WASHINGTON – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individual to a key administration post:

President Obama also announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key administrations posts:

President Obama said, “These impressive men and women will bring a wealth of experience to their new roles. I am confident they will serve the American people well, and I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.”

Paige Alexander is currently the Senior Vice President at IREX, an international nonprofit development organization that supports educators, journalists and community leaders in over 100 countries.  Prior to joining IREX in 2001, Ms. Alexander served for eight years in a number of positions with the US Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Europe and Eurasia, including as acting Deputy Assistant Administrator.  Alexander’s other notable positions include serving as Associate Director of Project Liberty at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government; and as a Consultant to the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the C.S. Mott Foundation and the Open Society Institute in Prague. Ms. Alexander currently serves on the Boards of the Basic Education Coalition and the Project on Middle East Democracy. Ms. Alexander holds a B.A. from Tulane University.

Gordon J. Davis is a partner in the law firm of Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP. His practice focuses on real estate, environmental matters, state and municipal authorities, and cultural and not-for-profit organizations. The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, a joint New York State-City corporation overseeing the rebuilding of Ground Zero, has been one of Mr. Davis’ principal clients for the last eight years.  Mr. Davis has worked in or with state and city government and in private law practice for almost four decades, previously serving as an assistant to New York City Mayor John V. Lindsay, a Commissioner of the New York City Planning Commission and Mayor Edward I. Koch’s Commissioner of Parks and Recreation for the City of New York. He is a co-founder of the Central Park Conservancy, the Founding Chairman of Jazz at Lincoln Center, and the former President of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Inc.  Among many honors he is a recipient of the Medal of the City of New York for Exceptional Service.

Fred Eychaner is the founder and chairman of Alphawood Foundation and of Newsweb Corporation. He previously served as a director of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago and as secretary and director of the Auditorium Theatre Council. He is presently chairman of the Joffrey Ballet and a life trustee of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Charles B. Ortner is a partner at Proskauer Rose LLP, where he focuses on the entertainment and media industries.  Mr. Ortner has represented many successful recording artists, record producers and songwriters, as well as leading entertainment industry entrepreneurs and institutions. He also serves as the National Legal Counsel to the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc.  Mr. Ortner is a member of the Board of Directors of the Grammy Museum and the Board of Trustees of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.  Mr. Ortner also served as president of the Kanye West Foundation which supports educational initiatives.

Penny Pritzker is currently chairman of the board of TransUnion, Chairman/CEO of Pritzker Realty Group as well as chair and co-founder of The Parking Spot, Artemis Real Estate Partners, and Vi, formerly known as Classic Residence by Hyatt.  She was National Finance Chair of the Barack Obama for President campaign and co-chair of the 2009 Presidential Inaugural Committee. In 2009, she was appointed to serve on the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board and she is a member of the board of the Council on Foreign Relations.  A patron of the arts and an education advocate, Ms. Pritzker is a former chairman of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, the current chairman of the Chicago Public Education Fund and a trustee of Stanford University. She and her husband, Dr. Bryan Traubert, through their Pritzker Traubert Family Foundation, fund various initiatives to improve public education, support health and fitness endeavors and expand art and culture opportunities.