Roberta Jacobson, the former U.S. ambassador to Mexico, has been named as part of the 500-strong team that will work to prepare the incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden to take control of the federal government.
Although President Donald Trump has yet to recognize Biden’s election victory and has refused to provide access to the transition team, the president-elect and his advisors believe much important work can still be done.
Jacobson will serve as a volunteer member of the Agency Review Team to support transition efforts related to the U.S. Department of State. According to the Transition Team website (buildbackbetter.com), the teams are composed of “highly experienced and talented professionals with deep backgrounds in crucial policy areas across the federal government (that) have been crafted to ensure they not only reflect the values and priorities of the incoming administration, but reflect the diversity of perspectives crucial for addressing America’s most urgent and complex challenges.”
A career diplomat, Jacobsen was appointed U.S. ambassador to Mexico in April 2016. She resigned from her post in March 2018, 14 months into the Donald Trump presidency. She was replaced almost a year and a half later by Christopher Landau, a noted conservative lawyer. As a political appointee, Landau can be expected to offer his resignation once Biden assumes the presidency.