Who is Neela Rajendra? Indian-origin DEI chief official fired by NASA following Donald Trump’s executive order

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) had to implement a radical transformation in its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs because of an executive order issued by US President Donald Trump. The order prohibiting diversity programs within executive branch agencies resulted in NASA's independent diversity department being shut down. The agency's conduct regarding this shift, especially as it terminates Neela Rajendra, its highest-ranking DEI official.

At President Trump's behest, NASA shut down its diversity office, a major regression from efforts to create a diverse and inclusive workplace. Neela Rajendra, who is Indian born, was tasked with running these initiatives. She was in charge of NASA's efforts to create a more diverse workplace for minorities and women for several years.
In spite of the broad reform, NASA tried to keep Rajendra in place by re-designating her role in a bid to sidestep the executive order. It was regarded as a tactical step to keep her role in the organisation intact but within the contours set by the new Trump administration restrictions the efforts to keep her eventually failed. Even despite redesignating her role, the exit of Rajendra revealed the extreme aftermath of the diversity efforts of the agency.
Rajendra had also previously led diversity efforts at NASA, such as the "Space Workforce 2030" program to enhance women's and minority workers in the agency. These were part of a larger commitment towards the development of a diverse and inclusive workforce. President Trump's executive order, however, radically altered the course that NASA was on, in conjunction with larger efforts by the federal government to close down diversity programming.

Following Trump’s harsh crackdown, NASA notified that the "Office of Team Excellence and Employee Success" will be headed by Neela Rajendra with the charge of managing top initiatives such as the "Black Excellence Strategic Team" and other affinity groups. NASA employees congratulated Rajendra on her new position and underscored her charge of making the initiatives successful.
Later, in her LinkedIn post, Rajendra declared her enthusiasm for the new position and outlined that her main duty would be to ‘unlock our potential to dare mighty things together.’ While these were optimistic words, the Trump administration's crackdown on DEI initiatives in effect brought an end to the continuation of such initiatives.

Recently, an email update was sent out to inform the staff members at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory announcing Neela Rajendra's departure. The letter, signed by Laurie Leshin, Director of NASA's JPL, read: "Neela Rajendra is no longer an employee at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. We are deeply thankful for the lasting legacy she has left our organisation. We wish her the very best."
Rajendra's dismissal followed a period of turmoil at NASA. During a bad financial crisis, she was among the minority of personnel not fired when more than 900 other DEI staff members were dismissed. While she managed to avoid that, her subsequent firing from the job highlighted the larger trend toward backing away from diversity initiatives at federal agencies.
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