Appointments and Resignations
Head of Federal Aviation Administration Resigns after Drunk Driving Arrest
The top official at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has resigned after being arrested last weekend for drunk driving outside of Washington, DC.
FAA Administrator Jerome Randolph “Randy” Babbitt was pulled over by police in Fairfax Ci... read more
Director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: Who Is Marilyn Tavenner?
President Barack Obama has turned to a former health care executive to serve as the next Director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) the federal body responsible for administering the Medicare and Medicaid programs, as well as... read more
Ambassador to Bangladesh: Who Is Dan Mozena?
The new U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh is a career diplomat who grew up milking cows on the family farm, and whose career has taken him primarily to rural countries in South Asia and Southern Africa. Dan W. Mozena previously served at the embassy i... read more
Ambassador to Cape Verde: Who Is Adrienne O’Neal?
On June 24, 2011, President Barack Obama nominated Adrienne S. O’Neal to be the United States ambassador to Cape Verde, a Portuguese-speaking island nation 300 miles off the west coast of Africa. There is a significant Cape Verdean-American popula... read more
Ambassador from Gabon: Who Is Michael Moussa-Adamo?
The latest ambassador from the African nation of Gabon is a longtime public servant who spent his twenties in Boston, Massachusetts; Washington, DC; and Phoenix, Arizona; both as a college student and an early career professional. Michael Moussa-A... read more
Ambassador from Pakistan: Who is Sherry Rehman?
In the wake of the “Memogate” scandal, Pakistani Ambassador to the United States, Hussain Haqqani, was forced to resign on November 22, 2011. He was accused of writing a secret memo asking the U.S. military for assistance in changing Pakistan’s po... read more
Pakistan’s Ambassador to U.S. Resigns amid Clash between Government and Military
Husain Haqqani, Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States, abruptly quit his post this week amid allegations that he asked Washington for help in reigning in his country’s powerful military.
An American businessman of Pakistani origin, Mansoo... read more
Ambassador to Uruguay: Who Is Julissa Reynoso?
On October 17, 2011, President Barack Obama chose a political appointee who strongly supported his 2008 rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, to serve as the ambassador to the South American nation o... read more
Ambassador from Burkina Faso: Who Is Seydou Bouda?
In this time of global economic crisis, the impoverished West African nation of Burkina Faso has sent a new ambassador to the United States who has no formal diplomatic experience, but has specialized in development economics since the mid-1980s. ... read more
Ambassador to Ecuador: Who Is Adam Namm?
President Barack Obama has turned to an experienced Latin America hand, Adam E. Namm, to serve as the new ambassador to Ecuador, replacing former ambassador Heather Hodges, who in April 2011 was expelled by the Ecuadorian government after the rele... read more
Ambassador from Marshall Islands: Who Is Charles Paul?
The Marshall Islands , a chain of 24 atolls and coral islands in the South Pacific containing only 66 square miles of land, sent a new ambassador to the United States who was educated in the U.S. and has worked at the embassy since 2007. On Septem... read more
Head of Medicare and Medicaid Resigns: Who Is Donald Berwick?
Donald Berwick, the Obama administration’s top official in charge of Medicare and Medicaid, is resigning his post.
He didn’t have much choice.
Nominated by President Barack Obama in April 2010, Berwick never received Senate confirmation as... read more
Comptroller of the Currency: Who Is Thomas Curry?
In the midst of an ongoing economic crisis many economists blame on reckless behavior by banks and other Wall Street financial players, President Barack Obama on July 2, 2011, named an experienced state-level bank regulator to serve as the new C... read more
Ambassador from Angola: Who Is Alberto Bento Ribeiro?
The southwest African nation of Angola has sent its fourth ambassador to the United States since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1993. Alberto do Carmo Bento Ribeiro, an engineer and experienced diplomat recently called the U... read more
Office of Fossil Energy: Who is Charles McConnell?
A longtime energy industry executive, Charles D. McConnell was nominated in July by President Barack Obama to take over the Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy, which is the U.S. government’s lead office for coal, natural gas and oil ex... read more
Chief Operating Officer of the Armed Forces Retirement Home: Who Is Steve McManus?
A member of the Senior Executive Service, McManus holds a BS degree and an MBA with emphasis in Finance and Accounting. Joining the US Army circa 1976 as an enlisted man, McManus was promoted to the officer ranks, serving mainly in West Germany an... read more