Appointments and Resignations
U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan: Who is Karl Eikenberry?
While some retired military leaders have served as United States ambassadors, Lt. General Karl W. Eikenberry is the first active-duty general (or admiral) ever to be appointed to a top diplomatic post. Having agreed to retire from the U.S. Army up... read more
Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs: Who is Philip Gordon?
Philip H. Gordon, the next Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, is no stranger to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, having served on Bill Clinton’s National Security Council staff during the former president’s first term in off... read more
Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission: Who Is Jon Wellinghoff?
On March 19, 2009, President Barack Obama named Jon Wellinghoff Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the agency that oversees wholesale electric transactions, interstate electric transmission and gas transportation in the U... read more
HUD Assistant Secretary of Policy Development and Research: Who is Raphael Bostic?
Considered a leading real estate economist, Raphael Bostic (42) has spent most of this decade teaching and researching at the University of Southern California, during which time he incorrectly refuted the notion that a “housing bubble” existed in... read more
Assistant Secretary of Energy for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: Who Is Cathy Zoi?
Cathy Zoi, President Barack Obama’s choice to serve as Assistant Secretary of Energy for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, has been an advocate for more environmentally-conscious and conservation-oriented energy policy, with a long history i... read more
Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation: Who is Mike Connor?
Heading up the federal government’s key agency for managing water resources is Michael L. Connor, a lawyer who has spent most of his career in Washington, DC, quietly working for the Senate and the Department of the Interior during the Clinton adm... read more
A Contested Appointment to be the Nation’s Leading Defender of Civil Rights
Thomas Perez, selected by President Barack Obama on March 27thto be the head of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, awaits Congressional confirmation of his appointment amid anticipation of protests from conservative groups. The position has hist... read more
Failed NASA Inspector General Finally Resigns
It took numerous complaints, two critical reports, and demands from Capitol Hill that President Barack Obama fire him, but finally NASA’s inspector general has stepped down. Robert “Moose” Cobb first got into hot water in 2007 when his close assoc... read more
Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management: Who is Ines Triay?
When Barack Obama selected Inés R. Triay for the position of Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management (OEM), he decided that her qualifications as a 24-year veteran of the Energy Department, including her oversight of a key nuclear waste d... read more
Director, Defense Logistics Agency: Who is Alan S. Thompson?
Vice Admiral Alan S. Thompson, a 30-year careerist who has quietly held numerous commands involving supplies for the US Navy, assumed the role of director of the Defense Logistics Agency on November 19, 2008. He is in charge of procuring and distr... read more
Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development: Who is Dallas Tonsager?
President Barack Obama’s choice to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development is Dallas P. Tonsager, a South Dakota farmer who was part of the Obama campaign, and has been a generous supporter of the Democratic Party. However, he also... read more
Secretary of the Navy: Who is Ray Mabus?
Raymond E. Mabus is a former governor of Mississippi and one-time ambassador to Saudi Arabia who signed onto the Obama campaign in 2007.
Born October 11, 1948, in Starkville, Mississippi, Ray Mabus grew up in Ackerman, the only child of Raymon... read more
Food and Drug Administration: Who is Peggy Hamburg?
Dr. Margaret “Peggy” Hamburg is a highly regarded expert in community health and bio-defense, who earned high marks for her work as health commissioner of New York City from 1991 to 1997. While serving as NYC’s top health official, Hamburg managed... read more
FEMA Administrator: Who is Craig Fugate?
Taking over the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), one of the most historically ridiculed federal operations in the United States, is W. Craig Fugate, whom some have called “Mr. Hurricane.” Fugate brings a long resume of tackling disaster... read more
Director of the Office of Personnel Management: Who is John Berry?
Gay rights activists were delighted by the news that President Barack Obama had chosen M. John Berry to lead the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). As head of the federal government’s central Human Resources operation, Berry is expected to adva... read more
Assistant Secretary for Immigration and Customs Enforcement: Who is John Morton?
If John Morton is confirmed as the head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he will be a marked contrast to the last person to hold the post, President Bush’s appointee, Julie Myers. Myers was well-connected, but had little experience. Mo... read more