Yohannes Abraham is an American government official who is the Representative to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. His previous positions included Deputy Assistant to the President for the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs during the Obama Administration and Executive Secretary of the United States National Security Council during the Biden Administration.
Yohannes Abraham | |
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| United States Ambassador to Association of Southeast Asian Nations | |
| Assumed office October 5, 2022 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | James Caruso |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Yale University (BA) Harvard University (MBA) |
Early life and education
Abraham was born in Virginia to immigrant Ethiopian parents and raised in Springfield, Virginia. He graduated from Westminster School in Annandale, Virginia, and graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Fairfax County, Virginia. He received a B.A. in political science from Yale College in 2007 and an MBA from Harvard Business School, where he graduated with high distinction as a Baker Scholar in 2019. While in business school, Abraham was also selected as a residential fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics.
Career
Obama campaigns and administration
Immediately after graduating from college in 2007, Abraham went to work for the Obama '08 campaign in Iowa. After the Obama's victory in the Iowa caucuses, Abraham worked for the campaign in other states, eventually being named field director for his home state of Virginia. During Obama's 2012 run for reelection, Abraham served as the campaign's deputy national political director.
During the Obama administration, Abraham served as Deputy Assistant to the President for the Office of Public Engagement, and Senior Advisor to the National Economic Council. He served as Chief of Staff for the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs, reporting to Valerie Jarrett. Abraham also worked with Vanguard Group's global investment unit, taught at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
Biden administration
Abraham was part of the Biden-Harris transition, where he oversaw many of the day-to-day operations.
Ambassador to Association of Southeast Asian Nations
| External videos | |
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| Announcement by Biden of Abraham's nomination, May 13, 2022, C-SPAN |
On May 13, 2022, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Abraham to be the representative to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Hearings on his nomination were held before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on July 13, 2022. The committee favorably reported his nomination to the Senate floor on August 3, 2022. Abraham was confirmed on August 4, 2022 via voice vote. He presented his credentials to the Secretary-General of ASEAN Lim Jock Hoi on October 5, 2022.