President-elect Joe Biden announced his Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) this week. The committee will be led by CEO Tony Allen and Executive Director Maju Varghese.
Allen is the president of Delaware State University and has previously worked as a speechwriter for Biden when he worked in the Senate. He is serving on the committee in personal capacity.
In a statement, Allen said, “I’ve known and loved the Biden family for 25 years and am deeply humbled to help organize the historic inauguration of a good and decent patriot during an unprecedented time in our country. As the 46th President of the United States, Joe Biden alongside Kamala Harris, the first woman of color to be elected Vice President of the United States, will work hard for all Americans and lead us towards our nation’s highest calling — ‘a more perfect union.'”
He added that “This year’s inauguration will look different amid the pandemic, but we will honor the American inaugural traditions and engage Americans across the country while keeping everybody healthy and safe.”
We look forward to sharing updates here about events on January 20th as well as ways for Americans to engage with the Inauguration. Visit https://t.co/GCEhB7Yf7l for more information.
— Biden Inaugural Committee (@BidenInaugural) November 30, 2020
Varghese was the chief operating officer and a senior advisor on the Biden campaign. He previously served in the Obama White House.
In a statement, he said, “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.”
Other members of the committee include Deputy Executive Directors Erin Wilson and Yvanna Cancela. Wilson was the national political director for the Biden-Harris campaign. Cancela serves as a state senator in Nevada and was one of Biden’s earliest elected supporters.
The Biden transition team is moving forward even as President Donald Trump refuses to admit that he lost the election. On Monday, Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris were expected to receive the presidential daily briefing for the first time.
Biden has also begun filling out his administration staff. He has announced top economic advisors as well as a communications team.