Joe Biden nominates Richard Verma to top diplomatic position

US President Joe Biden on Friday nominated Indian American Richard R Verma to a top diplomatic position in the US Department of State. According to a White House release, Biden announced his intent to nominate Verma as Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources. Verma is the Chief Legal Officer and Head of Global Public Policy at Mastercard. He was the United States Ambassador to India and Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs during the Obama administration. Earlier in his career, he was National Security Advisor to the United States Senator Harry Reid (D-NV). At the same time, he was Democratic Whip, Minority Leader and then-Majority Leader of the United States Senate, added the release. He has served as Vice Chairman of The Asia Group, Partner and Senior Counselor at Steptoe & Johnson LLP, and Senior Counselor at the Albright Stonebridge Group. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force where he served on active duty as a Judge Advocate. He received numerous awards and decorations, including the Distinguished Service Medal from the Department of State, the International Affairs Fellowship from the Council on Foreign Relations and the Meritorious Service Medal from the United States Air Force, added the release. He was appointed to the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board and is a former member of the Weapons of Mass Destruction and Terrorism Commission. He serves as a trustee of The Ford Foundation, and is on numerous other boards, including the National Endowment for Democracy and Lehigh University.