The Biden administration’s head of diversity is leaving his post after three years on the job.
Michael Leach was the first chief diversity and inclusion director in White House history. He also serves as a special assistant to the president.
Diversity issues have been a policy priority for Biden. He issued an executive order on Jan. 20, 2021 – his first day in office – that vowed to use federal resources to advance “racial equity and support for underserved communities.”
“Equal opportunity is the bedrock of American democracy, and our diversity is one of our country’s greatest strengths,” the Democrat states in the order. “Affirmatively advancing equity, civil rights, racial justice, and equal opportunity is the responsibility of the whole of our Government. Because advancing equity requires a systematic approach to embedding fairness in decision-making processes, executive departments and agencies … must recognize and work to redress inequities in their policies and programs that serve as barriers to equal opportunity.”
Leach was the 2020 Biden campaign’s chief people officer and head of diversity and inclusion. Before his time working for Biden, he was an assistant to the head coach for the Chicago Bears and was involved with labor relations for the National Football League.
Biden's commitment to diversity hiring and the creation of the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Director was received with lukewarm praise from Inclusive America, a nonprofit that tracks the demographic data of political positions.
“We hope that Michael Leach, who was appointed to this new role, will not only work with the Executive Office of the President but also all 15 departments and agencies,” the organization said. “We need them to set goals and a plan for increasing the diversity of appointees to Government Policy and Supporting Positions, including but not limited to Executive Schedule, Senior Executive Service, and Schedule C positions.”
In his position, Leach told Andscape that he helped with “strengthening the talent pipeline” and providing “implicit bias training for hiring managers across the office, reducing the impact that bias can play.”
“My career path has been a bit nuanced,” Leach said. “But at every juncture has been, No. 1, my faith in God, and No. 2, always having a willingness to serve people in whatever God called me to."
Leach also stressed the value of prioritizing diversity in the workplace during the March 2022 interview.
“Diversity is about having a seat at the table,” he said, “whereas inclusion is about having a voice at that same table … a voice that is both heard and valued. Those two things are not mutually exclusive.”
Leach’s post-White House plans were not entirely clear. He told AP News his job “has been the honor of a lifetime” and that he would be taking time to reflect “on how to best increase equity across institutions” before his next career move.
The White House told the outlet it has begun its search for Leach’s replacement.
“President Biden promised to build an administration that looks like America and delivers for the American people,” said Jen O’Malley Dillon, the White House deputy chief of staff. “From the campaign to now, Michael Leach was an instrumental partner to us in fulfilling this promise.”
