US President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate fourteen individuals to key Administration posts on Saturday, one of them being a Nepalese for the very first time. Sanjita Pradhan has been nominated to the president’s advisory commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs).

Pradhan is the Executive Officer of the Office of Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs at the Iowa Department of Human Rights, a position she has held since 2013. From 2010 to 2013, she served as Resettlement Director at Catholic Charities of Des Moines, Iowa. She was previously the Employment Coordinator of Lutheran Services of Iowa’s Refugee Cooperative Services from 2009 to 2010. From 2007 to 2008, she was Marketing Coordinator at Principal Financial Group. She has served on numerous volunteer and community organizations, including as Commissioner of the West Des Moines Human Rights Commission and as a Member of the Greater Des Moines Partnership’s Diversity and Inclusion Council. She also serves on the Advisory Board for the Ethnic Minorities of Burma Advocacy and Resource Center. She graduated from the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science in Nepal and recieved an M.B.A. from the Indian Institute of Technology.

While making the announcement, President Obama said, “These men and women bring extraordinary dedication to their roles and will serve the American people well. I look forward to working with them.”

Sanjita Pradhan (2nd from left) with her team members from West Des Moines Human Rights Commission