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:

• Avril D. Haines – Legal Adviser, Department of State
• Andrea Levere – Member, Board of Directors of the National Consumer Cooperative Bank

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

• Brian Kamoie – Assistant Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency for Grant Programs, Department of Homeland Security
• Jim W. Balsiger – United States Commissioner, United States Section of the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission
• Gary T. Smith – United States Commissioner, United States Section of the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission

President Obama said, “I am proud to nominate such impressive men and women to these important roles, and I am grateful they have agreed to lend their considerable talents to this Administration.  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:

Avril D. Haines, Nominee for Legal Adviser, Department of State
Avril D. Haines is Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Counsel to the President for National Security Affairs at the White House.  Prior to joining the White House Counsel’s office in 2010, she was Assistant Legal Adviser for Treaty Affairs at the Department of State.  She previously worked in the Office of the Legal Adviser at the Department of State from 2003 to 2006, first in the Office of Treaty Affairs and then in the Office of Political Military Affairs.  From 2007 to 2008, she worked on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations as Deputy Chief Counsel for the Majority.  Ms. Haines clerked for Judge Danny Boggs on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit from 2002 to 2003.  From 2001 to 2002, she was a Legal Officer at The Hague Conference on Private International Law.  She received a B.A. in Physics from the University of Chicago and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

Andrea Levere, Nominee for Member, Board of Directors of the National Consumer Cooperative Bank
Andrea Levere is currently President of the Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED).  Previously, she served as Executive Vice President and Vice President of CFED.  From 1983 to 1992, Ms. Levere was with the National Development Council.  She serves as Chair of Resident Owned Communities USA, and as a founding member of the Morgan Stanley Community Development Advisory Committee.  In 2009, she was appointed to the Bank of America’s National Community Advisory Council.  Ms. Levere received a B.A. from Brown University and an M.B.A. from the Yale School of Management.

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

Brian Kamoie, Appointee for Assistant Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency for Grant Programs, Department of Homeland Security
Brian Kamoie served as the Senior Director for Preparedness Policy on the White House National Security Staff from 2009 to 2013.  He served at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response and Director of the Office of Policy, Strategic Planning & Communications from 2007 to 2009.  Prior to this, he was Special Assistant and Senior Policy Advisor from 2004 to 2006.  Mr. Kamoie taught health policy at The George Washington University from 2001 to 2006.  He practiced health law at Proskauer Rose LLP from 1998 to 2001 and was an adjunct professor at the University of Baltimore Law School from 1997 to 1998.  Earlier in his career, Mr. Kamoie was a management consultant at McManis Associates and a senior associate consultant at McNees, Wallace & Nurick.  He received a B.A. from Dickinson College and a J.D. and M.P.H. from The George Washington University.

Dr. Jim W. Balsiger, Appointee for United States Commissioner, United States Section of the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission
Dr. Jim W. Balsiger is currently Regional Administrator for the Alaska Region of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service, a position he has held since 2000.  From 2008 to 2010, he served as the Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries.  Dr. Balsiger served as the Acting Regional Science and Research Director at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center from 1996 to 2000, where he also served as Deputy Science Director from 1991 to 1995.  Prior to that, he was the Program Leader for the Status of Stocks Task within the Center's Resource Ecology and Fisheries Management Division from 1977 to 1991.  Dr. Balsiger received a B.S. from the Michigan Technological University, an M.S. from Purdue University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Washington.

Gary T. Smith, Appointee for United States Commissioner, United States Section of the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission
Gary T. Smith is a partner at Smith & Stark, a position he has held since 2009.  He has served on the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission since 2006 and is the current Chair of the Finance and Administration Committee.  From 2007 to 2009, he was President of the Gary Smith Company.  In 1990, Mr. Smith co-founded The Gallatin Group where he served as President from 1993 to 2005, and then Chairman from 2005 to 2007.  From 1989 to 1990, he was Director of Policy and Communications for U.S. Senator Slade Gorton.  Mr. Smith was the Manager of Public and Government Relations for Alumax from 1984 to 1988.  He was the Washington State Coordinator for the Northern Tier Pipeline Company from 1978 to 1983.  Prior to this, Mr. Smith held positions in state and local government.  Mr. Smith received a B.A. from the Evergreen State College.