Biden Reveals White House Digital Team
President-elect Joe Biden speaks at The Queen theater, Monday, Dec. 28, 2020, in Wilmington, Del. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris listens at right. AP Photo/Andrew Harnik
The team will be in charge of communicating with Americans once Biden takes office on Jan. 20.
President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on Monday announced 12 new appointees who will comprise the White House Office of Digital Strategy.
The office will be responsible for engaging users through traditional means and social media platforms, and will begin their duties in mid-January amid a pandemic that is elevating the importance of digital communications. Each of the dozen new appointees has experience in Biden’s presidential campaign, the transition and agency-review teams or the inauguration committee.
“Communicating transparently and honestly with the American people is one of the most important responsibilities of a president,” Biden said in a statement. “This team of diverse experts has a wide range of experience in digital strategy and will help connect the White House to the American people in new and innovative ways. They bring a shared commitment to building our nation back better, and I am thrilled to have them on our team.”
The Biden/Harris administration digital appointments follow the November announcement of an all-female communications team. Rob Flaherty, who currently serves as the digital director for the Biden-Harris Transition, will serve as the director of digital strategy. Brendan Cohen, the deputy director of editorial on the Biden-Harris campaign, will serve as the office’s platform manager. Jaime Lopez, the social media and audience development director for the Biden-Harris transition, will serve as the director of platforms. Other appointees include Maha Ghandour, digital partnerships manager; Jonathan Hebert, video director; Carahna Magwood, creative director; Abbey Pitzer, designer; Olivia Raisner, traveling content director; Rebecca Rinkevich, deputy director of digital strategy; Aisha Shah, partnerships manager; Christian Tom, deputy director of digital strategy and Cameron Trimble, director of digital engagement.
“Digital communities and online spaces have taken on even more importance in the wake of the pandemic, Harris said in a statement. “We’re building a team to speak to the lived experiences of all Americans. With much of our lives online, it is critical for this administration’s digital efforts to be inclusive and extensive.”
Frank Konkel is Nextgov’s executive editor.
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