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:

• Elizabeth A. Field – Inspector General, Office of Personnel Management
• Tina S. Kaidanow – Assistant Secretary for Political-Military Affairs, Department of State
• Markos Kounalakis – Member, United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy
• Justin H. Siberell – Coordinator for Counterterrorism, with the rank of Ambassador at Large, Department of State
• Claudia Slacik – Member, Board of Directors, Export-Import Bank of the United States
• Gail O’Connor Mellow – Member, National Council on the Humanities
• Dana A. Williams – Member, National Council on the Humanities

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

• Adele Chatfield-Taylor – Member, Cultural Property Advisory Committee, Department of State
• W. Kent Fuchs – Member, National Science Board, National Science Foundation
• Renee M. Johnson – Member, National Council on Federal Labor-Management Relations
• Rami Nashashibi – Member, President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships
• Shannon Keller O'Loughlin – Member, Cultural Property Advisory Committee, Department of State
• Julia M. Phillips – Member, National Science Board, National Science Foundation
• James K. Reap – Member, Cultural Property Advisory Committee, Department of State
• Jeremy Sabloff – Chairman and Member, Cultural Property Advisory Committee, Department of State

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.” 

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

Elizabeth A. Field, Nominee for Inspector General, Office of Personnel Management   
Elizabeth A. Field is a Senior Advisor in the Office of the Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights at the Department of State, a position she has held since 2014.  From 2010 to 2014, Ms. Field served in multiple positions in the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, including as Assistant Inspector General for Audits and Inspections from 2013 to 2014, Chief of Staff from 2011 to 2013, and Senior Audit Manager from 2010 to 2011.  Ms. Field was an Inspector in the Management Reviews Division at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in 2010. Additionally, she served at the Government Accountability Office as a Senior Analyst from 2004 to 2010 and as an Analyst from 2002 to 2004.  Ms. Field received a B.A. from Davidson College and an M.P.P. from Duke University. 

Tina S. Kaidanow, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Political-Military Affairs, Department of State  
Tina S. Kaidanow, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, is Principal Deputy Secretary for Political-Military Affairs at the Department of State, a position she has held since 2016.  Ms. Kaidanow previously served as Coordinator for Counterterrorism with the rank of Ambassador at Large from 2014 to 2016 and as Deputy Ambassador at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan from 2012 to 2013.  She worked in the Department of State’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs from 2009 to 2012, serving as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary from 2011 to 2012 and Deputy Assistant Secretary from 2009 to 2011.  From 2006 to 2009, Ms. Kaidanow was Chief of Mission and Principal Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Pristina, Kosovo, becoming the first U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo in July 2008.  She served in Bosnia-Herzegovina as Deputy Chief of Mission from 2003 to 2006.  From 2000 to 2002, she was the Special Assistant for European Affairs to Deputy Secretaries of State Strobe Talbott and Richard Armitage, and from 1999 to 2000, she was Director for Southeast European Affairs on the National Security Council staff.  From 1998 to 1999, she was Special Assistant to the Special Envoy for Kosovo at the U.S. Embassy in Skopje, Macedonia.  She served as a Political Officer in Bosnia-Herzegovina from 1997 to 1998 and Serbia from 1995 to 1997.  She joined the Foreign Service in 1994.  Ms. Kaidanow received a B.A. and M.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.Phil. from Columbia University.

Markos Kounalakis, Nominee for Member of the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy
Markos Kounalakis has worked as a freelance journalist and author since 1980.  Since 2013, Mr. Kounalakis has served as a Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.  Since 2010, he has been a Research Fellow at the Center for Media, Data and Society at the Central European University in Budapest, Hungary.  Mr. Kounalakis was President and Publisher of Washington Monthly from 2002 to 2009 and Vice Chairman of the California State World Trade Commission from 2001 to 2003.  He currently serves on the Board of Councilors at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and the Board of Advisors at the University’s Center on Public Diplomacy.  Mr. Kounalakis received a B.Sc. from the University of California, Berkeley, an M.Sc. from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. from the Central European University in Budapest, Hungary. 

Justin H. Siberell, Nominee for Coordinator for Counterterrorism, with the rank of Ambassador at Large, Department of State 
Justin H. Siberell, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, is Principal Deputy Coordinator in the Bureau of Counterterrorism at the Department of State, a position he has held since 2014.  Since early 2016, Mr. Siberell has served concurrently as Acting Coordinator for Counterterrorism.  He previously worked at the Department of State as Deputy Coordinator for Regional Affairs in the Bureau of Counterterrorism from 2012 to 2014.  Prior to that, he was Principal Officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Dubai, United Arab Emirates from 2009 to 2012, a Political Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq from 2008 to 2009, and Consul at the American Presence Post in Alexandria, Egypt from 2005 to 2008.  He also served as a Press and Information Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Amman, Jordan from 2002 to 2005.  Since joining the Foreign Service in 1993, he has served in positions on the National Security Council, the Department of State’s Iran Desk and Executive Secretariat, as well as in the United Arab Emirates and Panama.  Mr. Siberell received a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley.

Claudia Slacik, Nominee for Board of Directors of the Export-Import Bank of the United States
Claudia Slacik was the Senior Vice President of Export Finance for the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im), a position she held from 2013 to May 2016.  During that time, Ms. Slacik also performed the duties of Ex-Im’s Chief Banking Officer.  From 2009 to 2013, Ms. Slacik held various positions at JPMorgan Chase & Co. including Head of International Public Sector for J.P. Morgan’s Treasury Services business and CEO of its Treasury & Securities Services in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.  Before joining J.P. Morgan, from 1992 to 2009 Ms. Slacik served in several positions at Citigroup, most recently as Global Head of Trade Services and Finance for Citi's Global Transaction Services Group.  Prior to joining Citigroup in 1992, Ms. Slacik was Vice President, Strategic Planning at World Color Press.  She launched her career in banking at Bankers Trust Company.  Ms. Slacik received an A.B. from Smith College and an M.B.A. from New York University.

Dr. Gail O’Connor Mellow, Nominee for Member, National Council on the Humanities
Dr. Gail O’Connor Mellow is President of LaGuardia Community College, a position she has held since 2000.  Previously, Dr. Mellow was the President of Gloucester Community College from 1997 to 2000.  She served as Senior Administrator at LaGuardia Community College from 1996 to 1997 and Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Rockland Community College from 1994 to 1996.  From 1989 to 1994, Dr. Mellow held several positions at Quinebaug Valley Community College, including Acting President and Academic Dean.  She served as both Director and Assistant Director of the University of Connecticut Women’s Center from 1984 to 1989.  Dr. Mellow serves on the New York City Economic Development Corporation, and previously served on the Homeland Security Academic Advisory Council, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and Association of American Colleges and Universities.  Dr. Mellow received an A.A. from Jamestown Community College, a B.A. from the State University of New York, Albany, and an M.A. and Ph.D. from George Washington University.

Dr. Dana A. Williams, Nominee for Member, National Council on the Humanities
Dr. Dana A. Williams is Chair of the Department of English at Howard University, a position she has held since 2009.  Dr. Williams previously served as Associate Chair and Undergraduate Studies Director at Howard University from 2003 to 2009.  She was a Faculty Fellow at the John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute at Duke University from 2008 to 2009 and an Assistant Professor at Louisiana State University from 1999 to 2003.  She is a member of the Executive Committee of the Black American Literature and Culture Forum for the Modern Languages Association, and recently served as President of the College Language Association and the Association of the Departments of English Executive Committee.  Dr. Williams won the Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Scholar Award in 1999.  Dr. Williams received a B.A. from Grambling State University and an M.A. and Ph.D from Howard University.

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

Adele Chatfield-Taylor, Appointee for Member, Cultural Property Advisory Committee
Adele Chatfield-Taylor is President Emerita of the American Academy in Rome, a position she has held since 2014, which followed her 25 year tenure as the Academy’s President and CEO.  Ms. Chatfield-Taylor was Director of the Design Arts Program for the National Endowment for the Arts from 1984 to 1988 and Executive Director of the New York Landmarks Preservation Foundation from 1980 to 1984. Preservation Foundation from 1980 to 1984. She was Director for Policy and Programs and affiliated with the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission from 1973 to 1980. Ms. Chatfield-Taylor was an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Architecture at Columbia University from 1976 to 1984 and a Loeb Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Design from 1978 to 1979.  She served as a trustee for the National Building Museum from 1989 to 1995 and was a member of the Commission of Fine Arts from 1989 to 1994.  Ms. Chatfield-Taylor received a B.A. from Manhattanville College and an M.S. from Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation.

Dr. W. Kent Fuchs, Appointee for Member, National Science Board, National Science Foundation
Dr. W. Kent Fuchs serves as the President of the University of Florida, a position he has held since 2015. Previously, he served as Provost of Cornell University from 2009 to 2014. Prior to that, Dr. Fuchs was the Joseph Silbert Dean of the Cornell University College of Engineering from 2002 to 2008. From 1996 to 2002, he served as the head of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and as the Michael J. and Katherine R. Birck Distinguished Professor at Purdue University. From 1985 to 1996, he served as a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Coordinated Science Laboratory at the University of Illinois. Dr. Fuchs is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and the Association for Computing Machinery. Dr. Fuchs holds a B.S.E. from Duke University, a M.Div. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois.

Renee M. Johnson, Appointee for Member, National Council on Federal Labor-Management Relations
Renee M. Johnson is the National President of the Federal Managers Association (FMA), a position she has held since 2016.  Ms. Johnson formerly served in FMA leadership as Vice President of the FMA from 2015 to 2016 and was previously an FMA Regional Director from 2011 to 2015, as well as an FMA Chapter President from 2010 to 2015.  Ms. Johnson has been the Component Program Deputy Integrated Product Team Lead for the Fleet Readiness Center East (FRC East) of the United States Navy, a position she has held since 2014.  Ms. Johnson has served with FRC East for more than two decades, serving as the Emerging Systems Branch Head from 2013 to 2014, Business Manager from 2009 to 2013, Project Manager from 1998 to 2009, Security Assistant from 1997 to 1998, Program Assistant from 1996 to 1997, and began her federal career in 1990 in the cooperative education program.  Ms. Johnson received a B.A. from the University of Mount Olive and an M.B.A. from Boston University.

Dr. Rami Nashashibi, Appointee for Member, President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships
Director of the Inner-City Muslim Action Network, which he co-founded in 1997. He has also been a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Chicago Theological Seminary since 2013. Dr. Nashashibi serves on the Advisory Board of the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, the Executive Council of the United Congress of Community and Religious Organizations, and the Planning Committee for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Living Memorial project. He was named a White House Champion of Change in 2011. Dr. Nashashibi received a  B.A. from DePaul University and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.

Shannon Keller O’Loughlin, Appointee for Member, Cultural Property Advisory Committee
Shannon Keller O’Loughlin is Chief of Staff at the National Indian Gaming Commission, a position she has held since 2015.  Ms. O’Loughlin was Partner and Chair of the Indian Nations Practice Group at Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP from 2013 to 2015.  She was a Solo Practitioner from 2005 to 2013, during which time she worked on the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) Civil Penalties program from 2011 to 2013. Ms. O’Loughlin was an Associate Attorney for Dreyer Boyajian LLP from 2005 to 2006, Squire Sanders & Dempsey LLP from 2004 to 2005, and Galbut & Hunter, P.C. from 2002 to 2004.  She was a Law Clerk for the Arizona Court of Appeals from 2001 to 2002.  Ms. O’Loughlin is a member of the National Native American Bar Association and the Lawyers Committee for Cultural Heritage Preservation. She was a member of the NAGPRA Review Committee from 2013 to 2015.  Ms. O’Loughlin received a B.A. from California State University, Long Beach and an M.A. and J.D. from the University of Arizona.

Dr. Julia M. Phillips, Appointee for Member, National Science Board, National Science Foundation
Dr. Julia M. Phillips is Executive Emeritus at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Previously at Sandia, Dr. Phillips served as Vice President and Chief Technology Officer from 2013 to 2014, Director of Laboratory Research Strategy and Partnerships from 2011 to 2013, and Director of the Physical, Chemical & Nano Science Center from 2001 to 2010. Prior to joining Sandia, Dr. Phillips was a member of the technical staff and a manager at AT&T Bell Laboratories from 1981 to 1995. She is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Phillips received a B.S. from the College of William and Mary and a Ph.D. from Yale University.

James K. Reap, Appointee for Member, Cultural Property Advisory Committee
James K. Reap is Professor and Graduate Coordinator of the Masters of Historic Preservation program at the University of Georgia (UGA), positions he has held since 2015 and 2014, respectively.  Mr. Reap held various positions including Associate Professor, Instructor, and Public Service Associate from 2003 to 2014 at UGA.  Mr. Reap was Assistant Commissioner with the Georgia Department of Administrative Services from 1997 to 2002, Program Manager for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games from 1993 to 1996, and Executive Assistant to the Director of State Parks with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources from 1992 to 1993.  Mr. Reap is a member of the International Council on Monuments and Sites and the Lawyers’ Committee for Cultural Heritage Preservation.  He is a Founding Member of the Georgia Alliance of Preservation Commissions and the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions.  Mr. Reap received a B.A. from the University of North Carolina and a J.D. from the University of Georgia.

Dr. Jeremy Sabloff, Appointee for Member and Chairman, Cultural Property Advisory Committee
Dr. Jeremy Sabloff is an External Professor at the Santa Fe Institute and the Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Anthropology Emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania, positions he has held since 2015 and 2010, respectively.  Previously, Dr. Sabloff served as President of the Santa Fe Institute from 2009 to 2015, Professor at the University of Pennsylvania from 1994 to 2009, and Director of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology from 1994 to 2004.  He served as a Professor at the University of Pittsburgh from 1986 to 1994, Professor at the University of New Mexico from 1978 to 1986, and Associate Professor at the University of Utah from 1976 to 1977.  Dr. Sabloff was an Assistant and Associate Professor at Harvard University from 1969 to 1976.  He is a member of the National Advisory Board of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, the National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.  Dr. Sabloff received a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University.