WASHINGTON — The U.S. Office of Personnel Management, the human resources agency and personnel policy manager for the federal government’s 2.1 million civilian employees, announced senior staff promotions and Biden-Harris political appointees, including naming Khalilah Harris as chief of staff to the director.
Harris previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff at OPM. For the past two decades she has “worked to expand access to opportunity through a racial equity lens by prioritizing community voice in education, education policy and justice, youth advocacy, women’s rights, worker’s rights and building an inclusive workforce,” OPM said in a statement.
Harris previously served as Senior Advisor to the Director at OPM during the Obama-Biden Administration following her tenure as Deputy Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans.
“These diverse and accomplished individuals bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the agency and will work to quickly advance key priorities for the Biden-Harris Administration,” OPM said.
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The office also announced the following staffing moves:
Alethea Predeoux, Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of the Director
Predeoux was promoted to serve as Deputy Chief of Staff. She was previously the Director for the Office of Congressional, Legislative, and Intergovernmental Affairs. Prior to coming to OPM, Predeoux was the Director of Legislative, Political and Grassroots Mobilization for the American Federation of Government Employees, a union with more than 300,000 members.
Eric Bursch, Director, Office of Congressional, Legislative, and Intergovernmental Affairs
Bursch was promoted to serve as Director of the Office of Congressional, Legislative, and Intergovernmental Affairs. He was previously the Deputy Director of CLIA. Before joining OPM, Bursch spent over a decade on Capitol Hill. He spent the past seven years as Staff Director for the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee that has oversight of the federal workforce, first under former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) and then Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ).
Erikka S. Knuti, Director, Office of Communications
Before joining OPM, Knuti was Director of Strategic Communications for the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, the largest private sector union in the U.S.
Jack A. Miller, Deputy Director, Office of Communications
Miller led communications for the public investment advocacy group Invest in America and worked as a private media consultant.
Viet H. Tran, Press Secretary, Office of Communications
Viet Tran served as a communications consultant to organizations, nonprofits, and state agencies. Previously, he was a press secretary at the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBTQ civil rights organization.
Courtney Rizzo, Senior Advisor for Operations, Office of the Director
Rizzo was previously the Special Assistant to the CIOand has been promoted to serve as Senior Advisor for Operations.
Teika Carlson, Special Assistant to the Director, Office of the Director
Carlson previously served as the Executive Assistant to the Director.
Sharon Kwon, Executive Assistant to the Director, Office of the Director
Kwon was recently appointed by the Biden-Harris Administration to serve as Executive Assistant to the Director at OPM.
Tiffany Avila, Executive Assistant to the Chief of Staff, Office of the Director
Avila was previously the Confidential Assistant in the Office of the Director.
