The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 29, 2013

Readout of President Obama’s Meeting with African Union Chairperson Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma

President Obama met with African Union Chairperson Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma in Pretoria, South Africa on Saturday, June 29th.  The President congratulated Chairperson Dlamini-Zuma on the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) /African Union, and expressed U.S. commitment to broaden and deepen the U.S. - African Union partnership.  President Obama commended the African Union’s leadership on regional peace and security, including its vital work to resolve the conflicts in Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, and Mali.  The President also underscored the importance of the African Union’s leadership in advancing development and democratic norms across the continent.  The leaders also discussed shared interest in empowering women and youth, expanding trade and investment, and creating broad-based prosperity for people across the African continent.

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The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 29, 2013

FACT SHEET: The President’s Young African Leaders Initiative

President Obama launched the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) in 2010 as a signature initiative that supports young African leaders as they work to spur growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance, and enhance peace and security across the continent. 

Investing in the next generation of African leaders is critical to ensuring the success of Africa’s democracies and its economies.  One in three Africans is between the ages of 10 and 24, and approximately 60 percent of Africa’s total population is below the age of 35.  Through YALI, the United States is investing in the next generation of African leaders, and has committed significant resources to enhance leadership skills, bolster entrepreneurship, and connect young African leaders with one another, with the United States, and with the American people.

Engaging Young African Leaders Who Will Shape the Continent’s Future

President Obama has been personally engaged in YALI from the beginning.  His 2010 Forum with Young African Leaders brought young African leaders to the White House for an interactive exchange and dialogue on leadership, youth empowerment, and good governance. 

Annual capstone events have helped to build new networks of leaders and underscore high-level U.S. support for their futures – including a 2011 Young African Women Leaders Forum in South Africa with First Lady Michelle Obama and a 2012 Innovation Summit and Mentoring Partnership that brought young Africans to the United States for internships with U.S companies.

YALI participants have leveraged this support and gone on to start youth-driven organizations and networks, advise their governments, and establish new and vibrant businesses – all showcasing the extraordinary talent and promise of the young leaders who are transforming the African continent and their communities.

Taking Action on the Continent

Engagement with young African leaders has become a key focus of U.S. engagement in sub-Saharan Africa and a priority for our embassies and USAID missions.  Since 2010, U.S. Embassies have accelerated outreach to young Africans and scaled up programs to train and support aspiring business and civic leaders across the continent.  The U.S. Government has created opportunities for young Africans to engage with U.S. Government officials, businesses, and citizens by establishing Embassy Youth Councils in 25 countries.  High-level U.S. officials regularly meet with young leaders during their travel to the continent.  In total, since 2010, the U.S. Government has held over 2,000 events across the continent aimed at developing the next generation of Africa’s civic and business leaders.

In May 2011, our “Dialogue with Young African Leaders” included more than 200 events in 37 countries in a single month.  That dialogue included Embassy-sponsored events on the continent and online engagement.  It identified new U.S. partners, provided critical feedback on U.S. Government youth programs, and created a platform for a diverse set of young people to share their vision for the future.

The U.S. Government, through USAID, has also partnered with the African Union (AU) as the AU seeks to mainstream the participation of youth in all of its activities, including by funding pre-deployment training for 100% of the participants in the AU Youth Volunteer Corps and supporting the placement of AU Youth Volunteers in multiple African Union departments.  The United States is also partnering with the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, and The Tony Elumelu Foundation to support the development of young African leaders throughout the continent. 

Committing Resources to Developing Young Talent

Since 2010, the State Department has held fifteen exchanges specifically for young African leaders and sponsored 1,283 sub-Saharan scholars through its educational and cultural affairs programs.  U.S. Embassies have awarded small grants totaling $750,000 to YALI alumni groups supporting youth development in Africa.  Other State Department-led efforts, such as LIONS @FRICA and Apps4Africa, have focused on building an entrepreneurial ecosystem to encourage broad-based economic growth and opportunity for young entrepreneurs – partnering with the private sector to run startup competitions, grow incubators, and develop innovative new products to address local and business and development needs.

USAID has worked with local governments and institutions to strengthen access to education, workforce training, and skills development to help young Africans develop the skills needed to enter the labor force.  Since YALI’s inception, USAID has invested more than $100 million in over 76 partnerships with African universities to help train a new generation of African leaders in health, agriculture, education, environmental science, technology, and other sectors.

Currently USAID’s Higher Education Solutions Network—a $25 million per year program—partners with African and U.S. higher education institutions, using science, technology and engineering to educate future leaders and research solutions for the greatest challenges in development.  To further expand YALI, USAID will establish regional hubs to enhance leadership and training opportunities in Africa and better leverage over $200 million in ongoing youth programs and initiatives, such as university partnerships and vocational training, on the continent. 

Other Departments and Agencies have reoriented their programs and strategies to contribute to the goal of empowering and providing opportunities for youth in Africa.  The Department of Labor, for example, is investing in efforts to promote safe youth employment and business opportunities as alternatives to child labor, including a new $3 million program in Uganda to educate and train youth for quality jobs.  The U.S. African Development Foundation is investing $5 million in training and placing thousands of Somali youth in paid internships and jobs, in addition to supporting small business start-ups.

Introducing the Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders

The Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders that President Obama announced today represents a major expansion of U.S. investment in the continent’s next cadre of leaders.  Through this effort, the U.S. will develop a network of thousands of young African leaders across key sectors for Africa’s growth and development.

The Washington Fellowship will bring 500 young leaders to U.S. universities and colleges each year for academic and leadership training, beginning in 2014, with the goal of increasing to 1000 participants per year within five years.  Fellows will receive world-class training and mentoring in three vital areas: business and entrepreneurship; civic leadership; and public administration.

The leaders’ experience in the United States will include a Presidential Summit in Washington, D.C. where Washington Fellows will interact with U.S. government, civic, and business leaders, including President Obama.

With the support of private and public sector partners, Washington Fellows will have access to exceptional opportunities including internships and placements with companies and NGOs and small grants to start businesses, establish or expand non-governmental organizations, or undertake projects to improve their communities.

Regional enrichment seminars, an on-line community, and a vibrant alumni network across Africa will also support Washington Fellows as they seek innovative solutions to local and global challenges.  The United States, in conjunction with leading private sector partners such as Boeing, Ethiopian Air, and Microsoft, will support the Washington Fellows in pursuing these opportunities.  More information on this flagship program can be found at http://youngafricanleaders.state.gov.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 29, 2013

President Obama Announces the Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders

Today in front of an audience of more than 600 dynamic young leaders from South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda, President Obama announced the Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, the new flagship program of the President’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI).  Beginning in 2014, the program will bring more than 500 young African leaders to the United States each year for leadership training and mentoring.  It will also create unique opportunities in Africa for Fellows to use their new skills to propel economic growth and prosperity, and strengthen democratic institutions.

The Washington Fellowship will:

  • Invest in a new generation of young African leaders who are shaping the continent’s future.
  • Respond to the strong demand by young African leaders for practical skills that can help them take their work to the next level in the fields of public service and business.
  • Deepen partnerships and connections between the United States and Africa.
  • Build a prestigious network of young African leaders who are at the forefront of change and innovation in their respective sectors.

Washington Fellows will primarily be between 25 and 35 years old, have a proven track record of leadership in a public, private, or civic organization, and demonstrate a strong commitment to contributing their skills and talents to building and serving their communities.

Welcoming Promising Leaders to the United States

Beginning in 2014, each year the United States will bring 500 of Africa’s most promising young leaders to U.S. universities for training in public management and administration; business and entrepreneurship; and civic leadership.  Training in each of these sectors will focus on the skills young African leaders need to run better ministries, start and grow businesses, and serve their communities.  Within the next five years, theinitiative aims to grow to 1000 young leaders each year. 

Washington Fellows will spend six weeks at top American universities and colleges that will provide tailored training in the sectors above, leveraging top faculty, cutting-edge curricula, and local opportunities to impart practical professional and leadership training.  Formal university training will be augmented by workshops, mentoring, and networking opportunities with leaders in each field, as well as internships across the United States.

For example, U.S. agencies such as the Overseas Private Investment Corporation and the Export-Import Bank will host Washington Fellows as interns to expose them to the U.S. workplace and practices, and build their technical skills.  Washington Fellows will also benefit from partnerships with American companies like Boeing, which will provide leadership training at the Boeing Leadership Center in St. Louis to extend Fellows’ campus-based training.  The Fellows will also have the chance to interact with President Obama during an annual Summit in Washington, D.C., along with other senior U.S. government, business, and civic leaders. 

Investing in Opportunities on the Continent

The U.S.-based training Washington Fellows will receive is only the beginning of the long term investment the United States will make in these young leaders.  To ensure that participants can put their newly-acquired skills and experiences to use, the U.S. Government is working with businesses, governments, and institutions to create meaningful opportunities to allow them to put their skills to practice in Africa.

The Washington Fellowship will offer participants valuable access to internships and job opportunities in the private and public sectors.  We are establishing partnerships with companies, government ministries, research institutions, regional organizations, and non-profit and community-based organizations across the region to provide meaningful career opportunities for these young leaders.  For example, Microsoft will connect Washington Fellows with internships in their offices across Africa, including in Cairo, Tunis, Casablanca, Abidjan, Dakar, Accra, Lagos, Abuja, Luanda, Johannesburg, and Nairobi.  Ethiopian Airlines will offer participants the opportunity to train at their business management and corporate governance platforms at its hubs around the world. 

Washington Fellows will have access to dedicated funding opportunities to support their ideas, businesses, and organizations.  More than $5 million in small grants will be awarded in the first three years by the U.S. African Development Foundation to Washington Fellows seeking to start their own businesses or social enterprises.  The U.S. Department of State will invest an additional $5 million over the course of the program to help alumni establish or grow non-governmental organizations, undertake a project to improve their community, or work collaboratively to build the network of young African leaders, including reaching into underserved areas.  USAID will establish regional hubs and coordinators to connect Washington Fellows to these opportunities and leverage over $200 million in ongoing youth programs and initiatives on the continent.

Sustaining a Strong Alumni Network

Washington Fellows will be a part of a vibrant network that will continue to connect them to new opportunities in Africa and to each other.  Regular local and regional events and networking opportunities will sustain strong ties over the years as program participants assume leadership positions in their respective sectors.  Participants will be required to mentor other promising young leaders, enhancing the impact and sustainability of the initiative, and growing the network to encompass other leaders, especially in disadvantaged communities. 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 29, 2013

Weekly Address: Confronting the Growing Threat of Climate Change

WASHINGTON, DC—In this week’s address, President Obama told the American people about a plan he unveiled a few days ago that confronts the growing threat of climate change, which will cut carbon pollution, protect our country from the impacts of climate change, and lead the world in a coordinated assault on a changing climate.  The President’s plan recognizes that there is no contradiction between a sound environment and a strong economy, and he calls on all Americans to speak up about climate change in their communities and remind their elected officials that we must take action to protect our future generations from the ravages of climate change now.

The audio of the address and video of the address will be available online at www.whitehouse.gov at 6:00 a.m. ET, June 29, 2013.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
June 29, 2013

Hi everybody.  A few days ago, I unveiled a new national plan to confront the growing threat of a changing climate. 

Decades of carefully reviewed science tells us our planet is changing in ways that will have profound impacts on the world we leave to our children.  Already, we know that the 12 warmest years in recorded history have all come in the last 15, and that last year was the warmest in American history.  And while we know no single weather event is caused solely by climate change, we also know that in a world that’s getting warmer than it used to be, all weather events are affected by it – more extreme droughts, floods, wildfires, and hurricanes.

Those who already feel the effects of a changing climate don’t have time to deny it – they’re busy dealing with it.  The firefighters who brave longer wildfire seasons.  The farmers who see crops wilted one year, and washed away the next.  Western families worried about water that’s drying up. 

The cost of these events can be measured in lost lives and livelihoods, lost homes and businesses, and hundreds of billions of dollars in emergency services and disaster relief.  And Americans across the country are already paying the price of inaction in higher food costs, insurance premiums, and the tab for rebuilding.

The question is not whether we need to act.  The question is whether we will have the courage to act before it’s too late.

The national Climate Action Plan I unveiled will cut carbon pollution, protect our country from the impacts of climate change, and lead the world in a coordinated assault on a changing climate.

To reduce carbon pollution, I’ve directed the Environmental Protection Agency to work with states and businesses to set new standards that put an end to the limitless dumping of carbon pollution from our power plants.  We’ll use more clean energy and waste less energy throughout our economy. 

To prepare Americans for the impacts of climate change we can’t stop, we’ll work with communities to build smarter, more resilient infrastructure to protect our homes and businesses, and withstand more powerful storms. 

And America will lead global efforts to combat the threat of a changing climate by encouraging developing nations to transition to cleaner sources of energy, and by engaging our international partners in this fight – for while we compete for business, we also share a planet.  And we must all shoulder the responsibility for its future together.

This is the fight America can and will lead in the 21st century.  But it will require all of us, as citizens, to do our part.  We’ll need scientists to design new fuels, and farmers to grow them.   We’ll need engineers to devise new technologies, and businesses to make and sell them.  We’ll need workers to man assembly lines that hum with high-tech, zero-carbon components, and builders to hammer into place the foundations for a new clean energy age.  We’ll need to give special care to people and communities unsettled by this transition.  And those of us in positions of responsibility will need to be less concerned with the judgment of special interests and well-connected donors, and more concerned with the judgment of our children. 

If you agree with me, I’ll need you to act.  Educate your classmates and colleagues, your family and friends.  Speak up in your communities.  Remind everyone who represents you, at every level of government, that there is no contradiction between a sound environment and a strong economy – and that sheltering future generations against the ravages of climate change is a prerequisite for your vote.

We will be judged – as a people, as a society, and as a country – on where we go from here.  The plan I have put forward to reduce carbon pollution and protect our country from the effects of climate change is the path we need to take.  And if we remember what’s at stake – the world we leave to our children – I’m convinced that this is a challenge that we will meet.

Thank you, and have a great weekend.

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The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 28, 2013

President Obama Signs South Dakota Disaster Declaration

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of South Dakota and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by severe storms, tornado, and flooding during the period of May 24-31,2013.

Federal funding also 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, tornado, and flooding in the counties of Bennett, Corson, Lawrence, Lincoln, and Union, and the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation within Bennett County.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for all counties and Tribes within the state.

W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Gary R. Stanley 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
June 28, 2013

Statement by the President on the Extension of Federal Employee Benefits

Today my Administration announced that, for the first time in history, we will be making important federal employee benefits, including healthcare and retirement benefits, available to eligible married gay and lesbian couples and their families. 

This is a critical first step toward implementing this week’s landmark Supreme Court decision declaring that all married couples --gay and straight -- should be treated equally under federal law. Thousands of gays and lesbians serve our country every day in the federal government. They, and their spouses and children, deserve the same respect and protection as every other family.

Under the leadership of Attorney General Holder, we will continue to move as quickly as possible to fully implement the Court's decision.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 28, 2013

FACT SHEET: Food Security in Sub-Saharan Africa

Since coming into office in 2009, President Obama has made global food security a foreign policy priority.  At last year’s Camp David G-8 Summit, President Obama joined with other G-8 leaders, African heads of state, the African Union and private sector leaders in launching the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, with an ambitious pledge to lift 50 million people out of poverty in sub-Saharan Africa by 2022.

Over the last year, the President also welcomed the commitment of the American people to food security and improved nutrition -- U.S. based non-governmental organizations themselves pledged more than $1 billion over three years in private funding for food security activities globally, and $750 million over five years for nutrition programs, including those aimed at supporting children in the critical 1,000 days from a woman's pregnancy to her child's second birthday.

New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition

The New Alliance combines policy reforms, targeted assistance and private sector investments to fuel the growth of Africa’s agriculture economies, link smallholder farmers to markets, increase incomes and improve nutrition.  During its first year, private sector companies – small and large, from Africa and around the world - signed letters of intent to invest more than $3.7 billion in New Alliance countries, and the number of countries participating tripled as founding New Alliance partners Ethiopia, Ghana and Tanzania welcomed first Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire and Mozambique and then Benin, Malawi, and Nigeria.  Each of these countries has negotiated rigorous Country Cooperation Frameworks for accelerating investment that set forth policy reforms, private investment intentions, and donor commitments to align predictable assistance flows behind recipient country priorities.  Senegal is slated to join the New Alliance in the fall of 2013.

Country Progress:  New Alliance countries have already made significant progress.  Ghana Nuts, once a recipient of U.S. Government development assistance, is now a leading agro processor and signed a letter of intent under the New Alliance to promote soya and expand maize procurement and processing in Ghana.  The Government of Tanzania’s decision this year to end a longstanding export ban on maize, rice and other crops will help rural farmers collect fair prices for their harvests. In Ethiopia, DuPont has opened a state-of-the-art seed processing plant and warehouse that will help 35,000 smallholder maize farmers increase their yields by as much as 50 percent. And just eight months after officially joining the New Alliance in September 2012, Mozambique, Cote d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso have also begun implementing key policy reforms to improve efficiency and transparency and boost the incomes of smallholders employed throughout the agriculture sector.

Private Investment:  More than 70 global and local companies have committed to invest over $3.7 billion in these first six countries to, for example, increase smallholder incomes by expanding seed production and distribution, establish small-scale irrigation systems, and source local food for national, regional, and global supply chains.  A recent report by Grow Africa, an African-led, multi-stakeholder initiative jointly convened by the African Union, NEPAD and the World Economic Forum, estimates that more than $60 million has been invested over the past year to help link smallholder farmers to commercial markets, with some 800,000 people reached through training, services, and market access. 

Leadership:  Participants in the New Alliance including the G-8, the African Union and the World Economic Forum formed a Leadership Council following the Camp David G-8 Summit in order to drive further progress and accountability in reaching the goals of the New Alliance.  The Council meets regularly and includes both private sector and civil society representatives.

Accountability:  All New Alliance partners commit themselves to follow the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries, and Forests (“the Voluntary Guidelines”) and the principles of Responsible Agricultural Investment (RAI).  As well, New Alliance partners have committed to accountability through regular progress reports and the establishment of the Leadership Council to track impact and progress of the New Alliance.

The Obama Administration’s Global Leadership on Food Security

Mobilizing the International Community: The United States has helped to forge a strong and swift global response against hunger and food insecurity. President Obama's pledge at the G-8 Summit at L'Aquila of at least $3.5 billion over three years helped to leverage and align an additional $18.5 billion – for a total of over $22 billion - in support of a common approach. The United States was instrumental in the development of five key principles that were subsequently adopted at the Rome World Food Security Summit in November 2009.  Now known as the Rome Principles, these principles constitute the foundation for collective, global action on agricultural development and food security.

Feed the Future: Launched in 2010, Feed the Future is the U.S. Government’s global hunger and food security initiative.  With a focus on smallholder farmers, particularly women, and building on the standard set by the African Union when its members committed to develop comprehensive food security plans, Feed the Future is driven by country-led priorities and rooted in partnership with governments, other donor organizations, the private sector, and civil society to enable long-term success.   In addition to supporting national plans and investing in science and innovation, Feed the Future is investing in support of a goal to reduce the prevalence of poverty and stunting by 20 percent in the areas where Feed the Future works.  Today Feed the Future is releasing its 2013 Progress Report (www.feedthefuture.gov/progress), demonstrating that in 19 focus countries, Feed the Future has:

  • helped over 7 million smallholder farmers adopt improved agricultural technologies or practices;
  • brought nearly 4 million hectares of land under improved cultivation and management practices;
  • helped increase the value of exports of targeted commodities by $84 million;
  • forged over 660 public-private partnerships to improve food security locally and globally;
  • increased the value of agricultural and rural loans by more than $150 million.

The Commitment of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC): With its country-owned approach to development, MCC has invested $2.4 billion in food security solutions developed, implemented, and owned by African governments themselves.  MCC is supporting the priorities of African governments to make agricultural markets work, strengthen land rights, and improve infrastructure by funding 1,600 kilometers of roads, irrigation for over 118,000 hectares, and legal recognition for more than 1.2 million hectares of rural land.  As food security cannot be achieved without private investment, America’s African partners have strengthened land rights, improved land administration and increased the transparency, efficiency and security of land transactions in over half of MCC’s compacts.  Senegal’s five year, $540 million compact aims to unlock the country’s agricultural productivity through investments in critical roads and irrigation projects.

Multilateral Partnerships: The United States has partnered with G-20 countries, developing countries, the World Bank and other multilateral organizations to establish the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program.  Launched in April 2010 with commitments from the United States, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, this innovative new fund mobilizes public and private resources to scale up agricultural assistance to low-income countries.  To date, the fund has awarded over $650 million to 18 low-income countries for increasing agricultural productivity, improving household nutrition, and raising rural incomes.  In October 2012, as a signal of continued support for GAFSP, the United States committed to provide $1 to GAFSP for every $2 pledged by other donors up to a total of $475 million over three years.

In 2013 and as a result of commitments made at the 2012 G-8 Summit at Camp David, the United States is delivering on leveraging our investments, opening access to agricultural data, and improving agricultural productivity through technology.  We launched a $25 million Agricultural Fast Track Fund with Sweden and the African Development Bank to increase the number of investment-ready agricultural infrastructure projects in New Alliance countries by defraying front-end project development costs.  The United States, other G-8 countries and the World Bank convened the International Conference on Open Data for Agriculture in Washington D.C. to promote policies and invest in projects that open access to publicly funded, global agriculturally relevant data streams and make this data readily accessible to users in Africa and world-wide.  This week, the United States will launch the Scaling Seeds & Other Technologies Partnership, led by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa in collaboration with African governments, multilateral organizations, private sector and civil society partners, to promote technology-driven agricultural productivity growth starting in Ethiopia, Ghana, Mozambique, and Tanzania.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 27, 2013

Statement by President on the Presidential Election in Mongolia

I congratulate President Ts. Elbegdorj on his success in the election held on Wednesday in Mongolia.  President Elbegdorj has been an important leader in advancing democracy and freedom in his country and a key partner for the United States in Asia and globally.  I look forward to working with him to further strengthen the friendship and ties between our two countries. Through its impressive democratic achievements and its progress on economic liberalization, Mongolia serves as a significant example of positive reform and transformation for peoples around the world. 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 27, 2013

Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate

NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE:

James Costos, of California, to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Andorra.

Ronald J. Binz, of Colorado, to be a Member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for the term expiring June 30, 2018,vice Jon Wellinghoff, term expiring.

Robert Bonnie, of Virginia, to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment, vice Harris D. Sherman, resigned.

Patrick Hubert Gaspard, of New York, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of South Africa.

Krysta L. Harden, of Georgia, to be Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, vice Kathleen A. Merrigan, resigned.

Ellen C. Herbst, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Commerce, vice Scott Boyer Quehl, resigned.

Ellen C. Herbst, of Virginia, to be Chief Financial Officer, Department of Commerce, vice Scott Boyer Quehl, resigned.

Steve A. Linick, of Virginia, to be Inspector General, Department of State, vice Howard J. Krongard, resigned.

Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas, of the District of Columbia, to be Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, vice Jane Holl Lute, resigned.

Katherine M. O'Regan, of New York, to be an Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, vice Raphael William Bostic.

Susan J. Rabern, of Kansas, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Navy, vice Gladys Commons, resigned.

James C. Swan, of California, 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 Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Kirk W. B. Wagar, of Florida, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Singapore.

Alexa Lange Wesner, of Texas, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Austria.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 27, 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:

  • Krysta Harden – Deputy Secretary, Department of Agriculture
  • Alejandro Mayorkas – Deputy Secretary, Department of Homeland Security
  • Ron Binz – Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and upon appointment to be designated Chair
  • Robert Bonnie – Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, Department of Agriculture
  • Ellen Herbst – Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Secretary for Administration, Department of Commerce
  • Katherine M. O’Regan – Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research, Department of Housing and Urban Development
  • Captain Susan Rabern, USN, (Ret) – Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Financial Management and Comptroller, Department of Defense
  • Steve A. Linick –  Inspector General, Department of State
  • Patrick Gaspard – Ambassador to the Republic of South Africa, Department of State
  • James Swan – Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Department of State
  • Kirk Wagar – Ambassador to the Republic of Singapore, Department of State
  • Alexa Wesner – Ambassador to the Republic of Austria, Department of State

President Obama said, “I am grateful that these impressive individuals have chosen to dedicate their talents to serving the American people at this important time for our country.  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:

Krysta Harden, Nominee for Deputy Secretary, Department of Agriculture

Krysta Harden is the Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), a position she has held since 2011.  Prior to this, Ms. Harden served as Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations at USDA from 2009 to 2011.  From 2004 to 2009, she served as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Conservation Districts.  Previously, Ms. Harden was the Senior Vice President of Gordley Associates from 1993 to 2004.  She served as Staff Director for the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, Subcommittee on Peanuts and Tobacco from 1992 to 1993.  From 1981 to 1992, she held a number of roles including Legislative Director, Chief of Staff, and Press Secretary for Congressman Charles Hatcher.  Ms. Harden received her B.A. in Journalism from the University of Georgia.

Alejandro Mayorkas, Nominee for Deputy Secretary, Department of Homeland Security

Alejandro Mayorkas is currently the Director of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.  Previously, he was a partner at O’Melveny & Myers LLP from 2001 to 2009.  He served as the United States Attorney for the Central District of California from 1998 to 2001.  From 1989 to 1998, he was the Assistant United States Attorney for the Central District of California.  He has served on the boards of Bet Tzedek Legal Services and United Friends of the Children.  He served as Chair of the American Bar Association Committee on Ethics and Professionalism and as a Commissioner for the California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice.  He received a B.A. from the University of California at Berkley and a J.D. from Loyola Law School.

Ron Binz, Nominee for Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and upon appointment to be designated Chair

Ron Binz is the Principal for Public Policy Consulting, a position he has held since 2011.  He is also a Senior Policy Advisor with the Center for the New Energy Economy.  Previously, Mr. Binz served as Chairman of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission from 2007 to 2011.  From 1995 to 2006, he was President of Public Policy Consulting, and from 1996 to 2003, he was President and Policy Director of the Competition Policy Institute.  Mr. Binz served as the Director of the Colorado Office of Consumer Counsel from 1984 to 1995.  He received a B.A. from St. Louis University and an M.A. from the University of Colorado.

Robert Bonnie, Nominee for Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, Department of Agriculture

Robert Bonnie is a Senior Policy Advisor at the United States Department of Agriculture, a position he has held since 2009.  Prior to this, he worked for the Environmental Defense Fund where he held a number of roles from 1995 to 2008, including Vice-President of Land Conservation and Wildlife and Managing Director of the Center for Conservation Incentives.  Mr. Bonnie served on the Board of Visitors at the Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences.  He was a member of the Board of Directors for the Piedmont Environmental Council and Scenic America.  Mr. Bonnie received a A.B. from Harvard College and an M.F. and M.E.M. from the Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment.

Ellen Herbst, Nominee for Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Secretary for Administration, Department of Commerce

Ellen Herbst is currently Senior Advisor to the Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, a position she has held since 2009.  From 2005 to 2009, Ms. Herbst served as the Director of the National Technical Information Service at the Department of Commerce.  Prior to this, Ms. Herbst was Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Spectra Systems Corporation from 2002 to 2005.  She held the same position with Virtual Compliance from 2000 to 2001, and Giesecke & Devrient America from 1996 to 2000.  Previously, Ms. Herbst held a number of roles at the DuPont Company during her 14 year tenure including, Business Manager of the Digital Systems Division and Business Manager of the Equipment Service Division.  Ms. Herbst received a B.S. from the University of Delaware and an M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.

Dr. Katherine M. O'Regan, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research, Department of Housing and Urban Development

Dr. Katherine M. O’Regan is an Associate Professor of Public Policy at the Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University, where she has taught since 2000.  She has also been Director of the Public and Nonprofit Masters Program at Wagner since 2002.  From 2005 to 2007, she was Co-Director at Wagner’s Taub Center for Urban Policy Research, and from November 2002 to June 2004, she was Associate Dean of Faculty and Academic Affairs.  Prior to joining the Wagner faculty, Dr. O’Regan spent 10 years teaching at the Yale School of Management.  During her time at Yale, she also served as a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and as a guest scholar at the Economic Studies Program at the Brookings Institution.  Earlier in her career, Dr. O’Regan was an analyst in the Office of Hearings and Appeals at the U.S. Department of Energy.  Her recent board work includes the American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, The Reinvestment Fund, and the editorial board for the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management.  Dr. O’Regan received a B.S. from the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California at Berkeley.

Captain Susan Rabern, USN, (Ret), Nominee for Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Financial Management and Comptroller, Department of Defense

Captain Susan Rabern, USN, (Ret), is Director of the Center for Leadership and Ethics at the Virginia Military Institute.  Previously,  she served as Deputy Director for the Office of Military Affairs at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) from 2007 to 2009.  From 2003 to 2007, she was a Special Assistant in the Office of the Superintendent and Chief of Staff at the Virginia Military Institute.  From 2002 to 2003, she was the Chief Financial Officer at USAID.  In 2002, she also served as the Assistant Commissioner and Chief Financial Officer for the then, U.S. Customs Service.  From 2000 to 2002, she was the Assistant Director and Chief Financial Officer at the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Previously, she served in the U.S. Navy in a number of roles including: Captain and Commanding Officer for U.S. Naval Support Activity from 1998 to 1999, Chief of the Personnel Support Division for the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1996 to 1998,  and Commanding Officer for the U.S. Navy Pay and Personnel Support Activity Europe in Naples, Italy from 1993 to 1995.  She also served as a research fellow at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces at the National Defense University from 1995 to 1996 and again in 2000.  She received a B.A. from the University of Kansas, an M.B.A. from San Diego State University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia.

Steve A. Linick, Nominee for Inspector General, Department of State

Steve A. Linick is the Inspector General of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, a position he has held since October 2010.  From 2006 to 2010, he worked at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) as the Executive Director of the National Procurement Fraud Task Force.  In addition, from 2009 to 2010, he was Deputy Chief of the Fraud Section in the DOJ Criminal Division, having served as Acting Deputy Chief of the Fraud Section from 2006 to 2009.  He previously worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia from 1999 to 2006, serving as the Deputy Chief of the Fraud Unit from 2004 to 2006.  He also served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Central District of California from 1994 to 1999.  Earlier in his career, Mr. Linick served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office and as an associate at the law firm Newman & Holtzinger in Washington, D.C.  He received a B.A. and M.A. from Georgetown University and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

Patrick Gaspard, Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of South Africa, Department of State

Patrick Gaspard is Executive Director of the Democratic National Committee, a position he has held since 2011.  Previously, he served as an Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Political Affairs from 2009 to 2011.  Prior to that, he was the National Political Director for Obama for America.  He served as the Executive Vice President and Political Director for the Service Employees International Union.  In 2004, he served as the National Field Director for America Coming Together, and from 2003 to 2004, he was the National Deputy Field Director for Dean for America.  From 1998 to 1999, he was the Chief of Staff for the New York City Council.  Earlier in his career, Mr. Gaspard held a number of positions with the City of New York, including Special Assistant in the Office of the Manhattan Borough President and Special Assistant in the Office of Mayor Dinkins.   

Ambassador James Swan, Nominee for Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Department of State

Ambassador James Swan, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, is Special Representative for Somalia.  Previously, he served as Ambassador to Djibouti from 2008 to 2011.  Ambassador Swan served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs from 2006 to 2008.  Previously, he served as Director of Analysis for Africa in the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research from 2005 to 2006.  He was the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) from 2001 to 2004.  Other overseas postings include: Deputy Chief of Mission and Charge d’Affaires in Brazzaville, DRC; Political Section Chief in Cameroon; Political Officer in Nicaragua; and Consular Officer in Haiti.  Before joining the Foreign Service, he worked as a management analyst in the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education.  Ambassador Swan received a B.S. from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, and an M.A. from Johns Hopkins University.

Kirk Wagar, Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Singapore, Department of State

Kirk Wagar is Founder and Managing Partner of Wagar Law, P.A., a Miami-based law firm that represents individuals and small businesses in insurance disability disputes since 1998.  He served as the Florida Finance Chair for Obama for America in 2008 and 2012.  From 2011 to 2012, Mr. Wagar served on the Sub-Saharan Africa Advisory Committee of the Export Import Bank.  Since 2002, he has been a member on the Board of Governors for the American Association for Justice and a member of the Board of Directors for the Florida Justice Association.  From 2003 to 2005, he served on the Board of Directors for the Dade County Trial Lawyers.  From 1993 to 1994, he was Chief of Staff of the National Model United Nations, where he previously served as Assistant Chief of Staff from 1992 to 1993.  He received a B.A. from Roberts Wesleyan College and a J.D. from the University of Miami.

Alexa Wesner, Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Austria, Department of State

Alexa Wesner is Founder and Chair of Be One Texas, a collaborative that directs investment in groups doing civic engagement, voter registration, and Get Out the Vote among under-represented populations in Texas.  She was appointed as a Member of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities in 2009.  From 1997 to 2002, she served as Co-Founder and President of HireTECH, a high technology recruiting and consulting firm in Austin, Texas.  From 1994 to 1997, she worked at Trilogy, a sales and marketing software company, first as the Director of Recruiting and then as a Director of Marketing.  Ms. Wesner served as Chair of the Citizens Committee for the Texas A&M University System Proposal to Develop a Center for Innovation and Advanced Development and Manufacturing.  Additionally, she has served on the boards of and worked with a variety of nonprofits in Texas, including the Austin Film Society, Breakthrough Austin, Austin Museum of Art, the Blanton Museum, LifeWorks, Arthouse, GENaustin, and the Downtown Austin Parks Committee.  Ms. Wesner received a B.A. from Stanford University.