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:

• John R. Bass – Ambassador to the Republic of Turkey, Department of State
• Leslie Ann Bassett – Ambassador to the Republic of Paraguay, Department of State
• Allan P. Mustard – Ambassador to Turkmenistan, Department of State
• Todd D. Robinson – Ambassador to the Republic of Guatemala, Department of State

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

• Maurice Obstfeld – Member, Council of Economic Advisers
• Shefali Razdan Duggal – Member, United States Holocaust Memorial Council

President Obama said, “The extraordinary dedication these men and women bring to their new roles will greatly serve the American people.  I am grateful they have agreed to serve in this Administration and 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 John R. Bass, Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Turkey, Department of State
Ambassador John R. Bass, a career member of the Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, is the Executive Secretary of the Department of State, a position he has held since 2012.  Previously, he served as the U.S. Ambassador to Georgia from 2009 to 2012, the Leader of the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Baghdad, Iraq from 2008 to 2009, and the Director of the Operations Center at the Department of State from 2005 to 2008.  He served as a Special Advisor to the Vice President from 2004 to 2005, and from 2002 to 2004 he was a Labor Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Rome, Italy. Ambassador Bass served as Chief of Staff and Special Assistant in the Office of the Deputy Secretary at the Department of State from 1998 to 2001.  Before that, he was a NATO Desk Officer and Desk Officer for Belgium and the Netherlands in the Bureau of European Affairs.  He served in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research and his overseas assignments include serving at the U.S. Missions in Brussels, Belgium; Antwerp, Belgium; and Ndjamena, Chad. Ambassador Bass received an A.B. from Syracuse University. 

Leslie Ann Bassett, Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Paraguay, Department of State
Leslie Ann Bassett, a career member of the Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, is Deputy Chief of Mission in Seoul, Korea, a position she has held since 2012.  Previously, Ms. Bassett served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines from 2009 to 2012 and at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, Mexico from 2006 to 2009.  She served as Political Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City from 2004 to 2006, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Gaborone, Botswana from 2001 to 2004, and Counselor for Political-Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia from 1999 to 2001.  Ms. Bassett served as Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs from 1997 to 1999, and as Legislative Management Officer in the Bureau of Legislative Affairs from 1996 to 1997 at the Department of State.  Her overseas assignments include working at the U.S. Missions in Tel Aviv, Israel; San Salvador, El Salvador; Durban, South Africa; and Managua, Nicaragua.  In Washington, she was a Desk Officer in the Bureau of African Affairs and a Staff Assistant in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the Department of State.  Ms. Bassett received a B.A. from the University of California, Davis, an M.A. from The Johns Hopkins University, and an M.S. from the National War College.

Allan P. Mustard, Nominee for Ambassador to Turkmenistan, Department of State
Allan P. Mustard, a career member of the Foreign Agricultural Service, Class of Career Minister, currently serves as Agricultural Minister-Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India, a position he has held since 2011.  Previously, he served as Agricultural Minister-Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, Mexico from 2008 to 2011, and Agricultural Minister-Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Russia from 2003 to 2008.  Mr. Mustard served as a Fellow at the Senior Seminar in Foreign Relations at the Department of State from 2002 to 2003, Assistant Deputy Administrator for Foreign Agricultural Affairs at the Foreign Agricultural Service from 2000 to 2002, and Agricultural Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Vienna, Austria from 1996 to 2000.  In addition, he served as Deputy Director of the Emerging Democracies Office of the Foreign Agricultural Service from 1992 to 1996, Deputy Coordinator for the Eastern Europe and Soviet Secretariat of the Foreign Agricultural Service from 1990 to 1992, and Agricultural Trade Officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul, Turkey from 1988 to 1990.  He was the Assistant Agricultural Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, USSR from 1986 to 1988, and Agricultural Economist at the Foreign Agricultural Service from 1982 to 1986.  Mr. Mustard received an A.S. from Grays Harbor College, a B.A. from the University of Washington and an M.S. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Todd D. Robinson, Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Guatemala, Department of State
Todd D. Robinson, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, currently serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement at the Department of State, a position he has held since 2011.  Previously, Mr. Robinson served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala City, Guatemala from 2009 to 2011, Principal Officer and Consul General at the U.S. Consulate General in Barcelona, Spain from 2006 to 2009, and Political and Economic Chief at the U.S. Embassy in Tirana, Albania from 2004 to 2006.  Before that, he was a Political Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic from 2000 to 2003.  Mr. Robinson served as Special Assistant to the Secretary of State from 1999 to 2000, and a Political Officer at the U.S. Embassy in La Paz, Bolivia from 1997 to 1999.  Mr. Robinson was a Political Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Vatican City, Holy See from 1995 to 1997, Staff Assistant to the Ambassador at the U.S. Embassy in Rome, Italy from 1993 to 1995, and a Secretariat Staff Support Officer in the Department of State’s Office of the Executive Secretariat Support from 1992 to 1993.  Other positions he held with the Department of State include those of Watch Officer in the Operations Center, Political Officer at U.S. Embassy in San Salvador, El Salvador, and Consular Officer at U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia.  Mr. Robinson received a B.A. from Georgetown University.

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

Dr. Maurice Obstfeld, Appointee for Member, Council of Economic Advisers
Dr. Maurice Obstfeld is currently a Professor of Economics at the University of California, Berkeley, where he has taught since 1989.  He previously served as Chair of the Economics Department for three years.  He was a Visiting Professor of Economics at Harvard University from 1989 to 1991.  From 1986 to 1989, Dr. Obstfeld was a Professor of Economics at the University of Pennsylvania.  Earlier in his career, Dr. Obstfeld held various positions at Columbia University, including Professor of Economics from 1985 to 1986, Associate Professor from 1981 to 1985, and Assistant Professor of Economics from 1979 to 1981.  He has served on the Editorial Board of the IMF Economic Review since 2010 and on the Editorial Board of the American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics since 2007.  Dr. Obstfeld received a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, an M.A. from King’s College, University of Cambridge, and a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Shefali Razdan Duggal, Appointee for Member, United States Holocaust Memorial Council
Shefali Razdan Duggal is a political activist.  She is a member of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) National Finance Committee and is the DNC National Co-Chair for the Women’s Leadership Forum.  Previously, she was a member of the 2012 Obama for America National Finance Committee, a Co-Chair for Obama Victory Trustees, and a member of the Northern California Finance Committee.  Ms. Razdan Duggal was a Political Analyst for the Staton and Hughes Strategy Firm from April to November 2001.  She is a member of the National Board of Directors for EMILY’s List, the Human Rights Watch California Committee North, and the National Advisory Board of Doctors for America.  Ms. Razdan Duggal received a B.S. from Miami University of Ohio and an M.A. from New York University.