I am privileged to welcome Jonathan Davidson as the Department’s new Chief of Staff. Jonathan succeeds Kristie Canegallo, who will assume her new role as Acting Deputy Secretary on Friday. Jonathan will assume his duties in August.
Jonathan joins us from the Department of the Treasury, where he served first as Counselor to Secretary Janet Yellen and, upon Senate confirmation, as Treasury’s Assistant Secretary for Congressional Affairs. In those roles, Jonathan has helped lead Treasury’s efforts to pass and implement the Inflation Reduction Act and has worked on a range of national security issues, including the Administration’s efforts in response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine and its push to diversify global supply chains.
In a career spanning 25 years in both the Executive and Legislative branches, Jonathan has been a trusted advisor and proven leader at the highest levels of government. Jonathan worked on Capitol Hill for more than two decades, serving as Chief of Staff to Senator Michael Bennet and, before then, as Chief of Staff to Senator Paul Sarbanes and Representative John Sarbanes and Chief Counsel to Senator Mark Warner.
Early in his career, Jonathan clerked for Judge William Sessions, Chief Judge of the Federal District Court of Vermont. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Georgetown University Law Center.
I am also pleased to announce that Sharmistha “Sharmi” Das will transition from Acting Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy to Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy. Sharmi has been serving in the acting capacity after serving as our Department’s Deputy General Counsel and as a detailee in the Office of the Vice President. She and Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations Kay Lord Fallon will work closely with Jonathan in his new role.
We are grateful to Jonathan and Sharmi for their continued public service and excited for Jonathan to join our DHS team.