Appointments and Resignations
General Services Administrator Resigns over Wasteful Spending: Who is Martha Johnson?
When President Barack Obama announced his intention to nominate Martha Johnson to be the next Administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA), an independent agency that provides procurement services to federal agencies, manages contrac... read more
Ambassador to Latvia: Who Is Mark Pekala?
The Baltic nation of Latvia, which has been independent for two decades after being part of the Soviet Union from 1940 to 1990, has a new U.S. ambassador in residence who has previously served in neighboring Estonia. President Barack Obama announc... read more
Ambassador to Kosovo: Who Is Tracey Ann Jacobson?
The Balkan nation of Kosovo, which owes its existence to U.S.-led intervention in 1999 against the nation of Serbia, of which it was a part, is welcoming a new ambassador from Washington. On January 23, 2012, President Obama announced his intent t... read more
Ambassador to Croatia: Who Is Kenneth Merten?
The Balkan nation of Croatia, known to most Americans as the homeland of NBA stars like Toni Kukoč and Dražen Petrović, will soon have a new ambassador from the U.S. President Barack Obama nominated career diplomat and current ambassador to Haiti ... read more
Ambassador to Estonia: Who Is Jeffrey Levine?
Estonia, a former Soviet republic and now a staunch U.S. ally, will soon get a new ambassador from the U.S. who is a specialist on post-Soviet countries. President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate diplomat Jeffrey D. Levine to be next... read more
Ambassador to Uganda: Who Is Scott DeLisi?
A career Senior Foreign Service Officer whose career has included two postings to Africa will be the next ambassador to the African nation of Uganda. President Barack Obama nominated Scott H. DeLisi to the post on January 23, 2012, subject to Sena... read more
Ambassador to Georgia: Who Is Richard Norland?
The former Soviet republic of Georgia is to be sent a new ambassador who previously served there as a peacekeeping monitor during the Georgian Civil War of the 1990s. Richard B. Norland, who was nominated by President Obama on February 17, 2012, w... read more
Ambassador to Micronesia: Who Is Doria Rosen?
The Pacific island nation of Micronesia will soon have its eighth U.S. ambassador, a career Foreign Service Officer who will be serving her first ambassadorship. Dorothea-Maria (Doria) Rosen was nominated by President Obama on March 9, 2012, subje... read more
Ambassador to Swaziland: Who Is Makila James?
The new U.S. ambassador to Swaziland, Africa’s last absolute monarchy, has specialized in relations with Africa and the Caribbean. Makila Z. James was nominated by President Obama on February 17, 2012, subject to Senate confirmation, to replace Am... read more
Administrator of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture: Who Is Sonny Ramaswamy?
An entomologist whose views of agriculture have been powerfully influenced by memories of famine in his native India has been nominated by President Obama to be the next Administrator of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Part ... read more
Ambassador to Libya: Who Is Chris Stevens?
The North African nation of Libya, whose successful revolution against long-time dictator Muammar Gadhafi is currently threatened by militia violence and regional separatism, will soon have a new US ambassador with extensive personal experience in... read more
Ambassador to Haiti: Who Is Pamela White?
The Caribbean nation of Haiti, which is still suffering from the effects of the January 2010 earthquake that killed more than 300,000 people, will soon have a new ambassador with extensive experience in economic development. Pamela A. White, who p... read more
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education: Who Is Deborah Delisle?
A former elementary school teacher has been nominated by President Obama to be the next Assistant Secretary of Education for Elementary and Secondary Education. Deborah S. Delisle, who has stated her “firm belief that a zip code should never prede... read more
Director of the Bureau of Labor Statistics: Who Is Erica Groshen?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is the research arm of the Department of Labor and the principal fact-finding organization for the Federal Government in the field of labor economics, has a new leader in the pipeline, an experienced labor eco... read more
DARPA Director Who Gave Contracts to Own Company Finally Resigns
The first woman to lead the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is headed to the private sector, leaving behind accusations that she enriched her company while running the agency. DARPA funds projects that explore the cutting edge of... read more
Agency in Charge of Medicare Has Had 29 Leaders in 35 Years
The agency in charge of Medicare—and also of implementing the Affordable Care Act—has suffered from a revolving door at the top, leading to bipartisan criticism. Since its birth in 1977, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has had... read more