Appointments and Resignations
Chair of the Presidio Trust: Who is Nancy Bechtle?
Nancy Hellman Bechtle was appointed to the Presidio Trust board of directors by President George W. Bush in 2008. She took over as chair of the board in January 2010. The Presidio Trust is a federal corporation created by Congress to manage the ... read more
Special Operations and Low Intensity Combat: Who is Michael Vickers?
Michael G. “Mike” Vickers has served as assistant secretary of defense for special operations/low-intensity conflict and interdependent capabilities since July 2007, having originally been selected by President George W. Bush for the position an... read more
Chair of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation: Who Is Milford Wayne Donaldson?
In June 2010, President Barack Obama appointed architect Milford Wayne Donaldson to be Chairman of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), the nation’s lead agency on historic preservation. ACHP is an independent agency that works ... read more
Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development: Who is Mercedes Marquez?
Mercedes Márquez has served as assistant secretary for community planning and development in the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) since June 2009. The Office of Community Planning and Development is responsible for distributing ... read more
Chairman of the Federal Election Commission: Who is Matthew Petersen?
Matthew S. Petersen has served on the Federal Election Commission (FEC) since his appointment by President George W. Bush in June 2008. In December 2009, he was selected by the commission members to be their chair for the year 2010. The role of ... read more
Office of Justice Programs: Who is Laurie Robinson?
A returnee from the Clinton administration, Laurie (Laurel) O. Robinson rejoined the U.S. Department of Justice in November 2009 as assistant attorney general in charge of the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), which oversees numerous programs re... read more
Director of the National Toxicology Program: Who Is Linda Birnbaum?
Linda S. Birnbaum began serving as the Director of the National Toxicology Program and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) on March 13, 2009. Based in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, the NIEHS has a $684-milli... read more
Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools: Who is Kevin Jennings?
An outspoken advocate for homosexuals, as well as a writer and educator, Kevin Jennings has served since July 2009 as assistant deputy secretary to head the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools in the U.S. Department of Education. Founded in 200... read more
Chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission: Who is L. Preston Bryant, Jr.?
A former state legislator from Virginia, L. Preston Bryant, Jr. was appointed chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) by President Barack Obama in September 2009. His term on the commission expires in 2013. The NCPC reviews a... read more
CEO of National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak): Who is Joseph Boardman?
Joseph H. Boardman was appointed president and chief executive officer by Amtrak’s Board of Directors, effective November 26, 2008.
A native of Taberg, New York, Boardman was raised, the second of eight children, on a dairy farm in Oneida Co... read more
Chairman of the National Council on Disability: Who is Jonathan Young?
Jonathan M. Young was appointed to the National Council on Disability as a board member and chairman by President Barack Obama in December 2009.
In 1986, Young broke his neck during a high school wrestling match and is partially paralyzed with... read more
Chair of the Inter-American Foundation: Who Is John Salazar?
John P. Salazar is the Chair of the Inter-American Foundation, a U.S. agency that funds foreign assistance programs in the Caribbean and Latin American. Salazar joined the Foundation’s board of directors in 2006 after being nominated by Presiden... read more
Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims: Who is Bruce Kasold?
Bruce E. Kasold was named Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims on August 6, 2010. He had been a Judge of the Court since his appointment by President George W. Bush in December 2003.
Kasold was born on April 26, 1951, i... read more
Chairman of the Kennedy Center: Who Is David Rubenstein?
David M. Rubenstein was appointed Chairman of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in May 2010. He is the sixth chairman of the arts organization, having been a member of its board since 2004. The federal government generally provi... read more
Archivist of the United States: Who Is David Ferriero?
David S. Ferriero became the tenth Archivist of the United States in November 2009. The first librarian to hold that position, Ferriero heads up the National Archives and Records Administration, the federal agency that maintains and preserves ni... read more
Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs: Who is Keri-Ann Jones?
Dr. Kerri-Ann Jones has run the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs at the State Department since August 20, 2009.
Jones graduated in 1975 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Barnard College at Colu... read more