UNITED STATES SENATE
SUBJECT: Ambassadorial Nomination: Certificate of Demonstrated Competence — Foreign Service Act, Section 304(a)(4)
POST: Kingdom of the Netherlands
CANDIDATE: Shefali Razdan Duggal
Shefali Razdan Duggal, an immigrant to the United States from Kashmir, India, is an experienced political activist, women’s rights advocate and human rights campaigner. She served as a member of the National Finance Committee of Joe Biden for President 2020, National Co-Chair of Women for Biden and as a Deputy National Finance Chair at the Democratic National Committee. Her political activism led her to serve as Vice-Chair of the Credentials Standing Committee at the 2020 Democratic National Convention, a member of the Rules Committee at the 2016 Democratic National Convention and as a member of the Credentials Committee at the 2012 Democratic National Convention.
President Obama appointed Razdan Duggal to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Council, and after her term expired, she has continued to serve as a Western Regional Advisor. She is a San Francisco Committee member of Human Rights Watch, a member of the Wake Forest University Leadership & Character Council and recently completed her term as a National Board Director for Emily’s List. In addition, Razdan Duggal served on the Board of Advocates for Human Rights First, on the National Advisory Board for Doctors for America and was an Advisory Board Member for Beyond Bollywood (Smithsonian Institution).
She received a B.S. in Mass Communication from Miami University (Oxford OH) and a M.A. in Media Ecology from New York University. She is the recipient of numerous civic awards, including being recognized with the Western Regional Leadership Award by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and as one of the Most Powerful Women in California by the National Diversity Council.
Razdan Duggal’s demonstrated commitment to the American democratic process, advancing human rights, coupled with her keen understanding of the need to ensure that all voices are heard in a multi-ethnic society, make her a well-qualified candidate to serve as Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.