Update on the Vice President's Travel to Panama and Mexico

On Monday, Vice President Biden will travel to Charleston, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia, to highlight the importance of infrastructure investments in America’s ports to growing our economy. Later in the week, the Vice President will travel to Mexico to meet with President Peña Nieto and participate in the launch of the U.S.-Mexico High Level Economic Dialogue. The Vice President will no longer travel to Panama.

First Lady Michelle Obama to Ask Everyone to “drink Up” with More Water

Mrs. Obama will join the Partnership for a Healthier America and more than a dozen organizations to announce new effort to promote drinking more water

Washington, DC – Today, First Lady Michelle Obama will join the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) and actress Eva Longoria in Watertown, Wisconsin to announce PHA’s new effort to encourage everyone to drink more water, an easy choice to improve health and well-being every day.  The effort brings together more than a dozen organizations committed to encouraging everyone to drink more water more often. According to the CDC, approximately one fourth of children do not drink any water on a given day. This new effort will remind people that drinking more water helps you have more energy to do more, longer and with better focus.

“Since we started the Let’s Move! initiative, I’ve been looking for as many ways as possible to help families and kids lead healthier lives. I’ve come to realize that if we were going to take just one step to make ourselves and our families healthier, probably the single best thing we could do is to simply drink more water,” said First Lady Michelle Obama. “That’s it – it’s really that simple. Drink just one more glass of water a day and you can make a real difference for your health, your energy, and the way you feel. So Drink Up and see for yourself.”

To remind families of the importance of drinking water, supporters of PHA’s effort will carry the Drink Up logo on nearly 300 million packs of bottled water; more than half a billion bottles of water; 200,000 packages of reusable bottles; and more than 10,000 reusable bottles in the next year. Additionally, more than 10,000 outdoor public taps are expected to carry the brand over the next few years. Cities will also be utilizing the logo to encourage people to drink more tap water.  And hosts on a dozen TV shows are participating in an around the clock, cross-network, bilingual day of drinking water and encouraging their audience to Drink Up.

“PHA was launched a few short years ago to engage the private sector in helping make the healthy choice the easy choice for busy parents and families. Drinking more water is an easy choice that nearly every one of us—regardless of where we live, what we do, or how busy we are—can make every day,” said PHA CEO Lawrence A. Soler. “We applaud the efforts of the supporters who have joined us today, and we thank them for their contributions to an effort that we hope will serve as a continual reminder that you are what you drink, and when you drink water, you Drink Up.”

PHA will be asking people across the country to visit www.youarewhatyoudrink.org to upload pictures of themselves drinking water, or find the campaign on Instagram (www.instagram.com/urH2O), tagging their pictures #drinkH2O. During the event, the First Lady will lead 2,000 Watertown High School students and community members in a “Drink Up” toast, and then participate in festival-like water games alongside students.  

“Lots of people want to live healthier, but life gets busy and sometimes making the healthier choice can seem difficult,” said actress Eva Longoria. “Drinking more water is a simple, easy choice that most people can make every day. I'm thrilled that so many organizations have come together today to help remind people that you are what you drink, and drinking water is you at your best.”

Organizations that have committed to encourage everyone to drink more water more often include:

Marketing, Research and Creative: To encourage and remind people to Drink Up, PHA brought together research, marketing, and creative talents to help create and promote its message, including Young & Rubicam, Buck, Antfood, Nielsen, Proclivity Media, VML, and Core Strategies.

Water filter and reusable water bottle companies: BRITA is adding the Drink Up logo to packages that contain its re-usable filtering bottles. Through a partnership with NBC’s The Biggest Loser, BRITA is also promoting the Drink Up message on one of the most popular TV shows on air. SOMA will help promote the effort through social and digital publicity. S’Well Bottle will promote Drink Up digitally and will add the logo to bottles.

Municipalities: Los Angeles County, Chicago, Houston and Watertown, Wisconsin will use the PHA creative in numerous ways to inspire their residents to drink more water.  They will place the logo and PSAs on busses and bus stops, in municipal buildings and other places to encourage people to drink more water.

Public drinking stations: GLOBALTAP will launch a specially designed bottle and filling station for schools and public locations featuring the Drink Up colors and logos. For every public tap station GLOBALTAP installs, one Drink Up tap station will be donated by GLOBALTAP at no charge to a local school. GLOBALTAP plans to have more than 10,000 taps in public locations, and schools within the next few years. Smart Tap will use a unique form of out-of-home marketing by adding the Drink Up logo to its taps, as well as promoting Drink Up messages through social media and other efforts.

Bottled water brands: Aquafina, BEVERLY HILLS 9OH2O, DASANI, EVIAN Natural Spring Water, Hint, Voss, WAT-AAH!, and Nestlé Waters brands (North America’s Arrowhead, Deer Park, Ice Mountain, Nestlé Pure Life, Ozarka, Poland Spring, resource and Zephyrhills) will be promoting the Drink Up message on products, through public events, via digital, print, social and out of home media efforts and other publicity.

Industry groups, foundations, non-profits and media companies: The American Beverage Association and International Bottled Water Association are promoting the effort, while the California Endowment and PVBLIC Foundation are providing financial support for the PHA initiative. Additionally, Food Corps will incorporate messaging from this effort into schools nationwide.  Unite4:Good, Cooking Light, MyRecipes, BlogHer, Inc., Disney and Nickelodeon will also promote drinking more water.

For complete information about the PHA effort, visit www.youarewhatyoudrink.org.

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

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

• Cynthia H. Akuetteh – Ambassador to the Gabonese Republic and the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Department of State
• Eric T. Schultz – Ambassador to the Republic of Zambia, Department of State
• David J. Arroyo – Member, Board of Directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
• Camilla C. Feibelman – Member, Board of Trustees of the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation 

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

• Leslie Greene Bowman – Member, Committee for the Preservation of the White House
• Wendy A. Cooper – Member, Committee for the Preservation of the White House 

President Obama said, “These dedicated and accomplished individuals will be valued additions to my Administration as we tackle the important challenges facing America. I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.”

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

Cynthia H. Akuetteh, Nominee for Ambassador to the Gabonese Republic and the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Department of State

Cynthia H. Akuetteh, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, is the Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of African Affairs at the Department of State (DOS), a position she has held since 2012.  From 2011 to 2012, Ms. Akuetteh was the Director in the Office of Europe, Middle East and Africa in the Bureau of Energy Resources at DOS.  From 2009 to 2011, she was the Director in the Office of Central African Affairs at DOS.  Ms. Akuetteh served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, from 2007 to 2009 and the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, from 2005 to 2007.  Prior to this, from 2004 to 2005, Ms. Akuetteh was the Deputy Director in the Office of Economic Policy Staff for the Bureau of African Affairs at DOS.  Other notable positions held by Ms. Akuetteh include: Deputy Division Chief and Economic/Commercial Officer in the Bureau of Economic Affairs; Senior Venezuela Desk Officer in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs; and Trade Policy Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, Canada.  Prior to serving at DOS, Ms. Akuetteh was the Deputy Director of the Peace Corps program in Ghana.  Ms. Akuetteh received a B.A. from C.W. Post College of Long Island University and an M.A. from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University. 

Eric T. Schultz, Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Zambia, Department of State

Eric T. Schultz, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, most recently served as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, from 2010 to 2013.  Previously, Mr. Schultz was the Minister Counselor for Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Russia from 2007 to 2009.  From 2004 to 2007, he was the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe.  Prior to this, from 2002 to 2004, Mr. Schultz was the Deputy Director in the Office of European Security Policy at the Department of State.  From 2000 to 2002, Mr. Schultz served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.  He was the Deputy Director for Ukrainian, Moldovan, and Belarusian Affairs from 1998 to 2000 and the Political Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia from 1996 to 1998.  Mr. Schultz received a B.A. from Macalester College and an M.A. from the University of Denver.

David J. Arroyo, Nominee for Member, Board of Directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting

David J. Arroyo is Senior Vice President for Legal Affairs at Scripps Networks Interactive, where he has worked since 2004.  Previously, from 2000 to 2004, Mr. Arroyo was an associate at the firm of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.  He served as Chairman of the Board of Latino Justice (formerly the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund) from 2008 to 2012.  He was recognized in 2012 by the Imagen Foundation as among the most influential Latinos in entertainment, and in 2010, he received the Luminary Award from the National Association of Multi-Ethnicity in Communications.  Mr. Arroyo received a B.A. from Duke University and a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School.

Camilla C. Feibelman, Nominee for Member, Board of Trustees of the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation

Camilla C. Feibelman is Director of the Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club, a position she has held since May 2013.  Since first joining the Sierra Club in 2001, she has held various positions including Field Organizer in the Puerto Rico Office, Deputy Press Secretary for Diversity Programs, and Spanish Language/Environmental Justice Media Coordinator.  From 2000 to 2001, she was the National Director of the Sierra Club’s Sierra Student Coalition.  She was a Fulbright Scholar in 1998 and a Morris K. Udall Scholar in 1997.  Ms. Feibelman received a B.A. in Environmental Biology from Columbia University and an M.P. in Urban Planning from the University of Puerto Rico.   

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

Leslie Greene Bowman, Appointee for Member, Committee for the Preservation of the White House

Leslie Greene Bowman is President and CEO of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello in Charlottesville, VA, a position she has held since 2008.  Previously, she was Director and CEO of the Winterthur Museum in Winterthur, DE.  From 1981 to 1997, she served in various curatorial and management positions at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.  Ms. Bowman is a Member of the Board of Trustees of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.  She previously served on the Committee for the Preservation of the White House from 1995 to 2009, and from 2002 to 2008 she served on the Board of the Association of Art Museum Directors.  She was awarded the Gold Good Citizenship Medal from the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution in 2012.  Ms. Bowman received a B.Phil. from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and an M.A. from the Winterthur Program of the University of Delaware.

Wendy A. Cooper, Appointee for Member, Committee for the Preservation of the White House

Wendy A. Cooper is Curator Emerita of Furniture at the Winterthur Museum in Winterthur, Delaware, and was Curator of Furniture there from 1995 to 1999, and the Lois F. and Henry S. McNeil Senior Curator of Furniture from 1999 to 2013.  Previously, she was Curator of Decorative Arts at The Baltimore Museum of Art from 1987 to 1995.  She was a guest curator for the permanent installation of Masterpieces of American Furniture from the Kaufman Collection at the National Gallery of Art.  She previously served as a Member of the Committee for the Preservation of the White House from 1990 to 2009.  She has also held positions at The Brooklyn Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and Colonial Williamsburg.  Ms. Cooper received a B.A. from Pembroke College in Brown University and an M.A. from the Winterthur Program in Early American Culture at the University of Delaware.

Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate

NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE:

Larry Edward André, Jr., of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.

Elizabeth Frawley Bagley, of the District of Columbia, to be an Alternate Representative of the United States of America to the Sixty-eighth Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

John P. Carlin, of New York, to be an Assistant Attorney General, vice Lisa O. Monaco, resigned.

Beth F. Cobert, of California, to be Deputy Director for Management, Office of Management and Budget, vice Jeffrey D. Zients, resigned.

Bradley Crowell, of Nevada, to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy (Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs), vice Jeffrey A. Lane.

Richard G. Frank, of Massachusetts, to be an Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services, vice Sherry Glied, resigned.

Anthony Luzzatto Gardner, of New York, to be Representative of the United States of America to the European Union, with the rank and status of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.

Sloan D. Gibson, of the District of Columbia, to be Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs, vice W. Scott Gould.

Heather Anne Higginbottom, of the District of Columbia, to be Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, vice Thomas R. Nides, resigned.

Paul Nathan Jaenichen, Sr., of Kentucky, to be Administrator of the Maritime Administration, vice David T. Matsuda, resigned.

Esther Puakela Kia'aina, of Hawaii, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Interior, vice Anthony Marion Babauta.

Helen Meagher La Lime, 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 Angola.

Michael Anderson Lawson, of California, for the rank of Ambassador during his tenure of service as Representative of the United States of America on the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization.

Barbara Lee, of California, to be a Representative of the United States of America to the Sixty-eighth Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

Michael D. Lumpkin, of California, to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense, vice Michael A. Sheehan.

Mark Meadows, of North Carolina, to be a Representative of the United States of America to the Sixty-eighth Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

Luis G. Moreno, of Texas, 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 Jamaica.

Jamie Michael Morin, of Michigan, to be Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation, Department of Defense, vice Christine H. Fox, resigned.

Jo Ann Rooney, of Massachusetts, to be Under Secretary of the Navy, vice Robert O. Work, resigned.

James H. Shelton III, of the District of Columbia, to be Deputy Secretary of Education, vice Anthony W. Miller, resigned.

Christopher Smith, of Texas, to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy (Fossil Energy), vice Charles DeWitt McConnell, resigned.

Theodore Strickland, of Ohio, to be an Alternate Representative of the United States of America to the Sixty-eighth Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

Puneet Talwar, of the District of Columbia, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Political-Military Affairs), vice Andrew J. Shapiro.

George James Tsunis, of New York, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Kingdom of Norway.

Victoria Marie Baecher Wassmer, of Illinois, to be Chief Financial Officer, Environmental Protection Agency, vice Barbara J. Bennett, resigned.

David Weil, of Massachusetts, to be Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division, Department of Labor, vice Paul DeCamp.

Roy K. J. Williams, of Ohio, to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, vice John R. Fernandez, resigned.

Daniel W. Yohannes, of Colorado, to be Representative of the United States of America to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, with the rank of Ambassador.

Stephen N. Zack, of Florida, to be an Alternate Representative of the United States of America to the Sixty-eighth Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.