Officially Out: Jide Zeitlin Withdraws Nomination for “Personal Reasons”

Josh Rogin of The Cable had an exclusive yesterday on Jide Zeitlin, President Obama’s nominee as US Representative to the United Nations for U.N. Management and Reform with the rank of Ambassador (Controversial Obama U.N. nominee withdraws for "personal reasons," official says | The Cable | December 29, 2009).

The report cites Zeitlin’s trouble in India (the case was settled between IMIL and Shatakshi Contractors, according to settlement documents obtained by The Cable) and his earlier legal problem with American Tower. Also this:

"But concerns about his nomination grew as rumors swirled around Washington and New York that Zeitlin was engaged in other activities that called into question his overall character and also may have included elements of identity fraud.

Specifically, one woman contacted several government offices and multiple news outlets, including The Cable, with allegations that Zeitlin had used deception to lure her into what eventually she claims was a romantic relationship. Those allegations could not be independently confirmed by The Cable. The administration official declined to comment as to whether they had been investigated as part of Zeitlin's vetting process or afterwards. In his letter, Zeitlin said his withdrawal was due to "personal reasons," the administration official said." 

We have not seen the official statement of withdrawal sent to the Senate yet, but folks are on a holiday break.  And -- Josh’s report includes a blurb from White House spokesman Tommy Vietor when contacted about the story -- "We appreciate his willingness to serve and wish him the best of luck in the future."

Related Posts:

• SFRC Clears USAID and State Dept Nominees  | Dec 09, 2009


• Obama's UN-Mgt Reform Nominee's Troubles | Nov 12, 2009


• SFRC Hearings: Zeitlin, Arvanat, Barton, Yohannes, Lomellin ... | Nov 04, 2009


• Officially In: Jide Zeitlin to UN Mgt and Reform | Sep 16, 2009
  
  

Related Item:

January 21, 2010 - Withdrawals Sent to the Senate

Officially In: Judith Ann Stewart Stock to ECA

On December 4, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Judith Ann Stewart Stock to be Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA).

Ann Stock is currently the Vice President of Institutional Affairs at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Ms. Stock oversees the Center's expanded efforts to increase its national and international profile and manages the Center's International Arts Management Programs. She also supervises the Government Relations Office, Press Office and Office of Institutional Affairs.

From 1993-1997, Ms. Stock was Deputy Assistant to former President Clinton and the Social Secretary at The White House. Prior to that, Ms. Stock served as Vice President of Corporate Communications and Public Relations for Bloomingdale's Department Stores for ten years. Ms. Stock was also Deputy Press Secretary to Vice President Walter F. Mondale during the 1980 Presidential election campaign.

Ms. Stock has a B.A. from Purdue University.

* * *

The Department of State established a Bureau of International Cultural Relations on Jun 1, 1959, and subsequently renamed it the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs on Apr 17, 1960. The following year, the Department elevated the position of Special Assistant for Coordination of International Educational and Cultural Relations, which headed the Bureau, to the rank of Assistant Secretary of State. The Department had first established a Division of Cultural Relations in 1938. Cultural relations was also part of the responsibilities of the first Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs created in 1944. In 1978 the Bureau was abolished and its functions transferred to the International Communications Agency (subsequently the U.S. Information Agency) under Reorganization Plan No. 2 (91 Stat. 1637). On October 1, 1999, pursuant to the integration of the U.S. Information Agency into the Department of State this position was revived. Secion 2305 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 1998 and 1999 (112 Stat. 2681-825) increased the number of Assistant Secretaries of State from 20 to 24.

Since 1961, only one career diplomat had been appointed to this position (Lucius Battle of Florida). If confirmed, Ms. Stock would replace Iranian-American politician and businesswoman, Goli Ameri who was appointed Assistant Secretary to the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs from 2008-2009.Brief bio above via Chicago Sun-Times, December 4, 2009. The text of the official nomination does not appear to be posted in the WH website. But the nomination was sent to the Senate and was posted online the same day. Thanks for Rick K. for the poke on this nomination; almost missed this.

Related Items:

• Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate, 12/4/09
• WP: The Role of the White House Social Secretary: Ann Stock | 2/2009

Officially In: Mari Del Carmen Aponte to San Salvador

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On December 9, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Mari Del Carmen Aponte to be the next US Ambassador to the Republic of El Salvador. The WH released the following brief bio below:

Mari Del Carmen Aponte is currently an attorney and independent consultant with Aponte Consulting. From 2001-2004, Ms. Aponte was the Executive Director of the Puerto Rican Federal Affairs Administration (PRFAA). Prior to that, she practiced law for nearly twenty years with Washington D.C. based law firms. Ms. Aponte also served as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Council of La Raza and the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund. She is also a member of the Board of the University of the District of Columbia and Rosemont College. She served as president of the Hispanic National Bar Association; the Hispanic Bar Association of the District of Columbia; and is a member of the District of Columbia Judicial Nominations Commission. In 2005, she was also elected to the Board of Directors of Oriental Financial Group (NYSE-OFG). In 1979, as a White House Fellow, Ms. Aponte was Special Assistant to the United States Housing and Urban Development Secretary Moon Landrieu.

Ms. Aponte has a B.A. in Political Science from Rosemont College, a M.A. in Theatre from Villanova University, and a J.D. from Temple University.

* * *

Additional bio from Business Wire, February 24, 2005 (Oriental Financial Group Names Mari Carmen Aponte and Jose Gil De Lamadrid to the Board of Directors):

Ms. Aponte is considered an expert in legal and policy support in diverse matters involving federal government relations in the areas of banking, tax legislation and regulations, as well as negotiations with federal government agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Fannie Mae. She began her career in Washington in 1979 after earning her J.D. from Temple University School of Law.

Her government positions have included serving in the Carter Administration as a Special Assistant to the U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and in the Clinton Administration as Special Assistant in the Office of Presidential Personnel. As PRFAA's Executive Director from 2001 to 2004, Ms. Aponte represented the Governor of Puerto Rico on all federal matters to U.S. state and federal agencies as well as to Congress and the Executive branch. Her private practice positions have included being an Associate of the law firm of Powell, Goldstein, Frazer & Murphy and a Partner of the law firm Alexander, Gebhardt, Aponte & Marks, both of Washington.

If confirmed, Ms. Aponte would replace investment banker, Charles Glazer who was appointed US Ambassador to El Salvador on Dec 5, 2006. Although more career diplomats were appointed to this post than non-career appointees, the last two ambassadors sent to San Salvador were both political appointees. Other previous appointees to the US Mission in El Salvador that you might recognize – the current US Ambassador to Pakistan, Anne W. Patterson served as US Ambassador to San Salvador from 1997-2000; Thomas R. Pickering served as Ambassador from 1983-1985.

Related Items:

• President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts, 12/9/09
• Questions Raised About Obama’s Nominee for El Salvador Ambassador (12/9/2009)
• Lawyer in Cuba spy tale clears security for U.S. nomination | The Miami HeraldFebruary 12, 1999

Officially In: Donald E. Booth to Addis Ababa

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On December 9, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Donald E. Booth to be Ambassador to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. The WH released the following brief bio below:

Donald E. Booth is currently the United States Ambassador to the Republic of Zambia. Prior to that, Ambassador Booth served three years as Ambassador to the Republic of Liberia. Ambassador Booth previously served as Director of the Office of Technical and Specialized Agencies at the State Department’s Bureau of International Organization Affairs. Prior to this position, he served as Director of the Office of West African Affairs. He has also served in other positions at the State Department including Deputy Director of the Office of Southern African Affairs, the Economic Counselor in Athens, and the Division Chief for Bilateral Trade Affairs; desk officer in the Office of Egyptian Affairs and the Office of East African Affairs; and various roles while stationed at embassies in Bucharest, Brussels and Libreville.

Ambassador Booth earned a B.A. from Georgetown University, an M.A. from Boston University and an M.A. in National Security Studies from the National War College.

* * *

His US Embassy Zambia bio indicates that Ambassador Booth is married to Anita Booth and they have three children.

If confirmed, Ambassador Booth would succeed career diplomat, Donald Y. Yamamoto who was appointed to the US Embassy in Addis Ababa on Oct 4, 2006.

Related Item:President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts, 12/9/09

SFRC Clears USAID and State Dept Nominees

Shah, Warlick, M., Warlick, J., Tsakopoulos Kounalakis, Rowe, Fernandez, Wills, Andrew, Nelson, King, Kennedy, Donahoe, Zeitlin

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee cleared the following nominations yesterday (reported on December 8, 2009 by Mr. Kerry without printed report). These nominations now go to the Senate for a full vote.

Rajiv J. Shah, of Washington, to be Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, vice Henrietta Holsman Fore, resigned.

Mary Burce Warlick, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Serbia.

James B. Warlick, Jr., of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Bulgaria.

Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis, of California, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Hungary.

Leslie V. Rowe, of Washington, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Mozambique.

Alberto M. Fernandez, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Equatorial Guinea.

Mary Jo Wills, of the District of Columbia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Mauritius, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Seychelles.

Anne Slaughter Andrew, of Indiana, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Costa Rica.

David Daniel Nelson, of Minnesota, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Oriental Republic of Uruguay.

Betty E. King, of New York, to be Representative of the United States of America to the Office of the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, with the rank of Ambassador.

Laura E. Kennedy, of New York, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, for the rank of Ambassador during her tenure of service as U.S. Representative to the Conference on Disarmament.

Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe, of California, for the rank of Ambassador during her tenure of service as the United States Representative to the UN Human Rights Council.

Jide J. Zeitlin, of New York, to be Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations for U.N. Management and Reform, with the rank of Ambassador.

Jide J. Zeitlin, of New York, to be Alternate Representative of the United States of America to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations during his tenure of service as Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations for U.N. Management and Reform.

Confirmed: US Reps to 64th General Assembly of the UN

The following nominees were confirmed by the US Senate yesterday to be U.S. Representatives to the 64th General Assembly of the United Nations (UNGA):

PN1001 Bill Delahunt, of Massachusetts, to be a Representative of the United States of America to the Sixty-fourth Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

PN1002 Elaine Schuster, of Florida, to be a Representative of the United States of America to the Sixty-fourth Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

PN1003 Christopher H. Smith, of New Jersey, to be a Representative of the United States of America to the Sixty-fourth Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

PN1005 Wellington E. Webb, of Colorado, to be an Alternate Representative of the United States of America to the Sixty-fourth Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

PN1016 Laura Gore Ross, of New York, to be an Alternate Representative of the United States of America to the Sixty-fourth Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

CONFIRMATIONS -- (Senate - December 07, 2009)[Page: S12646] GPO's PDF

Officially In: Brooke D. Anderson as Alternate Rep to the UN

On December 2, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Brooke D. Anderson to be Alternate Representative of the United States of America for Special Political Affairs in the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador. The WH released the following official bio:

Brooke D. Anderson currently serves as Chief of Staff and Counselor to Ambassador Susan E. Rice at the United States Mission to the United Nations. With more than 20 years experience working in the public policy arena, Ms. Anderson has worked at the White House National Security Council, the U.S. Department of Energy, for members of Congress and in the nonprofit and private sectors.

Ms. Anderson was Chief National Security Spokesperson and Policy Advisor for the Obama-Biden Transition Team and a member of the White House National Security Council Transition Team. Ms. Anderson previously worked for the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a nonprofit co-chaired by former Senator Sam Nunn and Ted Turner, which focuses on reducing global threats from nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.

While at the National Security Council under President Bill Clinton, Ms. Anderson was Senior Director for Communications and Special Assistant for National Security Affairs. Ms. Anderson has worked on congressional and presidential campaigns, including Senator John Kerry’s 2004 Presidential campaign.

She graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1986.

Related Item:President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts, 12/02/09

Officially In: Rosemary DiCarlo as Deputy Rep to the UN

On December 2, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Rosemary DiCarlo to be the United States Deputy Representative to the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador. The WH released the following official bio:

Ms. Rosemary DiCarlo has served as U.S. Alternate Representative to the United Nations since August 2008. Previously, she was Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs from 2005-2008. A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, she served as Director for United Nations Affairs at the National Security Council and as the Washington Deputy to the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations. Ms. DiCarlo also held the position of U.S. Coordinator for Stability Pact Implementation (Southeast Europe) at the Department of State. In addition to two assignments at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Ms. DiCarlo worked as Director for Democratic Initiatives in the Office of U.S. Assistance to the New Independent States at the Department of State.

Earlier in her career she served as Coordinator for Russian/Eurasian Affairs at the U.S. Information Agency and at the U.S. Embassy in Norway. Ms. DiCarlo holds State Department Superior Honor Awards for her work in the New Independent States and Southeast Europe. She speaks fluent Russian and French. Before joining the Foreign Service, Ms. DiCarlo was a member of the Secretariat of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

She holds a B.A., an M.A. and a Ph.D. from Brown University. A former associate at the Russian Research Center, Harvard University, Ms. DiCarlo was also an International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) scholar at Moscow State University.

Related Item:President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts, 12/02/09

Dr. Shah, USAID and the Hanging “F”

President Obama officially announced his intent to nominate Rajiv Shah as USAID Administrator on November 10. At that time, I did wonder in this post about the “F” bureau. According to the State Department, the Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance (“F”) is charged with directing the transformation of the U.S. Government approach to foreign assistance. The Director holds a rank equivalent to Deputy Secretary and serves concurrently as USAID Administrator, ensuring that foreign assistance is used as effectively as possible to meet broad foreign policy objectives.

The last two USAID Administrators had served concurrently during their terms in office as Director of Foreign Assistance. Dr. Shah’s nomination, however, made no mention about the “F” bureau.

In Dr. Shah’s written answers (from The Cable) to the Questions for the Record Submitted for the Nomination of Rajiv Shah to be USAID Administrator, the first two pre-hearing questions from Senator Kerry’s asked precisely about the “F” bureau. Q&A reprinted in full below:

Question: Reporting Relationships

Please provide further information about the role, responsibilities and lines of authority to the position you have been nominated for. In particular, which official will you directly report to – the Secretary of State or Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources? If confirmed, will you occupy the same position as Henrietta Fore – serving concurrently as the Administrator of USAID and the Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance, with the rank of Deputy Secretary of State? Will you retain operational control and authority over the State Department’s “F” bureau, also like those predecessors?

Answer:

Under current law, and consistent with conversations prior to my nomination, I will report to the Secretary of State. If confirmed, I am confident Secretary Clinton and I will have a strong and productive working relationship. I also welcome the opportunity to work closely with Deputy Secretary Lew, who has made clear his commitment to elevating development and working to rebuild capacity at USAID.

In terms of the “F Bureau,” as you know the Presidential Study Directive on Global Engagement (“PSD-7”) and joint State/USAID Quadrennial Development and Diplomacy (“QDDR”) are reviewing the question of the best way to organize State and USAID to execute policy effectively. The issue of resources and management is very much a part of these discussions, and I look forward to being an active participant in this conversation if confirmed as Administrator.

Question: Relationship to F

If you do not assume jurisdictional authority over the F Bureau, which official will continue to oversee it? Do you think USAID can effectively run a cohesive and coordinated development program without oversight of the F Bureau and without broader oversight over the budgetary and policy functions that guide its development programming?

Answer:

I believe USAID needs the capacity to plan budgetary requirements and monitor and evaluate performance to support the Secretary’s goals of formulating and executing programs that focus on sustainable outcomes and align with country-owned strategies. The specifics of resource management, budget and structure will be addressed through the QDDR process. I look forward to working with the Secretary and Deputy Secretary Lew to ensure that USAID has the resources it needs to become the world’s leading development agency.

The Kerry pre-hearing questions also inquired about a proposal reportedly circulating about the establishment of “a second “Deputy Chief of Mission,” reporting through the State Department, who would be responsible for all development activities in a given country.”

Have you heard about this proposal being floated about?The whole thing is worth reading although one comes away without the answer to the questions we really want answered. The only thing that seems sure from this and from the hearing is that we won’t really know how much change there will be for USAID until the roll out of the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review next year.

In a related note, in case you missed it -- the Foreign Assistance Revitalization and Accountability Act cleared the SFRC on November 17. At that time, Senator Lugar also released a statement excerpted below:

Clearly, the State Department will have ideas about development assistance that will be expressed in the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review. This Committee will be eager to review the State Department’s ideas when they are ready. But Congress also should be offering proposals on how to improve development assistance. The bill we passed today should be seen as an essential input into this process. It is the product of well over a year of research and analysis by Senators and their staffs. It has attracted the support of most development groups, led by the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network. It is co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of 19 Senators, twelve of whom are members of this Committee. This level of backing for a bill related to foreign assistance structure is extremely rare. It provides an opportunity to build something approaching a consensus on this issue.[…]Although the State Department declined to participate at our hearing on this bill last July, I am hopeful it will recognize that a bill co-sponsored by a majority of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee should be given substantial weight in their review process. Congress will be making decisions about resources for development programs, and those decisions will be effected by our confidence in how funds are managed and coordinated.

I would underscore that our bill is a relatively modest proposal. There are more than a few members of Congress who would like to see USAID become an independent cabinet level agency.

A warning in soft gloves, but a warning nonetheless, hmmnn?

Officially In: Raul H. Yzaguirre, Sr. to Santo Domingo

Image via Wikipedia

On November 30, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Raul H. Yzaguirre, Sr., to be Ambassador to the Dominican Republic. The WH released the following official bio:

Raul H. Yzaguirre, Sr. is currently a Presidential Professor of Practice and Executive Director of the Center for Community Development and Civil Rights at Arizona State University in Phoenix, Arizona. From 1974 to 2005, Mr. Yzaguirre served as President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR). Prior to that, he served as Vice President at the Center for Community Change in Washington D.C. From 1969 to 1973, he founded two sister management consulting organizations: Interstate Research Associates and InterAmerica Research Associates.

Mr. Yzaguirre served as a Senior Program Analyst in the U.S. Office for Economic Opportunity (OEO) and as a special advisor to the Director of OEO, Sargent Shriver, from 1966 to 1969. He has also been appointed to the President's Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. Mr. Yzaguirre monitored several presidential elections in Latin America as a board member of the National Democratic Institute (NDI). Mr. Yzaguirre also served in the U.S. Air Force Medical Corps for four years.

He has a B.S. from George Washington University, was an Institute of Politics Fellow at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and studied at La Universidad de Las Americas in Puebla, Mexico.

* * *Mr. Yzaguirre was not an Obama bundler but he was an early Hillary endorser. He was also Campaign Co-Chair and Chair of Hispanic Outreach efforts for her presidential campaign. If confirmed, he would replace lawyer and businessman, P. Robert Fannin of Arizona who served as US Ambassador in Santo Domingo from November 2007 to January 2009.

Related Items:

• WH Announcement via HuffPo (Text of official announcement seems to be currently MIA from the official WH website)
• Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate, 11/30/09
• Raul Humberto Yzaguirre | Wikipedia entry

Officially In: Bisa Williams to Niamey

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On November 30, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Bisa Williams to be Ambassador to the Republic of Niger. The WH released the following official bio:

Bisa Williams, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, was most currently acting Deputy Assistant Secretary with responsibility for Central America, the Caribbean, and Cuba in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. She has also served as Coordinator for Cuban Affairs in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the State Department and as Director for International Organizations at the National Security Council. As Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Port Louis, Mauritius, Ms. Williams oversaw the organization and production of the U.S.-Africa, trade-related conference, the "AGOA (Africa Growth Opportunity Act) Forum."

Her other overseas assignments include France, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, and Panama. Ms. Williams has also served as Special Assistant to Secretary of State; Special Assistant to the Coordinator of Assistance to the Newly Independent States of the former Soviet Union; and country officer for Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Cape Verde.

She received a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University; a Masters Degree from the University of California, Los Angeles; and a Masters Degree from the National War College of the National Defense University.

* * *

UNDP’s Human Development Index (HDI) for 2009 ranked Niger 182^nd out of 182 countries with data. The HDI provides a composite measure of three dimensions of human development: living a long and healthy life (measured by life expectancy), being educated (measured by adult literacy and gross enrolment in education) and having a decent standard of living (measured by purchasing power parity, PPP, income). The country’s human poverty index is also at 55.8, just above Afghanistan and it has an adult illiteracy rate of 71.3, just above Afghanistan and Mali.

The Embassy in Niamey was established Feb 3, 1961, with Joseph W. Schutz as Charge d'Affaires ad interim. In the short history of the US Mission in Niger, we have had four non-career diplomats appointed as US Ambassador to Niamey since diplomatic relations were established. The last one appointed was Robert Casey, Jr. of Colorado who served there from 1982-1985 during the Reagan years.

If confirmed, Ms. Williams would succeed career diplomat, Bernadette M. Allen as chief of mission at the US Embassy in Niamey.

Related Items:

• WH Announcement via HuffPo (Text of official announcement seems to be currently MIA from the official WH website)
• Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate, 11/30/09

Related articles by Zemanta

• UN index rates life best in Norway, worst in Niger (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

Officially In: Allan J. Katz to Lisbon

Image by Portuguese_eyes via Flickr

On November 30, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Allan J. Katz to be his Ambassador to the Portuguese Republic. The WH released the following official bio:

Allan J. Katz is currently of counsel to Akerman Senterfitt and the Chair of the firm-wide Policy practice group. Katz was previously City Commissioner for the City of Tallahassee. In 2007, he organized and created the Village Square, a bi-partisan community based organization. Prior to that, he was the managing partner of Katz, Kutter, Alderman & Bryant, P.A. Mr. Katz was also appointed by Florida's CFO to serve on the board of the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. He also served as the head of the Joint Planning Board which coordinates the distribution of funds to social service agencies on behalf of the City, the County and the United Way.

Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Katz was Assistant Insurance Commissioner and General Counsel for the State of Florida Insurance Department. He also held positions as General Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives Commission on Administrative Review; Legislative Director for Congressman David Obey, and Legislative Assistant to Congressman Bill Gunter.

Katz has a B.A. from the University of Missouri at Kansas City and holds a J.D. from the American University, Washington College of Law.

* * *

According to OpenSecrets.org, Katz is one of the Obama bundlers who pulled together a minimum of $500,000 contributions during the last election campaign. His Akerman Senterfitt’s biography states that he is currently a member of the Democratic National Committee, and was a member of the National Finance Committee of Obama for America, where he served on the 15 member DNC Platform Drafting Committee for the 2008 convention.

If confirmed, Mr. Katz would be the sixth non-career ambassador appointed to Lisbon in the last 16 years. He would replace Thomas F. Stephenson of California who was appointed US Ambassador to Portugal from December 2007-June 2009. The most recent career diplomat (Everett Ellis Briggs) appointed to head the US Embassy in Lisbon served there from 1990-1993.

Previous appointees to this position in Lisbon includes Frank C. Carlucci, Herbert Claiborne Pell and, Elizabeth Frawley Bagley who came back to Foggy Bottom early this year. Ambassador Bagley is currently the Special Representative for Global Partnerships in the Secretary of State’s Global Partnership Initiative and was previously US Ambassador to Lisbon during President Clinton’s term.

Related Items:

• WH Announcement via HuffPo (Text of official announcement seems to be currently MIA from the official WH website)
• Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate, 11/30/09
• Akerman Senterfitt: Allan J. Katz Biography

Officially In: Ian C. Kelly to OSCE

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On November 30, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Ian C. Kelly to be to be U.S. Representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, with the rank of Ambassador. The WH released the following official bio:

Ian Kelly has served as the Spokesman for the State Department since May 2009. He is a Senior Foreign Service Officer, with the rank of Minister Counselor. Prior to that, Mr. Kelly was acting Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau for European and Eurasian Affairs from January to May 2009, with responsibility for Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Belarus, and the Director of the Office of Russian Affairs from 2007-2009.From 2004-2007, he was Counselor for Public Affairs at the U.S. Mission to NATO. From 1994-1996, Mr. Kelly was Director of Democratic Initiatives to the Newly Independent States at the State Department, coordinating the activities of nearly a dozen federal agencies involved in democracy building in the former Soviet Union. In addition to NATO, he has been posted overseas in Rome, Ankara, Vienna, Belgrade, Moscow, Leningrad, and Milan.Mr. Kelly holds a Bachelor's degree from St. Olaf College, a Masters degree from Northwestern University, and a Doctorate from Columbia University.

* * *

The United States Mission to the OSCE consists of a multi-agency team with more than thirty staff members from the Department of State, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as the joint Congressional/Executive Branch Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe ("Helsinki Commission").

If confirmed, Mr. Kelly would succeed, Julie Finley, National Finance Co-Chairman for the Bush-Cheney 2004 who was appointed Permanent Representative to the OSCE from August 2005 – January 2009.

Related Items:

• WH Announcement via HuffPo (Text of official announcement seems to be currently MIA from the official WH website)

• Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate, 11/30/09

SFRC Hearings: Andrew, Nelson, King, Kennedy, Donahoe

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONSUNITED STATES SENATE111^th CONGRESS1^st Session

Presiding: Senator Dodd

Date: Tuesday, December 1, 2009Time: 1:00 P.M.Building: 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building

NOMINATIONS:

Anne Slaughter Andrew, of Indiana ,to be Ambassador to the Republic of Costa Rica

David Daniel Nelson, of Minnesota ,to be Ambassador to the Oriental Republic of Uruguay

The Honorable Betty E. King, of New York ,to be Representative of the United States to the Officeof the United Nations and Other International Organizationsin Geneva, with the rank of Ambassador

The Honorable Laura E. Kennedy, of New York, ,for the rank of Ambassador during her tenure of serviceas U.S. Representative to the Conference on Disarmament

Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe, of California ,for the rank of Ambassador during her tenure of serviceas the United States Representative to the UN Human Rights Council

The prepared testimonies and hearing videos should be posted in this page.

SFRC Hearing: Today, Rajiv Shah’s Nomination for USAID

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONSUNITED STATES SENATE111^th CONGRESS1^st Session

Presiding: Senator KerryDate: Tuesday, December 1, 2009 Time: 10:00 A.M. Building: 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Senator Kerry's Opening Statement

Senator Lugar's Opening Statement

NOMINEE:

Rajiv J. Shah, of Washington ,to be Administrator of the United States Agencyfor International Development (USAID)

The prepared testimony and video should be posted in this page. Haven’t figured out where they put the links to the hearing videos at this time. From the looks of it, based on its place holders here, we should expect a section for Statements and Hearing Files in this new website. Audio, video and transcript of hearings presumably will be posted under the Hearings Files.Updated @8:57 pmClick here to go to the SFRC hearing page. Click on the link “ Archived Version” "Recorded Hearing" to watch the video. Video is 130:05 minutes in length. The hearing starts at 25:14 minutes into the video with Senator Kerry’s opening statement. Rajiv Shah’s prepared testimony is here (pdf).

Updated: 12/2I have added links to the opening statements of Senators Kerry and Lugar above. You can also read the Questions for the Record Submitted for the Nomination of Rajiv Shah to be USAID Administrator. The nominee provided written answers to the 20 pre-hearing questions from Senator Kerry (the Word doc was obtained by Josh Rogin of The Cable).

Confirmed: Fernandez, Barton, Kennard, Lomellin, King

On November 20, 2009, the US Senate confirmed the following executive nominations for the State Department:

PN872 * DEPARTMENT OF STATE (EEB)Jose W. Fernandez, of New York, to be an Assistant Secretary of State(Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs).

PN954 * DEPARTMENT OF STATE (ECOSOC)Frederick D. Barton, of Maine, to be Representative of the United States ofAmerica on the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador.

PN1000 * DEPARTMENT OF STATE (UNGA)Frederick D. Barton, of Maine, to be an Alternate Representative of the United States of America to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations, during his tenure of service as Representative of the United States of America on the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

PN873 * DEPARTMENT OF STATE (EU)William E. Kennard, of the District of Columbia, to be Representative of the United States of America to the European Union, with the rank and status of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.

PN955 * DEPARTMENT OF STATE (OAS)Carmen Lomellin, of Virginia, to be Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the Organization of American States, with the rank of Ambassador.

PN1015 * DEPARTMENT OF STATE (G/SENK)Robert R. King, of Virginia, to be Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues, with the rank of Ambassador.

EXECUTIVE SESSION -- (Senate - November 20, 2009)Confirmed en bloc

[Page: S11887] GPO's PDF

[Page: S11888] GPO's PDF

Officially In: David Adelman to Singapore

Image by runako via Flickr

On November 19, President Obama announced his intent to nominate David Adelman to be the US Ambassador to the Republic of Singapore. The WH released the following official bio below:

David Adelman has been a member of the State of Georgia Senate since being elected in 2002. He serves as Minority Whip and Chairman of the Urban Affairs Committee. Senator Adelman is an equity partner in the firm Sutherland Asbill and Brennan LLP where he has practiced law since 1993 representing energy and communications companies.

Prior to entering private practice, Senator Adelman was an Assistant Attorney General in Georgia for three years. In addition to his commercial practice, for many years Senator Adelman has represented veterans pro bono before the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. He has been active in his community on domestic violence issues and served on the Board of the Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Authority.

Senator Adelman graduated from the University of Georgia with a B.A. and received an M.P.A. from Georgia State University and a J.D. from the Emory University School of Law.

* * *

David Adelman led the Georgia Obama campaign and also served as a member the Obama National Finance Committee.

If confirmed, Mr. Adelman would replace Patricia Louise Herbold (Chairman of the King County (Washington) Republican Party from December 2002 to December 2004) who was appointed US Ambassador to Singapore from Oct 12, 2005-January 20, 2009. The last seven ambassadors assigned to Singapore were all non-career political appointees, including Jon M. Huntsman, Jr., who is currently our US Ambassador to China.

Related Item:President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts, 11/19/09

Officially In: Harry K. Thomas, Jr. to Manila

Image via Wikipedia

On November 19, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Harry K. Thomas, Jr., to be the next US Ambassador to the Republic of the Philippines. The WH released the following official bio below:

Harry K. Thomas, Jr. is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service and served most recently as Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources. He previously served as a Special Assistant to the Secretary and Executive Secretary of the Department.

Thomas, who joined the Foreign Service in 1984, served as U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh from 2003 to 2005. He also served in the White House as the Director for South Asia at the National Security Council from 2001 to 2002. His other postings include: New Delhi, India; Harare, Zimbabwe; Kaduna, Nigeria; and Lima, Peru. He has served as Senior Watch Officer, Deputy Director, and Director of the State Department Operations Center; Special Assistant to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs; and Staff Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for African Affairs.

Thomas holds a bachelors degree from the College of the Holy Cross.

* * *

If confirmed, Ambassador Thomas would succeed Kristie Kenney, probably our most visible and well-liked representative in Manila in recent years (She is a well known supporter of the Ateneo Blue Eagles' basketball team and has also appeared on ABS-CBN shows, including Wowowee and Umagang Kay Ganda taking part in the each show host's dance Boom Tarat Tarat and Papaya).

Ambassador Thomas’ predecessors to the US Mission in the Philippines also include diplomatic luminaries like John D. Negroponte, Stephen Warren Bosworth (currently Special Representative for North Korea policy), David D. Newsom, Henry A. Byroade, Francis Joseph Ricciardone, Jr. (currently deputy ambassador to the US Embassy in Kabul) and many more.

Related Items:

• President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts, 11/19/09
• Profile of Harry Thomas Jr. '78 - College of the Holy Cross | Fall 2007

Officially In: Elizabeth Littlefield to OPIC

On November 19, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Elizabeth Littlefield to be President of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). The WH released the following official bio:

Elizabeth Littlefield is currently a Director of the World Bank and the CEO of the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP), a multi-donor organization created to help build a large scale permanent microfinance industry providing flexible, high-quality financial services on a sustainable basis to the poor. Ms. Littlefield previously worked with JP Morgan, where she was the Managing Director in charge of JP Morgan’s Emerging Markets Capital Markets Division. As such, she oversaw JP Morgan’s capital markets business in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe, Central Asia, Middle East and Africa.

In parallel to her career in investment banking, Ms. Littlefield also spent a year and a half providing guidance to several start-up microfinance institutions in West and Central Africa and in Pakistan. She has served on the executive board of several organizations including Women’s World Banking, Profund, Africa International Financial Holding, the Mastercard Foundation, the Calvert Foundation, and E&Co.

Littlefield is a graduate of Brown University and also attended Ecole Nationale de Sciences Politiques in Paris.

* * *

The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) is an agency of the United States Government established in 1971 that helps U.S. businesses invest overseas and promotes economic development in new and emerging markets as well as fosters the development & the growth of free markets.

Related Items:

• President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts, 11/19/09
• CGAP Microfinance Blog: Elizabeth Littlefield
• Elizabeth Littlefield: LinkedIn
• World Bank Bio and Photo

Officially In: Eight for the Broadcasting Board of Governors

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On November 18, President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following eight individuals to the Broadcasting Board of Governors.

Walter Isaacson, ChairMichael Lynton, MemberSusan McCue, MemberMichael P. Meehan, MemberVictor H. Ashe, MemberDennis Mulhaupt, MemberDana Perino, MemberS. Enders Wimbush, Member

The WH released the following bio notes on the nominees:

Walter Isaacson, Chair, Broadcasting Board of GovernorsWalter Isaacson is President of the Aspen Institute and serves as chair of the board of Teach for America. He is the former Chairman and CEO of CNN and former editor of Time Magazine. Mr. Isaacson is the author of “Einstein: His Life and Universe” and “Benjamin Franklin: An American Life”, and the co-author of “The Wise Men”. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, he was appointed vice-chairman of the Louisiana Recovery Authority. Mr. Isaacson is a graduate of Harvard College and Pembroke College of Oxford University.

Michael Lynton, Member, Broadcasting Board of GovernorsMichael Lynton is the Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment. He is the former CEO of AOL Europe and Chairman and CEO of Pearson plc's Penguin Group. Mr. Lynton is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and serves on the boards of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Rand Corporation. He is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Business School and is proficient in French, German and Dutch.

Susan McCue, Member, Broadcasting Board of GovernorsSusan McCue is President of Message Global, a strategic advocacy firm she founded in 2008 for social action campaigns. She was the founding President and CEO of The ONE Campaign to combat extreme global poverty, and before that was Chief of Staff to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid from 1999 to 2006. She also is currently Vice Chair of Humanity United. A New Jersey native, Ms. McCue is a graduate of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J., with degrees in economics and journalism.

Michael P. Meehan, Member, Broadcasting Board of GovernorsMichael P. Meehan currently serves as President of Blue Line Strategic Communications, Inc. and as Senior Vice President at Virilion, a digital media company. For over two decades, Meehan served in senior roles for U.S. Senators John Kerry, Barbara Boxer, Maria Cantwell and former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, two presidential campaigns, two U.S. House offices and congressional campaigns in 25 states. Mr. Meehan earned a B.A. in political science from Bates College.

Victor H. Ashe, Member, Broadcasting Board of GovernorsVictor H. Ashe recently served as United States Ambassador to Poland from June 2004 to October 2009. He also previously served as a Tennessee State Representative and was the longest serving Mayor of Knoxville, Tennessee. Mr. Ashe has served as President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, was twice appointed to the Intergovernmental Advisory Committee and is a former member of the Americorps Board of Directors. He currently sits on the Board of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the American Rovers Association. Mr. Ashe is a graduate of Yale University and the University Of Tennessee College Of Law in 1974.

Dennis Mulhaupt, Member, Broadcasting Board of GovernorsDennis Mulhaupt is founder and managing director of Commonwealth Partners, Inc., providing advisory services to philanthropic institutions and families. He previously served as Executive Vice President at KCET in Los Angeles, a west-coast flagship public broadcasting and media company. Earlier in his career, he was Vice President at Claremont McKenna College; Vice President for Medical External Relations at Stanford University; and Senior Associate dean in the College of Letters, Arts & Sciences at the University of Southern California. Mr. Mulhaupt received his B.A. from the University of Southern California and an M.Phil. in international relations and criminology from Cambridge University.

Dana Perino, Member, Broadcasting Board of GovernorsDana Perino is the Chief Issues Counselor for the United States at Burson-Marsteller and is a Fox News Contributor. She is the former White House Press Secretary to President George W. Bush - the first Republican woman to hold that position. Ms. Perino previously served in the United States Justice Department, was Director of Communications for the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and worked on Capitol Hill for Representatives Dan Schaefer (R-CO) and Scott McInnis (R-C). She holds a M.A. in Public Affairs Reporting from the University of Illinois – Springfield and a B.A. in Mass Communications from Colorado State University - Pueblo.

S. Enders Wimbush, Member, Broadcasting Board of GovernorsS. Enders Wimbush is the Senior Vice President for International Programs and Policy at the Hudson Institute. He previously worked in the private sector with Booz Allen Hamilton and Science Applications International Corporation, and served as director of Radio Liberty in Munich. Mr. Wimbush founded and directed the Society for Central Asian Studies in Oxford, England, through which he created the international journal Central Asian Survey. Mr. Wimbush also served as a Senior Analyst for the Rand Corporation. Mr. Wimbush received his A.M. in International Relations from the University of Chicago and B.A. in History from the University of Massachusetts-Boston.

* * *The bipartisan Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) oversees all U.S. government and government-sponsored, non-military, international broadcasting services. These include the Voice of America (VOA), Alhurra, Radio Sawa, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Radio Free Asia (RFA), and Radio and TV Marti.

The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) was created 1994, and serves as a firewall to protect the professional independence and integrity of the BBG broadcasters. It was previously a department within the United States Information Agency until 1999.

On October 1, 1999, the Broadcasting Board of Governors became the independent agency responsible for all U.S. government and government sponsored, non-military international broadcasting.

The BBG board consists of eight members appointed by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. The ninth member is the Secretary of State. By law, no more than four members shall be from the same political party. The president designates one member (other than the Secretary of State) to serve as Chairman.

Related Items:

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts, 11/18/09

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts, 11/18/09