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:

•          Michael A. Strautmanis – Member, President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities
•          Lorna M. Johnson – Member, Advisory Committee on the Arts for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
•          Lisa M. Caputo – Member, J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board
•          Elizabeth B. Castor – Member, J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board

President Obama said, “I am honored that these talented individuals have decided to serve our country.  They bring their years of experience and expertise to this Administration, and I look forward to working with them in the months and years to come.”

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

Michael A. Strautmanis, Appointee for Member, President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities

Michael A. Strautmanis is Vice President of Strategic Programs for Corporate Citizenship at the Walt Disney Company.  Mr. Strautmanis previously served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Counselor for Strategic Engagement at the White House from 2011 to 2013.  Mr. Strautmanis was also Chief of Staff for the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs at the White House from 2009 to 2011.  He was Senior Counsel for Obama for America from 2007 to 2009 and previously served as Chief Counsel and Deputy Chief of Staff for then-Senator Obama.  Earlier in his career, Mr. Strautmanis served as Chief of Staff to the General Counsel at the U.S. Agency for International Development from 1998 to 2000.  He began his career practicing complex litigation and employment law at Sidley Austin in Chicago.  Mr. Strautmanis received a B.S. from the University of Illinois and a J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law.

Lorna M. Johnson, Appointee for Member, Advisory Committee on the Arts for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Lorna M. Johnson is Administrative Director and Chief Financial Officer of Advanced Family Care Medical Group, which she founded in 1995. She has been a Certified Nurse Midwife and Nurse Practitioner since 1995 and has practiced at Advanced Family Care Medical Group since 1995.  She also practiced at the California Hospital Medical Center from 1995 to 1997, the Daniel Freeman Memorial Hospital in 1995, and the Van Ness Manchester Women’s Clinic from 1995 to 1996.  Ms. Johnson was a Lecturer and Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles from 1995 to 2000 and was named Honorary Consul for Jamaica in California in 2011.  Ms. Johnson is the Founder of a non-profit, Compassion for Teen Life.  She was a member of the National Finance Committee for the Obama for America campaign in 2012.  Ms. Johnson received a B.S. from the University of La Verne and an M.S. from the University of Southern California.

Lisa M. Caputo, Appointee for Member, J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board

Lisa M. Caputo is Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for The Travelers Companies, Inc., positions she has held since 2011.  She was first appointed to the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board in 2010.  Ms. Caputo held several executive positions at Citigroup from 2000 to 2011, including Executive Vice President of Global Marketing and Corporate Affairs and Chief Marketing Officer.  In addition, Citigroup created a membership business, Women & Co., which she led as Chair and CEO from 2000 to 2010.  She held senior executive marketing and communications positions with The Walt Disney Company from 1998 to 1999 and the CBS Corporation from 1996 to 1998.  Prior to her business career, from 1993 to 1996, she served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Press Secretary to the First Lady at the White House.  Ms. Caputo is a member of the Board of Directors of Best Buy Co., Inc., The Sesame Workshop, WNET Channel 13, and New Visions for Public Schools.  Ms. Caputo received a B.A. from Brown University and an M.A. in Journalism from Northwestern University.

Elizabeth B. Castor, Appointee for Member, J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board

Elizabeth B. Castor is the former President of the University of South Florida (USF), a position she held from 1994 to 1999.  She was first appointed to the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board in 2011 and was elected Vice Chair in 2014.  From 1986 to 1994, she was the Florida Commissioner of Education and the first woman ever elected to the Florida cabinet.  She served as a Florida State Senator after being elected in 1976, then again in 1982 and 1984.  Ms. Castor has held various leadership positions in education, most recently as the Executive Director of the Patel Center for Global Solutions at USF.  She is a member of the Tampa Bay Committee on Foreign Relations and the Society of International Business Fellows.  Ms. Castor received a B.A. from Rowan University and an M.Ed. from the University of Miami.

Readout of the Vice President's Call with President Rousseff of Brazil

The Vice President called President Dilma Rousseff this morning to congratulate her on her re-election. The two reaffirmed the importance of the bilateral relationship and agreed to work together to advance U.S.-Brazil cooperation. The Vice President noted the importance of the growing global partnership between our two countries, as well as the close bonds between the American and Brazilian people. He also told President Rousseff he looked forward to meeting with her again soon to engage on a broad agenda.

President Obama Signs Arizona Disaster Declaration

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Arizona and ordered federal aid to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the area affected by severe storms and flooding during the period of September 7-9, 2014.

Federal funding is available to state, tribal, 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 and flooding in the counties of La Paz and Maricopa.

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

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. 

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.

Statement by NSC Spokesperson Bernadette Meehan on National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice’s Meeting with UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura

National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice met today with the United Nations’ Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura.  Mr. de Mistura updated Ambassador Rice on his recent regional consultations related to seeking a resolution to the Syria conflict and expanded on his October 30 briefing to the UN Security Council.  Ambassador Rice emphasized the United States’ support for a political solution to Syria’s civil war.

Ambassador Rice underscored the United States’ commitment to increasing support for the moderate Syrian opposition, including through a train and equip program.  She thanked Mr. de Mistura for the renewed energy he has brought to international efforts to bring an end to the war in Syria and discussed measures that the United States and other partners could take to support his efforts.  Ambassador Rice also stressed the United States’ continued commitment to providing humanitarian assistance to those affected by the conflict.