Zeya, Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, State Department
- Mala Adiga; Policy Director to Dr Jill Biden
- Aisha Shah: Partnership Manager, White House Office of Digital Strategy
- Sameera Fazili, Deputy Director, US National Economic Council (NEC)
- Sumona Guha: Senior Director for South Asia at the National Security Council, White House
- Sabrina Singh: Deputy Press Secretary, Vice President White House
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