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The White House

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts, 5-28-09

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary
________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                       May 28, 2009

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals for key administration posts: Gordon Heddell, Inspector General, Department of Defense; Ellen Murray, Assistant Secretary for Resources and Technology, Department of Health and Human Services; Polly Trottenberg, Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy, Department of Transportation; and James J. Markowsky, Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy, Department of Energy.

President Obama said, "Each of these individuals brings extensive expertise in their chosen fields, and they are joining my administration at a time when we face great challenges. Their experience and knowledge of the issues will be important as we move forward to put America on a path to prosperity and security. I am grateful for their decision to serve."

President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals today:

Gordon Heddell, Nominee for Inspector General, Department of Defense
Gordon S. Heddell has been Inspector General for the Department of Labor since 2001 and Acting Inspector General at the Department of Defense since 2008.  Mr. Heddell began his Government service in 1966 as an Army Chief Warrant Officer, Helicopter Pilot, serving in both Korea and Taiwan during the Vietnam-era conflict.  Following his military tours of duty, Mr. Heddell served for 29 years in the U.S. Secret Service, where he held various law enforcement, management, and leadership positions. He began his career with the Secret Service as a Special Agent, progressing to Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge in 1982. Between 1982 and 1985, he served as Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge in the Office of Administration, where he managed the day-to-day administrative operations of the Secret Service, nationwide.  Mr. Heddell then served for two years as Assistant to the Special Agent-in-Charge in the Washington field office where he directed investigations of threats made against the President, Vice President, and other high-ranking government officials in Washington, D.C. Between 1987 and 1989, Mr. Heddell served as Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge in the Philadelphia field office, where he supervised complex criminal investigations relating to counterfeiting and various types of financial fraud.  From 1989 to 1991, Mr. Heddell served as Deputy Assistant Director, where he managed inspections of offices, as well as internal investigations into allegations of wrongdoing by employees, worldwide. Mr. Heddell assumed an executive position in the Vice Presidential Protective Division in 1993, as Deputy Special Agent-in-Charge. In 1995, he was promoted to Special Agent-in-Charge and served in that position until 1998. From 1998 until December 2000, Mr. Heddell served as Assistant Director. In this executive position, he led the Secret Service's Inspection and Internal Affairs programs, worldwide.  Mr. Heddell holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Missouri, a Master of Arts degree in Legal Studies from the University of Illinois (formerly Sangamon State University), and was a Woodrow Wilson Public Service Fellow while at the Secret Service. He is a former member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and was the creator of the Secret Service's mentoring program at two D.C. public schools.

Ellen Murray, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Resources and Technology, Department of Health and Human Services
Ellen Murray has served as Staff Director for the United States Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies since 1999.  In that capacity, she oversees the annual $150 billion LHHS Appropriations bill. Murray has extensive knowledge of the Department of Health and Human Services budget. Prior to her tenure with the Senate, she served in both the budget office and the Office of the General Counsel at HHS.  Previously, Murray served as an economist at the Social Security Administration. She is a graduate of Trinity College in Washington, DC with a degree in Economics and the George Mason University School of Law.

Polly Trottenberg, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy, Department of Transportation
Polly Trottenberg serves as Executive Director of Building America's Future, a national bipartisan coalition that supports U.S. infrastructure investment and a more accountable, sustainable and performance-driven national transportation policy.  Building America's Future is chaired by Governor Edward G. Rendell, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and has a membership of elected officials from across the U.S.  Prior to joining Building America's Future, Trottenberg served in the U.S. Senate for 12 years, most recently as Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director for Senator Barbara Boxer, and worked extensively on transportation policy. She also served as Legislative Director for Senator Charles Schumer and as Legislative Assistant for Transportation, Public Works and Environment for the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. Trottenberg previously worked at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Massachusetts Port Authority on aviation and transportation finance issues, and on the Joint Commerce and Labor Committee of the Massachusetts State Senate.  She received her Master's in Public Policy from Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government and her BA in American History from Columbia University, Barnard College.

James J. Markowsky, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy, Department of Energy
James J. Markowsky is currently a consultant in the energy and electric power generation area, a member of the National Research Council's Committee on America's Energy Future and a Member and the Chair of the National Academy of Engineering's Section 6 - Electric Power/Energy Systems Committee. Previously, Markowsky was the President of Research and Development Solution, LLC, from 2004 - 2005 where he was involved in providing technical support services, including R&D technology planning and analysis; R&D project planning and analysis; and R&D operations and process engineering, design and analysis to DOE's National Energy Technology Laboratories.  Before that he was executive vice president of power generation, at American Electric Power Service Corporation(AEP), where his responsibilities included providing overall administrative, operational, and technical direction for the AEP System's 21,000MWe coal and 800 MWe hydro power generating facilities. Markowsky's career with AEP extended  from 1971 - 2000, and his other positions included; executive vice president of engineering and construction, senior vice president  and chief engineer, vice president - mechanical engineering, assistant vice president - mechanical engineering, AEP Sloan Fellow, and section manager.   Markowsky received several awards including the Washington Coal Club's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002 and has 26 publications in the area of power generation and fossil energy. He earned degrees from:  Massachusetts Institute of Technology - MS in Industrial Management -1981; Cornell University - Ph.D. in 1971 and MS in 1970, both in Mechanical Engineering;  and Pratt Institute - Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering -1967.