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:

• Dick Berner – Director, Office of Financial Research, Department of the Treasury
• Nancy J. Powell – Ambassador to India, Department of State

President Obama said, “These fine public servants both bring a depth of experience and tremendous dedication to their new roles.  Our nation will be well-served by these individuals, and I look forward to working with them in the months and years to come.”

President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:

Dick Berner, Nominee for Director, Office of Financial Research, Department of the Treasury
Dick Berner is currently Counselor in the Office of Research and Quantitative Studies at the Department of the Treasury. Mr. Berner was a member of the Economic Advisory Panel of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Panel of Economic Advisers of the Congressional Budget Office, Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the National Bureau of Economic Research, and the Advisory Committee of the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Mr. Berner has won forecasting awards from Market News and the National Association for Business Economics, nd was named a member of Time’s Board of Economists. Mr. Berner previously served as the Managing Director, Co-Head of Global Economics and Chief U.S. Economist at Morgan Stanley, Executive Vice President and Chief Economist at Mellon Bank, and a member of Mellon's Senior Management Committee. He holds a B.A. from Harvard College and Ph.D. from University of Pennsylvania.

Ambassador Nancy J. Powell, Nominee for Ambassador to India, Department of State
Ambassador Nancy J. Powell, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, currently serves as Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources at the Department of State.  She was conferred the personal rank of Career Ambassador in January 2011.  Prior to her current assignment, Ambassador Powell served as Ambassador to Nepal (2007-2009), Ambassador to Pakistan (2002-2004), Ambassador to Ghana (2001-2002), and Ambassador to Uganda (1997-1999).  Previous overseas assignments included service in Ottawa, Kathmandu, Islamabad, Lome, Calcutta, New Delhi, and Dhaka.  Her Washington assignments have included: Refugee Assistance Officer, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, Acting Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Activities, and the National Intelligence Officer for South Asia at the National Intelligence Council.  Ambassador Powell joined the Foreign Service in 1977 following six years as a high school social studies teacher in Dayton, Iowa.  She received a B.A. from the University of Northern Iowa.