President Donald J. Trump today announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key positions in his Administration:
Peter Henry Barlerin of Colorado to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Cameroon. Mr. Barlerin, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Counselor, has served as an American diplomat since 1989. He is currently the Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of African Affairs at the Department of State, a post he has held since 2016. Mr. Barlerin also served as Deputy Chief of Mission with senior level appointments at the State Department. An economist, he has served at seven U.S. Missions overseas. Mr. Barlerin earned a M.A. from University of Maryland, College Park and a B.A. from Middlebury College. He speaks French, Japanese, Spanish, and Norwegian.
Rostin Behnam of New Jersey to be a Commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for the remainder of a 5-year term expiring June 19, 2021. Mr. Behnam is senior counsel to U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, Ranking Member of the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee. Mr. Behnam has served as counsel to Senator Stabenow since 2011, focusing on policy and legislation related to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Department of Agriculture, including the Agricultural Act of 2014. Prior to serving Senator Stabenow, Mr. Behnam practiced law in New York City and worked at the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General. Mr. Behnam is a graduate of Georgetown University and earned a J.D. from the Syracuse University College of Law. He lives with his wife and daughter in Baltimore.
Michael Dourson of Ohio to be an Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Toxic Substances. Mr. Dourson is a professor in the Risk Science Center at the University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine. Before this, he founded the nonprofit Toxicology Excellence for Risk Assessment and worked at the Environmental Protection Agency. While at the EPA, Mr. Dourson was awarded the Arnold J. Lehman award from the Society of Toxicology (SOT) and the International Achievement Award by the International Society of Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology. He is a fellow of the Academy of Toxicological Sciences and a fellow of the Society for Risk Analysis (SRA).
Joseph Kernan of Florida to be Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence. Mr. Kernan currently serves as Senior Vice President of Corporate Development for SAP National Security Services, where his responsibilities include leveraging commercially developed SAP and other software technologies in support of missions related to national security. Additionally, Mr. Kernan serves as the chairman of NS2 Serves, a veteran training and employment program, and serves on the Board of Directors for both the National Navy Seal Museum and The Mission Continues. Previously, Mr. Kernan served in the U.S. Navy, first as a Surface Warfare Officer and then as a Naval Special Warfare/SEAL Officer. Mr. Kernan served as the Commander of Naval Special Warfare Command, the Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. Fourth Fleet, the Senior Military Assistant to former Defense Secretary Robert Gates and the Deputy Commander of U.S. Southern Command. Mr. Kernan is a retired U.S. Navy Vice Admiral, and a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and the National Defense University.
Guy B. Roberts of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary, Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Defense Programs, Department of Defense. Mr. Roberts is currently president of GBR Consulting, a national security consulting firm. In that capacity, Mr. Roberts has provided subject matter expertise on arms control, non-proliferation, international legal issues and strategies to combat terrorism to over 30 international and domestic organizations and institutions. In addition, he is a senior associate with the Center for Strategic and International Studies and an adjunct professor teaching courses on homeland security, international terrorism, non-proliferation, and arms control at Mary Washington University and Virginia Commonwealth University. Mr. Roberts previously served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Weapons of Mass Destruction Policy and Director of Nuclear Policy for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. He received the Exceptional Public Service Award from the Department of Defense. Mr. Roberts also served 25 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, concluding his career as the Staff Judge Advocate for U.S. Southern Command and retiring as a Colonel. Mr. Roberts earned his B.A. in Political Science, magna cum laude, from Arizona State University, his J.D. degree from the University of Denver, his LL.M. in International and Comparative Law from Georgetown University, and his M.A. in National Security and Strategic Studies with highest distinction from the Naval War College.
