President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts, 5-13-2009

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals for key administration posts: Capricia Penavic Marshall, Chief of Protocol, with the rank of Ambassador during her tenure of service, Department of State; Evan Segal, Chief Financial Officer, United States Department of Agriculture; and Rocco Landesman, Nominee for Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. The President also announced that he will be designating Gregory B. Jaczko, currently a Commissioner at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, as Chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

President Obama said, "This impressive group of people will add valued voices to my administration as we work to tackle the many challenges our nation faces. I am grateful for their decision to serve, and I am confident they will work hard as we put our country on a path towards prosperity and security."

Capricia Penavic Marshall has had an extensive career in public service. In 1992, after graduating from Case Western University School of Law, she joined Governor Bill Clinton’s Presidential campaign as Special Assistant to Hillary Rodham Clinton. Upon entering the White House in 1993, Marshall served as Special Assistant to the First Lady, traveling extensively and coordinating her agenda, meetings and public appearances. In October 1997, at the age of 32, Marshall was appointed Deputy Assistant to the President and Social Secretary to the White House, becoming the youngest Social Secretary in recent history. Marshall's official responsibilities included the planning and execution of all White House international and domestic events. Marshall continued working with President Clinton helping to advance his work in policy, politics and community initiatives. In 2001, she began working as a consultant to a number of nonprofit and private sector organizations. In 2006, Marshall joined the re-election efforts for Senator Hillary Clinton, and subsequently joined Senator Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign. As Senior Advisor, she led the Surrogate Speakers Program and helped coordinate women’s outreach. In 2008, Marshall became Executive Director of Hillpac and Friends of Hillary and is currently overseeing the closure of both committees. A first generation American and native of Cleveland, Ohio, Marshall graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Studies. She studied at the University of Madrid for a year and traveled extensively through Europe. Marshall holds a law degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

Evan Segal is the former President & Owner of Dormont Manufacturing Company, the leading manufacturer of flexible stainless steel gas appliance connectors. While there, he led a dramatic growth of the company increasing sales from $5 to $60 million and creating 250 new jobs. Segal is active in the philanthropic world as the Chairman of the Evan and Tracy Segal Family Foundation, which supports numerous civic and community organizations. Segal is a member of the UJF Pittsburgh Management Committee, a board member at the Community Day School and a member of the Board of Directors of Hillel: The Foundation for Campus Life. He also currently serves as an Executive-In-Residence at the CMU Tepper School of Business and as a mentor to start-up businesses. Segal graduated from the Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business with a B.S. Administration & Management Science and an MBA.

Since 1987 Landesman has been President of Jujamcyn Theaters, a company that owns and operates five Broadway theaters and produces Broadway shows including the landmark productions: "Angels in America," "Proof," "Smokey Joe’s Café," "The Grapes of Wrath" and "Caroline, Or Change." Landesman was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, got his undergraduate education at Colby College and the University of Wisconsin, and earned a doctorate in Dramatic Literature at the Yale School of Drama. At the completion of his course work he stayed at Yale for four years as an Assistant Professor. He was appointed President of Jujamcyn in 1987 and purchased the company in 2005. Before and after joining Jujamcyn, Landesman has produced a number of successful Broadway shows, the most notable of which are "Big River," "The Producers" and six plays by August Wilson. Landesman was trained at a not-for-profit performing arts conservatory. His career has been a hybrid of commercial, philanthropic, and purely artistic engagements. He has continued his relationship with the Yale School of Drama and Yale Repertory Theatre, returning to teach over the years. He has been active on numerous boards, including the Municipal Arts Society, an advocacy organization concerned with New York City's public spaces and preservation, the Times Square Alliance, which has changed the heart of the city by improving its safety, sanitation and aesthetic, and the Educational Foundation of America. Landesman has also participated in the debate about arts policy, speaking at forums and writing numerous articles focusing on the relationship between the commercial and not-for-profit sectors of the American theater.

The Honorable Gregory B. Jaczko was sworn in as a Commissioner of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on Jan. 21, 2005. During his tenure on the Commission, Jaczko has worked to ensure the agency clearly communicates with the public and its licensees. He believes that to best accomplish its mission of protecting public health and safety and the environment, the NRC should be as open with information as possible and transparent in explaining the processes the Commission uses to make decisions. Because he believes public involvement strengthens the formulation of public policy, Jaczko has encouraged all stakeholders – including licensees, vendors, state and local governments, interest groups, and the general public – to participate in NRC policy-making efforts. Jaczko has also worked to achieve a common safety and security culture. He has specifically focused his attention on the security of nuclear power plants, emergency preparedness, and the safe use of radioactive sources. Jaczko's professional career has been devoted to science and its use and impact in the public policy arena. Immediately prior to assuming the post of Commissioner, Jaczko served as appropriations director for United States Senator Harry Reid and had also served as the Senator's science policy advisor. Previously, he advised members of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on nuclear policy and other scientific matters, and worked as a congressional science fellow in the office of United States Representative Edward Markey. In addition, he has been an adjunct professor at Georgetown University, teaching science and policy. Originally from upstate New York, Jaczko earned a bachelor's degree in physics and philosophy from Cornell University and a doctorate in physics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.