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:

• Robert Stephen Beecroft – Ambassador to the Arab Republic of Egypt, Department of State
• Stuart E. Jones – Ambassador to the Republic of Iraq, Department of State
• Lisa Mensah – Under Secretary for Rural Development, Department of Agriculture

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

• Rick Spinrad – Chief Scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

President Obama said, “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 to come.”

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

Ambassador Robert Stephen Beecroft, Nominee for Ambassador to the Arab Republic of Egypt, Department of State

Ambassador Robert Stephen Beecroft, a career member of the Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, is currently the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Iraq, a position he has held since 2012.  He was Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy in Baghdad from 2011 to 2012 and the U.S. Ambassador to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan from 2008 to 2011.  From 2004 to 2008, he served as the Executive Assistant to two Secretaries of State, and he was a Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of State from 2003 to 2004.  Ambassador Beecroft served in the Office of Northern Gulf Affairs from 2000 to 2003 and as a Staff Officer and Operations Officer in the Secretariat of the Secretary of State from 1998 to 2000.  He worked as a consular and political officer in Riyadh from 1996 to 1998 and in Damascus from 1994 to 1996.  Previously, Ambassador Beecroft practiced law in the San Francisco office of Graham & Jones.  Ambassador Beecroft received a B.A. from Brigham Young University and a J.D. from the University of California at Berkeley.

Ambassador Stuart E. Jones, Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Iraq, Department of State

Ambassador Stuart E. Jones, a career member of the Foreign Service, Class of Career Minister, is currently the U.S. Ambassador to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, a position he has held since 2011.  Ambassador Jones previously served in Iraq as Deputy Chief of Mission in Baghdad from 2010 to 2011 and as Governorate Coordinator for Al Anbar Province in 2004.  He was Director for Iraq on the National Security Council staff from 2004 to 2005.  Ambassador Jones served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs at the Department of State from 2008 to 2010.  Prior to this, he was Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, Egypt from 2005 to 2008.  Ambassador Jones served as Political Counselor in Ankara, Turkey from 2000 to 2002, and Principal Officer in Adana, Turkey from 1997 to 2000.  He served as Legal Advisor at the U.S. Embassy in San Salvador, El Salvador from 1990 to 1992 and as Consular Officer in Bogota, Colombia from 1988 to 1989.  At the Department of State, he served as Deputy Director for European Regional Political Military Affairs and as Desk Officer for Serbia.  Ambassador Jones also was the Executive Assistant to the Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations from 1994 to 1996.  He received an A.B. from Duke University and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. 

Lisa Mensah, Nominee for Under Secretary for Rural Development, Department of Agriculture
Lisa Mensah is currently Executive Director of the Initiative on Financial Security at the Aspen Institute, a position she has held since December 2002.  Prior to this position, Ms. Mensah worked at the Ford Foundation in a variety of roles, including Deputy Director of the Economic Development Unit from 1996 to 2002, Deputy Director of the Rural Poverty and Resources Program from 1991 to 1996, and Program Officer from 1989 to 1991.  From 1986 to 1989, Ms. Mensah was a Citibank North America Account Officer in the Corporate Finance Analysis Division and Assistant Manager in the Europe/Middle East/Africa Banking Group.  She was an economics teacher and Assistant to the Directors of the Governor’s School of New Jersey on Public Issues from 1985 to 1986.  Ms. Mensah received a B.A. from Harvard University and an M.A. from The Johns Hopkins University.

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

Dr. Rick Spinrad, Appointee for Chief Scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Dr. Rick Spinrad is the Vice President for Research at Oregon State University, a position he has held since 2010.  Previously, Dr. Spinrad served as Assistant Administrator for Research from 2005 to 2010 and Assistant Administrator for Oceanic Services and Coastal Zone Management from 2003 to 2005 in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration at the Department of Commerce.  From 1987 to 2003, Dr. Spinrad held various positions in the United States Navy, including Technical Director for the Oceanographer of the Navy.  He served as an adjunct professor at both George Mason University and the U.S. Naval Academy.  Dr. Spinrad served as the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.  He received a B.A. from The Johns Hopkins University and an M.S. and a Ph.D. from Oregon State University.