President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

WASHINGTON – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individual to a key Administration post:

• Vicki Miles-LaGrange  – Member, Board of Trustees of the Harry S Truman Scholarship Foundation

The President also announced his intent to appoint the following individual to a key Administration post:

• James Wright Willis – Member, Cultural Property Advisory Committee

President Obama said, “I am confident that these outstanding individuals will greatly serve the American people in their new roles, and I look forward to working with them in the months and years to come.”

President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individual to a key Administration post:

Judge Vicki Miles-LaGrange, Nominee for Member, Board of Trustees of the Harry S Truman Scholarship Foundation
Judge Vicki Miles-LaGrange is Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, a position she has held since 2008.  She was appointed to the bench in 1994 and was the first African-American federal judge in the six states that make up the 10th Circuit.  Prior to this, Judge Miles-LaGrange was the first female U.S. Attorney in Oklahoma, serving as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.  From 1986 until 1993, she served in the Oklahoma State Senate, where she chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee.  Judge Miles-LaGrange is a former Trustee of Vassar College, Oklahoma City University, and a former member of the U.S. Judicial Conference of the International Judicial Relations Committee.  She received her B.A. from Vassar College and her J.D. from the Howard University School of Law.

President Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individual to a key Administration post:

James Wright Willis, Appointee for Member, Cultural Property Advisory Committee
James Wright Willis is the founder of James Willis Tribal Art in San Francisco, which he has owned and operated since 1972.  He is a member of the San Francisco Art Dealers Association and Friends of Ethnic Art in San Francisco.  Mr. Willis has been a member of the Cultural Property Advisory Committee since 2003.  In addition, he served on the boards of the Museum for African Art, the San Francisco Craft and Folk Art Museum, and the Ancient and Tribal Arts Study Committee of the M. H. De Young Museum.  Mr. Willis received his B.A. from Pomona College and his M.A. from San Francisco State.

Statement by the President on the selection of Dr. Jim Yong Kim as World Bank President

On behalf of the United States, I would like to offer my congratulations to Dr. Jim Yong Kim on his selection as the next President of the World Bank.  I am confident that Dr. Kim will be an inclusive leader who will bring to the Bank a passion for and deep knowledge of development, a commitment to sustained economic growth, and the ability to respond to complex challenges and seize new opportunities. I appreciate the strong support offered to Dr. Kim from leaders around the world.

I am also pleased that this has been an open and transparent process, and would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the outstanding qualifications and commitment of the other two candidates.  I look forward to working with Dr. Kim and our partners throughout the world in support of a strong and effective World Bank.

White House Launches 2012 Citizens Medal Nomination Process

WASHINGTON, DC -- For over 40 years, the Presidential Citizens Medal has recognized Americans who have “performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens.” Starting today, the President invites the American public to nominate everyday heroes for the 2012 Citizens Medal, one of our nation’s highest civilian honors. Past recipients have included some of America’s most respected public figures including Colin Powell, Bob Dole and Muhammad Ali, but also everyday heroes like 2011 recipient Ida Martin who created Bluffton Self Help to assist working families, disabled residents, and senior citizens in the Bluffton, South Carolina area when they suffered a financial crisis.

By asking the public to submit nominees, President Obama hopes to recognize exemplary citizens and local heroes who have significantly impacted their communities but who may not have garnered national attention.

“These citizens come from different backgrounds and they’ve devoted their lives to different causes, but they’re united by the choice they’ve made to help others. The 2012 Citizens Medal is a chance to recognize these everyday heroes in your community,” said President Obama.

Public nominations will be reviewed by White House staff. Additional nominees may be identified outside of the public nomination process.  The President will select award recipients and award the 2012 Citizens Medal in a ceremony at the White House.  Last year, the White House received more than 6,000 nominations and invited 13 outstanding Americans to the White House to receive the Medal and be recognized for their service. Learn more about the 2011 Citizens Medal recipients and view a video gallery HERE.

Nominees must be citizens of the United States and fulfill specific criteria posted HERE. All applications must be completed in full and submitted via www.WhiteHouse.gov/citizensmedal by April 24, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

BACKGROUND ON THE CITIZENS MEDAL:

The Citizens Medal recognizes “citizens of the United States of America who have performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens.”  Executive Order 11494 (Nov. 13, 1969).  It is generally recognized as the second highest civilian award of the United States government.

The 2012 Citizens Medal will recognize citizens who have performed exemplary deeds of service outside of their regular jobs, including individuals:

Who have a demonstrated commitment to service in their own community or in communities farther from home.  Someone who has engaged in activities that have had an impact in their local community, on a community or communities elsewhere in the United States or on fellow citizens living or stationed around the world.

Who have helped their country or their fellow citizens through one or more extraordinary acts.  Individuals who have demonstrated notable skill and grace, selflessly placed themselves in harm’s way, taken unusual risks or steps to protect others, made extraordinary efforts to further a national goal, or otherwise conducted themselves admirably when faced with unusually challenging circumstances.  

Whose service relates to a long-term or persistent problem.  Individuals who have made efforts to combat stubbornly persistent problems that impact entire communities, for example those who have taken innovative steps to address hunger, homelessness, the dropout crisis, lack of access to health care, and other issues that plague too many Americans.

Whose service has had a sustained impact on others’ lives and provided inspiration for others to serve.   The ideal nominee for a Citizens Medal is a person whose work has had a meaningful and lasting impact on the lives of others.
 

Remarks of President Barack Obama -- As Prepared for Delivery -- Summit of the Americas Opening Plenary

Summit of the Americas Opening Plenary

Cartagena, Colombia

Saturday, April 14, 2012

As Prepared for Delivery –

Thank you, President Santos, for welcoming us here today and for your leadership in bringing our nations together. Thank you to you, Foreign Minister Holguin and to the people of Cartagena and Colombia for your wonderful hospitality.

I think it’s fair to say that not so long ago, few could have imagined this summit occurring here - in this city, in this nation. But in Colombia today we see a level of security and economic growth not enjoyed in decades. This reflects the leadership of President Santos and the incredible sacrifices of the Colombian people. It also speaks to the progress we’re seeing across the Americas.

In the dynamism of our hemisphere, we’ve learned anew an old truth - as nations, as neighbors, we rise and fall together. So I say to my fellow leaders, and to the citizens you represent - your success is absolutely vital to our shared future, including to the security and prosperity of the United States. Indeed, no other region so profoundly affects the daily lives of people in the United States, including the tens of millions of Hispanic Americans who bind our families and nations. I firmly believe that this region is only going to become more important to our future.

That’s why, at our summit three years ago in Trinidad and Tobago, I pledged to seek partnerships of equality, based on mutual interest and mutual respect and rooted in shared responsibility. I’ll say it again - in the Americas there are no senior or junior partners, we’re simply partners. That’s the spirit that’s allowed us to make progress in recent years. And it’s the spirit of this summit - “Connecting the Americas” - which we need to sustain our momentum in key areas.

First, our shared prosperity. Across the region, tens of millions of people have joined the middle class, creating new markets and jobs for us all. But too many still endure the injustice of poverty and inequality, and it’s estimated that trade across the hemisphere is just half of what it could be. So we’ve worked together to increase lending through the Inter-American Development Bank, promote microfinance, reform tax systems, eliminate barriers to investment and forge clean energy and climate partnerships. In the United States, we’ve secured trade agreements with Colombia and Panama and increased trade with Brazil and others.  With partners like Chile and Peru, we’re making progress toward a Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Here in Cartagena, we’re going further.  With the Small Business Network of the Americas I launched yesterday, we’ll make it easier for our small and medium-sized companies to export and create jobs. With our “WE Americas” initiative, we’ll help women entrepreneurs compete and succeed.  Our hemisphere is setting a new goal - universal access to electricity in one decade so families and businesses have the energy they need at a price they can afford. And to ensure that no one is left behind in our digital age, today I’m proposing a Broadband Partnership of the Americas to provide faster Internet to more communities, especially in rural areas.

We also advance our shared prosperity when we deepen the connections between our peoples. So we’re making it easier for tourists and businesspeople to travel and trade. We’re increasing the number of U.S. students studying in Latin America to 100,000, and the number of Latin American students studying in the United States to 100,000. I’ve also made it easier for workers in the United States to send the remittances that sustain so many families in the Americas.

Second, our shared security. Across the region, governments and security forces have shown extraordinary courage against the narco-traffickers and gangs that threaten our people. Leaders like Colombia, Chile and Mexico are sharing their security expertise with neighbors. As your partner, the United States has increased our support - from speeding up the delivery of equipment and training to Mexico to strengthening security cooperation in Central America and the Caribbean. Today, I can announce that the United States will increase our commitment - to more than $130 million this year - to support the regional security strategy led by our Central American friends.

This is a very difficult fight. I know there are frustrations and that some call for legalization. For the sake of the health and safety of our citizens - all our citizens - the United States will not be going in this direction. Here in Cartagena, I hope we can focus on our mutual responsibilities. As I’ve said many times, the United States accepts our share of responsibility for drug violence. That’s why we’ve dedicated major resources to reducing the southbound flow of money and guns to the region. It’s why we’ve devoted tens of billions of dollars in the United States to reduce the demand for drugs. And I promise you today - we’re not going to relent in our efforts.

Finally, advancing democracy and human rights. In the Inter-American Democratic Charter our nations declared that “the people of the Americas have a right to democracy and their governments have an obligation to promote and defend it.” Because we defended it, most people in the Americas now live in democracies. Because we defended it, in Honduras, we laid the foundation for the return to the rule of law.

When the universal human rights are denied, when the independence of judiciaries or legislatures or the press is threatened, we will speak out. And together, as we’re doing in Brazil this coming week, we’ll advance the open government upon which human rights and progress depend.

Increasing the trade and development that creates jobs for us all. Defending the security of our citizens. Standing up for democracy and human rights. This is progress we’ve made - together. This is the work we must continue - together. My fellow leaders, between us we represent nearly one billion people. They ask nothing more than that we come together and make the progress that none of us can achieve alone. We can go further together. That’s why we’re here. And that will remain the work of the United States, as your partner and friend.