President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

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

• Rear Admiral Gerd F. Glang – Commissioner, Mississippi River Commission
• Lynnae M. Ruttledge – Member, Commission on Long-Term Care
• James J. Zogby – Member, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom 

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 appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:

Rear Admiral Gerd F. Glang, Appointee for Commissioner, Mississippi River Commission

Rear Admiral Gerd F. Glang is Director of the Office of Coast Survey for the National Ocean Service at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).  He has held this position since 2012, and also serves as the U.S. National Hydrographer.  His previous positions at NOAA include Chief of the Hydrographic Surveys Division, Chief of the Hydrographic Systems and Technology Programs, and Northeast Regional Navigation Manager.  He has served as Commanding Officer of the NOAA ships Whiting and Ronald H. Brown.  He was a Commissioned Officer of the United States Air Force from 1984 to 1989.  He has received the Silver Medal and two Bronze Medals from the Department of Commerce, the Air Force Commendation medal, the Coast Guard Commendation medal, and two NOAA Corps Commendation Medals.  Rear Admiral Glang received a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering and a U.S. Coast Guard Deck Officer License from the State University of New York Maritime College.

Lynnae M. Ruttledge, Appointee for Member, Commission on Long-Term Care
Lynnae M. Ruttledge is a disability policy advisor to Daughters of Charity, Technology Research Into Disability, an international research institute.  Ms. Ruttledge was appointed to be a Member of the National Council on Disability in January 2013, and currently serves as Co-Vice Chair. Ms. Ruttledge served as Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration with the U.S. Department of Education from 2010 to 2012.  From 2005 to 2009, she served as Director of the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation with the Washington Department of Social and Health Services.  Previously, Ms. Ruttledge held various positions at the Oregon Department of Human Services from 1986 to 2005, starting in the mental health division and ultimately serving as a member of the executive leadership team with the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Services.  She began her career as a public school teacher in Michigan.  In 2007, she received the Washington Governor’s Award for Leadership in Management.  Ms. Ruttledge received a B.S. from Northern Michigan University.

Dr. James J. Zogby, Appointee for Member, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom

Dr. James J. Zogby is President of the Arab American Institute, which he founded in 1985.  He is also Managing Director of Zogby Research Services, and a Visiting Professor of Social Research and Public Polling at New York University in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.  In 1982, he co-founded Save Lebanon, Inc., a non-profit relief organization which funds social welfare projects in Lebanon.  Earlier in his career, Dr. Zogby co-founded the Palestine Human Rights Campaign and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.  He is the current Chairman of the Editorial Advisory Committee for SkyNewsArabia News.  He has hosted various television programs, including A Capital View on MBC from 1993 to 2001, and Viewpoint with James Zogby on Abu Dhabi Television from 2001 to 2011.  His column, “Washington Watch,” is currently published in 14 Arab and South Asian countries.  He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.  Dr. Zogby received a B.A. from Le Moyne College and a Ph.D. in Comparative Religions from Temple University.