Press Release - President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Personnel to Key Administration Posts

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

Thomas G. Bowman of Florida to be Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Mr. Bowman is currently Majority Staff Director of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. From 2005 through 2009, he served in several leadership roles in the Department of Veterans Affairs, including Acting Assistant Secretary for the Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs, Deputy Chief of Staff, and Chief of Staff. Mr. Bowman retired from the Marine Corps as a Colonel after 30 years of service. He received his BA in Political Science from the University of Texas, Austin and his JD from Western New England College.

Mark H. Buzby of Virginia to be Administrator of the Maritime Administration, Department of Transportation. Rear Admiral Buzby is a retired Navy Rear Admiral whose career spanned 34 years, serving in at sea billets, primarily in cruisers and destroyers. He commanded the USS CARNEY (DDG 64), Destroyer Squadron Thirty-One, Surface Warfare Officers School Command, Joint Task Force Guantanamo, and the Military Sealift Command. He also held key positions on the Navy Staff, the Joint Staff, and several fleet staffs. He is a recipient of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the Bronze Star, and numerous other personal and unit awards. Buzby is a 1975 graduate of Admiral Farragut Academy, and a 1979 graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. He holds Masters degrees from the U.S. Naval War College and Salve Regina University. Rear Admiral Buzby currently serves as President and CEO of the National Defense Transportation Association, and sits on the boards of several maritime industry related corporations. He and his wife Gina reside in Norfolk, Virginia.

Kelley Eckels Currie of Georgia to be the Representative of the United States of America on the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador, and Alternate Representative of the United States of America to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations. Ms. Currie is currently a Senior Fellow with the Project 2049 Institute, where she specializes in political reform, development and humanitarian assistance, human rights and other non-traditional security issues in the Asia-Pacific region. She previously held senior policy positions with the Department of State and several international and non-governmental human rights and humanitarian organizations. Ms. Currie also served as foreign operations appropriations associate and staff director of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus for Congressman John Porter of Illinois. Ms. Currie holds a JD from Georgetown University Law Center and a BA cum laude from the University of Georgia's School of Public and International Affairs. She is married to Peter Currie and they have two children.

Carl C. Risch of Pennsylvania, to be an Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs. Carl C. Risch is the Acting Chief of Staff in the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services. He was previously the Field Office Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, at the American Embassy in Seoul, South Korea. He is a highly regarded Pennsylvania attorney. A senior immigration official abroad and in Washington, D.C. for over a decade, and a former Foreign Service Officer (Consular) with the Department of State, Mr. Risch is expert in the responsibilities and challenges of managing Consular Affairs worldwide. He earned a BA from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania and a JD from Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

John P. Desrocher of New York, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Peoples' Democratic Republic of Algeria. John P. Desrocher, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor, has served as an American diplomat since 1988. He is currently Deputy Assistant Secretary for Egypt and Maghreb Affairs in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs at the Department of State. Mr. Desrocher is a former Deputy Chief of Mission and Consul General overseas at seven U.S. Missions, and a senior State Department official in Washington. He is known for his economic acumen, leadership, knowledge of the North Africa and Middle East regions and ability to manage people and resources in high-threat environments. Mr. Desrocher earned a B.S. from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. He speaks French, German, and basic Arabic.

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President Donald J. Trump Announces Intended Appointments to the Election Integrity Commission

President Donald J. Trump today announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to be members of the Election Integrity Commission:

• Luis Borunda of Maryland
• David K. Dunn of Arkansas
• Mark Rhodes of West Virginia