The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
September 10, 2013

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

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

  • Beth F. Cobert– Deputy Director for Management, Office of Management and Budget

  • Sloan D. Gibson– Deputy Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs

  • Heather Anne Higginbottom– Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources, Department of State

  • Jim Shelton– Deputy Secretary, Department of Education

  • Jo Ann Rooney– Under Secretary of the Navy, Department of Defense

  • Captain Paul Nathan Jaenichen, Sr., USN (Ret)– Administrator of the Maritime Administration, Department of Transportation

  • David Weil– Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division, Department of Labor

  • John P. Carlin– Assistant Attorney General for National Security, Department of Justice

  • Bradley Crowell– Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs, Department of Energy

  • Richard G. Frank– Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Department of Health and Human Services

  • Esther Kia’aina– Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas, Department of the Interior

  • Michael D. Lumpkin– Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict, Department of Defense

  • Christopher Smith– Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy, Department of Energy

  • Puneet Talwar–Assistant Secretary for Political-Military Affairs, Department of State

  • Jay Williams– Assistant Secretary for Economic Development, Department of Commerce

  • Jamie Morin– Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation, Department of Defense

  • Victoria Wassmer– Chief Financial Officer, Environmental Protection Agency

  • Larry Edward André, Jr.– Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Department of State

  • Anthony Luzzatto Gardner– Representative of the United States to the European Union, with the rank of Ambassador, Department of State

  • Ambassador Helen Meagher La Lime– Ambassador to the Republic of Angola, Department of State

  • Michael Anderson Lawson– Rank of Ambassador during his tenure of service as Representative of the United States on the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization, Department of State

  • Luis G. Moreno– Ambassador to Jamaica, Department of State

  • George J. Tsunis– Ambassador to the Kingdom of Norway, Department of State

  • Daniel W. Yohannes– Representative of the United States to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, with the rank of Ambassador, Department of State

  • Representative Barbara Lee– Representative of the United States to the Sixty-eighth Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations (U.S. Representative from the State of California)

  • Representative Mark Meadows– Representative of the United States to the Sixty-eighth Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations (U.S. Representative from the State of North Carolina)

  • Ambassador Elizabeth Frawley Bagley– Alternate Representative of the United States to the Sixty-eighth Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations

  • Ted Strickland– Alternate Representative of the United States to the Sixty-eighth Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations

  • Stephen N. Zack– Alternate Representative of the United States to the Sixty-eighth Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations

President Obama said, “I am grateful that these talented and dedicated individuals 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:

Beth F. Cobert, Nominee for Deputy Director for Management, Office of Management and Budget
Beth F. Cobert is a Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company, where she has worked since 1984.  She is the firm’s Global Leader for Functional Capability Building, responsible for developing skills among over 9,000 consulting staff at the firm.  Ms. Cobert is also a Global Leader of McKinsey's Marketing and Sales practice, and chairs the firm’s pension fund.  She served as the head of McKinsey’s San Francisco office from 2005 to 2008.  Prior to working at McKinsey & Company, from 1980 to 1982, she worked as an analyst at Goldman Sachs.  Ms. Cobert received her B.A. from Princeton and her M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Sloan D. Gibson, Nominee for Deputy Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs
Sloan D. Gibson is Chief Executive Officer and President of the United Service Organizations (USO).  Before joining USO in 2008, Mr. Gibson worked in banking for 20 years, including 11 years as an executive at AmSouth Bancorporation and 9 years as a Senior Vice President at Bank South.  In 2004, he retired as Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer of AmSouth Bancorporation, a position he held since 2000.  In 2002, Mr. Gibson chaired the United Way campaign in Central Alabama.  Mr. Gibson is a 1975 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point.  He earned both Airborne and Ranger qualifications and served as infantry officer in the U.S. Army.  Mr. Gibson received a M.A. from the University of Missouri in Kansas City and a M.P.A. from Harvard University.

Heather AnneHigginbottom, Nominee for Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources, Department of State
Heather Anne Higginbottom is Counselor in the Office of the Secretary at the Department of State (DOS).  Prior to joining DOS, Ms. Higginbottom served as Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget from 2011 to 2013.  From 2009 to 2011, Ms. Higginbottom served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council.  From 2007 to 2008, she was Policy Director for Obama for America.  Ms. Higginbottom worked as Senator John Kerry’s Legislative Director from 1999 to 2007 and as Deputy Director for Policy on his Presidential campaign from 2003 to 2004.  In 2004, Ms. Higginbottom founded and served as Executive Director of the American Security Project, a national security think tank.  Ms. Higginbottom received a B.A. from the University of Rochester and a M.P.P. from George Washington University.

Jim Shelton, Nominee for Deputy Secretary, Department of Education
Jim Shelton is the Acting Deputy Secretary of Education, a position he has held since June 2013.  He is also the Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement at the Department of Education, where he has served since March 2009.  Mr. Shelton previously was the Deputy Director for the Education Division of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation from 2003 to 2009.  He was a Partner for NewSchools Venture Fund from 2002 to 2003, President for the LearnNow Division of Edison Schools from 2001 to 2002, and the President and Co-Founder of LearnNow, Inc. from 1999 to 2001.  He was Vice President of Knowledge Universe from 1997 to 1999.  From 1993 to 1997, Mr. Shelton worked at McKinsey & Company as an Associate and then Senior Engagement Manager.  Mr. Shelton received a B.A. from Morehouse College, an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, and an M.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Education.

Dr. Jo Ann Rooney, Nominee for Under Secretary of the Navy, Department of Defense
Dr. Jo Ann Rooney is a Managing Director at the Huron Consulting Group in Chicago, a position she has held since 2012.  Previously, Dr. Rooney was Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness at the Department of Defense from 2011 to 2012, and served as Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness from November 2011 to June 2012.  Prior to her appointment in 2011, Dr. Rooney was President of Mount Ida College in Massachusetts and also served as President of Spalding University in Kentucky from 2002 to 2010.  From 1996 to 2002, Dr. Rooney served as Corporate General Counsel, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and Partner at The Lyons Companies in Waltham, Massachusetts.  Prior to The Lyons Companies, she practiced tax law in the Boston area and was a founding partner of the consulting firm Stearns, Rooney & Associates in Hingham, Massachusetts.  Dr. Rooney received a B.S. from Boston University, a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School, a LL.M. from Boston University School of Law, and an Ed.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.

CaptainPaul Nathan Jaenichen, Sr., USN (Ret), Nominee for Administrator of the Maritime Administration, Department of Transportation
Captain Paul Nathan Jaenichen, Sr., USN (Ret), currently serves as the Acting Administrator and as the Deputy Administrator of the Maritime Administration (MARAD) at the Department of Transportation.  Captain Jaenichen was a career naval officer, retiring after serving 30 years as a nuclear trained Submarine Officer in the United States Navy.  His final assignment was Deputy Chief of Legislative Affairs for the Department of the Navy from 2010 to 2012.  At sea, Captain Jaenichen served as Commanding Officer of the USS Albany from 1999 to 2002 and Commander of Submarine Squadron ELEVEN in San Diego, California from 2007 to 2008.  Ashore, he served as Director of the Submarine/Nuclear Officer Distribution at Navy Personnel Command from 2008 to 2010; Chief of the Western/Eastern Europe and North Atlantic Treaty Organization Divisions on the Strategic Plans and Policy Joint Staff from 2005 to 2007; Executive Assistant to the Director of the Submarine Warfare Division from 2004 to 2005; and Senior Member of the Atlantic Fleet Nuclear Propulsion Examination Board from 2002 to 2004.  He received a B.S. from the U.S. Naval Academy in Ocean Engineering and a M.S. from Old Dominion University in Engineering Management.

Dr. David Weil, Nominee for Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division, Department of Labor
Dr. David Weil is Professor of Markets, Public Policy, and Law and the Everett W. Lord Distinguished Faculty Scholar at Boston University School of Management, where he has worked since 1992.  He is also Senior Research Fellow and Co-Director of the Transparency Policy Project at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, a position he has held since 2002.  He has been a lecturer and Research Fellow at the Harvard Law School Labor and Worklife Program since 1987.  He is the recipient of the Broderick Prize in Research and the Broderick Prize for Teaching at Boston University, the Shingo Prize for Research on Manufacturing Innovations, and Boston University School of Management Best M.B.A. Instructor of the Year in 2011 and 2012.  Dr. Weil received a B.S. from the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University, an M.P.P. from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and a Ph.D. in Public Policy from Harvard University.

John P. Carlin, Nominee for Assistant Attorney General for National Security, Department of Justice
John P. Carlin is the Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security at the Department of Justice (DOJ), a position he has held since March 2013.  In addition, he has been the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General and Chief of Staff for the National Security Division since 2011.  From 2007 to 2011, he served in leadership roles at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), ultimately serving as Chief of Staff to FBI Director Robert S. Mueller, III.  A career federal prosecutor, he served in 2007 as National Coordinator of the Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property program within the DOJ Criminal Division.  From 2001 to 2006, he served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia.  Mr. Carlin first joined DOJ through the Attorney General’s Honors Program in 1999.  He is a five-time recipient of the Department of Justice Award for Special Achievement.  He received a B.A. from Williams College and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.

Bradley Crowell, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs, Department of Energy
Bradley Crowell is the Acting Assistant Secretary and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).  Prior to this, he was the Deputy Assistant Secretary from 2010 to 2012.  Previously, he was a Senior Policy Advisor to Senator Sheldon Whitehouse from 2007 to 2010.  Mr. Crowell was the Legislative Advocate at the Natural Resources Defense Council from 2004 to 2007 and a Policy Advisor to Congressman Chris Bell from 2002 to 2003.  He was a Public Policy Associate for Burness Communications from 2001 to 2002 and a Legislative Aide for Senator Richard Bryan from 1999 to 2001.  Mr. Crowell received a B.S. from Santa Clara University.

Dr. Richard G. Frank, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Department of Health and Human Services
Dr. Richard G. Frank is currently the Margaret T. Morris Professor of Health Economics in the Department of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School, a position he has held since 1999.  From August 2009 to March 2011, while on leave from Harvard Medical School, he served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation at the Department of Health and Human Services, where he directed the Office on Disability, Aging, and Long-Term Care Policy.  From 1994 to 1999, Dr. Frank was Professor of Health Economics in the Department of Health Policy at Harvard Medical School.  Dr. Frank previously held faculty positions at the Department of Health Policy and Management in the School of Hygiene and Public Health at Johns Hopkins University from 1984 to 1994 and at the University of Pittsburgh from 1980 to 1984.  He was a Peace Corps volunteer in the Republic of Botswana from 1975 to 1976.  He is the 2011 recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the Mental Health Association of Maryland.  He has been a member of the Institute of Medicine since 1997, a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research since 1987, and is a co-editor of the Journal of Health Economics.  Dr. Frank received a B.A. in Economics from Bard College and a Ph.D. in Economics from Boston University.

Esther Kia’aina, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas, Department of the Interior
Esther Kia’aina is the First Deputy Director of the Department of Land and Natural Resources for the State of Hawaii, a position she has held since 2012.  Previously, she was Chief Advocate for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs from 2009 to 2011 and from 2007 to 2009, she was a Land Asset Manager for the Kamehameha Schools’ Land Asset Division.  Ms. Kia’aina served as Chief of Staff for Congressman Ed Case from 2003 to 2007.  From 1999 to 2003, she was Chief of Staff and Legislative Director for Congressman Robert Underwood.  Ms. Kia’aina served as a Legislative Assistant for Senator Daniel Akaka from 1990 to 1999.  Ms. Kia’aina received a B.A. from the University of Southern California and a J.D. from the George Washington University Law School.

Michael D. Lumpkin, Nominee for Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict, Department of Defense
Michael D. Lumpkin is Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense, a position he has held since 2013.  Mr. Lumpkin was the Chief Executive Officer of Industrial Security Alliance Partners from 2012 to 2013.  From 2011 to 2012, Mr. Lumpkin served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Special Operations/Low-Intensity Conflict & Interdependent Capabilities) at the Department of Defense.  From 2010 to 2011, he served as a Senior Advisor in the Office of the Secretary, and then Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations at the Department of Veterans Affairs.  Prior to joining the Administration, Mr. Lumpkin served as the Director of Business Development for Aardvark Tactical, Inc., a supplier of nonlethal tactical equipment, from 2008 to 2010.  Mr. Lumpkin served in the U.S. Navy for 21 years, including as a Navy SEAL.  He received a B.A. from the University of California, San Diego and a M.A. from Naval Postgraduate School.

Christopher Smith, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy, Department of Energy
Christopher Smith is the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), a position he has held since February 2013.  He also served as Acting Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy from February 2013 to August 2013 and as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oil and Gas from 2009 to 2013.  From 2007 to 2009, he was as the Director of Liquid Natural Gas Trading Analytics for Chevron Global Gas.  From 2005 to 2007, he was an Advisor to the President and Chief of Staff for Chevron Global Supply & Trading.  Mr. Smith was a Developmental Manager and Regional Manager of the Latin America region for ChevronTexaco Global Gas from 2002 to 2005.  He held several roles with Texaco, including Business Development Manager from 1999 to 2002 and Executive Business Analyst from 1998 to 1999.  He was an Operations Officer and Task Force Engineer for the 25th Infantry Division of the United States Army from 1991 to 1993.  Mr. Smith received a B.S. from the United States Military Academy at West Point and an M.B.A. from the University of Cambridge. 

Puneet Talwar, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Political-Military Affairs, Department of State
Puneet Talwar is a Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Iran, Iraq, and the Gulf States on the White House National Security Staff, a position he has held since 2009.  Prior to this, Mr. Talwar served as a Senior Professional Staff Member on the Committee on Foreign Relations of the United States Senate (SFRC) from 2001 to 2009 and from 1997 to 1999, and was the chief advisor on the Middle East to then Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr., SFRC Chairman.  He served as a member of the Department of State’s Policy Planning Staff from 1999 to 2001.  From 1992 to 1995, he served as a foreign policy advisor to Representative Thomas C. Sawyer, and from 1990 to 1992 as an official with the United Nations.  He received a B.S. from Cornell University and an M.A. from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.

Jay Williams, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Economic Development, Department of Commerce
Jay Williams is the Director of the Office of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers at the Department of Labor, a position he has held since 2011.  Mr. Williams was the Mayor of Youngstown, Ohio from 2006 to 2011.  Prior to becoming Mayor, he was the Executive Director of the Community Development Agency for Youngstown from 2000 to 2005.  From 1997 to 2000, Mr. Williams was with First Place Bank in Warren, Ohio.  Previously, from 1995 to 1997, Mr. Williams was an Examiner at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland in Cleveland, Ohio.  Mr. Williams received a B.S.B.A. from Youngstown State University.

Jamie Morin, Nominee for Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation, Department of Defense
Jamie Morin is the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management, a position he has held since 2009, and was Acting Under Secretary of the Air Force from 2012 to 2013.  From 2003 to 2009, he served as the Senior Defense Analyst at the U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget.  From 2002 to 2003, Mr. Morin was a National Fellow at the Miller Center for Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.  In 2001, he was a Visiting Fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, working primarily for the Pentagon's Office of Net Assessment.  From 2000 to 2001, Mr. Morin was an economist and strategy specialist at J.E. Austin and Associates and was a research associate and assistant from 1995 to 1997 at the same firm.  Mr. Morin received a B.S.F.S. from Georgetown University, a M.Sc. from the London School of Economics, and a Ph.D. from Yale University.

Victoria Wassmer, Nominee for Chief Financial Officer, Environmental Protection Agency
Victoria Wassmer is the Assistant Administrator for Finance and Management at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a position she has held since 2011.  Previously, she was the Vice President of Administration and Finance at the Millennium Challenge Corporation from 2010 to 2011.  From 2004 to 2010, Ms. Wassmer held several senior roles at the FAA, including Deputy Director of the Office of Budget and Management and Chief Financial Officer.  She was a Senior Associate with the Carmen Group from 2003 to 2004 and a staff member in the Office of Capital Programs and Oversight for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority from 2002 to 2003.  From 1996 to 2002, Ms. Wassmer was a Policy Analyst with the Office of Management and Budget.  Ms. Wassmer received an A.B. from Bryn Mawr College and an M.P.P. from Harvard University.

Larry Edward André, Jr., Nominee for Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Department of State
Larry Edward André, Jr., a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, most recently served as Acting Envoy and Director of the Office of the Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan at the Department of State.  Prior to this role, Mr. André served as Deputy Executive Director for the Department’s Bureau of African Affairs from 2010 to 2011 and as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania from 2008 to 2010.  Other previous assignments have included Political Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya (2006 to 2008); Deputy Director of the Office of West African Affairs (2004 to 2006) and Deputy Chief of Mission to the U.S. Embassy in Freetown, Sierra Leone (2002 to 2004).  Mr. André received a B.A. from Claremont McKenna College and a M.B.A from Thunderbird School of Global Management.

Anthony Luzzatto Gardner, Nominee for Representative of the United States to the European Union, with the rank of Ambassador, Department of State
Anthony Luzzatto Gardner is the Managing Director of Structured Finance at Palamon Capital Partners in London, a position he has held since 2007.  In 2007, Mr. Gardner was Executive Director, European Leveraged Finance, at Bank of America in London.  From 2002 to 2007, Mr. Gardner served as Executive Director, European Leveraged Finance, in GE Commercial Finance and as Director, European Industrial Business Development, at GE International in London.  Mr. Gardner served as Director for European Affairs in the European Directorate at the National Security Council from 1994 to 1995.  He also worked in the Directorate-General for Competition Policy of the European Commission from 1990 to 1991.  He received a B.A. from Harvard University, a M.Phil. from Oxford University, a J.D. from Columbia University Law School, and a M.Sc. from London Business School.

Ambassador Helen Meagher La Lime, Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Angola, Department of State
Ambassador Helen Meagher La Lime, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, is the Director of Outreach for the United States Africa Command, a position she has held since 2011.  From 2008 to 2011, she was Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d’Affaires in the Republic of South Africa.  Ambassador La Lime served as the Consul General in Cape Town from 2006 to 2008.  From 2003 to 2006, Ambassador La Lime served as the United States Ambassador to the Republic of Mozambique.  She was Deputy Chief of Mission of U.S. Embassy Rabat from 2001 to 2003 and Director of the Office of Central African Affairs from 2000 to 2001.  Ambassador La Lime has held a number of other positions, including Deputy Director in the Office of Central African Affairs, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in N’Djamena, Chad, and International Economist at the Bureau of International Organization Affairs at the Department of State.  She received a B.S. from Georgetown University and a M.S. from the National Defense University.

Michael Anderson Lawson, Nominee for rank of Ambassador during his tenure of service as Representative of the United States on the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization, Department of State
Michael Anderson Lawson is the immediate past President of the Los Angeles World Airports’ Board of Airport Commissioners.  He has been a member of the Board of Airport Commissioners since 2005 and held the position of President of the Commission since 2011.  From 1980 to 2011, he practiced law at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP where he served as partner since 1995.  From 1978 to 1980, he was a staff attorney at the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.  Mr. Lawson is a member of the Board of Trustees of Morehouse College, Loyola Marymount University, The Advancement Project, the Music Center at the Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County, the California State Teachers Retirement System Board, and the Community Redevelopment Agency Oversight Board for the City of Los Angeles.  Mr. Lawson received a B.A. from Loyola University in Los Angeles and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.

Luis G. Moreno, Nominee for Ambassador to Jamaica, Department of State
Luis G. Moreno, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, is the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid, Spain.  From 2010 to 2011, he served as Political-Military Affairs Minister Counselor, as well as Force Strategic Engagement Cell Director at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq.  From 2010 to 2007, Mr. Moreno served as Deputy Chief to Mission in Tel Aviv, Israel.  From 2004 to 2007, he served as Consul General and Principal Officer in Monterrey, Mexico.  Mr. Moreno also served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Port au Prince, Haiti from 2001 to 2004 and as Narcotics Affairs Director at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia from 1997 to 2001.  Throughout his time with the Foreign Service, Mr. Moreno served as Refugee Coordinator at the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti; International Relations Officer in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs at the U.S. Department of State; and Deputy Director of Narcotics Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Lima, Peru.  He received a B.A. from Fordham University and a M.A. from Kean College.

George J. Tsunis, Nominee for Ambassador to the Kingdom of Norway, Department of State
George J. Tsunis is the Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Chartwell Hotels, LLC.  From 1999 to 2009, Mr. Tsunis was of counsel at Rivkin Radler, LLP and served as partner since 2005.  Mr. Tsunis was Special Counsel to the Town of Huntington Committee on Open Space Preservation as well as Counsel to the Dix Hills Water District from 2003 to 2009.  From 1998 to 1999, he practiced law at Goldberg & Cohen in Brooklyn, NY.  From 1996 to 1998, he was a Legislative Attorney at the New York City Council.  Mr. Tsunis received a B.A. from New York University and a J.D. from St. John's University School of Law.

Daniel W. Yohannes, Nominee for Representative of the United States to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, with the rank of Ambassador, Department of State
Daniel W. Yohannes is the Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a position he has held since 2009.  From 2003 to 2009, he was President and CEO of M&R Investments.  From 1999 to 2003, he served as Vice Chairman of U.S. Bancorp, first as Head of Consumer Banking and then as Head of Integration, Community and Public Affairs.  From 1992 to 1999, Mr. Yohannes was President and CEO of U.S. Bank Colorado (formerly Colorado National Bank).  From 1977 to 1992, he worked at Security Pacific Bank (now Bank of America), ultimately serving as Executive Vice President.  Mr. Yohannes has previously served on the boards of the National Jewish Hospital and Research Center, the Denver Art Museum, the University of Colorado Medical School and Project C.U.R.E.  Mr. Yohannes received a B.S. from Claremont McKenna College and a M.B.A. from Pepperdine University.

Representative Barbara Lee, Nominee for Representative of the United States to the Sixty-eighth Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations (U.S. Representative from the State of California)
Representative Barbara Lee represents the 13th District of California.  She was first elected in 1998.  Representative Lee is a member of the Committee on Appropriations, serving on both the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies and on the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs.  She is also a member of the Committee on the Budget and the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee.  From 2009 to 2010, she served as Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.  From 2002 to 2008, Representative Lee served as the co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.  She received a B.A. from Mills College and an M.S.W. from the University of California, Berkeley.

Representative Mark Meadows, Nominee for Representative of the United States to the Sixty-eighth Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations (U.S. Representative from the State of North Carolina)
Representative Mark Meadows represents the 11th District of North Carolina.  He was first elected in 2012.  Representative Meadows is a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.  Prior to this, Representative Meadows was a real estate developer from 1992 to 2012, and owned his own restaurant from 1986 to 1990.  From 1983 to 1986, Representative Meadows was the Director of Customer Relations and Public Safety at Tampa Electric.  He received a B.A. from the University of South Florida.

Ambassador Elizabeth Frawley Bagley, Nominee for Alternate Representative of the United States to the Sixty-eighth Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations
Ambassador Elizabeth Frawley Bagley is a Special Adviser at the Department of State.  From 2010 to 2012, she served as Special Representative for Public-Private Partnerships in the Global Partnership Initiative at the Department of State.  From 2008 to 2011, Ambassador Bagley was a Member on the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy.  From 2005 to 2007, she was a Counselor at Manatt, Phelps, Phillips law firm, and Manatt Jones Global Strategies in Washington, D.C.   Previously, Ambassador Bagley was Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State for Media Acquisition in the Balkans from 1997 to 2001, and served as U.S. Ambassador to the Portuguese Republic from 1994 to 1997.  Prior to this, Ambassador Bagley was a Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center from 1991 to 1993.  She was the Congressional Relations Director at the Center for National Policy from 1981 to 1987.  She received a B.A. from Regis College and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

Governor Ted Strickland, Nominee for Alternate Representative of the United States to the Sixty-eighth Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations
Governor Ted Strickland is co-founder and Chairman of Midwest Gateway Partners, a position he has held since 2011.  Previously, he served as the Governor of Ohio from 2007 to 2011.  He served as a U.S. Representative representing the 6th District of Ohio from 1993 to 1995 and again from 1997 to 2007.  From 1983 to 2004, he practiced psychology in Ohio.  Governor Strickland served in a number of capacities at the Methodist Children’s Home of Kentucky, Shawnee State University, and the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility.  He received a B.A. from Asbury College in Kentucky, a M.Div. from Asbury Theological Seminary, and a M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky.

Stephen N. Zack, Nominee for Alternate Representative of the United States to the Sixty-eighth Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations
Stephen N. Zack is an attorney and administrative partner at Boies, Schiller & Flexner, LLP, a position he has held since 2002.  Previously, from 1998 to 2002, he was a managing partner at Zack Kosnitzky, P.A.  Mr. Zack was a partner at a number of law firms from 1991 to 1998, including Zack, Sparber, Kosnitzky, Spratt & Brooks.  From 2010 to 2012, he served as President of the American Bar Association, the first Hispanic American to hold the position.  Mr. Zack served as Chair of the Florida Ethics Commission from 1987 to 1994 and was appointed to re-write the Florida Constitution as a member of the Florida Constitution Revision Commission in 1997.  Mr. Zack received a B.A. from the University of Florida and a J.D. from the University of Florida Law School.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
September 10, 2013

Statement on Additional Countries in Support of September 6 Joint Statement on Syria

Today, eight additional countries – Georgia, Guatemala, Kuwait, Malta, Montenegro, Panama, Poland and Portugal – signed on to the joint statement on Syria that was issued on September 6. That statement condemns in the strongest terms the Assad regime’s use of chemical weapons on August 21 in the suburbs of Damascus and calls for a strong international response. The statement explicitly supports the efforts undertaken by the United States and other countries to reinforce the prohibition on the use of chemical weapons. 

The following 33 countries now formally support this statement:

Albania
Australia
Canada
Croatia
Denmark
Estonia
France
Guatemala
Georgia
Germany
Honduras
Hungary
Italy
Japan
Republic of Korea
Kosovo
Kuwait
Latvia
Lithuania
Malta
Montenegro
Morocco
Panama
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Saudi Arabia
Spain
Turkey
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States

We welcome additional countries expressing their support for this statement and our continued efforts to hold the Assad regime accountable and enforce the international norm against the use of chemical weapons. The statement will continue to be updated and can be found at: http://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/issues/foreign-policy/syria.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
September 10, 2013

Notice -- Continuation of the National Emergency Notice

NOTICE

- - - - - - -

CONTINUATION OF THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY
WITH RESPECT TO CERTAIN TERRORIST ATTACKS 

Consistent with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act, 50 U.S.C. 1622(d), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency previously declared on September 14, 2001, in Proclamation 7463, with respect to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the continuing and immediate threat of further attacks on the United States.

Because the terrorist threat continues, the national emergency declared on September 14, 2001, and the powers and authorities adopted to deal with that emergency must continue in effect beyond September 14, 2013. Therefore, I am continuing in effect for an additional year the national emergency that was declared on September 14, 2001, with respect to the terrorist threat.

This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress.

BARACK OBAMA

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
September 10, 2013

Letter -- Continuation of the National Emergency Message

TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:

Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act, 50 U.S.C. 1622(d), provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. Consistent with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register the enclosed notice, stating that the emergency declared in Proclamation 7463 with respect to the terrorist attacks on the United States of September 11, 2001, is to continue in effect for an additional year.

The terrorist threat that led to the declaration on September 14, 2001, of a national emergency continues. For this reason, I have determined that it is necessary to continue in effect after September 14, 2013, the national emergency with respect to the terrorist threat.

BARACK OBAMA

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
September 10, 2013

Readout of the President’s Calls with French President Hollande and British Prime Minister Cameron

This morning, the President spoke separately with French President Hollande and British Prime Minister Cameron.  They agreed to work closely together, and in consultation with Russia and China, to explore seriously the viability of the Russian proposal to put all Syrian chemical weapons and related materials fully under international control in order to ensure their verifiable and enforceable destruction.  These efforts will begin today at the United Nations, and will include a discussion on elements of a potential UN Security Council Resolution.  The leaders discussed their preference for a diplomatic resolution but stressed the importance of continuing to develop a full range of responses by the international community to the Assad regime’s use of chemical weapons near Damascus on August 21.  France and the United Kingdom are valued allies of the United States, and the three countries will continue to consult closely in the coming days. 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
September 09, 2013

Readout of the President’s Call with Prime Minister Harper of Canada

The President and Prime Minister Harper spoke today by phone to discuss their grave concern about the Syrian regime’s use of chemical weapons against civilians near Damascus on Wednesday, August 21.  The United States and Canada agree that the international norm against the use of chemical weapons is longstanding and universal, and the use of chemical weapons anywhere diminishes the security of people everywhere.  We continue to call for a strong international response to reinforce the prohibition on the use of chemical weapons to send a clear message that this kind of atrocity can never be repeated.  The President and Prime Minister pledged to continue to consult closely on potential responses.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
September 09, 2013

Establishment of the Advisory Council on Wildlife Trafficking

Today at the White House, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced the members of the Advisory Council to the Presidential Task Force on Wildlife Trafficking.

As directed by the Executive Order on Combating Wildlife Trafficking that the President signed on July 1, the Advisory Council is comprised of knowledgeable private-sector leaders, representatives of nonprofit organizations, and former government officials, who will advise and assist the Presidential Task Force, including as it works to develop a National Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking.

The members of the Advisory Council named today are:

  • Judith McHale (Chair), President and Chief Executive Officer, Cane Investments, LLC
  • David Barron, Chairman of the Board, International Conservation Caucus Foundation
  • Patrick Bergin, Chief Executive Officer, African Wildlife Foundation
  • Tod Cohen, Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of Global Government Relations, eBay Inc.
  • David Hayes, Distinguished Visiting Lecturer of Law, Stanford Law School
  • Carter Roberts, President and Chief Executive Officer, World Wildlife Fund
  • Cristián Samper, President and Chief Executive Officer, Wildlife Conservation Society
  • John Webb, Former Chief of the Environmental Crimes Section, Department of Justice 

Alternates:

  • Crawford Allen, Senior Director, TRAFFIC
  • Stanley Asah, Assistant Professor, University of Washington
  • Marcus Asner, Partner, Arnold & Porter LLP
  • Susan Lieberman, Former Director of the Global Species Program, WWF-International 

The United States remains strongly committed to combating wildlife trafficking, to assisting foreign nations in building capacity to combat wildlife trafficking, and to assisting in combating transnational organized crime.  Learn more about our efforts here.

Read the President’s Executive Order on Combating Wildlife Trafficking here.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
September 09, 2013

Statement on Additional Countries in Support of September 6 Joint Statement on Syria

Since being issued on September 6 by 11 countries, additional countries have signed on to the joint statement on Syria. That statement condemns in the strongest terms the Assad regime’s use of chemical weapons on August 21 in the suburbs of Damascus and calls for a strong international response. The statement explicitly supports the efforts undertaken by the United States and other countries to reinforce the prohibition on the use of chemical weapons.

The following 37 countries now formally support this statement:

Albania

Australia

Canada

Croatia

Denmark

Estonia

France

Guatemala

Georgia

Germany

Greece

Honduras

Hungary

Italy

Japan

Republic of Korea

Kosovo

Kuwait

Latvia

Lithuania

Macedonia

Malta

Montenegro

Morocco

New Zealand

Panama

Poland

Portugal

Qatar

Romania

Saudi Arabia

Somalia

Spain

Turkey

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom

United States

We welcome additional countries expressing their support for this statement and our continued efforts to hold the Assad regime accountable and enforce the international norm against the use of chemical weapons. The statement will continue to be updated and can be found at: http://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/issues/foreign-policy/syria.

Text of Joint Statement on Syria:

The international norm against the use of chemical weapons is longstanding and universal.  The use of chemical weapons anywhere diminishes the security of people everywhere.  Left unchallenged, it increases the risk of further use and proliferation of these weapons.

We condemn in the strongest terms the horrific chemical weapons attack in the suburbs of Damascus on August 21st that claimed the lives of so many men, women, and children.  The evidence clearly points to the Syrian government being responsible for the attack, which is part of a pattern of chemical weapons use by the regime. 

We call for a strong international response to this grave violation of the world’s rules and conscience that will send a clear message that this kind of atrocity can never be repeated. Those who perpetrated these crimes must be held accountable.

Signatories have consistently supported a strong UN Security Council Resolution, given the Security Council's responsibilities to lead the international response, but recognize that the Council remains paralyzed as it has been for two and a half years.  The world cannot wait for endless failed processes that can only lead to increased suffering in Syria and regional instability.  We support efforts undertaken by the United States and other countries to reinforce the prohibition on the use of chemical weapons. 

We commit to supporting longer term international efforts, including through the United Nations, to address the enduring security challenge posed by Syria’s chemical weapons stockpiles.  Signatories have also called for the UN fact finding mission to present its results as soon as possible, and for the Security Council to act accordingly.

We condemn in the strongest terms all human rights violations in Syria on all sides.  More than 100,000 people have been killed in the conflict, more than 2 million people have become refugees, and approximately 5 million are internally displaced.  Recognizing that Syria’s conflict has no military solution, we reaffirm our commitment to seek a peaceful political settlement through full implementation of the 2012 Geneva Communique.  We are committed to a political solution which will result in a united, inclusive and democratic Syria. 

We have contributed generously to the latest United Nations (UN) and ICRC appeals for humanitarian assistance and will continue to provide support to address the growing humanitarian needs in Syria and their impact on regional countries. We welcome the contributions announced at the meeting of donor countries on the margins of the G20.  We call upon all parties to allow humanitarian actors safe and unhindered access to those in need.  

European signatories will continue to engage in promoting a common European position.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
September 07, 2013

President Obama Signs Missouri Disaster Declaration

The President yesterday declared a major disaster exists in the State of Missouri and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, and flooding during the period of August 2-14, 2013.

Federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms, straight-line winds, and flooding in the counties of Barry, Camden, Cedar, Dade, Dallas, Laclede, Maries, McDonald, Miller, Osage, Ozark, Phelps, Pulaski, Shannon, Taney, Texas, Webster, and Wright.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide. 

W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Michael L. Parker as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area.

FEMA said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
September 07, 2013

Weekly Address: Calling for Limited Military Action in Syria

WASHINGTON, DC — In his weekly address, President Obama makes the case for limited and targeted military action to hold the Assad regime accountable for its violation of international norms prohibiting the use of chemical weapons.  The President realizes the American people are weary after a decade of war, which is why U.S. action would not include U.S. boots on the ground.  Instead, the President has put forward a proposed authorization that is focused on his clearly stated objectives – preventing and deterring the use and proliferation of chemical weapons (CW) within, to, or from Syria, degrading the Assad regime’s capacity to carry out future CW attacks, and deterring this behavior in others who would otherwise feel emboldened to use such weapons.  The President acknowledged it is not a decision he made lightly, but failing to respond to such actions poses a serious threat to our national security.

 
The audio of the address and video of the address will be available online at www.whitehouse.gov at 6:00 a.m. ET, September 7, 2013.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
September 7, 2013

Almost three weeks ago in Syria, more than 1,000 innocent people – including hundreds of children – were murdered in the worst chemical weapons attack of the 21st century.  And the United States has presented a powerful case to the world that the Syrian government was responsible for this horrific attack on its own people.

This was not only a direct attack on human dignity; it is a serious threat to our national security.  There’s a reason governments representing 98 percent of the world’s people have agreed to ban the use of chemical weapons.  Not only because they cause death and destruction in the most indiscriminate and inhumane way possible – but because they can also fall into the hands of terrorist groups who wish to do us harm.

That’s why, last weekend, I announced that, as Commander in Chief, I decided that the United States should take military action against the Syrian regime.  This is not a decision I made lightly.  Deciding to use military force is the most solemn decision we can make as a nation.

As the leader of the world’s oldest Constitutional democracy, I also know that our country will be stronger if we act together, and our actions will be more effective.  That’s why I asked Members of Congress to debate this issue and vote on authorizing the use of force.

What we’re talking about is not an open-ended intervention.  This would not be another Iraq or Afghanistan.  There would be no American boots on the ground.  Any action we take would be limited, both in time and scope – designed to deter the Syrian government from gassing its own people again and degrade its ability to do so.

I know that the American people are weary after a decade of war, even as the war in Iraq has ended, and the war in Afghanistan is winding down.  That’s why we’re not putting our troops in the middle of somebody else’s war.

But we are the United States of America.  We cannot turn a blind eye to images like the ones we’ve seen out of Syria.  Failing to respond to this outrageous attack would increase the risk that chemical weapons could be used again; that they would fall into the hands of terrorists who might use them against us, and it would send a horrible signal to other nations that there would be no consequences for their use of these weapons.  All of which would pose a serious threat to our national security. 

That’s why we can’t ignore chemical weapons attacks like this one – even if they happen halfway around the world.  And that’s why I call on Members of Congress, from both parties, to come together and stand up for the kind of world we want to live in; the kind of world we want to leave our children and future generations.  

Thank you.