Appointments and Resignations
Selective Service System Director: Who is Lawrence Romo?
President Barack Obama’s choice to head the Selective Service System was Lawrence G. (Larry) Romo, a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserves. He was confirmed by the Senate December 3, 2009, and sworn in December 12. Since there ... read more
Farm Service Agency Administrator: Who is Jonathan Coppess?
The current administrator of the Farm Service Agency, Jonathan Coppess has been around farming and the agriculture industry his entire life, having come from a long line of farmers and worked on ag issues in Congress until recently.
Coppess, h... read more
Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard: Who Is Robert Papp?
The United States Coast Guard (USCG), gained a new leader on May 25, 2010, when Commandant of the Coast Guard Thad Allen finished his four-year tour in the post. President Obama chose Coast Guard Vice Admiral Robert A. Papp to be next Commandant. ... read more
Ambassador to Philippines: Who is Harry Thomas?
Harry K. Thomas, Jr., President Barack Obama’s choice for U.S. ambassador to the Philippines, is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service who presented his credentials April 27, 2010.
Born June 3, 1956, in New York City’s Harlem neighborh... read more
Director of National Park Service: Who is Jon Jarvis?
As with some of his other environmental appointments, President Barack Obama went with a career federal employee to lead the National Park Service. Jonathan B. Jarvis, a trained biologist, has spent the past 30 years working for the agency in a va... read more
Ambassador to Portugal: Who is Allan Katz?
Despite lobbying from the Portuguese-American community to choose someone else, President Barack Obama went with a key campaign fundraiser and organizer for the post of U.S. ambassador to Portugal. Allan J. Katz, a lawyer and lobbyist who helped r... read more
Ambassador to Mongolia: Who is Jonathan Addleton?
A career Foreign Service officer who previously served in Mongolia, Jonathan S. Addleton was born into a life of foreign travel, thanks to his religious parents. Addleton assumed his position as U.S. ambassador to Mongolia November 9, 2009.
Ad... read more
Head of Minerals Management Service Fired: Who Was Liz Birnbaum?
S. Elizabeth (Liz) Birnbaum, director of the Minerals Management Service (MMS) since July 14, 2009, became the first leading official in the Obama administration to lose her job over the federal government’s response to the Deepwater Horizon oil s... read more
Intelligence Chief Fired: Who Was Dennis Blair?
No stranger to controversy, Dennis Blair wracked up plenty of trouble that ultimately cost him his post as director of national intelligence after only 16 months on the job.
Blair arrived as someone known to raise eyebrows. The former U.S. Nav... read more
Is Obama Cancer Choice, Harold Varmus, Too Close to Drug Industry?
While not openly criticizing the choice, a group of cancer prevention organizations has pointed out some unflattering details about President Barack Obama’s choice to run the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
Harold Varmus, who was awarded the ... read more
Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection: Who is Alan Bersin?
It remains to be seen just how long Alan Bersin will be serving in the Obama administration as head of Customs and Border Protection. Given a recess appointment by President Barack Obama, Bersin must receive Senate confirmation before the end of 2... read more
Administrator of Foreign Agricultural Service: Who is John Brewer?
John D. Brewer was selected to lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) after morale plummeted under the previous administrator. He took over as acting administrator on January 1, 2010, and as administrator on J... read more
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court: Who is John Bates?
Three years after he was first appointed to serve on the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC), John D. Bates took over as the presiding judge. Bates has been a federal judge for almost 10 years, serving on the U.S. District Cou... read more
Food Safety and Inspection Service: Who is Elisabeth Hagen?
Despite his declaration that the government needed to address the nation’s “troubling trend” with outbreaks of food poisoning, President Barack Obama took almost a year to appoint Elisabeth Hagen as head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foo... read more
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: Who is Donald Berwick?
After four years of not having a permanent replacement, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid is getting Donald M. Berwick, a renowned health expert who has championed improvements and safety in medical care as its administrator. When it comes to ... read more
Obama Judicial Nominees More Diverse than Bush’s
Appointments to the federal bench have been considerably more diverse during the first 14-months of President Barack Obama’s term when compared to the same time period for President George W. Bush. Whereas Bush’s nominations to districts courts an... read more