Appointments and Resignations
Ambassador to the Central African Republic: Who is Laurence Wohlers?
Laurence D. Wohlers was sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to the Central African Republic (CAR) on September 8, 2010.
Wohlers’ parents worked as Foreign Service officers in Japan, Pakistan, and the former Yugoslavia, where father Lester served as ... read more
Ambassador to the Republic of the Congo: Who is Christopher Murray?
Christopher W. Murray was confirmed as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of the Congo on August 5, 2010, and reported for duty in Brazzaville on September 16.
The son of David and Lee Murray of Syracuse, New York, Murray graduated from Notting... read more
Ambassador to Gabon and São Tomé & Principe: Who is Eric Benjaminson?
Eric D. Benjaminson, the U.S. ambassador to Gabon and São Tomé and Principe, is a career diplomat specializing in economic and African Affairs. He presented his credentials in Gabon on December 3, 2010.
On his father’s side, Benjaminson come... read more
Ambassador to Benin: Who is James Knight?
U.S. ambassador to Benin since September 30, 2009, James Knight is a Vietnam veteran and experienced diplomat who has spent almost his entire career serving in African countries.
Knight served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He late... read more
Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency: Who is James A. Smith Jr.?
As the new director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), Joseph A. Smith, Jr. will be tasked by President Barack Obama with overseeing the regulation of troubled housing lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which were taken over by the g... read more
Ambassador to Chile: Who is Alejandro Wolff?
A 30-year veteran of the State Department, Alejandro D. Wolff has returned to Chile as U.S. ambassador following his first tour to the South American country earlier in his career. He began his term on September 10, 2010.
Wolff is an alumnus... read more
Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Who is James Entwistle?
James F. Entwistle’s first chance to be a U.S. ambassador, after a career in the Foreign Service, has brought him to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a nation with a long history of exploitation, violence and repression and no shortage ... read more
Ambassador to Angola: Who is Christopher McMullen?
Christopher J. McMullen, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, has been a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to his overseas postings, having served in U.S. embassies in South America, Asia and Africa, where his latest stint as ambassador... read more
Ambassador to Brunei: Who is Daniel Shields III?
A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Daniel L. Shields III was nominated on November 15, 2010, to be the U.S. ambassador to Brunei.
Originally from Pennsylvania, Shields received his Bachelor of Science degree in international rela... read more
First Woman to Lead a Military Academy
Little did Sandra Stosz realize when she began serving in the U.S. Coast Guard 30 years ago that her first voyage at sea—aboard the icebreaker Glacier in Antarctica—would foreshadow a career of breaking through barriers.
Next summer, Stosz w... read more
General in Charge of Troop Support Contracts Relieved of Command
Air Force Brigadier General Scott D. Chambers has been reassigned from his role as the senior military officer in charge of purchasing food, clothing and other supplies for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The top official in the Defense Logi... read more
Delay in Confirmation Vote for Justice Department #2 sets 30-Year Record
A bipartisan group of lawyers who have held the same job for which James M. Cole has been nominated think he should be confirmed as the No. 2 person in the U.S. Department of Justice. But that hasn’t stopped Republicans from holding up Cole’s no... read more
Unconfirmed Head of the Government Printing Office: Who is William Boarman?
President Barack Obama’s choice to lead the Government Printing Office (GPO) is William J. Boarman, a longtime labor union executive who began his career in the printing business and who has represented organized printers. He was nominated on Ap... read more
Director of the Art in Embassies Program: Who is Beth Dozoretz?
Beth Dozoretz does not lack for powerful political connections. Chosen to be director of the Art in Embassies Program in December 2010, she is a longtime Democratic fundraiser with close ties to Bill and Hillary Clinton, who also was the first w... read more
Director of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives: Who is Andrew Traver?
Having labored under interim directors since 2006, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in the Department of Justice may finally get a permanent director. Maybe.
President Barack Obama’s selection on November 17, 201... read more
Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs: Who Is William Brownfield?
William R. Brownfield was nominated Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) on September 22, 2010. In this post, Brownfield advises top federal officials, including the President and the Secr... read more