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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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

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

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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.

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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

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

Officially In: Allan J. Katz to Lisbon

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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.

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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.

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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

Officially In: David Adelman to Singapore

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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

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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.

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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.

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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

Officially In: Scott H. DeLisi to Kathmandu

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On November 16, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Scott H. DeLisi to be US Ambassador to the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. The WH released the following official bio below:

As a 28 year career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Scott H. DeLisi has served as Ambassador to the State of Eritrea and as Deputy Chief of Mission of the American Embassy in Gaborone, Botswana. Currently Mr. DeLisi is the Director of Career Development and Assignments in the State Department's Bureau of Human Resources where he has played a key role in the staffing of embassies. This has included missions in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan.Previously, as the Director for Entry Level Programs, Mr. DeLisi was responsible for the training, placement and career development of 600 new entrants and over 2500 existing Foreign Service Officers. Mr. DeLisi has also served as Director for Southern African Affairs, Vice Counsel for the Embassy in India, the Chief of Political Section in Sri Lanka, in addition to other postings in Madagascar and Pakistan. A native of Minnesota, Mr. DeLisi holds both a B.A. and J.D. from the University of Minnesota.

* * *

That would be Vice Consul not Counsel for the US Embassy in India. If confirmed, Mr. DeLisi would succeed career diplomat, Nancy Powell (currently the Director General of the Foreign Service) as top US representative in Kathmandu. Our last six US Ambassadors to Nepal were all career diplomats.

Officially In: Beatrice Welters to Port-of-Spain

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On November 16, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Beatrice W. Welters to be the US Ambassador to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The WH released the following official bio below:

Beatrice W. Welters is currently the President and Chairman of the AnBryce Foundation, which provides long-term academic and leadership enrichment programs for underserved youth. Ms. Welters founded the Foundation in 1995. From 1977 to 1991, she worked at IBM where she held several roles, including systems engineer. Ms. Welters was also a past Presidential Appointee to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts serving on its Executive Committee. She continues to serve on the Library of Congress Madison Council. Ms. Welters also serves as a Trustee at the Brookings Institute, the Aspen Institute, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Washington Jesuit Academy, and at the Maret School.Ms. Welters holds an A.A. from Ulster County Community College, a B.A. from Manhattanville College, and an M.A. from the City University of New York.

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According to Capital Eye, the blog of OpenSecrets.org, Ms. Welters and her husband, Anthony, of McLean, Virginia have bundled between $200,000 and $500,000 for President Barack Obama's campaign last year and another $100,000 for his inauguration in January. They have also been prolific campaign contributions to federal candidates and committees. The blog notes that Welters is now the twenty-fourth fund-raiser for Obama to be elevated for a diplomatic post with the rank of ambassador.

If confirmed, Ms. Welters would replace Roy L. Austin of Pennsylvania, the presidential friend who was appointed US Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago by George W. Bush from 2001-2009. If confirmed and if Ms. Welters decide to take on this mission -- she would face no less than a substantial challenge in paradise. Our US Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago has made a reputation for itself in two areas: 1) no management officer has fully completed a tour there in 19 years; curtailment of officers is the norm not the exception in this part of paradise; and 2) the previous ambassador according to the OIG, “went through five DCMs” there (that is, five deputy ambassadors in a span of eight years). I’m not sure if that is a record but -- well, enough to drive anyone, including me to blame the rain in Port-of-Spain.

But you know what they say about there not being any bad missions ... do, please read the OIG report on US Embassy Trinidad and Tobago here. This ambassadorial assignment is not going to be a walk in the park, pardon the cliché.

Related Item:

• President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts, 11/16/2009
• OIG Report No. ISP-I-09-40A | Inspection of Embassy Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago | July 2009 | PDF

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Officially In: Laura Kennedy to US-CD

Image by Hooded Fang* via Flickr

On November 9, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Laura E. Kennedy to be Representative of the United States to the Conference on Disarmament, with the rank of Ambassador. The WH released the following official bio:

Laura E. Kennedy, a member of the Senior Foreign Service, was most recently Deputy Commandant at the National War College since 2007. Prior to that, she was a member of the State Department’s Board of Examiners from 2005-2007. From 2004-2005 she was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs (EUR). She served as the Dean of the State Department’s Senior Seminar from 2004-2005.

Ms. Kennedy was Ambassador to Turkmenistan from 2001-2003 where she focused on support for civil society as well as support for operations in neighboring Afghanistan. She was the Deputy Chief of Mission, United States Mission to the United Nations from 1998-2001. From 1995-1997 she was the Director of the Office of Central Eurasian Affairs. She has also held postings in Moscow (twice), Vienna (to the negotiations on conventional forces in Europe) and Ankara. She has been detailed as charge at the new U.S. Embassy in Yerevan, as a guide at an official exchange exhibit in Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Tajikistan.

Ms. Kennedy holds a B.A. from Vassar College and an M.A. from American University.

Related Items:

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Officially In: Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe to US-HRC

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On November 9, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe as Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations Human Rights Council, with rank of Ambassador. The WH released the following official bio:

Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe is an Affiliated Scholar at the Center for international Security and Cooperation at Stanford University. Her research has focused on norms on use of force, UN reform, and the international rule of law. Her 2006 Ph.D. dissertation entitled: "Humanitarian Military Intervention: The Moral Imperative Versus the Rule of Law," addressed conflicting legal and ethical justifications for humanitarian military intervention.

Previously, Ms. Donahoe was a litigation associate at Fenwick & West in Silicon Valley, where she served technology clients in intellectual property and commercial disputes. Prior to that, she was a teaching fellow at Stanford Law School and law clerk to the Honorable William H. Orrick. Ms. Donahoe has worked with various human rights organizations including The Lawyer's Committee for Human Rights, where she did research on the nexus between US foreign policy and human rights, and Amnesty International's Ginneta Sagan Fund, where she did strategy work related to human rights concerns of women and children.

She received her B.A. from Dartmouth College, a Masters in Theology from Harvard University, her J.D. from Stanford Law School, an M.A. in East Asian Studies from Stanford University, and her Ph.D. in Ethics from the University of California's Graduate Theological Union.

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Officially In: Carrie Hessler Radelet to Peace Corps

On November 9, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Carrie Hessler Radelet to be Deputy Director of the United States Peace Corps. The WH released the following official bio:

Carrie Hessler Radelet is the Director of the Washington, DC office of John Snow, Inc. (JSI) and JSI Research and Training Institute, Inc, a global public health organization, where she oversees the management of programs in more than 30 countries. She has worked in the field of public health for the past two decades, specializing in HIV/AIDS and maternal and child health, working in more than 25 countries around the world. She was a Johns Hopkins Fellow with USAID in Indonesia and assisted the Indonesian government to develop its first national AIDS strategy. She later assisted in the development of the strategy for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

Ms. Radelet was a Board member of the National Peace Corps Association and served on the steering committee for the US Coalition for Child Survival. She was the founder of Special Olympics in The Gambia. Ms. Radelet served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Western Samoa, where she taught high school and helped design a national public awareness campaign on disaster preparedness.

Ms. Radelet received her B.A. from Boston University and her Master's in Health Policy and Management from the Harvard School of Public Health.

Related Items:

• President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts, 11/9/09
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Officially In: Dr. Rajiv Shah to USAID

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On November 10, President Obama nominated Dr. Rajiv Shah as Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

President Obama said, “The mission of USAID is to advance America’s interests by strengthening our relationships abroad. Rajiv brings fresh ideas and the dedication and impressive background necessary to help guide USAID as it works to achieve this important goal. I am grateful for all that USAID has accomplished under the leadership of Acting Administrator Alonzo Fulgham, and the thousands of career men and women who fulfill USAID’s mission day in and day out – particularly their hard work in jumpstarting a landmark initiative to bring more than $20 billion for agriculture development to the world's most food-insecure countries. I look forward to working with Rajiv in the months and years ahead.”

The WH released the following official bio below:

Dr. Rajiv Shah currently serves as Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics and Chief Scientist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He manages the Agricultural Research Service, the Economic Research Service, the National Agricultural Statistical Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. He is responsible for managing more than 10,000 staff worldwide including 2,200 federal scientists and a budget of more than $2.6 billion. He also leads the Department’s participation in President Obama’s global food security initiative. In his tenure at USDA, Dr. Shah launched the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) – a new scientific institute created to elevate and enhance the capacity of agricultural research to address sustainable food production, climate change, bioenergy and human nutrition. Prior to joining the Obama Administration, Dr. Shah served as the Director for Agricultural Development at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Previously, Dr. Shah served as the foundation’s first Director for Financial Services to the Poor and led the Strategic Opportunities initiative through which he worked with foundation co-chairs to identify, assess and recommend new areas of giving. Prior to joining the Foundation, Dr. Shah worked on health care policy for the Gore 2000 presidential campaign and served as a member of Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell's transition committee on health. He is a co-founder of Health Systems Analytics and Project IMPACT for South Asian Americans. In addition, he has served as a policy aide in the British Parliament and worked at the World Health Organization. Dr. Shah earned his M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Medical School and his Master of Science in health economics at the Wharton School of Business. He has attended the London School of Economics, and is a graduate of the University of Michigan.

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Also on November 10, the WH sent Dr. Shah’s nomination to the Senate. The U.S. Senate last confirmed him for the USDA position on May 12. I expect that this nomination would quickly sail through the confirmation process in the Senate, except that one never knows when a Senator might pull a stunt over there. If confirmed, Dr. Shah would succeed Henrietta Holsman Fore as Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). He would only be the 16^th USAID Administrator since the agency’s inception in 1961.

But what about “F” bureau? “F” says that the Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance (DFA) 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.

Randall Tobias was the first United States Director of Foreign Assistance, and served concurrently as the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), with the rank of Ambassador. He resigned after being linked to a D.C. escort service in 2007. He was replaced by Henrietta Fore who was appointed USAID Administrator by President Bush in 2007. In that capacity, she was concurrently designated by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as the Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance.

Secretary Clinton’s statement on this nomination is here. There is no mention of “F” anywhere. If Dr. Shah is also designated as “F,” he would only be the third director of US Foreign Assistance in State Department history. If these two positions are decoupled, then who would be “F” is the next question.

Related Items:

• President Obama Announces USAID Administrator
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• Rajiv Shah: The man Obama wants to revitalize USAID (CSM)

Related Post: USDA Official Rajiv Shah to USAID?

Officially In: Suresh Kumar to USFCS

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On October 29, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Suresh Kumar to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Director General of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service at the Department of Commerce. The WH released the following official bio:

Suresh Kumar is President & Managing Partner of KaiZen Innovation. He served as Special Advisor to the Clinton Foundation where he worked with governments in Sub-Saharan Africa and corporate CEOs to establish private-public partnerships to stimulate economic development in the region. Mr. Kumar previously served on the Group Operating Committee at Johnson & Johnson and as Vice President of Consumer Products for Latin America at Warner Lambert/Pfizer. Mr. Kumar has published on global management and served as adjunct faculty member at the Schulich School of Business at Toronto’s York University, Bombay University, India and has been appointed Professor of International Business at Rutgers University EMBA program. Between 1970 and 1985 Mr. Kumar was a news anchor on national television in India. Mr. Kumar has an Economics degree from Delhi University, an MBA from Bombay University, and is alum of the Thunderbird International Consortium Program. In 2004, Mr. Kumar was named Distinguished Executive-in-Residence by Thunderbird School of Global Management for his contributions to global trade.

Related Item: President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts