Today, President Biden appointed 22 members to the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships.
The Commission is composed of outstanding citizens who reflect the diversity and strength of America while representing a broad range of backgrounds, experiences, and professions. Commissioners are responsible for recommending a group of candidates to the President for selection as White House Fellows, a prestigious program for leadership and public service that provides young Americans experience working at the highest levels of the federal government.
“These leaders represent the best of America – our collective character, creativity, and diversity. I am grateful these dedicated and accomplished Americans will help select and mentor the next class of White House Fellows who demonstrate exceptional leadership, unwavering passion, and a strong commitment to public service,” said President Biden.
President’s Commission on White House Fellows
Demetra Lambros, Chair
Demetra Lambros is a criminal appellate lawyer who, during 20 years at the Justice Department, handled high-profile murder, public corruption, drug conspiracy, human trafficking, fraud, and gang-related prosecutions. During the Obama Administration, she served as Counsel to then-Vice President Biden. In the 1990s, she was General Counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee, under the chairmanship of then-Senator Biden, where she worked on the Violence Against Women Act, among other measures. Previously, Demetra was in private practice at Williams & Connolly. She currently lives in Missoula, Montana where she cooks for domestic violence survivors and young, single moms.
Karen R. Adler
Karen R. Adler is an independent management consultant working with high-net-worth families and their foundations. She is Senior Vice President of the Adler Group, a multi-generational family business, and President of the Jewish Communal Fund. Karen has spent much of her career mentoring and encouraging young people to seek out and accept the challenges and rerewards of a career in public service.
Raumesh Akbari
A proud Memphian and passionate advocate for justice and equality, Senator Raumesh Akbari serves in the Tennessee State Senate for the 29th district where her work to improve student outcomes and reform broken criminal justice policies has earned national and international recognition. Senator Akbari, an attorney for her family’s small business, represents the heart of downtown Memphis and parts of greater Shelby County, but her leadership is felt throughout the state as the Chairwoman of the Tennessee Senate Democratic Caucus, and her ideas are heard nationally as a leader on presidential task forces and a member of organizations advancing women, equity, and solution-oriented policies.
Cordell Carter II
Cordell Carter II leads the Aspen Institute Socrates Program, a global education forum for leaders, and Expectant Advisory, an equity-focused consultancy working towards a society where everyone belongs and has an equitable opportunity to thrive. Previously, he held leadership roles with the TechTown Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Business Roundtable, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, and the IBM Corporation. He has been selected as an Eisenhower Fellow (China), Robert Bosch Stiftung Fellow (Germany), and a Broad Resident in Urban Education.
Marco A. Davis
Marco A. Davis is President and CEO of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI), a national nonprofit organization dedicated to developing the next generation of Latino leaders. Prior to joining CHCI, Davis was a partner at New Profit, a national nonprofit venture philanthropy. He served in the Obama-Biden Administration as Deputy Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics and as Director of Public Engagement for the Corporation for National and Community Service. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and holds a B.A. in History and Latin American Studies from Yale University. Originally from the New York City area, he lives in the District of Columbia with his wife and daughter.
Dr. George E. Gabriel
Dr. George E. Gabriel is a lifelong educator and researcher with over 40 years of demonstrated experience on two continents. He has a strong belief that higher education is the primary tool for socioeconomic mobility with equity at the heart of the mobility agenda. Dr. Gabriel is a first-generation college graduate and an immigrant to the United States who obtained his doctorate at Vanderbilt University as a Fulbright Scholar. He has spent over a quarter century as a researcher and administrator at two large community colleges. His focus has been on student success in community colleges with the specific goal to narrow achievement gaps in student outcomes by implementing innovative practices.
Robert Hoopes
Robert Hoopes is founder and president of VOX Global, a DC based consultancy that works across policy issues including ESG, education, IOT, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Robert is passionate about good government, education, and democracy; he has worked in the U.S. Senate Office of Joseph R. Biden, Jr. and served as Chief of Staff for then-Vice President Biden at the 2012 Democratic National Convention. Robert earned his B.A. in government from Colby College and an MLA from The George Washington University. He serves on the Board of Trustees at Colby College and the Board of Advisors at the Graduate School of Political Management at GWU. Robert is married to Hilary Barnes Hoopes and they have three children.
Nomaan “Nomi” K. Husain
Mr. Nomaan “Nomi” K. Husain is the founder of Husain Law + Associates, PC, a boutique law firm based in Houston, Texas that focuses on litigation, immigration, aviation. He currently serves as a Commissioner on the Harris County Houston Sports Authority, is an Advisor to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, Ft. Bend County District Attorney, and is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Committee for University of Texas at Austin’s College of Liberal Arts and University of Texas School of Dentistry. He has also served as the Chairman of City of Houston’s Ethics Commission, Chairman and President of the South Asian Chamber of Commerce, member of the Mayor’s Advisory Committee for South Asia, and as the legal counsel to Pakistan Chamber of Commerce.
Joe Kennedy III
Joe Kennedy III served as a Member of the House of Representatives from Massachusetts, in the Peace Corps, as a legal aid volunteer, and an assistant district attorney. He currently resides in Newton, Massachusetts with his wife Lauren, their children Eleanor and James, and their dog Banjo.
Hildy Kuryk
Hildy Kuryk is a Partner at Artemis Strategies, a boutique consultancy that helps companies and individuals distill, articulate, and connect their values to their desired consumer. Prior to Artemis, Hildy was the Executive Director of Communications at Vogue. Before joining Vogue, Hildy spent her career in professional politics serving two presidents. She started in the White House Office of Legislative Affairs for President Bill Clinton and ended as the National Finance Director of the Democratic National Committee for President Barack Obama. She currently lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children.
Deborah Jospin
Deborah (Deb) Jospin is the founder of Jospin Strategic, a consulting firm that provides strategic advice for public and private sector clients. Along with her former business partner Shirley Sagawa, Deb is the co-author of The Charismatic Organization: Eight Ways to Grow a Nonprofit that Builds Buzz, Delights Donors and Engages Employees, Jossey-Bass, 2008. Before starting her consulting career, Deb was the Associate General Counsel and Chief of Staff at the Corporation for National Service, and she served as the Director of AmeriCorps from 1997-2001.
Nicole Malachowski
An inductee into the National Women’s Hall of Fame, Colonel Nicole Malachowski (USAF, Retired) served over 21 years in the United States Air Force as an officer and career fighter pilot. During that time, she had the honor of commanding a fighter squadron, flying as a USAF Thunderbird pilot, and serving as a White House Fellow and advisor to the First Lady of the United States. Following her medical retirement from the military, Nicole became a staunch national-level patient advocate for those enduring Tick-Borne Illnesses and recently founded Nicole Malachowski & Associates, LLC where she serves as a professional speaker and leadership consultant.
Stacey Mindich
Stacey Mindich is a Tony, Grammy, and Olivier Award-winning theatrical producer. She has produced more than 20 plays and musicals, and originated the international sensation Dear Evan Hansen, which will relaunch its critically-acclaimed productions on Broadway, in London, and on a national tour this fall, alongside the release of a major motion picture adaption. Previously a journalist and editor, Stacey is the co-chair of New York City Center’s Board of Trustees, as well as a founding member of The Lilly Awards. Her proudest productions are the three sons she shares with husband, Eric Mindich.
Courtney O’Donnell
Courtney Diesel O’Donnell has driven social impact through global public affairs and partnership development in senior roles in the White House, at non-profit organizations, national political campaigns, and in the private sector. Most recently, O’Donnell served as Director of Global Partnerships at Airbnb where she established alliances to encourage sustainable tourism, support economic empowerment, and promote female entrepreneurship around the world. In the Obama-Biden Administration, she served as Communications Director to Dr. Jill Biden, and on the Biden-Harris presidential campaign, O’Donnell served as Chief of Staff to Douglas Emhoff and advised on women’s engagement. O’Donnell serves on the Advisory Boards of the Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation at Georgetown University and the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Katherine Rice
Katherine Rice is a senior executive, board director, and investment professional with a passion for advancing the next generation of successful women leaders Rice is currently a Senior Advisor to GingerBread Capital, investing in women founders of growth companies. She is also the Founder and CEO of Rice Advisory Corp., a strategy consulting business focused on scaling consumer companies. Active in community and political affairs, Rice is a long-time advocate for women’s and LGBTQ+ rights. Rice holds an M.B.A. from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business and a B.A. from Vanderbilt University. Originally from Texas, Rice currently resides in Mill Valley, California with her partner Jennifer and daughter Avery.
Ramona Romero
Ramona Emilia Romero is the Vice President and General Counsel of Princeton University. Before joining the University in 2014, Romero was the General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Earlier in her career, Romero worked in a variety of legal roles at DuPont and as a litigator at Crowell & Moring, LLP. Romero is currently a trustee of Barnard College and a director of Legal Services of New Jersey. She is a former National President of the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA). An immigrant from the Dominican Republic, Romero holds a B.A. from Barnard College and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. She, her husband, and their two daughters live in Princeton, NJ.
Jennie Rosenthal
Jennie Rosenthal is a current Board Member and immediate past Chair of the National Board of The Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Vice President of the Board of The Ohio Innocence Project, Board Member of The Democracy Alliance, Member of the Ohio Progressive Collaborative, Emeritus Trustee of the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, and Co-Director of the Rosenthal Family Foundation. The mission is to improve the social and economic fabric of Cincinnati focusing on affordable housing, food insecurity, social and criminal justice, education, women’s rights, and innovative programs in the arts. Jennie is a fundraiser, grassroots organizer, and advisor for local, state, and national political campaigns.
Michael Schrum
Michael is Political Director for Emerson Collective where he leads political grantmaking and advocacy efforts in pursuit of a more equal and just America, with a focus on fair representation and access to democracy. Prior to joining Emerson, he served as Personal Aide to then-Vice President Biden, followed by two years as Vice President Biden’s Director of Intergovernmental Affairs and Special Assistant to the President. After leaving the White House, he served as Treasurer for the American Possibilities PAC, and then he helped with the launch of Biden for President. Prior to his time with then-Vice President Biden, he was appointed as Deputy Director of the Department of Labor’s Office of Public Engagement. Michael lives in D.C with his wife Maya and two kids Eshaan and Neela.
Kenny Thompson Jr.
Kenny Thompson, Jr. is Vice President of Corporate Affairs, North America at PepsiCo. He applies his experience with social impact, corporate responsibility, sustainability, advocacy, and communications to generate new business, amplify PepsiCo’s business partnerships, and grow PepsiCo’s reputation as a responsible corporate citizen. Before joining PepsiCo, Kenny held several positions in the Obama-Biden White House, including Director of Message Events for then-Vice President Joe Biden, Senior Advisor to United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk, and Special Assistant and Advance Lead for President Barack Obama.A native Texan, Kenny completed his undergraduate degree at Texas Christian University where he was a proud member of the Horned Frog baseball team. He later earned a Master of Business Administration from Georgetown University.
Linda Whitlock
Currently Founder and Principal of The Whitlock Group, providing management, strategy, and governance consulting to boards and CEOs. Linda was a transformative CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, served in the administrations of Massachusetts Governors Dukakis and King, and taught at MIT, Tufts, and the University of Michigan. Now serving on the boards of the Red Sox Foundation and the National Association of Corporate Directors New England, Linda has been honored as a Distinguished Bostonian by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and has been recognized by many other corporate, civic, and philanthropic organizations in the region. Linda has an A.B. from Mount Holyoke College and an A.M. from the University of Michigan, and she completed Executive Education programs at Harvard Business School, Harvard Kennedy School, and the Aspen Institute.
Fidel Vargas
Fidel A. Vargas is President and CEO of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF). Prior to joining HSF, Fidel was a Founding Partner of Centinela Capital Partners. At the age of 23, Fidel was elected the country’s youngest mayor of a major city in Baldwin Park, California. Fidel graduated with honors from Harvard University with an A.B. in Social Studies and received his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School with a concentration in Entrepreneurship and General Management.
Dr. Alfred Yung
Dr. Yung is a Professor of Neuro-Oncology, Senior Advisor of the Brain Tumor Center, and a member of the Cancer Moonshot leadership at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center at Houston. He received his M.D. degree from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. He joined MDACC 1981 and served as Chair of Department of Neuro-Oncology for 15 years. He was the second Editor-in-Chief of Neuro-Oncology, Co-Chair of the NCI Brain Malignancy Steering Committee. Currently, he is serving as Special Scientific Advisor of the National Brain Tumor Society and a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Ludwig Institute of Cancer research, among many other roles.
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