US President Joe Biden has announced his intention to appoint Indian-Americans Manu Asthana and Madhu Beriwal to his National Infrastructure Advisory Council.
The President’s National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC) advises the White House on reducing physical and cyber risks and improving the security and resilience of the nation’s critical infrastructure sectors.
The 26 persons announced to the NIAC on Wednesday are headed by senior executives with deep experience in several sectors including banking and finance, transport, energy, water, dams, defence, communication, information technology, healthcare, food and agriculture, government. facilities, emergency services and higher education.
Asthana oversees the largest power grid in North America and one of the world’s largest electricity markets as CEO and President of PJM.
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“Under his leadership, PJM has established a clear path to define the role of the grid operator in the transition to a cleaner, more efficient grid while maintaining reliable electrical service,” the White House said.
Asthana has extensive leadership experience in the energy industry in the areas of power generation operations, optimization and dispatch, competitive retail power, electricity and natural gas trading, and risk management. The White House said he is a member of the Electricity Sub-Sector Coordinating Council and serves on the Texas Children’s Hospital’s board of trustees.
“He also serves on the board of directors of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia. Asthana earned a Bachelor of Science in economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a Benjamin Franklin scholar and a Joseph Wharton scholar,” it said.
Madhu Beriwal founded Innovative Emergency Management, Inc. in 1985. (IEM) and continues to serve as its CEO and President. IEM is the largest female-led homeland security and emergency management firm in the United States.
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“Under Berrywal’s leadership, IEM has led some of the largest mitigation and resilience efforts across the United States, building stronger recovery after disasters including disaster recovery programs than any other program of the same type and magnitude. has distributed federal funds to survivors and communities,” the White House said.
“For more than 37 years, Beriwal has been dedicated to the use of technology to enhance preparedness and response and to build resilience in communities and their critical infrastructure. She was inducted into the International Women in Homeland Security and Emergency Management Hall of Fame in 2012 was gone,” it said.
He holds a master’s degree in urban planning and a bachelor’s degree in geography and economics.
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