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:

• Jonathan D. Farrar - Ambassador to the Republic of Panama, Department of State
• Joseph E. Macmanus - United States Representative to the Vienna Office of the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador and United States Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency, with the rank of Ambassador
• Ambassador Phyllis M. Powers  - Ambassador to the Republic of Nicaragua, Department of State
• Ambassador William E. Todd  - Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia, Department of State

The President also announced his intent to appoint the following individual to a key administration post:

• Philip G. Freelon - Member, Commission of Fine Arts

President Obama said, “I am grateful that these impressive individuals have chosen to dedicate their talents to serving the American people at this important time for our country.  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:

Jonathan D. Farrar, Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Panama, Department of State
Jonathan D. Farrar is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service.  From 2008 to 2011, he was Chief of Mission of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, Cuba.  From 2005 to 2008, Mr. Farrar served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor.  Previous assignments in Washington have included:  Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs; Executive Assistant in the Office of the Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs; Deputy Director in the Office of Andean Affairs for the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs; Desk Officer for Argentina in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, and Financial Economist in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.  Overseas assignments have included Political/Economic Officer and Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Uruguay; Economic/Commercial Officer at the U.S. Embassy of Paraguay; and Economic/Commercial Officer at the U.S. Embassy of Belize.  Mr. Farrar is a graduate of California State Polytechnic University Pomona and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.

Joseph E. Macmanus, Nominee for United States Representative to the Vienna Office of the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador and United States Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency, with the rank of Ambassador
Joseph E. Macmanus is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service and currently serves as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs.  Previously, he served as the Executive Assistant to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.  From 2005 to 2008, Mr. Macmanus was Deputy Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs.  Previous Department of State assignments in Washington include: Office Director for Global Affairs and Office Director for Regional Affairs in the Bureau of Legislative Affairs.  Mr. Macmanus began his Foreign Service career in 1986 at the United States Information Agency, where he served as Executive Assistant to the Director and Deputy Director, and as the Russia Desk Officer.  Overseas posts have included: Counselor for Public Affairs in Brussels, Belgium; Public Affairs Officer in Krakow, Poland, Press Attaché/ Information Officer in San Salvador, El Salvador; and Junior Officer in Mexico.  Mr. Macmanus holds a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and an M.L.S. from State University at Buffalo.

Ambassador Phyllis M. Powers, Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Nicaragua, Department of State
Ambassador Phyllis M. Powers, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor, has served as U.S. Ambassador to Panama since September 2010.  From 2007 to 2009, she served at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad as Director of the Office of Provincial Affairs.  From 2005 to 2007, she was Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Peru.  From 2001 to 2005, Ambassador Powers served consecutively as the Director of the Narcotics Affairs Section responsible for the Counter-Narcotics program and as Management Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Colombia.  Other overseas assignments have included service in Jordan, Russia, and Poland.  Previous assignments in Washington include Senior Post Management Officer for the Bureau of Near East Asian and South Asian Affairs and Deputy Director of the Office of Travel Support in the Bureau of Administration.  Ambassador Powers holds a B.S. from Pennsylvania State University.

Ambassador William E. Todd, Nominee for Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia, Department of State
Ambassador William E. Todd, a career member of the Senior Executive Service, most recently served as the Coordinating Director of Development and Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul from June 2010 to June 2011.  Previously, from 2008 to 2010, Ambassador Todd was the U.S. Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam.  Prior to serving as Ambassador to Brunei, Ambassador Todd was the Acting Inspector General of the Department of State in 2008 and Deputy Inspector General from 2006 to 2008.  From 2002 to 2006, Ambassador Todd served in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs at the Department of State.  Ambassador Todd has held several other senior positions within the U.S. Government, including Executive Director of the Bureau of Resource Management at the Department of State; Director of the Office of Security and Management in the Office of the Secretary at the Department of Transportation; and Director of Planning and Resource Management for the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service at the Department of Commerce.  Ambassador Todd holds a B.S. from Longwood College.

President Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individual to a key Administration post:

Philip G. Freelon, Appointee for Member, Commission of Fine Arts
Philip G. Freelon is the founder and President of The Freelon Group and Professor of Practice at the MIT School of Architecture and Planning.  Mr. Freelon is a Peer Professional for the GSA’s Design Excellence Program and has served on numerous design award juries, including the National American Institute of Architects (AIA) Institute Honor Awards jury and the National Endowment for the Arts Design Stewardship Panel.  He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, a LEED Accredited Professional and the 2009 recipient of the AIA Thomas Jefferson Award for Public Architecture.  Mr. Freelon earned his Bachelor of Environmental Design degree in Architecture from North Carolina State University and his Master of Architecture degree from MIT.