NEH Announces Biden Administration Appointees 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) announced two senior political appointees who will work alongside NEH civil servants to support the humanities and advance key priorities of the Biden administration in broadening access to the nation’s cultural and educational resources.

Kelsey Coates, Chief of Staff
Coates is an experienced manager with an extensive background in research, social innovation, international education, and the arts. Prior to joining NEH, Coates was the Director of Research at the Biden-Harris Presidential Transition. She previously served as Chief of Staff at a nonprofit that conducted public interest investigations into climate denialism, public health disinformation, and violent extremism. During the Obama administration, Coates was the Senior Associate Research Director in the White House. She is the cofounder of an art education teacher training program in Hyderabad, India, and has served in multiple capacities in the international education field. Coates received a BA in international affairs from the University of Mary Washington and a graduate certificate in social entrepreneurship from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies.  

Adriana Usmayo Macedonio, White House Liaison and Chairman’s Strategic Scheduler 
Macedonio most recently served as a member of the Humanities Agency Review Team for the Biden-Harris Transition and the New Hampshire Democratic party. Prior to joining the Biden campaign, Adriana held positions with Congresswoman Yvette Clarke and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. Macedonio received a BA in statistics and economics from the University of Virginia, and a Master’s in public relations and communications from the University of Greenwich in the U.K.

More announcements to come.  

 National Endowment for the Humanities: Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities supports research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation. Additional information about the National Endowment for the Humanities and its grant programs is available at neh.gov.