Washington, D.C.–The U.S. Department of Energy announced new Biden-Harris Administration senior leadership appointees.
The new leaders will direct policy at the Department of Energy, coordinate across the Administration, and enact President Joe Biden’s vision and action on the climate crisis and on safeguarding the Americans most affected by it.
Tarak Shah will serve as Chief of Staff, becoming the first person of color, first Indian-American, and first openly LGBTQ person to serve in that position at DOE.
“These talented and diverse public servants will deliver on President Biden’s goal to tackle the climate crisis and build an equitable clean energy future,” said DOE Chief of Staff Tarak Shah. “Guided by their expertise, breadth of experience, and following the science, these Department of Energy appointees will contribute to creating a clean energy economy that produces millions of good-paying American jobs and safeguards the planet for future generations.”
In addition to the Biden-Harris appointees, David Huizenga will serve as Acting Secretary of Energy. He was most recently Associate Principal Deputy Administrator for the National Nuclear Security Administration and has been a career employee at DOE since 1987.
Shalanda H. Baker, Deputy Director for Energy Justice, Vanessa Z. Chan, Director, Office of Technology Transitions (Chief Commercialization Officer), Robert Cowin, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Engagement, Tanya Das, Chief of Staff, Office of Science, Christopher Davis, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Energy, Ali Douraghy, Chief of Staff, Office of the Under Secretary for Science and Energy, Caroline Grey, White House Liaison, Todd Kim, Deputy General Counsel for Litigation and Enforcement, Jennifer Jean Kropke, Director of Energy Jobs, Andrew Light, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Affairs, David A. Mayorga, Director of Public Affairs, Shara Mohtadi, Chief of Staff, Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, Ali Nouri, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs, Tarak Shah, Chief of Staff, Kelly Speakes-Backman, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, Narayan Subramanian, Legal Advisor, Office of General Counsel, Shuchi Talati, Chief of Staff, Office of Fossil Energy, Jennifer Wilcox, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy, Avi Zevin, Deputy General Counsel for Energy Policy
