John Kerry ’76: Former US Senator and Secretary of State John Kerry is President Biden’s Special Presidential Envoy for Climate. A force for America’s climate policy, Kerry was chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 2009, where he chaired hearings and negotiated legislation on climate change. In 2015, he signed the Paris Climate Agreement on behalf of the US to reduce carbon emissions.
Louisa Terrell ’95: From Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs in the Obama-Biden administration to Executive Director of the Biden Foundation to member of the Biden-Harris legislative affairs transition team, and now to White House Director of Legislative Affairs, Louisa Terrell has long been a presence in the halls of Washington, DC. Other experiences include congressional stints with Senators Biden and Cory Booker, and as public affairs consultant at McKinsey and Company.
Michael Hochman ’95: As a member of the White House Office of the Staff Secretary, Michael Hochman aids in preparing the daily briefing book and ensuring that details regarding actions, speeches, events, correspondence, and press releases are adequately vetted. A University of Pennsylvania classmate and friend of the late Beau Biden, Hochman previously was involved in several state and national political campaigns and practiced as a commercial and corporate litigator at the Delaware firm Monzack, Mersky Browder Hochman.
Seema Nanda ’95: Seema Nanda was a member of Biden’s transition team working with the US Department of Labor, where she had previously served under Secretary Tom Perez. She was also the first Indian American to be appointed CEO of the Democratic National Committee and served two years before stepping down in 2020.
Footnote: In November, Heather Lowe ’04, director of government affairs and legal counsel at Global Financial Integrity, found herself on the Progressive Change Institute’s list of recommended hires to Biden’s transition team (along with BC Law Professor Hiba Hafiz). As an economic expert, she focuses on anti-corruption and anti-money laundering policy.