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:

·         Jay N. Lerner – Inspector General, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

·         Azita Raji – Ambassador to the Kingdom of Sweden, Department of State

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

·         Michael Feuer – Member, Board of Directors of the National Board for Education Sciences

·         Herbert Block – Member, Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad

·         Richard H. Weisberg – Member, Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad

·         Gary P. Zola – Member, Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad

President Obama said, “These fine public servants bring a depth of experience and tremendous dedication to their important roles.  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:

Jay N. Lerner, Nominee for Inspector General, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

Jay N. Lerner currently serves as Chief of Staff and Senior Counsel in the Office of the Inspector General at the Department of Justice (DOJ), a position he has held since 2011.  He served as Assistant Chief in the Fraud Section of the Criminal Division at DOJ from 2008 to 2011.  Before rejoining DOJ, Mr. Lerner held various positions at the Department of Homeland Security from 2004 to 2008, including Deputy Chief Counsel in the Transportation Security Administration, Chief Counsel for Security in the Office of the General Counsel, and Associate General Counsel for Strategic Oversight and Review.  From 1992 to 2002, Mr. Lerner held several positions within the Criminal Division at DOJ.  From 2001 to 2002, he was Counsel for Multilateral Affairs in the Office of International Affairs, and from 1997 to 2001 he served as a Special Assistant to the Assistant Attorney General.  From 1994 to 1997, Mr. Lerner was a Trial Attorney in the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, and from 1992 to 1994, he was a Trial Attorney in the Money Laundering Section.  Mr. Lerner taught criminal law and law enforcement courses at The George Washington University between 1995 and 2002.  He received a B.S. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Azita Raji, Nominee for Ambassador to the Kingdom of Sweden, Department of State

Azita Raji is a Member of the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships, a position she has held since 2013.  Ms. Raji is engaged in various leadership roles with several civic and non-profit institutions in New York and the District of Columbia.  She has served as a Commissioner of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery since 2014.  Since 2013, Ms. Raji has served as a Director of the National Partnership for Women and Families, a Member of the Bretton Woods Committee, and an Advisory Board Member of the Economic Advisory Council at the Center for American Progress.  In addition, she has been an Advisory Board Member of the Columbia Business School Social Enterprise Program since 2011, and a Trustee and Executive Committee Member of Barnard College at Columbia University since 2010.  Ms. Raji was also a Founding Co-chair and Advisory Board Member of Athena Center for Leadership Studies at Barnard College from 2009 to 2013.  A former investment banker and a Member of the Institute for Chartered Financial Analysts since 1991, she held senior positions at several firms, including J.P. Morgan Securities.  She was National Finance Vice-Chair for Obama for America in 2012.  Ms. Raji received a B.A. from Barnard College, Columbia University and an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School.

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

Dr. Michael Feuer, Appointee for Member, Board of Directors of the National Board for Education Sciences

Dr. Michael Feuer is currently the Dean of the Graduate School of Education and Human Development and Professor of Education Policy at The George Washington University, positions he has held since 2010.  From 1993 to 2010, Dr. Feuer held a number of positions at the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences, including Executive Director of the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education from 2002 to 2010, Director of the Center for Education from 1999 to 2002, and the Director of the Board on Testing and Assessment from 1993 to 1999.   Dr. Feuer was a Senior Analyst and Project Director at the U.S. Congress Office of Technology Assessment from 1986 to 1993.  He was a faculty member at Drexel University from 1981 to 1988, and a senior researcher at the University of Pennsylvania’s Higher Education Finance Research Institute from 1980 to 1981.  Since 2013, he has served as the President of the National Academy of Education. Dr. Feuer received a B.A. from Queens College, and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. 

Herbert Block, Appointee for Member, Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad

Herbert Block is Assistant Executive Vice-President of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, a position he has held since 1999.  He was first appointed to the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad in 2011.  Previously, he served as Assistant Director for Intergovernmental and Public Affairs for the New York City Independent Budget Office from 1996 to 1999, and was Deputy Director for Intergovernmental Relations at the Corporation for National and Community Service from 1994 to 1995.  Mr. Block was Assistant to the Mayor of the City of New York from 1990 to 1993 and a Special Assistant to the Manhattan Borough President from 1986 to 1989.  He is a member of the Board of Directors of the World Jewish Restitution Organization.  Mr. Block received a B.A. from Columbia University and a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School.

Dr. Richard H. Weisberg, Appointee for Member, Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad

Dr. Richard H. Weisberg is the Floersheimer Professor of Constitutional Law at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University, a position he has held since 1976.  He was first appointed to the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad in 2011.   Dr. Weisberg began his academic career as Assistant Professor of French and Comparative Literature at The University of Chicago in 1970 and is currently a Visiting Professor of Law.  He is the founding and current president of the Law & Humanities Institute and founding and general editor of a periodical, Law and Literature.  Dr. Weisberg is a recipient of Guggenheim and Rockefeller Foundation fellowships.  In 2009, he was awarded the Legion of Honor by the French government for his work to provide restitution from France to victims of the wartime Vichy regime.  Dr. Weisberg received a B.A from Brandeis University, a J.D. from Columbia Law School, and a Ph.D. from Cornell University.

Dr. Gary P. Zola, Appointee for Member, Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad

Dr. Gary P. Zola is the Executive Director of The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives.  He also serves as Professor of the American Jewish Experience at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Dr. Zola was first appointed to the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad in 2011.  He is a member of the Organization of American Historians, the American Historical Association, and the Academic Council of the American Jewish Historical Society.  From 2002 to 2005, he was Chair of the Commission for Commemorating 350 Years of American Jewish History and from 2006 to 2010, he was a member of the Advisory Committee of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.  Dr. Zola received a B.A. from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, an M.A. from Northwestern University, and an M.A., Rabbinic Ordination, M.Phil., and Ph.D. from the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion.