Maju Varghese (born February 21, 1978) is an American attorney and political advisor who served as director of the White House Military Office in the Biden administration. He assumed office on March 9, 2021 and left office January 21, 2022.

Maju Varghese
Director of the White House Military Office
In office
March 9, 2021 – January 21, 2022
PresidentJoe Biden
Preceded byKeith Davids
Succeeded byTBD
Director of the White House Office of Management and Administration
In office
July 2015 – January 20, 2017
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byKaty Kale
Succeeded byMarcia L. Kelly
Personal details
Born (1978-02-21) February 21, 1978 (age 46)
New York City, New York, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst (BA)
Hofstra University (JD)

Early life and education

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Varghese was born in New York City and raised in Elmont, the son of parents who immigrated from Kerala, India.[1] Varghese's mother worked as a nurse while his father was a cab driver in New York City.[2] After graduating from Elmont Memorial Junior – Senior High School, Varghese earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and economics from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a Juris Doctor from the Maurice A. Deane School of Law of Hofstra University.[3][4]

Career

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In 1999 and 2000, Varghese worked on the advance team for the Al Gore 2000 presidential campaign. He then worked as a research associate for the Democratic National Committee. From 2006 to 2010, he was a legal associate at Wade Clark Mulcahy LLP in New York City, where he specialized in civil litigation, construction accidents, and property damage claims. In 2010, Varghese joined the White House Office, serving as advance lead, special assistant to President Barack Obama and director of advance, and assistant to the president for management and administration. In 2017 and 2018, Varghese was a senior advisor at Dentons. He was then the COO of The Hub Project, a left-wing advocacy and research firm that provides campaign services to progressive political candidates.[5]

From September 2019 to November 2020, Varghese was a senior advisor and the COO of the Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign.[6] Varghese acted as the executive director of the 59th Presidential Inaugural Committee and was later appointed as director of the White House Military Office in the Biden administration.[7][8] Varghese ended his term as WHMO Director on January 21, 2022.[9]

References

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  1. ^ "Joe Biden Appoints Indian American Maju Varghese as WHMO Director". TheQuint. 2021-03-10. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  2. ^ "Indian-American Maju Varghese appointed executive director of Presidential Inauguration Committee". OnManorama. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  3. ^ "Maju Varghese appointed to top position by President Joe Biden". 4 March 2021. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  4. ^ Figueroa Hernandez, Laura (March 27, 2021). "3 former LIers holding posts in the Biden administration". Newsday. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  5. ^ "Who is Maju Varghese, the Kerala-origin Lawyer Joe Biden Picked for Inauguration Committee?". www.news18.com. 2020-12-03. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  6. ^ "The power of the other". The Week. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  7. ^ Crowley, Michael (2021-01-04). "Biden Plans Minimalist Trip From Capitol to White House on Inauguration Day". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  8. ^ "White House Announces Additional Staff". The White House. 2021-03-09. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  9. ^ "White House military office director leaving post | CNN Politics". CNN. 21 January 2022.


Political offices
Preceded by
Katy Kale
Director of the White House Office of Management and Administration
2015–2017
Succeeded by
Marcia L. Kelly
Preceded by Director of the White House Military Office
February 2021–January 21, 2022
Succeeded by
TBD