President Donald J. Trump today announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key positions in his Administration:
Thomas McCaffery of California, to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs.
Mr. McCaffery most recently served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs. Mr. McCaffery has extensive experience in the health care industry. Previously, he served as vice president at California State Partnerships and vice president at CalPERS sector at Blue Shield of California. Prior to his tenure at Blue Shield, he served as chief deputy director of the California Department of Health Services, California’s public health and health care services agency. Mr. McCaffery also served as senior vice president and chief operating officer at the Alliance of Catholic Health Care. Earlier in his career, he served on the staff of the Washington, D.C. Office of the Governor of California. Mr. McCaffery has also served on a number of healthcare, education and children’s program non-profits in the Sacramento area. Mr. McCaffery graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in government and international relations and holds a master’s degree in public policy from the University of California at Berkeley.
Michael Peter Pelletier of Maine to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Madagascar and the Union of the Comoros.
Mr. Pelletier, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor, has served as an American diplomat since 1987. He is currently the Dean of the School of Professional and Area Studies at the Foreign Service Institute, United States Department of State, a position he has held since 2016. Mr. Pelletier has served at eight United States Missions overseas and in senior leadership positions at the United States Department of State, including as Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States embassy in New Delhi, India, and Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of African Affairs. He earned a B.S.F.S. from Georgetown University, a Certificat d’Etudes Politiques from Institut d’Etudes Politiques, Paris, France, and a M.I.A. from Columbia University. He is the recipient of thirteen senior State Department awards, including a Presidential Meritorious Service Award and the Linguist of the Year.
William H. Moser of North Carolina, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Mr. Moser, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor, has served as an American diplomat since 1984. He is the Principal Deputy Director of the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations at the United States Department of State, a position he has held since 2015. He has served at seven United States Missions overseas, including as Ambassador at the United States Embassy in Moldova from 2011 to 2015, and in senior leadership positions at the United States Department of State. Mr. Moser earned a B.A. at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and studied at Universitaet zu Koeln in Cologne, Germany. He is the recipient of ten notable State Department awards, including the Leamon R. Hunt Award for Administrative Excellence. He also received the Secretary of Defense Medal for Distinguished Civilian Service. Mr. Moser speaks Russian and German.
Robert K. Scott of Maryland, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Malawi.
Mr. Scott, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Counselor, has served as an American diplomat since 1994. He is currently Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs at the United States Department of State, a position he has held since 2016. He previously served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Embassies in Harare, Zimbabwe and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and in multiple senior leadership positions at the United States Department of State. Mr. Scott earned a B.A. from Lawrence University, Appleton, Wisconsin and an M.A. from American University, Washington, D.C. He also studied at Goettingen University in Germany on a United States Fulbright Grant. He is the recipient of fifteen senior Department of State awards and speaks fluent German as well as Ukrainian and French.
Craig Lewis Cloud of Florida, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Botswana, vice Earl R. Miller.
Mr. Cloud, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor, has served as an American diplomat since 1992. He is currently the Management Counselor of the United States Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. Among his other senior leadership positions overseas, Mr. Cloud was the Minister Counselor for management affairs at the United States Embassy in New Delhi, India from 2013 to 2017 and the Deputy Chief of Mission of the United States Embassy in Mbabane, Swaziland from 2010 to 2013. He has served at nine United States Missions overseas. Mr. Cloud speaks French and basic Spanish and has received numerous State Department awards. He holds a B.S. from North Carolina State University. Mr. Cloud is married and has two children.
Michael S. Klecheski of New York, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Mongolia.
Mr. Klecheski, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor is currently Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy in Manila, Philippines, a position he has held since 2015. He has also served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy in Astana, Kazakhstan from 2013 to 2015 and in other overseas assignments in Russia, Iraq, Switzerland, and Poland. Mr. Klecheski earned a B.S.F.S. from Georgetown University and a M.A. and MPhil from Columbia University. He is the recipient of twelve notable awards from the State Department, including the Expeditionary Service Award. He speaks Russian, Polish, French and Tagalog. He is married to Eloisa de Leon Klecheski. They have three children.
Judith Gail Garber of Virginia, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Cyprus.
Ms. Garber, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Career Minister, has served as an American diplomat since 1984. She is currently Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs at the United States Department of State, a position she has held since 2012. She also has served at six United States missions overseas, including as Ambassador at the United States Embassy in Riga, Latvia from 2009 to 2012 and in senior leadership positions in Washington, D.C., such as a Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs at the United States Department of State from 2007 to 2009. Ms. Garber earned a B.S.F.S. from Georgetown University. She is the recipient of twenty notable State Department awards. Ms. Garber speaks Spanish, Hebrew, Czech and Latvian.
Donald Armin Blome of Illinois, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Tunisian Republic.
Mr. Blome, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor, has served as an American diplomat since 1993. He is currently the Chargé d’Affairs at the Libya External Office in Tunis. Previously, Mr. Blome was Consul General at the United States Consulate in Jerusalem from 2015 to 2018. He also served as the Political Counselor at the American Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan and as Minister-Counselor for Economic and Political Affairs at the American Embassy in Cairo, Egypt. Mr. Blome earned a B.A. and a J.D. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He is the recipient of thirteen notable Department of State awards. Mr. Blome speaks Arabic
Dennis B. Hankins of Minnesota, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Mali.
Ambassador Hankins, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor, has served as an American diplomat since 1984. He is currently the Ambassador at the United States Embassy in Conakry, Republic of Guinea, a position he has held since 2015. Ambassador Hankins served at eleven United States missions overseas and in senior leadership positions at the United States Department of State, including as Principal Officer at the United States Consulate General in Sao Paulo, Brazil from 2012 to 2015, Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan from 2010 to 2012, and Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy Nouakchott, Mauritania from 2007 to 2010. He earned a B.S. from Georgetown University and a M.S. from the National War College and is the recipient of numerous State Department awards. Ambassador Hankins speaks French and Portuguese.
