Carlos Eduardo Elizondo (born June 10, 1962) is an American event planner and political aide who is the current White House social secretary since 2021. Elizondo previously served as a special assistant and social secretary for Joe Biden and Jill Biden during the Obama administration.
Carlos Elizondo | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2021 | |
| White House Social Secretary | |
| Assumed office January 20, 2021 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Rickie Niceta |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Carlos Eduardo Elizondo June 10, 1962 Harlingen, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Pontifical College Josephinum (BA) |
Early life and education
editA native of Harlingen, Texas, Elizondo earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and Latin American studies from the Pontifical College Josephinum.[1][2]
Career
editFrom 2009 to 2017, Elizondo served as a special assistant to President Barack Obama and as Social Secretary to Vice President Joe Biden and Second Lady Jill Biden.[3][4] In this role, he planned and managed all events which were hosted by Biden and his family, including visits by world leaders, members of Congress, and other high-profile visitors. Outside of government, Elizondo worked as the director of events at Georgetown University and the manager of activities and protocol at Walt Disney World.[2][4]
On November 20, 2020, after winning the presidential election, Biden named Elizondo to be his White House social secretary.[5] He is the first Hispanic individual, second male and second openly gay person to hold the position.[6]
Personal life
editElizondo is openly gay, and resides in Washington, D.C., with his partner.[6][1]
References
edit- ^ a b "Carlos Elizondo, White House Social Secretary". President-Elect Joe Biden. Archived from the original on 2020-11-23. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
- ^ a b CHCI (December 2010). "Carlos Elizondo – Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute". Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
- ^ "LGBTQ Appointments in the Obama-Biden Administration". LGBTQ Victory Institute. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
- ^ a b "President-elect Joe Biden Announces Members of White House Senior Staff". 2020 Presidential Campaign Blog. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
- ^ "President-elect Joe Biden Announces Members of White House Senior Staff | President-Elect Joe Biden". buildbackbetter.com. Archived from the original on 2020-11-23. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
- ^ a b Ring, Trudy (2020-11-25). "Gay Man Carlos Elizondo Named White House Social Secretary". Advocate. Archived from the original on 2020-11-25. Retrieved 2020-11-26.