The White House’s current and first chief diversity and inclusion officer, Michael Leach, is leaving the Biden administration. The news was confirmed on Jan. 25, and Leach is set to leave later this month.
Leach’s presence will be missed in the DEI-related sphere and in his position as special assistant to President Joe Biden after “helping staff up the most diverse administration in history.” The Biden administration praised Leach for his major accomplishment, and a White House official claimed that even as they search for his replacement, they want to continue to uphold and expand on his hard work.
As reported by NBC News, Leach was the arrow driving Biden’s diversity and inclusion initiatives while Biden was campaigning for president in 2020. As a member of his administration since he was first elected, Leach described being in the position as “the honor of a lifetime.”
He wrote on LinkedIn, “President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris have demonstrated their inspiring values through their actions time and time again, and I could not be more ready to serve with such a diverse and brilliant team as we continue the work of building our country back better.”
According to diversity reports filed by the Biden administration earlier this
year, as of June, the White House employs the most diverse staff in United States history right now; almost half of the hired staff and administration in appointed positions identify as “racially or ethnically diverse” and just shy of 60% identify as women.During his term, Biden has always been vocal about maintaining diversity in the White House, especially in the face of pushback from Republicans on DEI initiatives and teaching Black History curriculum. Biden said, “We need to keep an open door of opportunities. We need to remember that diversity is our strength. We have to find a way forward.”
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