Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event

Private Residence
Austin, Texas

7:14 P.M. CDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, everybody!  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Everybody, please have a seat.  Let me begin by just reemphasizing -- in case you haven’t heard me say it before -- I love Austin, Texas.  (Applause.)  Love Austin!  And some of it is the music, and some of it is all the extraordinary businesses that are being started here and UT and all that.  The main reason I love Austin is because I’ve got so many good friends in Austin.  And I am so grateful to all of you for taking the time to be here.

Now, I have to confess, I told Tom I was really interested in just seeing the bats fly out.  (Laughter.)  But apparently Secret Service has decided we got to keep all the screens down.  I may still try to take a peek later.  (Laughter.)

But there are a couple of people I want to acknowledge.  First of all, obviously, Tom and Lynn -- these guys have been there since the beginning.  (Applause.)  They were there in some of my first events in Texas, first events of my presidential campaign.  They have been stalwart friends for many years now.  And their entire family have just been wonderful.  I appreciate every single one of you.  And I can't thank you enough, not just for opening your home up today, but also for opening up your hearts to me for so many years.  Please give them a big round of applause.  I’m grateful.  (Applause.)

A couple other people I just want to mention.  Kirk Rudy has been just as tireless.  (Applause.)  He was at the same first luncheon that I met Tom at, and has been our Deputy Finance Chair.  So we are grateful to him.  I’ve got a number of other National Finance Committee members who are here.  You know who you are, and I just want to say thank you to all of you.

And finally, you’ve got a hometown boy who has been doing great work promoting American business all around the world.  I’m a little annoyed at him because we played golf on Sunday.  He was my partner and we were up, and on the 18th hole he hit it into the sand trap and couldn’t get out.  (Laughter.)  And I lost money as a consequence.  But despite that fact, I am so grateful that Texas sent Washington Ron Kirk, because he doing a great job.  (Applause.)  He’s doing a great job.

So in a relatively intimate setting like this, I want to spend most of my time answering questions and having conversation as opposed to making a long speech.  So let me just say a few things at the top and then we’ll open it up.

First of all, when I think about some of those early events that we had here in Austin and around the country back in 2007, 2008, the reason I ran and the reason I think so many of you supported me was because we had a certain vision of what makes America great.  And it doesn’t just have to do with the height of our skyscrapers or the power of our military, but it has to do with this basic idea that here in this country, if you work hard, you can make it.  It doesn’t matter what you look like, where you come from, what your last name is, that if you apply yourself and take responsibility for not just yourself but your family and your community and your country, that you can succeed.  And we felt as if that basic bargain that built the largest middle class in history and made us an economic superpower, that that was fading away for too many people.  And this was before the financial crisis hit.

For the last three and half years, obviously, we’ve been occupied with trying to restore what had been lost during that crisis -- millions of people who had lost jobs, people whose homes were underwater, businesses that had had to shut down.  And we made progress -- 4.5 million jobs; 500,000 new manufacturing jobs, the most since the 1990s; the financial system.  We were able to right the ship.  But our goal wasn’t just to recover from the crisis.  Our goal was to deal with these longstanding problems that had been holding us back for too long.

We have made progress, but we still got a lot more work to do.  And what we’re seeing in this election, I think, is in some ways a culmination of a debate that’s been going on now for a decade about how this country grows and how it succeeds.  And the vision -- the contrast in visions between the two candidates could not be more stark in this election; in some ways, more stark than it was in 2008.  I mean, John McCain believed in campaign finance reform.  He believed in climate change.  He believed in science.  (Laughter.)  No -- I mean, when I speak about climate change, I mean, I think that’s -- I pay attention to scientists.  He believed in immigration reform. 

And right now, what we’ve seen is just a much more sharp division in terms of how we should move this country forward.  And so, in some ways, this election I think is more important than in 2008, and it’s going to be a very close election. 

The good news is that the vision that we share for the country -- one in which we’re investing in education and building our transportation networks and our infrastructure; and investing in science and research; and balancing our budget, and reducing our debt and deficits in ways that are balanced so that we are thinking about future generations and we’re asking everybody to do their fair share, including those of us who have been incredibly blessed by this nation -- it turns out that that vision is one that a lot of Americans believe in.  And I have confidence that it’s the right vision for the country.

The challenge is, is that we’re still recovering from this enormous, catastrophic economic crisis, and so people feel -- even if they may prefer our vision -- frustrated with the fact that the economy hasn’t grown as fast and not everybody has gotten their jobs back that were lost during that recession.  And so that creates noise and it allows the other side not to present anything new, but rather to simply argue over and over again that the economy is not where it needs to be and it’s Obama’s fault.  And if you summarize all the negative ads that are being run, that’s essentially the message.  It’s not that there’s particular persuasive power in the other side’s arguments about how they’d fix the economy.  It’s simply they want to make this a referendum on the current state of affairs.

So we’re going to have to fight hard.  We’re going to have to work hard.  Now, I have to admit to you that Texas is not yet a battleground state.  (Laughter.)  I believe it will be.  I have confidence in that.  (Applause.)  But I think that it is going to take a little bit of time.

In the meantime, there is still an awful lot of people here in this room, and a lot of people here in Texas, who care about making sure that people don’t go bankrupt when they get sick, and care about keeping women’s health in the hands of women -- (applause) -- and care about having a smart foreign policy, and care about having comprehensive immigration reform.  And you can make an enormous difference in this campaign.

I note that as I was taking photos, some of you have dispatched your children to work in Pennsylvania, in Virginia, in some of the battleground states.  All of you are making enormous contributions to the campaign.  I just want you guys to know that if we stay with this and we work hard, we’re going to win this thing -- because I have confidence in the American people and their core decency and their good instincts.  And if we stay on this, then we’re going to succeed not just over the next four years, but I think we’ll set the tone and the track for America’s success for the next several decades.

So thank you very much for all that you do.  (Applause.)  I appreciate it.  Thank you.

END
7:25 7:25 P.M. CDT

Remarks by the President at Campaign Event -- Private Residence, San Antonio, TX

Private Residence
San Antonio, Texas

2:19 P.M. CDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you, everybody.  Please, have a seat.  Have a seat.  Well, look, it is wonderful to see you all of you.  Obviously, I want to start off
by thanking the whole Watts family for their incredible hospitality.  It’s Mikal’s birthday, so I hope everybody has wished him a happy birthday.  And, Tammy, congratulations for putting up with him for this long.  (Laughter and applause.) 
 
A couple of other people I have to acknowledge -- first of all, one of our great public servants, somebody who is battling on behalf of selling American products and American goods all across the country, but who lost some money this weekend because I partnered with him in golf -- (laughter) -- Ron Kirk is here.  (Applause.)
 
In addition, obviously your outstanding Mayor, Julian Castro is here.  (Applause.)  Congressman Charlie Gonzalez is in the house.  (Applause.)  Former HUD Secretary and all around good guy, Henry Cisneros is here.  (Applause.)  Texas Democratic Party
Chair Gilberto Hinojosa is in the house.  (Applause.)  And one of our national co-chairs and a dear friend, Eva Longoria is here.  (Applause.)
 
So in settings like this I usually don’t like to give a long speech.  I just had a terrific event over at the Convention Center.  What I’d like to do is spend most of my time just having a conversation with all of you and answering questions, taking suggestions. 

But I will tell you that although Texas is not quite a battleground state, the issues that face the country are obviously as relevant here as they are anywhere.  And right now we’ve got two stark choices, two fundamentally different visions about where to take the country. 

You’ve got my opponent, his allies in Congress, allies here in the Lone Star State, who believe that the way you grow an economy, the way to achieve prosperity is from the top down, and a recipe of more tax cuts that benefit a lot of folks in this room, including myself, and elimination of rules and regulations that protect consumers -- from polluters and unscrupulous lenders or reckless behavior on Wall Street -- that that’s the recipe for success, that’s where we need to go.
 
I’ve got a different vision.  It’s a vision that I fought for in 2008, and some of you joined me -- a vision we’re still fighting for, that I’ve been fighting for since I got into office.  It’s a vision that says the government can’t solve every problem and shouldn’t try, but it is a vision that says what
makes this country great is the fact that anybody, anywhere, if they work hard enough and are willing to take responsibility, they can make it. 

And there are some ingredients that we invest in as a country and as a community to make sure that the ladders of opportunity exist -- a great education system, a great transportation and infrastructure system, investments in basic science and research, investments in the kind of safety net that encourages work but also says that if you have a string of bad luck, or if somebody in your family is disabled, or when you finally, after lifelong work, retire, that you can live a life of dignity and respect, and an approach to our deficits and debt that says everybody does their fair share.
 
And that was my commitment even before I ran for office and that we've fought for the last three and half years -- we’ve got a long way to go.  There are still way too many people who are out of work, too many homes that are still underwater across the country, too many small businesses that are
struggling.
 
But in addition to making sure that we didn’t fall into a Great Depression, we've tried to systematically -- whether it's the health care bill, whether it’s our approach to expanding access to college education for young people, whether it is putting in place rules and regulations to protect from the kind of chaos of Wall Street that we saw in 2007, 2008 -- everything we’ve done has been designed to fulfill that goal of making sure that we’re building a strong middle class and we’re continuing to create avenues of opportunity for those who are working hard to get into the middle class.
 
Now, this is going to be a close election.  I don't think there's any doubt about that -- not because the other side has particularly new or interesting ideas, but because the economy is still struggling for a lot of folks.  And as a consequence, your help, your support is going to be critical.  But I’m optimistic about our prospects of being able to finish what we started in 2008.  And the reason I’m optimistic is because what the American people showed me in 2008 is that when they determine what is true and what is right and they come together, it doesn’t matter how much money the special interests spend, it doesn’t matter how many television ads are run -- ultimately (inaudible.) 

And I think one of the great privileges of being President is as I travel around the country and meet people from all walks of life -- every race, every region, every faith -- there’s a core decency to the American people, a basic goodness and grit and determination of the American people that gives me great confidence about our future.
 
So I just want to say to all of you -- thank you for your extraordinary support.  Again, thanks to the Watts family for hosting us.  And I guarantee if all of you stay with
me and keep on working hard for the next four months, then I'm going to have the next -- another four years to do the work that needs to be done.
 
Thank you.  (Applause.)
 
END   
2:27 P.M. CDT

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:
 
• Bidtah N. Becker – Member, Board of Trustees of the Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development
• James B. Cunningham – Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Department of State
• Richard G. Olson – Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Department of State
 
The President also announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:
 
• Peter H. Bell – Member, President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities
• Jack Martin Brandt – Member, President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities
• Micki Edelsohn  – Member, President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities
• Ann Hardiman – Member, President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities
• Alison A. Hillman de Velásquez – Member, President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities
• Carl M. La Mell – Member, President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities
• Julie Ann Petty – Member, President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities
• Lauren Potter – Member, President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities
• Lillian Sugarman – Member, President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities
• Carol Wheeler – Member, President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities
• Sheryl White-Scott – Member, President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities
 
President Obama said, “I am grateful that these talented and dedicated men and women have agreed to take on these important roles and devote their talents to serving the American people. I look forward to working with them in the coming months and years.”
 
President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:
 
Bidtah N. Becker, Nominee for Member, Board of Trustees of the Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development
Bidtah N. Becker is Assistant Attorney General for the Natural Resources Unit of the Navajo Nation Department of Justice and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation.  Ms. Becker served in the Water Rights Unit of the Navajo Nation Department of Justice from 2004 to 2012, and in the Human Services and Government Unit from 2002 to 2004.  Earlier in her career, Ms. Becker taught government courses at the Santa Fe Indian School and was also a Chaplain in Residence at the Georgetown University Campus Ministry.  She serves on the Board of the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts and the University of New Mexico School of Law Alumni Board of Directors.  Ms. Becker received a B.S.F.S. from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and a J.D. from the University of New Mexico School of Law.
 
Ambassador James B. Cunningham, Nominee for Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Department of State
Ambassador James B. Cunningham, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Career Minister, is Deputy Ambassador at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.  Prior to his post in Kabul, Ambassador Cunningham served as the U.S. Ambassador to Israel from 2008 to 2011.  From 2005 to 2008, he was U.S. Consul General in Hong Kong.  Previous assignments include: Ambassador and Deputy U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations (1999-2004); Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Rome (1996-1999); Director of the State Department's Office of European Security and Political Affairs (1993-1995); and Chief of Staff to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General (1989-1990).  Earlier assignments include posts with the U.S. Mission to NATO, as well as posts at the U.S. Embassies in Rome and Stockholm.  Ambassador Cunningham received a B.A. in Political Science and a B.A. in Psychology from Syracuse University.
 
Ambassador Richard G. Olson, Nominee for Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Department of State
Ambassador Richard G. Olson, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, served as the Coordinating Director for Development and Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul from June 2011 to June 2012. He previously served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates from 2008 to 2011 and as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Mission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Brussels from 2006 to 2008.  Additional overseas assignments include posts in Mexico, Uganda, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, and Najaf, Iraq.  Additional Washington assignments with the State Department include posts in the State Department Operations Center, NATO Desk, the Office of Israel and Palestinian Affairs, and the Office of Iraqi Affairs.  Ambassador Olson joined the Department of State in 1982.  He received an A.B. from Brown University. 
 
President Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:
 
Peter H. Bell, Appointee for Member, President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities
Peter H. Bell is the Executive Vice President for Programs & Services at Autism Speaks, a position he has held since 2007.  From 2004 to 2007, Mr. Bell was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Cure Autism Now, where he helped to establish the Autism Treatment Network.  Prior to his work at Cure Autism Now, Mr. Bell held a number of marketing positions at McNeil Consumer Healthcare from 1992 to 2004.  Mr. Bell serves on numerous boards and commissions, including as Co-Founder and President of Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism and Chair of the Community Advisory Committee for the International Society for Autism Research.  In 2007, he served as Chair of the Integration Panel of the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs for autism research.   He was previously appointed as a Member of the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities by President Obama in January 2012.  Mr. Bell is the father of a young adult with autism.  Mr. Bell received a B.S. from Cornell University and an M.B.A. from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.
 
Jack Martin Brandt, Appointee for Member, President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities
Jack Martin Brandt is the Disability Policy Specialist for the Partnership for People with Disabilities at Virginia Commonwealth University, a position he has held since 2010.  Previously, Mr. Brandt was a Disability Rights Advocate at the Virginia Office for Protection & Advocacy from 2008 to 2010 and a Disability Policy Consultant for the State of Virginia from 2006 to 2008.  He was a Virginia Governor’s Fellow at the Office of Community Integration for People with Disabilities in 2006 and a Congressional Intern for the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee in 2005.  Mr. Brandt serves on the Virginia Community Integration Advisory Commission and the Virginia Statewide Independent Living Council.  In 2006, he received the Jackie Crews Award for Excellence in Leadership from the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities.  Mr. Brandt was previously appointed as a Member of the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities by President Obama in January 2012.  Mr. Brandt received a B.A. from James Madison University and is pursuing an M.S. in Rehabilitation Counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University.
 
Micki Edelsohn, Appointee for Member, President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities
Micki Edelsohn is currently the Treasurer of Homes For Life Foundation, a nonprofit organization she founded in 1999 that builds group homes for adults with intellectual disabilities.  In addition, she works with many organizations for individuals with intellectual disabilities, including The Arc of Delaware, the Governor’s Commission on Community Based Alternatives, the Center for Disabilities Studies at the University of Delaware, and the Delaware Foundation Reaching Citizens with Intellectual Disabilities.  Recently, Mrs. Edelsohn was inducted into the Delaware Women’s Hall of Fame and was named one of the “25 Who Matter” in Delaware by The News Journal.  She has also received the Humanitarian Award from the United Way of Delaware, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Wilmington Senior Center, and the Delaware Housing Coalition Award.  Mrs. Edelsohn was previously appointed as a Member of the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities by President Obama in May 2011.  Mrs. Edelsohn has an adult son with an intellectual disability.  She received a B.A. from the Tyler School of Art at Temple University.
 
Ann Hardiman, Appointee for Member, President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities
Ann Hardiman is currently the Executive Director of the New York State Association of Community and Residential Agencies, a position she has held since 1995.  Ms. Hardiman previously worked as an Assistant Executive Director at Opengate, Inc., from 1992 to 1995, and as the Director of Residential Services at Rehabilitation Programs, Inc., which is now known as  Abilities First, from 1978 to 1992.  Ms. Hardiman was previously appointed as a Member of the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities by President Obama in May 2011.  She received a B.A. from the State University of New York at Potsdam and an M.A. from Marist College.
 
Alison A. Hillman de Velásquez, Appointee for Member, President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities
Alison A. Hillman de Velásquez is a Program Officer for the Open Society Foundations’ Disability Rights Initiative, a position she has held since December 2009.  From 2002 to 2009, Ms. Hillman de Velásquez was Director of Disability Rights International’s Americas Programs.  In 2003, she received the Paul G. Hearne/American Association of People with Disabilities Leadership Award as an emerging leader in the disability field.  Ms. Hillman de Velásquez was previously appointed as a Member of the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities by President Obama in May 2011.  She received a B.A. from Cornell University and a J.D. from American University Washington College of Law.
 
Carl M. La Mell, Appointee for Member, President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities
Carl M. La Mell is President and CEO of Clearbrook, an Illinois service provider for individuals with developmental disabilities.  He has held this position since 1996.  Previously, Mr. La Mell worked at the Victor C. Neumann Association from 1979 to 1995 as its CFO, Associate Executive Director, and lastly as its CEO.  Mr. La Mell is also a member of the Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, the Illinois Department of Human Services State Task Force on Autism, and the American Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.  From February 2010 to April 2010, he chaired the Finance Committee of the Illinois Statewide Early Intervention Task Force.  He has been awarded the Executive of the Year Award from the Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, the Community Leader of the Year Award given by the City of Rolling Meadows, and the Claude D. Pepper Distinguished Service Award.  Mr. La Mell was previously appointed as a Member of the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities by President Obama in May 2011.  Mr. La Mell received a B.S. from DePaul University.
 
Julie Ann Petty, Appointee for Member, President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities
Julie Ann Petty has been a Project Trainer for Partners for Inclusive Communities at the Arkansas University Center on Disabilities since March 2007.  From 2007 to 2009, Ms. Petty worked as a Policy Analyst at the Human Services Research Institute and, from 1998 to 2007, she was the State Coordinator for Arkansas People First.  Ms. Petty has served as National Chairperson for Self Advocates Becoming Empowered and Co-Chair for the Alliance for Full Participation.  Ms. Petty was previously appointed as a Member of the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities by President Obama in November 2011.  Ms. Petty received her B.A. in Journalism from the University of Arkansas.
 
Lauren Potter, Appointee for Member, President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities
Lauren Potter is a cast member on the FOX television program Glee where she plays the part of Becky Jackson.  Ms. Potter serves on the Board of Best Buddies International and lends her name and fame to numerous organizations, including the Down Syndrome Association.  She has participated in the AbilityPath.org campaign against bullying and partnered with the Special Olympics in their “End the Word” campaign.  Her disability rights advocacy has earned her awards from The Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles, the Arc, the Full Life Festival, and the American Association of People with Disabilities.  Ms. Potter was previously appointed as a Member of the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities by President Obama in November 2011.  She is a graduate of Polytechnic High School in Riverside, California and is currently a student at Irvine Valley College.
 
Lillian Sugarman, Appointee for Member, President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities
Lillian Sugarman has been an independent consultant for early child development programs in Washington, D.C. since April 2012.  Most recently, Ms. Sugarman was Project Director for the Community Development Institute on an interim project from April to July 2012.  Previously, Ms. Sugarman worked at the national nonprofit organization ZERO TO THREE as Director of the Early Head Start National Resources Center from 2004 to 2011 and as the Center’s Assistant Director from 1999 to 2004.  Prior to that, Ms. Sugarman served in the Administration for Children and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as Director for Technical Assistance in the Child Care Bureau from 1997 to 1999, as a Program Specialist in the Child Care Bureau from 1995 to 1997, and as a Head Start and Youth Program Specialist in the Region III Regional Office from 1987 to 1995.  She is currently a member of the Human Rights Committee at the Mary Campbell Center and previously served on the advisory committee for the Special Quest Project.  Ms. Sugarman was previously appointed as a Member of the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities by President Obama in May 2011.  She received an M.A. in Teaching Early Childhood from the University of the District of Columbia and an M.S.W. from Virginia Commonwealth University.
 
Carol Wheeler, Appointee for Member, President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities
Carol Wheeler is currently U.S. Board Chair of the South Africa-Washington International Program, Honorary Board Chair of N Street Village, and Chair of the Friends of J.O. Wilson Elementary School.  Previously, Ms. Wheeler served as coordinator of the Washington chapter of Project Children and was the founder and Board Chair of the Washington Ireland Program for Service and Leadership.  In addition, she was a consultant with America's Public Television Stations, Vice President for Government Affairs at the National Association of Broadcasters, a liaison for women's organizations in President Carter’s Administration, and Executive Director of the Women's Campaign Fund.  She was previously appointed as a Member of the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities by President Obama in May 2011.  Ms. Wheeler is the mother of a young adult with Williams Syndrome.  She holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Iowa.
 
Dr. Sheryl White-Scott, Appointee for Member, President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities
Dr. Sheryl White-Scott is the Medical Director for Brooklyn Developmental Disabilities Services, a position she has held since 2009.  In addition, Dr. White-Scott has been the Associate Director of Community Health Services at AHRC/New York City since 2008 and an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine at New York Medical College since 1993.  From 1999 to 2007, Dr. White-Scott was the Director of the Program for Developmental Disabilities at Saint Vincent’s/Catholic Medical Center.  Dr. White-Scott is currently a member of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and former President of the American Association of University Affiliated Programs, which is now known as the Association of University Centers on Disabilities.  Dr. White-Scott was previously appointed as a Member of the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities by President Obama in May 2011.  She received a B.A. in Natural Sciences from Johns Hopkins University and an M.D. from State University of New York Stony Brook School of Medicine.