Press Release - President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:

•      Eric K. Fanning – Under Secretary of the Air Force, Department of Defense

•      Christopher J. Meade – General Counsel, Department of the Treasury

•      William J. Mielke – Member, Advisory Board of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation

•      Captain Arthur H. Sulzer, USN (ret) – Member, Advisory Board of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation

•      Iqbal Paroo – Member, Board of Directors of the African Development Foundation

The President also announced his intent to appoint the following individual to a key Administration post:

•      Hill Harper – Member, President's Cancer Panel

President Obama said, "It gives me great confidence that such dedicated and capable individuals have agreed to join this Administration to serve the American people. I look forward to working with them in the months and years to come."

President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:

Eric K. Fanning, Nominee for Under Secretary of the Air Force, Department of Defense

Eric K. Fanning has served as Deputy Under Secretary of the Navy since 2009. Prior to joining the Administration, he was Deputy Director of the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism. Previously, Mr. Fanning worked for Business Executives for National Security (BENS), first as the Washington Regional Director in 2001, and then as Senior Vice President for Strategic Development from 2001 to 2007. Prior to joining BENS, Mr. Fanning held a number of positions, including Senior Associate at Robinson, Lerer & Montgomery in New York and Associate Producer at CBS News. Mr. Fanning began his career in public service, serving as an Associate Director of Political Affairs at The White House (1996), a Special Assistant in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (1993-1996), and as a Research Assistant and Professional Staff Member for the Committee on Armed Services in the U.S. House of Representatives (1991-1993). He received a B.A. from Dartmouth College.

Christopher J. Meade, Nominee for General Counsel, Department of the Treasury

Christopher J. Meade is Principal Deputy General Counsel at the U.S. Department of the Treasury and, since June 2012, has served as Acting General Counsel. From 2005 to 2010, Mr. Meade was a partner with the law firm of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr (WilmerHale), where he was a member of the Litigation and Securities Departments, as well as the Appellate and Supreme Court Litigation Group. During this time, he argued four cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. Mr. Meade served as a law clerk to Justice John Paul Stevens from 1997 to 1998, and Judge Harry T. Edwards of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 1996 to 1997. He received his A.B. from Princeton University, magna cum laude, and his J.D. from New York University School of Law, magna cum laude, where he was the Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review.

William J. Mielke, Nominee for Member, Advisory Board of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation

William J. Mielke is Chairman of the Board, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Ruekert/Mielke, a consulting engineering company located in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. He has been a director of Bank Mutual Corporation since 2000, and its subsidiary, Bank Mutual, since 1988. Mr. Mielke is also a Fellow of the American Consulting Engineers Council and served as a diplomat of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers. From 2006 to 2007, he was a member of the Special Committee on Great Lakes Water Resources Compact. Prior to that, he was a member of the Wisconsin Task Force on State and Local Government from 2002 to 2003. He served as Vice Chairman of the Wisconsin Land Council from 1998 to 2003, and was a member of the Joint Architect-Engineer Committee on Federal Procurement of Engineering services from 1987 to 1995, serving as Chairman for his last year on the Committee. Mr. Mielke earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is a registered Professional Engineer and Land Surveyor.

Captain Arthur H. Sulzer, USN (ret), Nominee for Member, Advisory Board of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation

Captain Arthur H. Sulzer, USN(ret), is President of Arthur H. Sulzer Associates, Inc., a position he has held since 2001. From 1974 to 2005, Captain Sulzer served in the United States Navy. His active duty assignments included Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, where he commanded the U.S. Naval Ship Comet. In 2003, Captain Sulzer joined several colleagues to open Maritime Academy Charter High School. He was the Manager of Industrial Relations for Keystone Shipping Company from 1996 to 2003, and was Vice President of Operations for the Sea Line Company from 1987 to 1988. Captain Sulzer has taught at various institutions over the last 30 years including Great Lakes Maritime Academy and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. He is a U.S. Coast Guard Licensed Ships Master and Third Assistant Engineer with extensive commercial sailing experience. Captain Sulzer earned a B.S. in Marine Transportation and an M.S. in Transportation Management & Maintenance from the State University of New York Maritime College. He received an M.B.A. in Finance from Hofstra University and a Ed.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Iqbal Paroo, Nominee for Member, Board of Directors of the African Development Foundation

Iqbal Paroo is the Managing Partner of Paroo and Associates, a health care consulting firm that advises academic health care institutions. From 2002 to 2007, Mr. Paroo served as the President and CEO of Omidyar Network, a philanthropic investment firm. Prior to that, he was Chairman and CEO of Qualitas Healthcare International, a company that developed, owned, and managed health care systems in emerging economies and transforming markets. Mr. Paroo served as President of Hahnemann University from 1987 to 1994. He received a B.S. in Business Administration and an MHA from Georgia State University.

President Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individual to a key Administration post:

Hill Harper, Appointee for Member, President's Cancer Panel

Hill Harper is a film, television, and stage actor. He is currently a cast member on the CBS television program CSI: NY, where he plays the role of Dr. Sheldon Hawkes. During his career, Mr. Harper has appeared in numerous films, television shows, and plays, and has received seven NAACP Image Awards for his writing and acting. Mr. Harper is also a survivor of thyroid cancer. In 2011, he authored The Wealth Cure: Putting Money in Its Place, a New York Times bestseller which chronicles his diagnosis with thyroid cancer and his journey to health. He received a B.A. from Brown University, an M.P.A. from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.