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The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate 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

  • David J. Berteau – Assistant Secretary of Defense for Logistics and Materiel Readiness, Department of Defense
  • Leigh A. Bradley – General Counsel, Department of Veterans Affairs
  • Mona Dixon – Member, Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service
  • Mark Scarano – Federal Cochairperson, Northern Border Regional Commission  

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

  • Jeffrey Bleich – Member, J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board
  • Michael K. Goto – United States Commissioner, Commission for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean
  • Mary Lou Leary– Deputy Director for State, Local, and Tribal Affairs, Office of National Drug Control Policy
  • August William “Bill” Ritter – Representative of the United States, Western Interstate Nuclear Board
  • William Sabol – Director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics, Department of Justice

President Obama said, “These fine public servants bring a depth of experience and tremendous dedication to their important roles.  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:

David J. Berteau, Nominee for Assistant Secretary of Defense for Logistics and Materiel Readiness, Department of Defense

David J. Berteau is currently Senior Vice President and Director of the National Security Program on Industry and Resources at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a position he has held since 2013.  Previously at CSIS, he was Senior Vice President and Director of the International Security Program from 2011 to 2013, and he was Senior Adviser and Director of the Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group from 2008 to 2011.  In 2008, while at CSIS, Mr. Berteau was the Chair of the Resources Working Group for the Project on National Security Reform.  From 2003 to 2008, he served as a Director at Clark & Weinstock, and from 2001 to 2003 he directed the National Security Studies Program at Syracuse University.  From 1997 to 2001, Mr. Berteau was a Senior Vice President at SAIC, and from 1993 to 1997, he was the company’s Corporate Vice President of Business Development.  In 1993, he served as the Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Production and Logistics, and from 1992 to 1993 he was the Chairman for the Defense Conversion Commission.  From 1990 to 1993, he was the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Production & Logistics and in 1989, he served as Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Management and Personnel.  Mr. Berteau was Deputy Assistant Secretary for Resource Management & Support from 1986 to 1989, and he served in several roles at the Department of Defense from 1981 to 1986.  Mr. Berteau received a B.A. from Tulane University and an M.P.A. from University of Texas at Austin.

Leigh A. Bradley, Nominee for General Counsel, Department of Veterans Affairs

Leigh A. Bradley is currently Director of the Standards of Conduct Office in the Office of the General Counsel at the Department of Defense (DOD), a position she has held since 2008.  Since July 2014, she has served on detail from DOD to the Department of Veterans Affairs as Special Counsel to the Secretary.  Previously, Ms. Bradley was at the American Red Cross, where she served as Senior Vice President of Enterprise Risk and Chief Risk Officer from 2005 to 2007 and as Chief of Staff from 2004 to 2005.  From 2001 to 2004, Ms. Bradley was a Partner at Holland & Knight, LLP, and from 1998 to 2001 she was General Counsel at the Department of Veterans Affairs.  She served as Principal Deputy General Counsel for the Department of the Navy from 1994 to 1998 and as a senior attorney in the Office of the Deputy General Counsel at DOD from 1987 to 1994.  A veteran, she also served on active duty as a Judge Advocate for the U.S. Air Force from 1982 to 1986.  Ms. Bradley received a B.A. and a J.D. from the University of Alabama.

Mona Dixon, Nominee for Member, Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service

Mona Dixon currently serves as a member on the Board of Directors for the Boys & Girls Club (BGC) of Tempe, AZ, a position she has held since 2013.  Ms. Dixon has been a Keystone Advisor for her local BGC since 2012 and in 2013, she served as a Boys and Girls Club of America (BGCA) Ambassador to the Military Teen Leadership conference.  Since 2009, Ms. Dixon has been engaging communities as an active motivational speaker and performing public service announcements dedicated to helping young people graduate high school.  She was a Success Coach for First Year Success at Arizona State University (ASU) from 2013 to 2014.  Ms. Dixon served as an Outreach Ambassador at ASU from 2012 to 2013.  From 2011 to 2013, she was a member of the Board of Directors for United Methodist Outreach Ministries New Day Centers.  In 2014, she was awarded the Compassion, Courage, & Advocacy Award and was selected as a Glamour Girl’s Top 10 College Women’s Reader’s Choice Award Nominee.  In 2010, she was selected as the National Youth of the Year by BGCA, and in 2011 was selected as one of the Top 28 Most Influential Black Women in America by Essence Magazine.  Ms. Dixon received a B.S. from Arizona State University. 

Mark Scarano, Nominee for Federal Cochairperson, Northern Border Regional Commission

Mark Scarano is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Grafton County Economic Development Council, a position he has held since 2006.  Previously, he was the Executive Director and Business Development Director for the Piscataquis County, Maine Economic Development Council from 1999 to 2006.  From 1996 to 1998, Mr. Scarano served as the Community Development Director for the Town of Millinocket, Maine.  He received a B.A. from the University of Southern Maine and an M.A. from Iowa State University.

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

Jeffrey Bleich, Appointee for Member, J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board

Jeffrey Bleich is a litigation partner with Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP, a position he has held since 2013 and previously held from 1995 to 2009.  He is also a visiting professor at Sydney University.  Mr. Bleich served as the United States Ambassador to Australia from 2009 to 2013 and as Honorary Co-Chair of the Australia - U.S. Fulbright Board.  Mr. Bleich also served as Special Counsel to the President in 2009.  He taught Constitutional Law and International Law at University of California from 1994 to 2003.  He was also Chair of the California State University Board of Trustees from 2008 to 2009, and the President of the State Bar of California from 2007 to 2008.  Mr. Bleich clerked for Chief Justice William Rehnquist from 1990 to 1991, Judge Abner Mikva from 1989 to 1990, and Judge Howard Holtzman of the Iran - U.S. Claims Tribunal in the Hague from 1991 to 1992.  Mr. Bleich is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the American Law Institute, and the American Bar Foundation Fellows.  He received a B.A. from Amherst College, an M.P.P. from Harvard University, and a J.D. from University of California Berkeley School of Law. 

Michael K. Goto, Appointee for United States Commissioner, Commission for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean

Michael K. Goto has served as a member of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council since 2012.  He has served as the Chair of the Committee on Pelagic and International Fisheries since 2012.  Mr. Goto has held various positions for the United Fishing Agency, Ltd., including Auction Manager since 2014, Executive Assistant to the General Manager since 2007, and Sales Manager from 2009 to 2014.  He currently serves as a Director and Treasurer on the Board of Directors of the Hawaii Longline Association.  He also serves as a Director on the Board of Directors for the Domestic Commercial Fishing Village Association at Pier 38, Honolulu Harbor.  Mr. Goto received a B.A. from Loyola Marymount University.

Mary Lou Leary, Appointee for Deputy Director for State, Local, and Tribal Affairs, Office of National Drug Control Policy

Mary Lou Leary is currently the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Justice Programs at the Department of Justice (DOJ), a position she has held since 2009.  Previously, Ms. Leary served as the Executive Director for the National Center for Victims of Crime from 2005 to 2009.  From 2004 to 2005, she was Senior Counsel to the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, and from 2001 to 2004 she served as Principal Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia.  Ms. Leary served as Acting Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Justice Programs from 2000 to 2001 and was Deputy Associate Attorney General from 1998 to 2001 at DOJ.  She served as Acting Director for the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services at DOJ in 1999, after serving as the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia from 1997 to 1998.  From 1985 to 1998, Ms. Leary served in several positions in the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Chief of the Superior Court Division, Executive Assistant for the U.S. Attorney for Operations, Deputy Chief of the Superior Court Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney.  She was a Law Clerk for Judge Frank J. Murray at the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts and for Judge Fred B. Ugast at the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.  Ms. Leary received a B.A. from Syracuse University, an M.A. from Ohio State University, and a J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law.

August William “Bill” Ritter, Appointee for Representative of the United Sates, Western Interstate Nuclear Board

August William “Bill” Ritter currently serves as the Director of the Center for the New Energy Economy at Colorado State University, a position he has held since February 2011.  From 2007 to 2011, Mr. Ritter served as the 41stGovernor of Colorado.  Prior to this, he was the District Attorney for the City and County of Denver from 1993 to 2005. Mr. Ritter worked in the U.S. Attorney’s office in Denver from 1990 to 1992.  From 1987 to 1990, Mr. Ritter and his wife served as missionaries for the Catholic Church in Zambia.  Mr. Ritter worked as a Deputy District Attorney from 1981 to 1987.  He currently serves on the board of the Energy Foundation.  Mr. Ritter received a B.A. from Colorado State University and a J.D. from the University of Colorado School of Law in Boulder.   

William Sabol, Appointee for Director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics, Department of Justice

William Sabol is currently the Principal Deputy Director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) in the Office of Justice Programs at the Department of Justice (DOJ), a position he has held since 2010.  Since 2013, Mr. Sabol has served as the Acting Director of BJS.  From 2006 to 2010, he was the Chief of the Corrections Statistics Unit in BJS.  Before joining DOJ, Mr. Sabol served as the Associate Director of Homeland Security and Justice at the Government Accountability Office (GAO) from 2003 to 2006; this was his second role with GAO, having previously served as Senior Social Scientist from 1991 to 1995.  From 2000 to 2004, he was Associate Director of the Center on Urban Poverty and Social Change at the Mandel School of Applied Sciences at Case Western Reserve University.  From 1995 to 2000, he was the Senior Research Associate at the Urban Institute.  From 1990 to 1991, he was a Project Director at Cosmos Corporation.  He began his professional career at the University of Maryland, serving first as a Faculty Research Associate in the Afro-American Studies Program from 1987 to 1988, and then as an Assistant Professor of Afro-American Studies and Criminal Justice from 1988 to 1991. He was a Fulbright Scholar at the Institute of Criminology at the University of Cambridge from 1986 to 1987.  Mr. Sabol received a B.A. and a Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh.