President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

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

• Rhoda Mae Kerr – Member, National Infrastructure Advisory Council
• Carl Newman – Member, National Infrastructure Advisory Council    
• Ellen Ochoa – Member, National Science Board, National Science Foundation
• Walter Ray Allen Jr. – Member, United States Holocaust Memorial Council
• Deborah A. Oppenheimer – Member, United States Holocaust Memorial Council
• Scott Straus – Member, United States Holocaust Memorial Council
• Jeremy M. Weinstein – Member, United States Holocaust Memorial Council  

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

• Bridget Altenburg – Member, Board of Visitors to the United States Military Academy
• Brenda S. “Sue” Fulton – Member, Board of Visitors to the United States Military Academy  
• Soudarak “Sue” Hoppin – Member, Board of Visitors to the United States Air Force Academy  

President Obama said, “I am honored that these talented individuals have decided to serve our country.  They bring their years of experience and expertise to their roles, and I know they will serve the American people well.”

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

Rhoda Mae Kerr, Appointee for Member, National Infrastructure Advisory Council   

Rhoda Mae Kerr is Fire Chief of the Austin, Texas Fire Department, a position she has held since 2009.  Previously, Chief Kerr served as Fire Chief of the Little Rock, Arkansas Fire Department from 2004 to 2009.  From 1983 to 2003, she served at Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue as a firefighter and in leadership roles including Deputy Fire Chief and Division Chief.  Prior to entering the fire service, Chief Kerr was a coach and physical education teacher at the high school level from 1970 to 1983.  Chief Kerr served as President of the International Association of Fire Chiefs and President of the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association from 2015 to 2016.  Chief Kerr received an A.S. from Broward Community College, a B.A. from William Paterson University, and an M.P.A. from Florida International University.

Carl Newman, Appointee for Member, National Infrastructure Advisory Council    

Carl Newman is CEO of the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority in Mississippi, a position he has held since 2015.  Mr. Newman was General Manager of George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas from 2012 to 2015.  Prior to that, he worked at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix, Arizona from 1980 to 2012, including as its Assistant Aviation Director, Deputy Aviation Director, and Aviation Maintenance Superintendent.  He is currently the Chair of the American Association of Airport Executives.  Mr. Newman received a B.S. from the University of Arizona and an M.S.A. from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.

Dr. Ellen Ochoa, Appointee for Member, National Science Board, National Science Foundation

Dr. Ellen Ochoa serves as the Director of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, a position she has held since 2013.  Previously, Dr. Ochoa served as Deputy Director of the Johnson Space Center from 2007 to 2012.  Prior to that, she was the Deputy Director and Director of Flight Crew Operations for the Johnson Space Center from 2002 to 2007.  From 1990 to 2007, Dr. Ochoa was an Astronaut at the Johnson Space Center and was the first Latina to travel to space.  She also served as a Branch Chief and Group Lead at the NASA Ames Research Center from 1988 to 1990.  Dr. Ochoa began her career as a member of the technical staff for Sandia National Laboratories from 1985 to 1988.  She served as a member on the Stanford University Board of Trustees from 1999 to 2009.  Dr. Ochoa holds a B.S. from San Diego State University, and an M.S. and Ph.D. from Stanford University.

Walter Ray Allen Jr., Appointee for Member, United States Holocaust Memorial Council

Walter Ray Allen Jr. is a retired professional basketball player.  Mr. Allen played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 18 seasons with four teams from 1996 to 2014.  He most recently played with the Miami Heat from 2012 to 2014.  Mr. Allen played for the Boston Celtics from 2007 to 2012, the Seattle SuperSonics from 2003 to 2007, and the Milwaukee Bucks from 1996 to 2003.  He is a 10-time NBA All-Star, won two NBA Championships in 2013 and 2008, and received an Olympic gold medal as a member of the 2000 United States Men's Basketball Team.  Mr. Allen was named USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year in 1995.  Mr. Allen founded the Ray of Hope Foundation in 1997.

Deborah A. Oppenheimer, Appointee for Member, United States Holocaust Memorial Council

Deborah A. Oppenheimer is an independent film producer.  Ms. Oppenheimer is a Production Consultant for the BBC series, Downton Abbey, a position she has held since 2010‎.  She was Executive Vice President at Carnival Film & Television from 2012 to 2014, Executive Vice President of International Television Production at NBCUniversal International Television from 2010 to 2012, President of Mohawk Productions at Warner Bros. from 1995 to 2009, and a Producer, Development Executive, and Production Executive at Lorimar from 1984 to 1993.  Ms. Oppenheimer conceived and produced the feature documentary, "Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport,” for which she received an Academy Award in 2001.  She is a member of the Advisory Committee of the Television and Film Arts Strategic Council at the State University College of New York at Buffalo.  Ms. Oppenheimer was first appointed to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council in 2012.  Ms. Oppenheimer received a B.A. from the State University College of New York at Buffalo.

Dr. Scott Straus, Appointee for Member, United States Holocaust Memorial Council

Dr. Scott Straus is Associate Chair and Director of Graduate Studies of Political Science and Professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where he has worked since 2004.  Dr. Straus previously worked as a freelance journalist based in Africa from 1995 to 1998.  He was awarded the Winnick Fellowship at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide in 2011 and the William Kiekhofer Distinguished Teaching Award in 2009.  Dr. Straus received a B.A. from Dartmouth College and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.

Dr. Jeremy M. Weinstein, Appointee for Member, United States Holocaust Memorial Council

Dr. Jeremy M. Weinstein is a Professor of Political Science at Stanford University, a position he has held since 2015.  Dr. Weinstein is also a Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, a role he has held since 2011.  He served as Deputy and Chief of Staff to the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations from 2014 to 2015 and 2013 to 2014, respectively.  Dr. Weinstein has held various roles at Stanford University including Associate Professor of Political Science from 2009 to 2015, Director of the Center for African Studies from 2007 to 2008 and 2011 to 2013, and Assistant Professor of Political Science from 2004 to 2009.  He was Director for Development and Democracy for the National Security Council from 2009 to 2011.  Dr. Weinstein is a Non-Resident Fellow at the Center for Global Development.  Dr. Weinstein received a B.A. from Swarthmore College and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University.

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

Bridget Altenburg, Designee for Member, Board of Visitors to the United States Military Academy  

Bridget Altenburg has served since 2013 as the Chief Operating Officer of the National Able Network, a nonprofit specializing in workforce development training.  Ms. Altenburg was the Executive Director of Chicago Cares from 2011 to 2013 and was the Director of Development for the Academy for Urban School Leadership from 2008 to 2011.  Previously, she held several management positions at Bally Total Fitness from 2002 to 2006 and served as a Captain in the United States Army.  Ms. Altenburg received a B.S. from the United States Military Academy and an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School.

Brenda S. “Sue” Fulton, Designee for Member, Board of Visitors to the United States Military Academy  

Brenda S. “Sue” Fulton is the Director for Disruptive Channels at Pfizer Consumer Health, a position she has held since March 2016.  Ms. Fulton has worked at Pfizer since 2012, serving as a Franchise Lead and Director for Consumer Healthcare from 2012 to 2016.  Since 2013, she has served as a member of the Board of Directors of SPART*A, an organization of LGBT service members and veterans.  Since 2011, she has also served as a member of the Board of Visitors to the United States Military Academy and was elected as Chair of the Board in 2015.  Ms. Fulton is a founding member of the Board of Directors for OutServe, an association of LGBT active duty service members, and was the organization’s Communications Director from 2010 to 2012.  In 2009, she co-founded Knights Out, an organization of LGBT West Point graduates and allies, and served as the organization’s Executive Director from 2010 to 2012.  Earlier in her career, Ms. Fulton held product management roles at Schering-Plough/Merck from 1997 to 2011.  In 1980, she was commissioned in the Army Signal Corps and served for five years in Germany, where she commanded a military intelligence company.  For her service, Ms. Fulton was awarded the Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and a Meritorious Service Medal.  She was honorably discharged from the Army with the rank of Captain in 1986.  Ms. Fulton received a B.S. from the United States Military Academy.

Soudarak “Sue” Hoppin, Designee for Member, Board of Visitors to the United States Air Force Academy  

Soudarak “Sue” Hoppin is President of the National Military Spouse Network, an organization she founded in 2010.  Ms. Hoppin has served on the Board of Visitors to the United States Air Force Academy since 2012.  From 2007 to 2016, she was a member of the Air Force Charity Ball Committee and served as its Publicity Chair from 2008 to 2016.  From 2010 to 2013, Ms. Hoppin served on the Board of Directors of Blue Star Families.  She was also the Military Family Liaison to the Fairfax County School Superintendent’s Business and Community Advisory Council from 2009 to 2012.  In 2005, she joined the Military Officers Association of America as a Benefits Associate, and rose to become Deputy Director for Spouse Outreach by 2010.  Ms. Hoppin received a B.A. from the University of Denver and an M.A. from the University of Oklahoma.