President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

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

• Eric J. Jolly – Member, National Museum and Library Services Board
• Susana Torruella Leval – Member, National Museum and Library Services Board

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

• Nani A. Coloretti – Member, Government Accountability and Transparency Board
• Greg Friedman – Member, Government Accountability and Transparency Board
• Freeman A. Hrabowski III – Chair, President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans
• Maria T. Nagorski – Member, President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships
• Elder Steven E. Snow – Member, President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

President Obama said, “I am proud that such experienced and committed individuals have agreed to serve the American people in these important roles. 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:

Dr. Eric J. Jolly, Nominee for Member, National Museum and Library Services Board
Dr. Eric J. Jolly is President of the Science Museum of Minnesota.  Previously, from 1995 to 2004, he served as Senior Scientist and Vice President at the Education Development Center, a nonprofit research and design organization in Newton, Massachusetts.  Dr. Jolly was Assistant to the Chancellor and Director for Affirmative Action and Diversity Programs at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln from 1992 to 1995, Assistant Dean of University College at the University of Rhode Island from 1989 to 1992, and Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana State University from 1987 to 1989.  He served on the Board of Directors of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and the Association of Science-Technology Centers, as well as the Board of Trustees of the National Museum of the American Indian, and the Senior Advisory Board of the University of Arizona Science Center.  Dr. Jolly received a B.A. from the University of Rhode Island, and an M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma.

Susana Torruella Leval, Nominee for Member, National Museum and Library Services Board
Susana Torruella Leval is Director Emerita of El Museo del Barrio.   She served as Director of El Museo del Barrio from 1994 to 2002, after serving as Chief Curator for four years.  Ms. Torruella Leval is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Aperture Foundation, and Dreamyard.  In addition, she is on the Editorial Board of the International Center of the Art of the Americas.  She previously served on the Overseers’ Committee to Visit the Arts Museums at Harvard College and the Visiting Committee of the Getty Center.  Ms. Torruella Leval received a B.A. from Manhattanville College and an M.A. from New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts.

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

Nani A. Coloretti, Appointee for Member, Government Accountability and Transparency Board
Nani A. Coloretti is Acting Assistant Secretary for Management and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Management and Budget at the U.S. Department of the Treasury.  Prior to joining the Administration, Ms. Coloretti worked in the San Francisco’s Mayor’s office from 2005 until 2009, most recently serving as Budget Director.  Previously, Ms. Coloretti served as the Director of Policy, Planning, and Budget for the San Francisco Department of Children, Youth, and Their Families from 1999 to 2005.  Ms. Coloretti worked as a Health Financing Branch Budget Examiner for the U.S. Office of Management and Budget from 1994 to 1997.  She was a Budget Analyst for the Department of Public Safety in the State of Hawaii from 1991 to 1992.  Ms. Coloretti is a recipient of the National Public Service Award, the Public Policy and International Affairs Achievement Award, and the Government Finance Officers Association Distinguished Budget Presentation Award.  She received a B.A. in Economics and Communications from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.P.P. from the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley.

Greg Friedman, Appointee for Member, Government Accountability and Transparency Board
Greg Friedman is Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), a position he has held since 1998.  In addition, Mr. Friedman serves as a Member of the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board.  He joined the Office of the Inspector General in 1982 as an Auditor and served in a variety of roles, including Deputy Inspector General from 1994 to 1998.  He has served as Vice Chair of the President’s Council on Integrity and Efficiency and as a Member of the Advisory Council on Government Auditing Standards.  He is a recipient of DOE’s Meritorious Service Award and a two-time recipient of the Presidential Rank Award, once for Distinguished Service and once for Meritorious Service.  In 1979, he was selected by DOE to be a Mid-Career Fellow in Public Affairs at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School for Public and International Affairs.  Mr. Friedman received a B.A. in Business Administration from Temple University and an M.B.A. from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski III, Appointee for Chair, President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans
Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski III is President of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), a position he has held since 1992.  Previously, Dr. Hrabowski was Executive Vice President of UMBC from 1990 to 1992 and Vice Provost of UMBC from 1987 to 1990.  Before joining UMBC, Dr. Hrabowski held leadership and faculty positions at Coppin State College, now Coppin State University, from 1977 to 1987 and at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 1974 to 1976.  He serves on the boards of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the France-Merrick Foundation, and the Urban Institute, and is Chair of the Marguerite Casey Foundation.  He is a recipient of the U.S. Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring.  He was named one of the “100 Most Influential People in the World” in 2012 by Time Magazine and one of the seven “Top American Leaders” in 2011 by The Washington Post and the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.  He received a B.A. in Mathematics from the Hampton Institute, now Hampton University, as well as an M.A. in Mathematics and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Maria T. Nagorski, Appointee for Member, President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships
Maria T. Nagorski is the Executive Director of the nonprofit organization Fair Chance.  Fair Chance partners with community-based nonprofits to increase their ability to address issues related to child poverty.  Previously, from 1999 to 2007, Ms. Nagorski provided leadership and training services to a variety of organizations, including the United Nations World Food Programme, the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood, and the International Youth Foundation.  From 1994 to 1999, Ms. Nagorski was the Founder and Executive Director of Center for Youth as Resources, a national organization focused on engaging youth in service, philanthropy, and leadership in their communities.  Concurrently, from 1985 to 1999, she was the Deputy Executive Director of the National Crime Prevention Council.  Ms. Nagorski is an active member of Leadership Greater Washington and was awarded a 2010 Purpose Prize Fellowship by Civic Ventures.  Ms. Nagorski received a B.A. in History from the University of Rochester.

Elder Steven E. Snow, Appointee for Member, President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships
Elder Steven E. Snow currently serves as Church Historian, Recorder, and Church History Department Executive Director for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Previously, Elder Snow served as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy, supervising the Utah Areas and the North America Central Area from 2007 to 2012.  Prior to this, he served as Executive Director of the Church’s Priesthood Department from 2006 to 2007 and as President of the Church’s Africa Southeast Area from 2001 to 2005.  Elder Snow first joined the Church’s First Quorum of the Seventy in 2001.  Prior to his work with the Church, Elder Snow was a Senior Partner at the Utah law firm of Snow & Nuffer from 1979 to 2001 and a county prosecutor in Washington County, Utah, from 1977 to 1979.  Elder Snow has also served as a member and President of the Washington County, Utah, School Board; Chairman of the Utah State Board of Regents; and Chairman of the Western Interstate Commission of Higher Education.  Elder Snow received his B.S. in Accounting from Utah State University and his J.D. from Brigham Young University.

Statement by the Press Secretary on H.R. 3001 and S. 2009

On Thursday, July 26, 2012, the President signed into law:

H.R. 3001, the "Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Celebration Act," which provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Raoul Wallenberg, in recognition of his achievements and heroic actions during the Holocaust; and

S. 2009, the "Insular Areas Act of 2011," which amends the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2003 to require the Department of Energy to survey radiological conditions at Cactus Crater on Runit Island and delays the scheduled minimum wage increase in American Samoa.

Fact Sheet: Creating Pathways to the Middle Class for All Americans

On Wednesday, June 25th, President Obama addressed the National Urban League and discussed his Administration’s work strengthening our communities by investing in manufacturers and small businesses, cutting taxes for middle-class families, reforming education by raising standards, and ensuring millions more Americans have access to quality, affordable health care.

As the President has said many times, there’s a basic bargain in America. It says that no matter who you are or where you’re from, if you’re willing to work hard and play by the rules you should be able to find a good job, feel secure in your community, and support a family. There are times when this bargain is tested. Economic crisis is one of those times. When President Obama took office, the United States economy was losing over 800,000 jobs a month. That’s why during his first months in office, President Obama took swift action to stop the rapid loss of jobs--giving tax cuts to working families, keeping teachers in the classroom, and investing in clean energy and manufacturing.

President Obama has acted to prevent millions from slipping into poverty and helped build a path to the middle class.  There is more work to do, but President Obama is moving our country forward.  He believes that your success should not be determined by your background or your zip code; that everyone should get a fair shot, everyone should do their fair share, and everyone should play by the same set of rules.

The President’s Commitment to Strong Communities that Attract Jobs and
Promote Economic Growth

• Providing tax relief for all Americans, with refundable tax credits focused on working families. The Recovery Act expanded the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC). The EITC expansion allowed families with three or more children to receive up to $640 more than they otherwise would this year. The expansion of the CTC gave many families access to thousands of dollars in additional tax benefits that would have otherwise been lost. As part of the 2010 tax deal these expansions were extended through the end of 2012.  An estimated 2.2 million African American families are benefiting from the expansion of the EITC and CTC. These credits help roughly 4.7 million African American children or almost half of all African American children.  In his budget the President has called for making these expansions permanent. 

• Creating opportunity and mobility for children by reforming K-12 and early education. The President has devoted more than $4 billion to turning around our lowest performing schools, and some of them are making encouraging gains in reading and math proficiency. And the President has invested in early childhood education, including Head Start, Early Head Start, and child care assistance, benefiting tens of thousands of low income children.  The Administration also has invested in new child nutrition programs, to make sure fewer young people go hungry.

• Putting the cost of college within reach for more families, including the largest investment in higher education since the G.I. Bill.  Since the beginning of the Administration, the President has dramatically increased Pell Grant funding, helping  make college affordable for an additional 200,000 African American students, created the American Opportunity Tax Credit to ease college costs for over 9 million families, and championed bold and comprehensive reform of student loans that will save taxpayers $68 billion over the next decade.  Together, these represent the largest investments in higher education since the G.I. Bill. The Administration has also dramatically increased investments in historically black colleges and universities.

• Secure, affordable health care coverage. Within a month of taking office, the President signed the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act into law, expanding health coverage to more than 4 million children who would otherwise go uninsured.  And the historic Affordable Care Act will extend coverage to millions of uninsured African Americans by 2016, and prevent insurance companies from charging women more than men and discriminating against those with preexisting conditions such as diabetes or cancer.

• Helping responsible homeowners feel secure in the homes.  The Administration’s programs, both through their direct and indirect impact on the market, have helped more than 4 million families permanently modify their mortgages so they can stay in their homes. And the President, as part of the American Jobs Act, has proposed a $15 billion investment in Project Rebuild, which would put construction workers back on the job repurposing and rehabilitating vacant properties.

• Creating Pathways Back to Work.  Through the Recovery Act, over 260,000 low-income adults and youth were placed in subsidized jobs and an additional 367,000 low-income youth received summer employment.  Building on these successful strategies, the President has proposed a new Pathways Back to Work Fund to support summer and year-round employment opportunities for low-income youth and adults and for the long-term unemployed.  In addition, recognizing that we can’t wait for Congress to act, President Obama has announced nearly 300,000 summer jobs and other employment opportunities for youth and new online tools to help youth access opportunities.

• Building stronger cities and communities.  Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) is an interagency pilot initiative to strengthen the capacity of local governments by partnering with them to execute their economic visions. The Obama Administration has deployed interagency teams of Federal officials to work with the Mayor’s office in six pilot cities – Fresno, Memphis, Detroit, New Orleans, Chester, and Cleveland – helping to leverage Federal investments, advance specific economic development projects and build collaboration to encourage economic growth. In addition to SC2, the Obama Administration has created the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative, which has invested more than $345 million in the nation’s persistent pockets of poverty since 2009—reaching 68 communities with an interdisciplinary, place-based, and data-driven approach to holistic community change.

Presidential Nomination Sent to the Senate

NOMINATION SENT TO THE SENATE:

Ranee Ramaswamy, of Minnesota, to be a Member of the National Council on the Arts for a term expiring September 3, 2018, vice Miguel Campaneria, term expiring.