Michelle and Barack Obama appoint heads for their Higher Ground Productions

Priya Swaminathan and Tonia Davis will lead the Obamas’ Higher Ground Productions as co-heads, the company announced Tuesday.

Swaminathan was a former director of development at Annapurna while Davis previously oversaw development for TV and film productions at Chernin Entertainment, according to Variety.

Their appointment comes as the Obamas move closer to producing content for Netflix following their agreement with the streaming giant last year.

With Higher Ground Productions, we hope to bring people together around common values and uncommon stories,” former President Obama says in a statement.

Obama said the duo, along with Qadriyyah “Q” Shamsid-Deen, who will serve as the company’s creative executive, will “bring that vision to life.”

“They’re masterful storytellers. They’re veterans in the industry. And they not only bring their unique perspectives and life experiences to every project, but they’re committed to finding new voices who have their own stories to tell,” the US 44th president says.

Michelle adds her voice: “Our goal isn’t just to make people think — we want to make people feel and reach outside of their comfort zone.”

The appointments represent the first sign the Obamas are serious about building the company and moving forward with production. The initial statement announcing the multiyear deal between Higher Ground and Netflix left the door open for developing almost all types of content, from scripted and unscripted series to docu-series, documentary films, and features.

At the time of signing the agreement with Netflix, President Obama says:

“One of the simple joys of our time in public service was getting to meet so many fascinating people from all walks of life, and to help them share their experiences with a wider audience.”

“That’s why Michelle and I are so excited to partner with Netflix–we hope to cultivate and curate the talented, inspiring, creative voices who are able to promote greater empathy and understanding between peoples, and help them share their stories with the entire world.”

The former president later explained that he wanted to use his Netflix shows to “train the next generation of leaders.”