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Briefing Room

The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
April 19, 2016

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:

  •          Geeta Pasi – Ambassador to the Republic of Chad, Department of State
  •          David Brewer – Member, Board of Directors of the State Justice Institute
  •          Gayle Nachtigal – Member, Board of Directors of the State Justice Institute

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

  •          Jan Allman – Member, National Infrastructure Advisory Council
  •          Georges C. Benjamin – Member, National Infrastructure Advisory Council
  •          Jeff Bingaman – Member, National Infrastructure Advisory Council
  •          Ben Fowke – Member, National Infrastructure Advisory Council
  •          Chris Young – Member, President’s National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee
  •          Gary Gilbert – Member, Board of Visitors to the United States Merchant Marine Academy
  •          Rear Admiral David A. Score – Member, Board of Visitors to the United States Merchant Marine Academy

President Obama said, “I am pleased to announce that these experienced and committed individuals have decided to serve our country.  I look forward to working with them.”

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

Geeta Pasi, Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Chad, Department of State

Geeta Pasi, a career member of the Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, is Director of the Office of Career Development and Assignments in the Bureau of Human Resources at the Department of State, a position she has held since 2014.  Ms. Pasi served as U.S. Ambassador to Djibouti from 2011 to 2014.  Before that, she was Director of the Office of East African Affairs in the Bureau of African Affairs from 2009 to 2011, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh from 2006 to 2009, and Deputy Principal Officer at the U.S. Consulate in Frankfurt, Germany from 2003 to 2006.  Since joining the Foreign Service in 1988, Ms. Pasi has also served at posts in Cameroon, Ghana, India, and Romania.  Ms. Pasi received a B.A. from Duke University and an M.A. from New York University.

David Brewer, Nominee for Member, Board of Directors of the State Justice Institute

David Brewer is an Associate Justice for the Oregon Supreme Court, a position he has held since 2013.  Before joining the Supreme Court, Mr. Brewer sat on the Oregon Court of Appeals from 1999 to 2012, serving as Chief Judge from 2004 to 2012.  He served on the Lane County Circuit Court in Oregon from 1993 to 1999.  Prior to that, Mr. Brewer was a Partner at Lombard, Gardner, Honsowetz & Brewer from 1978 to 1993.  He was an Associate Attorney at Sahlstrom & Lombard from 1977 to 1978.  Mr. Brewer also served as Chair of the Oregon Judicial Conference from 2001 to 2005 and again in 2013.  Mr. Brewer received a B.A. from Sonoma State University and a J.D. from the University of Oregon School of Law.

Gayle Nachtigal, Nominee for Member, Board of Directors of the State Justice Institute

Gayle Nachtigal is Senior Circuit Court Judge of Washington County, a position she has held since 2013.  Prior to that, Ms. Nachtigal served as Circuit Court Judge in Washington County from 1991 to 2013, where she was Circuit Court Criminal Team Chair from 2006 to 2012 and Presiding Judge from 1996 to 2002.  From 1988 to 1991, she worked in private practice in Hillsboro, Oregon.  From 1983 to 1988, Ms. Nachtigal held various positions in the Oregon Department of Justice, including Assistant Attorney General, Family Law Section, Supervising Attorney, Family Law Section, Regional Manager of Support Enforcement, and Attorney-in-Charge of the Collection Section.  From 1977 to 1983, she served in the Washington County District Attorney’s Office, first as a law clerk in the Non-Support Division from 1977 to 1979 and then as Deputy District Attorney from 1979 to 1983.  Ms. Nachtigal received a B.A. from Bowling Green State University and a J.D. from the Northwest School of Law at Lewis and Clark College, now Lewis and Clark Law School.

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

Jan Allman, Appointee for Member, National Infrastructure Advisory Council

Jan Allman is President, Chief Executive Officer, and General Manager of Marinette Marine Corporation, positions she has held since 2014.  Ms. Allman served as Vice President of Global Manufacturing at Navistar Corporation from 2012 to 2014.  Prior to that, Ms. Allman worked at the Ford Motor Company from 1986 to 2012, serving as Chicago Assembly Plant Manager from 2009 to 2012 and Site Executive for Powertrain Operations from 2007 to 2009.  Ms. Allman received a B.S. from Kettering University.

Georges C. Benjamin, Appointee for Member, National Infrastructure Advisory Council

Georges C. Benjamin is Executive Director of the American Public Health Association, a position he has held since 2002.  He served as Secretary of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene from 1999 to 2002 and as Deputy Secretary for Public Health Services from 1995 to 1999.  Prior to that, Dr. Benjamin served as Director of the District of Columbia Emergency Ambulance Bureau from 1994 to 1995 and was a health policy consultant from 1991 to 1994.  From 1990 to 1991 he served as Director of the District of Columbia Emergency Ambulance Bureau and Acting D.C. Public Health Commissioner.  Dr. Benjamin was Chairman of the Department of Community Health and Ambulatory Care at the District of Columbia General Hospital from 1987 to 1990 and served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps from 1978 to 1987.  Dr. Benjamin received a B.S. from the Illinois Institute of Technology and an M.D. from the University of Illinois College of Medicine.

Jeff Bingaman, Appointee for Member, National Infrastructure Advisory Council

Jeff Bingaman most recently taught at the University of New Mexico Honors College in 2015 and served as a Distinguished Fellow at the Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance at Stanford University from 2013 to 2014.  He represented New Mexico in the U.S. Senate from 1983 to 2013.  Senator Bingaman served as Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee from 2001 to 2003 and 2007 to 2013.  During his tenure in the Senate, Senator Bingaman also served on the Senate Finance Committee, the Senate Armed Services Committee, and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.  Senator Bingaman was Attorney General of New Mexico from 1979 to 1983 and prior to that practiced law in Santa Fe.  Senator Bingaman received an A.B. from Harvard College and a J.D. from Stanford Law School.

Ben Fowke, Appointee for Member, National Infrastructure Advisory Council

Ben Fowke is Chairman, President, and CEO of Xcel Energy, positions he has held since 2011.  He previously served as President and Chief Operating Officer from 2009 to 2011.  He was Xcel Energy’s Executive Vice President from 2008 to 2009 and has held other executive positions at the company, including Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.  Prior to the 2000 merger of Northern States Power Co. and New Century Energies (NCE) to form Xcel Energy, he was a Vice President at NCE.  From 1987 to 1997, Mr. Fowke held management positions at the Florida-based utility company FPL Group, Inc. and its subsidiary Qaltec Quality Services.  Mr. Fowke received a B.S. from Towson University.

Chris Young, Appointee for Member, President’s National Security Telecommunications Advisory Council

Chris Young is Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Intel Security Group at Intel Corporation, positions he has held since 2014.  Mr. Young served as Senior Vice President of the Security Business Group at Cisco Systems from 2011 to 2014, Senior Vice President for End User Computing at VMWare, Inc. from 2010 to 2011, and Senior Vice President for RSA Products at RSA from 2007 to 2010.  He was Vice President and General Manager of the Consumer Solutions Business Unit at RSA from 2004 to 2007 and Vice President for Safety and Security Premium Services at AOL from 2003 to 2004.  In 1997, Mr. Young co-founded Cyveillance, Inc., where he served as President and Chief Operating Officer until 2000.  Mr. Young received a B.A. from Princeton University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Gary Gilbert, Appointee for Member, Board of Visitors to the United States Merchant Marine Academy

Gary Gilbert retired in 2014 as Senior Vice President of Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH), a position he had held since 2002.  Mr. Gilbert was also Chairman of the HPH Security Committee and the HPH Safety Committee.  Previously, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of FedEx Logistics from 1999 to 2001.  Mr. Gilbert served in a number of positions at the U.S. Ocean Carrier Sea-Land Service from 1976 to 1999, including President of Sea-Land Logistics, Vice President for Latin America, Vice President for Asia, Chairman of Asia Terminals Ltd., and Director of North American Operations.  Mr. Gilbert also served as an Officer on merchant and U.S. Naval vessels during the Vietnam conflict.  He currently sits on the Advisory Board of Decision Sciences.  Mr. Gilbert received a B.S. from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and an M.S. from the State University of New York.

Rear Admiral David A. Score, Appointee for Member, Board of Visitors to the United States Merchant Marine Academy

Rear Admiral (RADM) David A. Score serves as Director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Commissioned Officer Corps and Director of the NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO).  Previously, he served as Deputy Director of the NOAA Corps, Deputy Director for OMAO Operations, Director of OMAO’s Marine Operations Center, and Commanding Officer of the NOAA Marine Operations Center-Atlantic.  Before directing NOAA’s Atlantic fleet, RADM Score commanded NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter, which conducted key research missions during the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill response.  He has served aboard six NOAA vessels on operations from the Bering Sea to the Caribbean and has also served in a variety of management and operational roles at Channel Islands, Gray’s Reef, and Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuaries.  RADM Score has received eight NOAA special achievement awards and two Department of Commerce bronze medals, and was named the 1999 NOAA National Association of Commissioned Officers Junior Officer of the Year.  He received a B.S. from the Florida Institute of Technology.