Both in office and during the campaign, Leach spearheaded efforts to create the most diverse general election and White House staffs in the White House.
NEW YORK (AP) — The White House’s top diversity officer and first ever aide in the role is leaving
“If you don’t have people working there who reflect the community of afflicted people,” Fauci continued, “then you’re not really doing it right. You’ve got to get your reaching out into the community. You’ve got to reach out with people that look like and are part of the community.”
About half of the White House staff identifies as a person of color, and nearly 60% of staffers are women, according to a White House staff report last year. Biden has also signed an executive order promoting diversity and inclusion in the federal workforce broadly.
“President Biden committed to building a federal government that looks like America, and he has kept that promise with the help of leaders like Michael Leach,” said Stephen Benjamin, director of the White House Office of Public Engagement. “Michael has set the bar high as an exemplary public servant, and he will be missed.”
Before joining Biden’s 2020 campaign, Leach worked at the National Football League for a decade in labor relations roles and earlier as an assistant to the head coach at the Chicago Bears.
“You could tell that Michael was destined for bigger things,” Bears Chairman George McCaskey said. “We weren’t surprised at all when he was in the White House.”