In nominating Janet Yellen to be the next treasury secretary of the United States and tasking her to oversee the biggest economy in the world, President-Elect Joe Biden named the first woman ever appointed to the position.

“The value of work always stuck with me. So much so that I became an economist because I was concerned about the toll of unemployment on people, families and communities. And I’ve spent my career trying to make sure people can work and achieve the dignity and self-worth that comes with it,” Yellen said on Dec. 1, accepting her nomination in a moving speech.