The Biden administration has appointed two Indian-origin experts in public service, Sonali Nijhawan and Sri Preston Kulkarni, to key positions at AmeriCorps – the federal agency for volunteering and service, reported news agency PTI.
While Nijhawan has been named Director of AmeriCorps State and National, Kulkarni has been appointed new Chief of External Affairs.
According to s statement shared by AmeriCorps, the two appointments reflect ‘the Biden administration’s commitment to diverse leadership.’
In carrying out their roles, both Nijhawan and Kulkarni are expected to assist the administration in four key agendas – COVID-19, economic recovery, racial equity, and climate change.
Who Are the Two Appointees?
Kulkarni had unsuccessfully contested in elections to the US congress twice, from the seat of Texas. In November, he lost the Texas District 22 seat to former Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls.
He had served as a foreign service officer with the State Department for 14 years, where he specialised in public diplomacy. During this long stint, he worked on international information programmes and had completed tours in Taiwan, Russia, Iraq, Jamaica and Washington.
On the other hand, Nijhawan has served as the Executive Director of Stockton Service Corps. She also comes with extensive experience in education.
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