Press Release - President Donald J. Trump Announces Nominations of Individuals to Key Administration Posts

Today, President Donald J. Trump announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key positions in his Administration:

James Byrne of Virginia, to be Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

James M. Byrne currently serves as General Counsel, Performing the Duties of the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Previously, Mr. Byrne served as an executive with Lockheed Martin Corporation. Before joining Lockheed Martin, Mr. Byrne served in career Senior Executive Service positions at the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction and the United States Office of the Special Counsel. Mr. Byrne has over 25 years of experience in the public sector, including service as a deployed Marine infantry officer and Department of Justice international narcotics prosecutor. Mr. Byrne earned his J.D. from Stetson University College of Law and is a Distinguished Graduate of the United States Naval Academy, where he received an engineering degree.

President Donald J. Trump nominated the following individuals to key positions in his Administration:

Nazak Nikakhtar of Maryland, to be Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry & Security.

Ms. Nikakhtar serves as Assistant Secretary of Commerce (Industry and Analysis), where she is the Department's primary liaison with United States industry and trade associations. Previously, Ms. Nikakhtar served as a partner at the international trade law firm of Cassidy Levy Kent, LLP. Ms. Nikakhtar also served as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center and worked for the Honorable Ronald S.W. Lew in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. Ms. Nikakhtar received her J.D. and Master of Economics degrees from Syracuse University and Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Jonathan R. Cohen of California, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Arab Republic of Egypt.

Jonathan Cohen, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor, currently serves as Acting United States Representative to the United Nations and Acting United States Representative to the United Nations Security Council. He was the Deputy United States Representative from June 2018 to December 2018 and was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs from 2016 to 2018. His other assignments included service as Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, Acting Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy in Paris, France, Minister Counselor for Political Affairs at the United States Embassy in Paris, France, and Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy in Nicosia, Cyprus. Mr. Cohen earned his A.B. at Princeton University. He was the recipient of the United States Department of the Army Commander's Award for Civilian Service, the State Department's Distinguished Honor Award, and the James Clement Dunn Award for Excellence. He speaks French, Swedish, and Italian.