A senior White House advisor who helped run administration efforts to resettle thousands of Afghanistan refugees in recent years has been nominated by the president to take over as deputy director of the Peace Corps.
David White Jr., an Army veteran, who serves as special assistant to President Joe Biden in the White House’s Office of Presidential Personnel. The move to the Peace Corps will help fill the leadership ranks of that agency, if he is confirmed by the Senate later this summer.
The Peace Corps, established in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy as a Cold War initiative, deploys 3,500-4.000 U.S. volunteers each year who provide educational and technical support to developing countries around the world. The independent federal agency employs nearly 7,000 federal workers and has an annual budget of some $410 million.
Before his current role, White served on the National Security Council as a senior advisor for Operation Allies Welcome, the federal government effort to find housing and transition support for nearly 90,000 Afghan allies who emigrated to the U.S. following the withdrawal of U.S. troops from their country in 2021.
Jack Markell, coordinator for the operation, on Friday called White “an extraordinarily talented public servant” whose skills will help improve Peace Corps operations.
White has held several roles in the Biden administration and the transition team put in place ahead of the 2021 inauguration. He also is a graduate of both West Point and Harvard Law School.
White’s military career included serving as a scout platoon leader in Kandahar, Afghanistan, in 2011 to 2012. After being wounded in combat, White she took over a leadership role in the Warrior Transition Unit at West Point, where he coordinated care for other ill and injured service members.
No timeline has been set for a confirmation hearing on White nomination.
Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.
