President Joe Biden has announced plans to nominate Comcast executive David L. Cohen to serve as ambassador to Canada.
Cohen previously served as senior executive vice president of Comcast, and is currently a senior advisor to the CEO. Comcast is the parent company of NBC, including NBC10 and Telemundo62.
“I am honored to be nominated as ambassador to Canada, and thank President Biden for the opportunity to serve my country and to represent him," Cohen wrote in a statement. "If confirmed, I look forward to working with our neighbors in Canada, and continuing to develop and grow what is a very strong and important relationship as we continue to fight the pandemic and build our economies back stronger.”
Many Philadelphians know Cohen for his political leadership in the city. In the 1990s, he served as former Mayor Ed Rendell's chief of staff and top adviser, helping the city avoid municipal bankruptcy during Rendell's first term.
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Cohen is also a force in national politics; he hosted the first official fundraiser for Biden's presidential campaign in April 2019 at his home in Philadelphia.
Cohen served as chair of the Board of Trustees at Penn until July 1.
Biden has close ties to the university, where he formerly held an honorary professorship. Penn paid Biden more than $900,000 since he left the White House for a role that primarily involved campus appearances.
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Biden has also announced plans to nominate Penn President Amy Gutmann to serve as ambassador to Germany.
