President Donald J. Trump today announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key positions in his Administration:
Johnny Collett of Kentucky, to be the Assistant Secretary of Education for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. Mr. Collett is the Director of Special Education Outcomes at the Council of Chief State School Officers. In this role, he supports states in their work to raise expectations and improve outcomes for children and youth with disabilities. He previously served as Director of the Division of Learning Services and State Director of Special Education at the Kentucky Department of Education. In this role, he provided oversight to a division that included special education, as well as other program areas such as English Learners, gifted and talented, response to intervention, the Kentucky School for the Blind, and the Kentucky School for the Deaf. He also served on the board of directors of the National Association of State Directors of Special Education, serving a partial term as secretary-treasurer of the board. Mr. Collett also served in various other roles, including exceptional children consultant, assistant division director, and acting division director. Prior to working at the Kentucky Department of Education, he was a high school special education teacher. Mr. Collett is a graduate of the University of Kentucky, and Georgetown College (KY).
John G. Vonglis of New York, to be Chief Financial Officer, Department of Energy. Mr. Vonglis is a senior advisor to Cross Range Capital LLC, a boutique private equity firm. Prior to this, he was SVP of Finance at Red Apple Group, Inc., a $5B diversified business where he served simultaneously as CFO of its second largest portfolio company. Before this, he was a practice area leader with IBM. From 2002 – 2009 he served at the Department of Defense. Initially, he was Director of Management Initiatives, and later served as Principal Deputy, acting Assistant Secretary(Financial Management and Comptroller), and as the first Chief Management Officer of the U.S. Air Force. In 2000, he was a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives. His private sector experiences include positions within advisory, aerospace/defense, financial services, and high-technology firms. John also is a Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve and advises the Army Cyber Institute at West Point. In addition to his military awards, he is the recipient of the Air Force awards for Exceptional and Meritorious service, and other civilian federal level recognitions. He is published, has appeared on radio and television, lectured at the U.S. Military Academy, and serves on various boards. As a former Eagle Scout, he is active with the Boy Scouts of America. He holds BS and MBA degrees from Fordham University, and an MIPP from The Johns Hopkins University
Melissa F. Burnison of Kentucky, to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy (Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs). Ms. Burnison is the Director of Federal Programs for the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) where she plans, directs and executes legislative strategies for nuclear energy programs and policies on behalf of the nuclear energy industry. Before her time in the private energy sector, she served as a senior advisor at the Department of Energy and with the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Natural Resources where she advanced legislative policies to expand American energy production and jobs. During her tenure in the U.S. House, Ms. Burnison also served in the Office of Congressman Zach Wamp (R-TN) as legislative director with a special focus on Department of Energy nuclear and science programs and National Nuclear Security Administration defense programs. As a native of Louisville, Kentucky, she began her career on Capitol Hill with Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY). A graduate of Cameron University with a B.A. in political science, Ms. Burnison resides in Mclean, VA, and is married to Scott Burnison and has three daughters; Catherine, Gudrun, and Elizabeth.
