Indian-American Maju Varghese appointed Executive Director of Presidential Inauguration Committee

President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris have named Indian-American Maju Varghese in the four-member Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC), which will organise the activities surrounding their swearing-in on January 20.

The team includes Tony Allen as Chief Executive Officer, Maju Varghese as Executive Director, Erin Wilson as Deputy Executive Director and Yvanna Cancela as Deputy Executive Director.

It is an honour to help lead the team that will plan the inaugural activities for President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris while keeping their commitment to protecting the health and safety of Americans and demonstrating the strength and resilience of our nation, Varghese said in a statement.

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This historic inauguration will serve as the launching pad for the Biden-Harris Administration to get to work on day one and beat the pandemic, build back our economy better, and unify our country, he said.

Varghese was the Chief Operating Officer and Senior Advisor in the Biden-Harris campaign from the primaries through the general, overseeing the campaign’s day-to-day operations and leading it through an unprecedented shift to remote working.

He previously served in the Obama White House in various roles, including as the Assistant to the President for Management and Administration and Deputy Director of Advance. He has also worked as the Chief Operating Officer at The Hub Project and as a Senior Advisor at the law firm Dentons.

A lawyer by training, Varghese was born in the US to parents who immigrated from Thiruvalla, Kerala.

As the Assistant to the President for Management and Administration from July 2015 to January 2017, Varghese was responsible for day-to-day operations of the White House complex, including oversight of White House budget, personnel, facilities, tours and major events.

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As Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Advance from June 2014 to July 2015, he served as the head of the US delegation for pre-advance visits around the world comprising White House staff, National Security staff, the White House Military Office and the United States Secret Service.

Varghese has a bachelor’s degree in political science and economics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherts.

Said Allen, “This year’s inauguration will look different amid the pandemic, but we will honour the American inaugural traditions and engage Americans across the country while keeping everybody healthy and safe.”

Allen is the President of Delaware State University.