The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 02, 2011

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

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

  • Jerry L. Johnson  - Member, Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health
  • Jacob Lozada - Member, Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health
  • Dean Ornish - Member, Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health
  • Herminia Palacio- Member, Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health
  • Kent A. Salazar– Member, Board of Directors of the Valles Caldera Trust

President Obamasaid, “I am honored that these talented individuals have decided to join this Administration and serve our country.  I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.”

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

Jerry L. Johnson, Appointee for Member, Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health
Jerry L. Johnson currently serves as a principal partner for Heffler, Radetick & Saitta, LLP, a certified public accounting and consulting firm.  He is also the founder and co-chairman of ESmith Legacy, Inc. and chairman of Auxum Partners, LLC, positions he has held since 2007 and 2000 respectively.  From 2002 to 2006, Mr. Johnson served as the President of eMoney Advisory, Inc.  Prior to joining eMoney, he was an Executive Vice President at Safeguard Scientifics, Inc., a position he held from 1995 to 2002.  He currently serves on the boards of Bryn Mawr Trust Company, Savanna Inc., Coriell Institute, Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education and the Union League of Philadelphia. He previously served as Vice Chairman of PWRT Services, Inc.  In 2010, Mr. Johnson was awarded the Distinguished Community Leadership Award from Operation Understanding. He was previously named by Black Enterprise Magazine as one of the Top 40 Most Powerful Executives in Corporate America.  Mr. Johnson holds a B.S. in Education from Truman University, a M.S. in Management from Massachusetts Institute Technology, and a M.A. in counseling and guidance from Northern Illinois University. 

Dr. Jacob Lozada, Appointee for Member, Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health
Dr. Jacob Lozada currently serves as Member of the Board of Directors of the American Association of Retired Persons, the National Medical Music Group, the Budget Committee of Andrews Federal Credit Union, and he is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.  Dr. Lozada previously served as a Senior Advisor for Diversity Strategies at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), where he managed the Interagency Task Force on Hispanic Employment from 2003 to 2005.  Prior to his work at OPM, Dr. Lozada was the Assistant Secretary of Human Resources and Administration at the Department of Veterans Affairs from 2001 to 2003.  He was awarded the VA Exceptional Service Award and LULAC’s Presidential Citation Award for his extraordinary service.  He has also worked as a Principal at Booz Allen & Hamilton’s Healthcare Practice, a Consultant at Electronic Data Systems, an Adjunct Assistant Professor at The George Washington University, Principal at the Council for Excellence in Government, and a Colonel for the U.S. Army Medical Department.  Dr. Lozada holds a B.A. in Science from the University of Puerto Rico, an M.A. in Health Administration from Baylor University and a Ph.D. in Education from Walden University.

Dr. Dean Ornish, Appointee for Member, Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health
Dr. Dean Ornish is the founder and president of the non-profit Preventive Medicine Research Institute and Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, positions he has held since 1995.  Dr. Ornish is the author of six books, including The Spectrum.  He serves on the board of directors for a number of non-profits, including the San Francisco Food Bank, and was previously appointed to the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy during the Clinton Administration.  During his career, Dr. Ornish has received numerous awards and honors, including being selected as a “National Public Health Hero” by the University of California, Berkeley, “one of the 125 most extraordinary University of Texas alumni in the past 125 years,” “one of the fifty most influential members of his generation” by LIFE magazine, and one of the “TIME 100” in integrative medicine.  He was a Clinical Fellow in Medicine at Harvard Medical School and completed his residency in internal medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital from 1981 to 1984.  Dr. Ornish received a B.A. in Humanities from the University of Texas in Austin in 1975 and his M.D. in 1980 from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Dr. Herminia PalacioAppointee for  Member, Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health
Dr. Herminia Palacio currently serves as the Executive Director of Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services, a local health department assisting approximately 2 million people.  Dr. Palacio is also an adjunct faculty member of the Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Texas School of Public Health.  Dr. Palacio previously served as Special Policy Advisor to the Director for the San Francisco Department of Public Health; and before that, she worked as an attending physician in various departments of San Francisco General Hospital. She has served on the advisory committee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Preparedness and Emergency Response Research Center at UC Berkeley, the CDC Advisory Committee to the Director, and the Institute of Medicine’s Committee on Prepositioned Medical Countermeasures for the Public.  Dr. Palacio has served on the Boards of the National Association of County and City Health Officials, the Leland National Urban Air Toxics Research Center, the Texas Association of Local Health Officials, and the Harris County Healthcare Alliance.  She was awarded the Excellence in Health Administration Award by the American Public Health Association in 2007.  Dr. Palacio received her M.D. from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, her M.P.H. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health and her B.A. from Barnard College, Columbia University.

Kent A. Salazar, Appointee for Member, Board of Directors of the Valles Caldera Trust
Kent A. Salazar has owned and run Kent Salazar Co., a small business focused on environmental consulting, since 2002.  Additionally, Mr. Salazar is serving his second term as a regional director for the National Wildlife Federation Board.  In the past he has been appointed by the New Mexico Congressional Delegation and State Governors to represent New Mexico on several environmental and conservation task forces and commissions, including the New Mexico State Game and Fish commission.  After serving as a division manager for twenty years, Mr. Salazar retired from the City of Albuquerque Environmental Health Department in 1996.  He has a B.S. in Biology from the University of New Mexico.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 02, 2011

White House Launches 2011 Campus "Champions of Change" Challenge

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the White House announced the launch of the 2011 Campus “Champions of Change” Challenge.   The Challenge invites college and university students from across the country to demonstrate how their student-led project is improving their campus community and helping America win the future. In the spring of 2012, the challenge will announce the five Campus “Champions of Change” and host a culminating event at the White House.  The Challenge finalists, in addition to the concluding event, will be highlighted by mtvU and MTV Act.

“All Across America, college and university students are helping our country out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world,” said President Obama.  “I hope this challenge shines a light on their efforts, and inspires Americans of all ages to get involved in their communities.”

“We know that students are a powerful engine for social change,” said Stephen Friedman, President of MTV.  “We’re proud to partner with the White House to give students a national platform to spotlight the incredible work they’re doing to inspire change in communities, and in our country.”
In order to participate in the competition, students are asked to submit an online application at www.WhiteHouse.gov/CampusChallenge.  The application consists of three essay questions, and optional video/photos that demonstrate how their project created a solution that improved their campus or local community.  The deadline to submit applications is Friday, December 9, 2011 at 11:59 pm EST.   Following the application deadline, the White House will select 15 finalists based on input from a panel of judges. The public will then have an opportunity to weigh in on the projects they think best embody the President’s goal to win the future.  The top five finalists will be named Campus Champions of Change.

In addition to being invited to the White House for a culminating event, these five Campus Champions of Change will have the opportunity to work with mtvU, and MTV Act to create short features about their projects that will air on mtvU and be featured on MTV.com.  The winning team will also host an episode of mtvU’s signature program, “The Dean’s List”.  mtvU is MTV’s 24-hour college network, reaching upwards of 9 million U.S. college students on 750 college campuses, and MTV Act celebrates young people making an impact on the big issues facing their generation.

The Champions of Change program was created as a part of President Obama’s Winning the Future initiative. Each week, a different issue is highlighted and groups of Champions, ranging from educators to entrepreneurs to community activists, are recognized for the work they are doing to better their communities.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 02, 2011

President Obama Urges Congress to Put Construction Workers Back on the Job

We Can’t Wait: Common-sense steps to expedite transportation projects

WASHINGTON -- Today, President Obama will deliver remarks in front of Washington, D.C.’s Key Bridge and urge Congress to pass the transportation piece of the American Jobs Act, which will make an immediate investment of $50 billion in our nation’s transportation infrastructure and a $10 billion investment to create a bipartisan National Infrastructure Bank.  Together, these initiatives will put hundreds of thousands of construction workers back on the job rebuilding our roads, rails, and runways.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration, the Key Bridge is in need of crucial repairs and maintenance work.  In order to ensure the Key Bridge remains both safe and functional well into the future, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) proposed a $20 million project to rehabilitate and repair critical portions of the bridge.  However, the city is deferring this maintenance to 2015 due to a lack of funds.  If Congress passes this bill, DDOT could make these critical repairs more quickly and put Americans back to work as early as 2013.

“Construction workers have been among the Americans hit hardest over the past few years. And that makes no sense when there's so much of America that needs rebuilding. This week, Congress has the chance to do something about it and pass a bill that will put hundreds of thousands of construction workers back to work rebuilding our roads, bridges, airports and transit systems. It's a bill that includes the kinds of ideas both parties have voted for in the past, it's paid for, and its ideas are supported by an overwhelming majority of the American people. It’s time for Congress to act,” said President Obama.

Today, the White House released a report to highlight the importance of rebuilding our roads, bridges, railways, and airports across the nation. The report states, “In order to meet the needs of a growing economy, there is an ongoing need for new investments to maintain, upgrade, and expand the nation’s stock of transportation infrastructure.” Today’s report highlights projects from Arizona, D.C., Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia.

Today, the Administration also announced several common-sense steps it has taken to improve the process of reviewing and approving transportation projects, help cut red tape, and leverage additional private sector funding in order to promote private sector growth and job creation. These steps include:

  • Directing the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to award $527 million in competitive TIGER grants by the end of 2011 – months ahead of schedule. The TIGER program puts American workers back on the job by helping to rebuild our nation’s roads and bridges, and working on innovative projects like streetcar and light rail systems. This year, DOT received about 1,000 applications, including at least one from every state.
  • Directing DOT to shorten the application process for the 2012 round of TIFIA funding, which will accelerate projects and put workers back on the job more quickly. TIFIA provides up to one-third of the financing needed for bridge, tunnel, toll, transit, and other large-scale transportation projects.  That means the annual funding level of $110 million in TIFIA funds can support projects totaling up to $3 billion in construction.
  • Establishing a Transportation Rapid Response Team to expedite reviews of surface transportation projects. Co-chaired by the Council on Environmental Quality and the U.S. Department of Transportation, the team will identify and implement best practices to improve the transparency, efficiency and effectiveness of environmental review and permit decisions for transportation projects, protecting public health and putting Americans back to work.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 01, 2011

President Obama Signs New Hampshire Emergency Declaration

The President today declared an emergency exists in the State of New Hampshire and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from a severe storm during the period of October 29-30, 2011.

The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in all 10 counties in the State of New Hampshire.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency.  Emergency protective measures, limited to direct federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent federal funding.

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT:  FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@DHS.GOV

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 01, 2011

President Obama Signs Massachusetts Emergency Declaration

The President today declared an emergency exists in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and ordered federal aid to supplement commonwealth and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from a severe storm during the period of October 29-30, 2011.

The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the counties of Berkshire, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Norfolk, and Worcester.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency.  Emergency protective measures, limited to direct federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent federal funding. 

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT:  FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@DHS.GOV

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 01, 2011

Presidential Nominations and Withdrawl Sent to the Senate

NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE:

Rebecca M. Blank, of Maryland, to be Deputy Secretary of Commerce, vice Dennis F. Hightower, resigned.

Thomas Hoenig, of Missouri, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation for a term of six years, vice Thomas J. Curry, term expired.

Ajit Varadaraj Pai, of Kansas, to be a Member of the Federal Communications Commission for a term of five years from July 1, 2011, vice Meredith Attwell Baker, term expired.

Larry Leon Palmer, of Georgia, 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 Barbados, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Coral Wong Pietsch, of Hawaii, to be a Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims for the term of fifteen years, vice William P. Greene, Jr., retired.

Jessica Rosenworcel, of Connecticut, to be a Member of the Federal Communications Commission for a term of five years from July 1, 2010, vice Michael Joseph Copps, term expired.

Michael A. Sheehan, of New Jersey, to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense, vice Michael G. Vickers.

WITHDRAWAL SENT TO THE SENATE:

Thomas Hoenig, of Missouri, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation for a term expiring December 12, 2015, vice Thomas J. Curry, term expired, which was sent to the Senate on October 20, 2011.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 01, 2011

Statement by the Press Secretary on the President's Trip to France

Yesterday at midnight, NATO’s Operation Unified Protector concluded after seven months of a successful effort to protect the Libyan people and support them as they won their freedom. Following the G-20 Summit, on November 4 the President and President Sarkozy of France will participate in a ceremony in Cannes to honor the alliance between the United States and France. At this ceremony, the two Presidents will meet with American and French service members who served together in Operation Unified Protector.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 01, 2011

President Obama to Sign Proclamation Designating Fort Monroe a National Monument

Analysts Say Fort Monroe Reuse Plan Will Help Create Nearly 3,000 Jobs

President Obama today will sign a Proclamation to designate Fort Monroe a National Monument under the Antiquities Act. Until recently, Fort Monroe was the third-oldest Army post in continuous active service, and is integral to the history of slavery, the Civil War, and the U.S. military. Today’s announcement is part of a series of executive actions to put Americans back to work and strengthen the economy.

“Fort Monroe has played a part in some of the darkest and some of the most heroic moments in American history. But today isn’t just about preserving a national landmark- it’s about helping to create jobs and grow the local economy. Steps like these won’t replace the bold action we need from Congress to get our economy moving and strengthen middle-class families, but they will make a difference,” President Obama said.

“With the strong support of the people of Virginia, from the congressional delegation to Governor McDonnell to Mayor Ward and the citizens of Hampton, President Obama has ensured that this historic fort, a symbol of the long struggle for freedom for African Americans, will be preserved as a national park for generations to come,” Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said.

First exercised by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 to designate Devil's Tower in Wyoming as the first national monument, the Antiquities Act has been used by 14 presidents since 1906 to protect some of the most unique natural and historic features in America, such as the Grand Canyon, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Today marks the first time President Obama has used this authority under the Antiquities Act

According to an economic analysis commissioned by the Fort Monroe Authority in 2009, the implementation of the Fort Monroe Reuse Plan - the centerpiece of which envisions the preservation of the majority of buildings located within the 570-acre National Historic Landmark District as well as significant landscapes and viewsheds – will help create nearly 3,000 jobs in Virginia.

Fort Monroe, a historic fort in Virginia’s Tidewater region, played a pivotal role in the history of slavery in the United States. Built between 1819 and 1834, Fort Monroe has occupied a strategic coastal defensive position since the earliest days of the Virginia Colony. It was the place where Dutch traders first brought enslaved Africans in 1619. During the Civil War, the fort remained in Union possession and became a place for escaped slaves to find refuge. Fort Monroe was the site of General Benjamin Butler’s “Contraband Decision” in 1861, which provided a pathway to freedom for thousands of enslaved people during the Civil War and served as a forerunner of President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of 1863.

According to the National Parks and Conservation Association study in 2006 each federal dollar invested in national parks generates at least four dollars of economic value to the public. National parks are responsible for $13.3 billion dollars of local, private-sector economic activity nationwide, supporting 267,000 private-sector jobs. There are currently 21 national park units located in Virginia; Fort Monroe would be the 22nd and the 396th nationwide.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
October 31, 2011

Statement by the Press Secretary on the United States-European Union Summit

President Obama will welcome the leaders of the European Union to a summit in Washington, D.C., on November 28th.  The President looks forward to meeting with European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, and High Representative Catherine Ashton at the White House to discuss a broad range of issues of mutual concern, including the global economy; our efforts to strengthen economic ties and growth; our joint work to support democracy and prosperity in the European neighborhood, across the Middle East and North Africa, and in other regions; our continuing coordination on Iran; and our commitment to improved transatlantic law enforcement and counterterrorism cooperation.  The European Union and the United States enjoy strong relations and partner together around the world to advance shared interests and values.  The most recent United States-European Union Summit was held in Lisbon, Portugal on November 20, 2010.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
October 31, 2011

Presidential Withdrawl Sent to the Senate

WITHDRAWAL SENT TO THE SENATE:

Charles Bernard Day, of Maryland, to be United States District Judge for the District of Maryland, vice Peter J. Messitte, retired, which was sent to the Senate on January 5, 2011.