A top aide to President Obama who is in charge of minority engagement for the White House was picked by Senator-elect Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) to lead her operations in California.

Julie Chavez Rodriguez, the granddaughter of famed civil rights icon Cesar Chavez, will serve as Harris’s state director, the Sacramento Bee reported.

Chavez oversaw engagement with LGBT, Asian-American and Pacific Islander, Latino, veteran, youth, education, labor and progressive leaders, according to the White House website.

“In this moment so many of our communities feel threatened and uncertain about the future, I’m proud that Julie will help me empower and protect California’s families and give voice to our vulnerable communities,” Harris said in a statement.

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Harris, the outgoing California attorney general, is seen as a potential presidential contender for 2020. She was the first woman, first African-American and first Indian-American to occupy the position.

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