WASHINGTON – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:
• Tim Broas – Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Department of State
• Richard L. Morningstar – Ambassador to the Republic of Azerbaijan, Department of State
The President also announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:
• Nancy Hellman Bechtle – Member, Board of Directors of the Presidio Trust
• Reginald Dwayne Betts – Member, Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
• Patricia G. Smith – Member, Advisory Board of the National Air and Space Museum
President Obama said, “These dedicated and accomplished individuals will be valued additions to my Administration as we tackle the important challenges facing America. I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.”
President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:
Tim Broas, Nominee for Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Department of State
Tim Broas is currently a partner at Winston and Strawn, LLP. Mr. Broas also serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, having been appointed by President Obama in December 2010. From 1986 to 1995, he was a partner at Anderson Hibey & Blair. Previously, Mr. Broas worked as an attorney at Whitman & Ransom from 1983 to 1985, and at Conboy Hewitt O’Brien & Boardman from 1980 to 1983. From 1979 to 1980, he served as a law clerk for Justice Mark Sullivan of the Supreme Court of New Jersey. Mr. Broas received a B.A. from Boston College and a J.D. from the College of William and Mary.
Ambassador Richard L. Morningstar, Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Azerbaijan, Department of State
Ambassador Richard L. Morningstar is the Secretary of State’s Special Envoy for Eurasian Energy. Prior to his appointment in April 2009, he was a Senior Director for Stonebridge International LLC. During this time, he taught courses at Stanford Law School (2004-2009) and at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University (2003-2009). From 1999 to 2001, he served as U.S. Ambassador to the European Union. From 1998 to 1999, he was Special Advisor to the President and the Secretary of State for Caspian Basin Energy Diplomacy. From 1995 to 1998, he served as Special Advisor to the President and Secretary of State on Assistance to the New Independent States of the Former Soviet Union. From 1993 to 1995, he was Senior Vice President of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation. Prior to serving in the federal government, Ambassador Morningstar worked for Costar Corporation where he was Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer (1990-1993) and President and Chief Executive Officer (1981-1990). From 1989 to 1993, he also served as a Commissioner of the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. He began his career in 1970 as an attorney with Nixon and Peabody, formerly known as Peabody and Brown, in Boston. Ambassador Morningstar received his B.A. from Harvard and J.D. from Stanford Law School.
President Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:
Nancy Hellman Bechtle, Appointee for Member, Board of Directors of the Presidio Trust
Nancy Hellman Bechtle is the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Presidio Trust. Previously, Ms. Bechtle served as the President and CEO of the San Francisco Symphony as well as the Chief Financial Officer and a Director of J.R. Bechtle & Co., a management consulting group. Ms. Bechtle is currently the Chairman of the Board of the Sugar Bowl Ski Corporation and sits on a number of boards including the University of California San Francisco. In addition, she is a former member of the board of the National Park Foundation. Ms. Bechtle recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco. She earned her B.A. from Stanford University.
Reginald Dwayne Betts, Appointee for Member, Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Reginald Dwayne Betts is an award-winning writer and poet. Mr. Betts’ memoir, A Question of Freedom: A Memoir of Learning, Survival, and Coming of Age in Prison, was the recipient of the 2010 NAACP Image Award for non-fiction. In 2010 he was awarded a Soros Justice Fellowship to complete The Circumference of a Prison, a work of nonfiction exploring the criminal justice system. In addition, Mr. Betts is the author of a collection of poetry, Shahid Reads His Own Palm. In addition to his writing, Mr. Betts is involved in a number of non-profit organizations, including the Campaign for Youth Justice for which he serves as a national spokesperson. He received a B.A. from the University of Maryland and was recently awarded a Radcliffe Fellowship to Harvard University’s Radcliffe Institute of Advanced Studies.
Patricia G. Smith, Appointee for Member, Advisory Board of the National Air and Space Museum
Patricia G. Smith is the founder of Patti Grace Smith Consulting, L.L.C, an aerospace consulting company. Ms. Smith served as Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from 1997 to 2008. While with the FAA, she headed the agency’s operations responsible for licensing, regulating, and promoting the U.S. commercial space transportation industry. Ms. Smith is currently a member of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Advisory Council, where she serves as Chair of the Commercial Space Committee. She is also a member of the Space Foundation Board, the American Astronautical Board, the X Prize Advisory Board, and the board of the Conrad Foundation. Ms. Smith previously served on the SpaceDev Board, and the National Bar Association’s Air and Space Law Forum Board. She received her B.A. from Tuskegee University.
