Biden Transition Organization

Biden | Transition | P2020

Biden-Harris Transition Organization

(page updated November 11, 2020)

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Biden started working on transition in April 2020. The legal entity, 501(c)(4) PT Fund, Inc., filed at the beginning of May. Multiple news outlets reported on June 20 the team was starting to staff up, and in early September the transition ramped up significantly; on Sept. 5 news outlets reported five co-chairs, a 15-person advisory board and more staff.

Transition Code of Ethical Conduct and Transition Ethics Plan (Sept. 30, 2020)

CO-CHAIRS

Former U.S. Sen. Ted Kaufman

(from the beginning) Appointed to the U.S. Senate from Delaware on Jan. 15, 2009 and served to Nov. 10, 2010. Appointed by President Clinton to the Broadcasting Board of Governors and served from 1995-2008. President of Public Strategies, a political and management consulting firm. College professor. Staff assistant and chief of staff to Sen Joe Biden, 1973-94; started with Biden as a volunteer on his 1972 campaign. Engineer with DuPont. M.B.A. from University of Pennsylvania, 1966; B.S. in mechanical engineering from Duke University, 1960.

Jeffrey Zients

(reported Sept. 5, 2020) Taking leave of absence from position as CEO of Cranemere, a private equity firm. Director of the National Economic Council and Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, at the White House Feb. 2014-Jan. 2017. Credited with leading the surge to fix HealthCare.gov, 2013. Acting Director at the Office of Management and Budget, Jan. 2012-Apr. 2013 and June-Oct. 2010. Chief Performance Officer and Deputy Director of the OMB, confirmed in June 2009. Founder and managing partner of Portfolio Logic LLC. President and CEO of the Washington Baseball Club, one of the groups which sought to attract a baseball team to Washington, DC, 2004-05. Chairman (2001-04), CEO (from 1998) and COO (from 1996) at The Advisory Board Company, started there in 1990. Management consultant at Bain & Company, Aug. 1988-June 1990. B.A. in political science from Duke University, 1988.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham

(reported Sept. 5, 2020) Elected Governor of New Mexico Nov. 2018. Served three terms in the U.S. House, first elected Nov. 2012, resigned Dec. 31, 2018. Owner of Delta Consulting Group, Aug. 2008-June 2017. Bernalillo County Commissioner, Jan. 2011-Sept. 2012. Unsucessful candidate for Congress in 2008. New Mexico secretary of health, 2004-07. New Mexico secretary of aging and long-term services, 2002-04. Executive director of the New Mexico state agency on aging, 1991-2002. J.D. from New Mexico School of Law, 1987; B.U.S. from the University of New Mexico, 1981. twitter: political | official

U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond

(reported Sept. 5, 2020) Member of the U.S. House representing LA-2, first elected in Nov. 2010. Unsucessful candidate for Congress in 2008. Member of the Louisiana House of Representatives, 1999-2011. J.D. from Tulane University, 1998; B.A. from Morehouse College, 1995. Born in New Orleans, Orleans Parish, LA. twitter: political | official

Anita Dunn

(reported Sept. 5, 2020) Senior advisor on the campaign. Managing director at SKDKnickerbocker. Acting White House communications director, Apr.-Nov. 2009. Senior communications advisor/director of communications, policy and research on Obama's 2008 campaign. Principal at Squier Knapp Dunn; joined the firm in 1993 after working for Sen. Bill Bradley. Media consultant to Sen. Evan Bayh's All America PAC in 2006 and developed strategy and produced the media for Bayh's 2004 re-election campaign. Senior political advisor to Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle, 2001-02. Took leave from the firm in 1999 to serve as communications director and chief strategist for Sen. Bill Bradley’s presidential campaign. Communications and political director and then chief of staff to Sen. Bill Bradley. Communications director at the DSCC for the 1988 and 1990 election cycles. Communications director for U.S. Rep. Bob Edgar’s 1984 congressional and 1986 senatorial campaigns. Press assistant on Sen. John Glenn’s 1984 campaign. Began her career in politics working for White House chief of staff Hamilton Jordan under President Jimmy Carter and as an intern for White House communications director Gerald Rafshoon.

STAFF

Day to Day Operations Yohannes Abraham

(reported June 20, 2020) Adjunct lecturer (from Sept. 2018) and fellow (Sept. 2017-Sept. 2018) at Harvard Kennedy School. COO and senior advisor at The Obama Foundation, Jan. 2017-Jan. 2018. Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor to the National Economic Council (Dec. 2015-Jan. 2017) and chief of staff at the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs (Mar. 2013-Jan. 2017) at The White House. Deputy national political director on Obama's 2012 re-election campaign, April 2011-Nov. 2012. National political director of Organizing for America at the DNC, May 2010-Apr. 2011. Legislative assistant in the White House Office of Legislative Affairs, Jan. 2009-May 2010. Staff on Obama's 2008 campaign starting as a Polk County field organizer in Iowa in May/June 2007; then GOTV director on the Feb. 12 Virginia primary; and in the Fall was field director on the Virginia Campaign for Change. M.B.A. from Harvard Business School; B.A. in political science from Yale University, 2007. Ethiopian American from Springfield, VA. twitter

National Security and Foreign Policy Avril Haines

(reported June 20, 2020) Deputy director of Columbia World Projects, lecturer in law at Columbia Law School, and a senior fellow at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. Assistant to the President and principal deputy national security advisor to President Obama. Deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 2013. Deputy Counsel to the President for National Security Affairs in the Office of White House Counsel, appointed 2010. Assistant legal advisor for treaty affairs at the U.S. Department of State, 2008-09. Deputy chief counsel for the majority (under Biden) at the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 2007-08. Worked in the Office of the Legal Advisor at the U.S. Department of State, 2003-06. Law clerk to U.S. Court of Appeals Sixth Circuit Judge Danny Julian Boggs, 2002-03. Legal office at the Hague Conference on Private International Law, 2001-02. With her husband opened operated an independent bookstore and cafe in Fell's Point, Baltimore. J.D. from Georgetown Law Center, 2001; bachelor's degree in physics from University of Chicago, 1992.

Gautam Raghavan

(reported June 20, 2020) Chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal from Dec. 2018. Consultant with GR Strategic LLC, an Indian American public advocacy group, Mar. 217-Dec. 2018. Vice president of policy at The Gill Foundation, Sept. 2014-Mar. 2017. Associate director of public engagement (LGBTQ and AAPI and advisor at The White House, Oct. 2011-Sept. 2014. White House liaison and deputy White House liaison to the U.S. Department of Defense, Apr. 2009-Sept. 2011. Midwest finance director at the DNC, Apr. 2006-Feb. 2009. Asian American finance director on Obama for America, June-Nov. 2008. Development assistant at Progressive Majority, May 2005-May 2006. B.A. in science, technology and society from Stanford University, 2004. twitter

Angela Ramirez

(reported June 20, 2020) Chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján Executive director of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, 2006-08 Senior legislative assistant to U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley, 2002-06. Analyst at The Advisory Board Company, 1999-2000. Trial preparation assistant with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, 1998-99. Fellow in the office of Calif. State Sen. Karnette, 1997-98. Bachelor's degree in political economy from Princeton University, 1997.

Evan Ryan

(reported June 20, 2020) Executive vice president at Axios, Jan. 2017-May 2020. Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, 2013-17. Assistant for intergovernmental affairs and public liaison for Vice President Joe Biden, Jan. 2009-June 2013. Consultant to the Council on Foreign Relations, Apr.-Sept. 2018. Deputy campaign manager on Biden for President, Jan. 2007-Jan. 2008. Deputy chair for the governance track at Clinton Global Initiative, 2005. Consultant to PeacePlayers International, May 2001-Oct. 2003. Deputy director of scheduling for the First Lady (July 1997-Jan. 2000) and special assistant to the chief of staff to the First Lady, Sept. 1994-June 1997. Master's in international public policy from John Hopkins University SAIS, 2006; B.A. in political science from Boston College, 1993. Wife of former Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken. twitter

Julie Siegel

(reported June 20, 2020) Senior counsel for economic policy (May 2019-June 2020) and banking counsel (from Aug. 2017) to Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Law clerk at the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, Aug. 2016-Aug. 2017. Deputy chief of staff and counsel to the general counsel (2016) and senior advisor in the Office of the Director at the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau. Special assistant to the Office of the White House Counsel (Jan.-July 2012) and special assistant to the chief of staff (May 2011-Jan. 2012) at the White House. Special assistant in the Office of Communications and Strategic Planning at OMB, Sept. 2010-May 2011. Special assistant to the chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, May 2009-Sept. 2010. J.D. from Harvard Law School; B.A. in diplomatic history from University of Pennsylvania, 2009. twitter

Cynthia Hogan

(reported Sept. 5, 2020) A co-chair of Biden's Vice Presidential Selection Committee. Vice president for public policy and government affairs for the Americas at Apple from May 2016. Executive vice president for policy at the National Football League, Sept. 2014-Apr. 2016. Long-time aide and advisor to Biden. From 2009 to 2013, Cynthia served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Counsel to the Vice President, 2009-13. Staff director and chief counsel of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, 1991-96. Practiced law at the Washington, D.C. firm Williams & Connolly. J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, 1984; undergraduate degree from Oberlin College, 1979.

Cecilia Muñoz

(reported Sept. 5, 2020) Vice president for public interest technology and local initiatives at New America from 2017. Served eight years in the Obama administration; Director of the Domestic Policy Council (Jan. 2012-Jan. 2017) and earlier Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at the White House. Senior vice president at the National Council of La Raza (NCLR now UNIDOS US). MacArthur Fellow in 2000. Master's degree in Latin American studies from UC Berkeley; undergraduate degrees in English and Latin American studies from University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, 1984. Born in Detroit and grew up in Michigan. Daughter of Bolivian immigrants. Author of More than Ready: Be Strong and Be you....and other lessons for women of color on the rise (Apr. 2020). twitter

Tanya Bradsher

(reported Sept. 5, 2020) Chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (VA-8), May 2019-2020. Chief of communications at the American Psychiatric Association, Sept. 2016-May 2019. Chief of plans for public affairs at the Defense Health Agency, Aug. 2015-Sept. 2016. Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Apr. 2014-Aug. 2015. Assistant director in the Office of Public Engagement (July 2013-Apr. 2014) and assistant press secretary for national security and defense on the National Security Council (June 2011-June 2013) at the White House. Press officer in the Department of Defense, Sept. 2009-June 2011. Public affairs officer 2BCT, 4ID (June 2007-Sept. 2009), deputy public affairs officer in Seoul, Korea (Mar. 2005-June 2007) and postal co. CDR in Seoul, Korea (June 2003-Feb. 2005) in the U.S. Army. Public affairs officer in the Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 2001-03. M.P.S. in public relations from The George Washington University, 2019; B.A. from UNC at Chapel Hill, 1991. twitter

Suzy George

(reported Sept. 5, 2020) COO at The ONE Campaign from Mar. 2018. Deputy Assistant to the President, Chief of Staff and Executive Secretary on the National Security Council at The White House, Aug. 2014-Jan. 2017. Principal at Albright Stonebridge Group, Jan. 2001-Aug. 2014. Deputy chief of staff for Sec. Madeleine Albright (Jan. 1997-Jan. 2001) and special assistant and assistant counsel (USUN) (Jan. 1995-Jan. 1997) at the U.S. State Department. Consultant to the National Democratic Institute, 1990-93. J.D. from The George Washington University Law School, 1994; B.A. in politics from Mount Holyoke College, 1990.

Don Graves

(reported Sept. 5, 2020) Head of corporate responsibility and community relations (June 2018-Sept. 2020) and SVP and senior director of corporate community initiatives and relations (Apr. 2017-Apr. 2018) at KeyBank in Cleveland, OH. Deputy Assistant to the President and Counselor to the Vice President (June 2014-Jan. 2017) and executive director of the President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness (Feb. 2011-Jan. 2017) at The White House. U.S. representative to the G8 Global Task Force on Social Impact Investment, Aug. 2013-June 2015. Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Feb. 2010-Apr. 2014. Managing partner at Graves & Horton, LLC, Sept. 2005-Aug. 2009. Director of public policy at Business Roundtable, May 1999-Aug. 2005. Policy advisor to the Department of the Treasury, 1997-99. Vice president and director of the Washington office of the Organization for a New Equality, May 1995-Apr. 1997. J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, 1995; B.A. in political science and history from Georgetown University Law Center, 1992.

Tara McGuinness

(reported Sept. 5, 2020) Senior fellow at New America and founder of their New Practice Lab, from 2017. Senior advisor, executive director of the Community Solutions Task Force at the Office of Management and Budget, Mar. 2015-Jan. 2017. Senior communications advisor at the White House, Mar. 2013-Mar. 2015. Executive director of the CAP Action Fund (Jan. 2012-Mar. 2013) and director of progressive media (Nov. 2008-Nov. 2012) at the Center for American Progress. Communications and policy advisor to various campaigns, 2006-08. Communications director to U.S. Rep. Ed Markey, Feb. 2005-Apr. 2006. Deputy press secretary and started on the campaign in Iowa on John Kerry for President, 2004. Program advisor (Nov. 2001-Dec. 2003) and program assistant (Aug. 2000-Nov. 2001) at National Democratic Institute. Bachelor's degree in urban studies/affairs from University of Pennsylvania, 2000. twitter

Darla Pomeroy

(reported Sept. 5, 2020) Member and manager at Pomeroy Investments from 2008. Co-owner and SVP of corporate development at Edge Wireless, 2000-08. Vice president for business development of Nextlink Communications, 1997-2000. Manager for international business development at McCaw Cellular, 1996-97. Associate at Fulbright & Jaworski International LLP, 1992-94. Staff assistant to the chief counsel of U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, 1987-88 (Biden was chairman). M.B.A. from the The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania; J.D. from Duke University; B.A. from the University of Washington.

Carlos Monje

(reported by Politico on Sept. 17, 2020) Director of public policy and philanthropy, U.S. and Canada for Twitter, Mar. 2017-Sept. 2020. Senior fellow for policy innovation at Georgetown University's Beeck Center, Feb.-May 2017. Director of agency review on the Clinton-Kaine Transition team, Sept.-Nov. 2016. Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy (Mar. 2015-Sept. 2016) and counselor to the Secretary (Feb. 2014-Mar. 2015) at the U.S. Department of Transportation. Special Assistant to the President and chief of staff (Jan. 2011-Jan. 2014) and senior policy advisor (Feb. 2009-Jan. 2011) to the Domestic Policy Council at the White House. National security working group on the 2008 transition, Nov. 2008-Jan. 2009. Deputy policy director on Obama for America, Mar. 2007-Nov. 2008. Special assistant for policy and communications to U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, Jan. 2006-Feb. 2007. Legislative assistant to U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, Jan.-Dec. 2005. Press secretary on Erskine Bowles for U.S. Senate, Mar.-Nov. 2004. Deputy press secretary on John Edwards for President, Aug. 2003-Mar. 2004. Deputy press secretary too U.S. Sen. John Edwards, Oct. 2001-Aug. 2003. Assistant account executive at FleishmanHillard, Nov. 2000-July 2001. B.A. in history and literature from Harvard University.

Spokesperson Cameron French

Vice president of public affairs at SKDKnickerbocker from June 2018. Director at Burson-Marsteller, 2016-18. Deputy Assistant Secretary at HUD, Apr. 2014-June 2016. Director of press operations at the U.S. Department of Education, 2013-14. North Carolina press secretary on Obama for America, Sept. 2011-Nov. 2012. Communications specialist at the Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships at HHS from Jan. 2011. Communications director to U.S. Rep. John Hall, June 201--Jan. 2011. Deputy communications director to U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman, May 2009-May 2010. A regional press secretary at the DNC, Oct.-Nov. 2008. Deputy press secretary for the Democratic National Convention Committee, May-Aug. 2008. Press assistant at Podesta Group, 2006-08. Bachelor's degree in political science from UNC at Charlotte, 2006. twitter

General Counsel Jessica Hertz

(reported on transition team Sept. 5, 2020; reported as general counsel Sept. 30) Director and associate general counsel, regulatory (Sept. 2019-June 2020) and associate general counsel regulatory (Apr. 2018-Sept. 2019) at Facebook. Partner at Jenner & Block, July 2014-Apr. 2018. Principal deputy counsel in the Office of the Vice President, Dec. 2012-July 2014. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, July-Dec. 2012. Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General, Jan. 2011-Dec. 2012. Counselor to the Administrator of OIRA at the Office of Management and Budget, Feb. 2009-Jan. 2011. Law clerk for the US District Court SDNY, Aug. 2008-Feb. 2009; law clerk for the U.S. Court of Appeals, Aug. 2007-Aug. 2008. J.D. from University of Chicago Law School, 2007; A.B. in art history and French literature from Harvard University, 2003.

AGENCY REVIEW TEAMS
(announced Nov. 10, 2020)

ADVISORY BOARD
(reported Sept. 5, 2020)

Tony Allen - President of Delaware State University, a HBCU in Dover.   twitter

Jared Bernstein - Chief economist and economic advisor to Vice President Biden, 2009-11; senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities from 2011.   twitter

Pete Buttigieg - Former Mayor of South Bend and former Democratic candidate for president (Win the Era). twitter

Leslie Caldwell - Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division at the U.S. Department of Justice, May 2014-Jan. 2017 (+); partner at Latham & Watkins LLP. twitter

Mark Gitenstein - U.S Ambassador to Romania, 2009-12; currently senior counsel in the International Trade practice in Mayer Brown's Washington DC office.

Cecilia Martinez - Executive director of the Center for Earth, Energy and Democracy. CEED

Bob McDonald - U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs, July 2014-Jan. 2017.   twitter

Minyon Moore - Principal at Dewey Square Group; veteran Democratic operative. twitter

Vivek Murthy - U.S. Surgeon General, Dec. 2014-Jan. 2017. twitter

Susan Rice - National Security Advisor, 2013-17 and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, 2009-13. twitter

Teresa Romero - President of the United Farm Workers from Dec. 2018. twitter

Cathy Russell - Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues, May 2013-Jan. 2017; previously chief of staff to Second Lady Jill Biden.   twitter

Lonnie Stephenson - International president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

Felicia Wong - President and CEO of the Roosevelt Institute, a New York-based think tank. twitter

Sally Yates - Deputy Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice, confirmed May 2015, to Jan. 2017; partner at King & Spalding. twitter

added Sept. 28...
Cindy McCain - Chair of the Board of Trustees of the McCain Institute for International Leadership at ASU and widow of U.S. Sen. John McCain twitter

Advisors to the Transition on COVID-19 Dr. Beth Cameron and Dr. Rebecca Katz

COVID-19 Advisory Board
Co-Chairs Dr. David Kessler, Dr. Vivek Murthy, and Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith

(announced Nov. 9, 2020)

Notes:
Compare: Obama-Biden Transition Project (2008).

Tim Fernholz. "Why the 2020 US presidential transition is so dangerous." Quartz, Nov. 8, 2020.

Lisa Rein, Jonathan O'Connell and Josh Dawsey. "A little known Trump appointee is in charge of handing transition resources to Biden – and she isn't budging." Washington Post, Nov. 8, 2020.

Alex Thompson and Theodoric Meyer. "Biden transition elevates former Facebook exec as ethics arbiter." Politico, Sept. 30, 2020.

Elena Schneider and Alex Thompson. "Biden's transition team, wary of Trump, sets massive fundraising goal." Politico, Sept. 12, 2020.

Eric Bradner. "Biden expands transition team, adds key campaign allies and top Obama-Biden policy hands." CNN, Sept. 5, 2020.

Sarah Mucha. "Biden officially forms transition team." CNN, June 20, 2020.