President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:

• Elliot F. Kaye – Commissioner and Chairman, Consumer Product Safety Commission 
• Alfonso E. Lenhardt – Deputy Administrator, United States Agency for International Development
• Linda Struyk Millsaps – Member, Internal Revenue Service Oversight Board

President Obama also announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:

• David S. Blitzstein – Member, Advisory Committee to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
• Michael L. Corbat – Member, President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability for Young Americans
• Susan Forster-Cox – Member, United States Section of the United States-Mexico Border Health Commission

President Obama said, “The extraordinary dedication these men and women bring to their new roles will greatly serve the American people.  I am grateful they have agreed to serve in this Administration and I look forward to working with them in the months and years to come.”

President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:

Elliot F. Kaye, Nominee for Commissioner and Chairman, Consumer Product Safety Commission
Elliot F. Kaye is the Executive Director of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), a position he has held since 2013.  Previously at CPSC, Mr. Kaye served as Chief of Staff and Chief Counsel to the Chairman in 2013, Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Counsel to the Chairman from 2012 to 2013, and as Senior Counsel to the Chairman from 2010 to 2012.  He was an attorney at Hogan Lovells from 2007 to 2010.  Prior to this, he was an attorney at Cooley Godward Kronish LLP and a Judicial Clerk for the Honorable Sterling Johnson, Jr. of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.  Mr. Kaye has served as Chief of Staff and Legislative Director for Representative John Tierney, Chief of Staff and Communications Director for Representative Pat Danner, and held a number of positions for Representative Earl Hutto.  He received a B.S.J. from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and a J.D. from New York University School of Law.

Ambassador Alfonso E. Lenhardt, Nominee for Deputy Administrator, United States Agency for International Development
Ambassador Alfonso E. Lenhardt most recently served as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Republic of Tanzania, a position he held from 2009 to 2013.  From 2004 to 2009, Ambassador Lenhardt was the President and CEO of the nonprofit National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC).  He was Senior Vice President of Government Relations for The Shaw Group from 2003 to 2004.  In 2001, Ambassador Lenhardt was appointed the 36th Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the United States Senate and became the first African American to serve as an officer of the Congress.  He served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Council on Foundations from 1997 to 2001.  With more than 30 years of service in the U.S. Army, Ambassador Lenhardt retired in 1997 as Major General.  Ambassador Lenhardt received a B.S. from the University of Nebraska, an M.P.A. from Central Michigan University, and an M.S. from Wichita State University.

Linda Struyk Millsaps, Nominee for Member, Internal Revenue Service Oversight Board
Linda Struyk Millsaps is currently the Chief Operating Officer of the Combined Mills Companies, a position she has held since 2013.  From 2006 to 2013, Ms. Millsaps held various positions with the North Carolina Department of Revenue, including Chief Operating Officer and Assistant Secretary for Tax Administration.  From 2008 to 2012, Ms. Millsaps served as an Instructor and Adjunct Faculty at Duke University.  From 1998 to 2006, Ms. Millsaps was an Economist and Fiscal Analyst for the North Carolina General Assembly.  From 1997 to 1998, she was the Business and Industry Liaison for the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources.  Ms. Millsaps received a B.S. from American University, an M.P.P. from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and a Ph.D. from West Virginia University.

President Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:

David S. Blitzstein, Appointee for Member, Advisory Committee to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
David S. Blitzstein is the founder of Blitzstein Consulting LLC, established in 2014.  Previously, he was the Special Assistant for Multiemployer Plans for the United Food & Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) from 2006 to 2013.  From 1990 to 2006, Mr. Blitzstein served as the Director of the Negotiated Benefits Department of the UFCW.  Mr. Blitzstein represents the UFCW as a member of the Steering Committee of the National Coordinating Committee for Multiemployer Plans.  He is also a member of the Employee Benefits Research Institute, a member of the National Academy of Social Insurance, and an Advisory Board member of the Pension Research Council of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.  Mr. Blitzstein served as a Member of the Advisory Committee to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation from 2011 through February 2014.  In 2008, he was appointed by the Governor of Maryland to serve a four year term on the Board of Trustees for the Maryland State Retirement and Pension Systems.  Mr. Blitzstein received a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.S. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Michael L. Corbat, Appointee for Member, President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability for Young Americans
Michael L. Corbat is the Chief Executive Officer of Citigroup, Inc., a position he has held since 2012.  Mr. Corbat has been at Citi, and its predecessor companies, for the last thirty years.  He has held a number of leadership positions, including CEO of Europe, Middle East and Africa from 2011 to 2012, CEO of Citi Holdings from 2009 to 2011, CEO of Citi’s Global Wealth Management from 2008 to 2009, and Head of Global Corporate Bank and Global Commercial Bank in 2008.  He also served as Head of Global Emerging Markets Debt, Head of Global Relationship Bank, Head of EM Sales & Trading and Capital Markets, and Head of EM Sales & Fixed Income Origination.  He received a B.A. from Harvard University.

Dr. Susan Forster-Cox, Appointee for Member, United States Section of the United States-Mexico Border Health Commission
Dr. Susan Forster-Cox is an associate professor at New Mexico State University, a position she has held since 2008.  She began teaching at New Mexico State University as an assistant professor in 2002.  Previously, she was Executive Director of the Albuquerque Speech, Language, and Hearing Center from 1998 to 2002.  She has held a number of positions at the University of New Mexico, including the Centers for Disease Control Program Manager at the Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, and Dissemination and Evaluation Specialist.  Dr. Forster-Cox was Health Director of the Equity Health Care Program of the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe from 1988 to 1990.  She began her career as Executive Director of Battered Families Services from 1982 to 1985, and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Colombia from 1977 to 1979.  Dr. Forster-Cox received a B.S. from the University of Northern Colorado, an M.P.H. from the University of Hawaii-Manoa, and a Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico.