SENIOR STAFF
Political Appointees at the U.S. Department of Education

U.S. Department of Education Appointments Since January 2009

Senate-Confirmable

NameOfficePositionAction Date
Arne Duncan Secretary Secretary confirmed 1/20/09
Russlynn Ali Civil Rights Assistant Secretary confirmed 5/1/09
Peter Cunningham Communications and Outreach Assistant Secretary confirmed 5/1/09
Brenda Dann-Messier Vocational and Adult Education Assistant Secretary confirmed 10/5/09
John Easton Institute of Education Sciences Director confirmed 5/21/09
Gabriella Gomez Legislation and Congressional Affairs Assistant Secretary confirmed 5/1/09
Martha Kanter Under Secretary Under Secretary confirmed 6/19/09
Carmel Martin Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development Assistant Secretary confirmed 5/1/09
Thelma Melendez Elementary & Secondary Education Assistant Secretary confirmed 7/24/09
Tony Miller Deputy Secretary Deputy Secretary confirmed 7/24/09
Alexa Posny Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Assistant Secretary confirmed 10/5/09
Charlie Rose General Counsel General Counsel confirmed 5/1/09
Lynnae Ruttledge Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Commissioner for Rehabilitation Services Administration confirmed 12/24/09
Kathy Tighe Inspector General Inspector General nominated 11/20/09

Other Political Appointments

NameOfficePosition 
Sandra Abrevaya Communications and Outreach Press Secretary for Media Relations  
Kristen Adams Legislation and Congressional Affairs Confidential Assistant  
Kiran Ahuja Under Secretary Executive Director, White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders  
Susie Andersen Secretary White House Liaison  
Jo Anderson Secretary Senior Advisor  
Angelica Annino Secretary Confidential Assistant  
Leigh Arsenault Under Secretary Confidential Assistant  
Alula Asfaw Innovation and Improvement Confidential Assistant  
Rayna Aylward Secretary Special Assistant  
Tarik Barrett Vocational and Adult Education Confidential Assistant  
Jessica Barrow Communications and Outreach Confidential Assistant to the Director of Intergovernmental Affairs  
Ken Bedell Secretary Special Assistant, Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships  
Taryn Benarroch Deputy Secretary Confidential Assistant  
Joshua Bendor Secretary Confidential Assistant  
Marisa Bold Secretary Special Assistant  
Tia Borders Secretary Special Assistant  
Karen Cator Secretary Director, Education Technology  
Alejandra Ceja Under Secretary Chief of Staff  
Frank Chong Vocational and Adult Education Deputy Assistant Secretary, Community Colleges  
Rebecca Cokley Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Confidential Assistant  
Glenn Cummings Vocational and Adult Education Deputy Assistant Secretary  
Gregory Darnieder Secretary Special Assistant (Advisor to the Secretary on the Secretary's Initiative on College Access)
Cathy Del Duca Secretary Confidential Assistant  
Shannon Diamant Legislative and Congressional Affairs Special Assistant  
Adrienne Dunbar Vocational and Adult Education Confidential Assistant Special Advisor to the Assistant Secretary
Maribel Duran Secretary Executive Assistant  
Stephanie Fine Deputy Secretary Confidential Assistant  
Jodie Fingland Legislation and Congressional Affairs Chief of Staff  
Heather Foster Secretary Confidential Assistant, Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships  
Jackie Gran Planning, Evaulation and Policy Development Special Assistant Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary
Peter Groff Secretary Director, Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships  
Justin Hamilton Communications and Outreach Press Secretary for Strategic Communications  
Kristen Harper Safe and Drug Free Schools Confidential Assistant  
Carl Harris Elementary and Secondary Education Deputy Assistant Secretary, Policy & Strategic Initiatives  
Hannah Hawley Secretary Confidential Assistant  
Steven Hicks Secretary Special Assistant  
Jason Hoekstra Communications and Outreach Special Assistant  
David Hoff Communications and Outreach Deputy Assistant Secretary, Communications Development  
Lloyd Horwich Legislation and Congressional Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary  
Suzanne Immerman Secretary Special Assistant Director of Philanthropic Engagement
William Jawando Secretary Special Assistant (Director, Boards and Commissions)
Kevin Jennings Safe and Drug-Free Schools Assistant Deputy Secretary  
Jacqueline Jones Secretary Senior Advisor to the Secretary for Early Learning  
Stacey Jordan Communications and Outreach Director, Intergovernmental Affairs  
Michael Lach Elementary and Secondary Education Special Assistant  
Amy Laitinen Vocational and Adult Education Special Assistant Policy Advisor to the Assistant Secretary
Michael Lamb Civil Rights Special Assistant  
Matthew La Rocque General Counsel Confidential Assistant  
Andrew Lee Innovation & Improvement Chief of Staff  
Edward Lee Communications and Outreach Confidential Assistant  
Andre Lewis Postsecondary Education Deputy Assistant Secretary for International and Foreign Language Education  
Kevin Liao Secretary Confidential Assistant  
Hillary Liepa Secretary Confidential Assistant Director of Advance
Lauren Lowenstein Secretary Confidential Assistant  
Liz Maher Planning, Evaulation and Policy Development Special Assistant  
Sunil Mansukhani Civil Rights Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy  
Phil Martin Secretary Confidential Assistant Assistant for Financial Education and Student Aid
Crystal Martinez Legislation and Congressional Affairs Confidential Assistant  
Frankie Martinez Secretary Confidential Assistant  
Steven Means Elementary and Secondary Education Special Assistant  
Charmaine Mercer Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development Special Assistant  
Julie Miceli General Counsel Special Assistant (Chief of Staff)
Emily Miles Elementary and Secondary Education Confidential Assistant  
Donald Mitchell Deputy Secretary Special Assistant Senior Advisor for Management Systems
Hallie Montoya Tansey Secretary Confidential Assistant  
Kimberly Morton Communications and Outreach Confidential Assistant  
Melanie Muenzer Secretary Director, White House Liaison  
Vicki Myers Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Special Assistant  
Samuel Myers, Jr Secretary Director, Scheduling and Advance  
Jon O'Bergh Under Secretary Special Assistant Policy Advisor to the Under Secretary
Scott Pearson Innovation and Improvement Associate Assistant Deputy Secretary  
Alexis Perlmutter Planning, Evaluation & Policy Development Confidential Assistant  
Jefferson Pestronk Innovation and Improvement Special Assistant  
Nia Phillips General Counsel Deputy General Counsel for Departmental and Legislative Service  
Dianne Piche Civil Rights Special Counsel  
Hal Plotkin Under Secretary Special Assistant Senior Policy Advisor to the Under Secretary
Maura Policelli Deputy Secretary Special Assistant (Senior Advisor on Political and External Affairs)
Will Ragland Legislation and Congressional Affairs Confidential Assistant  
Alberto Retana Communications and Outreach Director of Community Outreach  
Jose Rico Elementary and Secondary Education Special Assistant (Special Advisor to the Assistant Secretary)
Massie Ritsch Communications and Outreach Deputy Assistant Secretary for External Affairs and Outreach Services  
Michael Roark Deputy Secretary Chief Administrative Officer  
Michael Robbins Secretary Special Assistant, Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships  
Steve Robinson Elementary and Secondary Education Special Assistant  
Elena Rocha Innovation and Improvement Special Assistant
Margot Rogers Secretary Chief of Staff  
Lynnae Ruttledge Special Education and Rehabilitative Services RSA Commissioner  
Samuel Salk Secretary Confidential Assistant  
Gregory Schmidt Planning, Evaluation & Policy Development Confidential Assistant  
Martin Schubert Safe and Drug Free Schools Confidential Assistant  
Juan Sepulveda Secretary Director, White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans  
Shivam Shah Innovation and Improvement Director of Special Initiatives  
Betsy Shelton Secretary Special Assistant  
James Shelton, III Innovation and Improvement Assistant Deputy Secretary  
Robert Shireman Under Secretary Deputy Undersecretary  
Zakiya Smith Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development Special Assistant Policy Advisor to the Assistant Secretary
Jason Snyder Deputy Secretary Chief of Staff  
Catherine Solomon Deputy Secretary Special Assistant  
Ricardo Soto Civil Rights Deputy Assistant Secretary  
Rene Spellman Civil Rights Confidential Assistant  
Stephanie Sprow Elementary and Secondary Education Confidential Assistant  
Katherine Tobin Management Deputy Assistant Secretary, Performance Improvement  
Timothy Tuten Communications and Outreach Special Assistant (Director of Special Projects)
Elizabeth Utrup Communications and Outreach Confidential Assistant  
Emma Vadehra Planning, Evaluation & Policy Development Deputy Assistant Secretary  
Jon Vaupel Planning, Evaluation & Policy Development Special Assistant  
Eric Waldo Secretary Special Assistant  
Jen Waller Innovation and Improvement Special Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff
Carolyn Webb de Macias Elementary and Secondary Education Chief of Staff  
Joanne Weiss Secretary Director, Race to the Top  
Ann Whalen Secretary Special Assistant  
John White Communications and Outreach Deputy Assistant Secretary for Rural Outreach  
David Whitman Communications and Outreach Special Assistant (Senior Writer)
Ashley Wiegner General Counsel Confidential Assistant  
John Wilson Secretary Executive Director, White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities  
Shannon Winters Deputy Secretary Confidential Assistant  
Judy Wurtzel Planning, Evaluation & Policy Development Deputy Assistant Secretary  
Matthew Yale Secretary Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategy  
Nicole Young Vocational and Adult Education Confidential Assistant  
Georgia Yuan General Counsel Deputy General Counsel, Postsecondary & Regulatory Service  
Don Yu General Counsel Special Assistant  

 
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Last Modified: 02/01/2010