The Obama Administration announced John Berry would become its appointee for the important position of Director of the Office of Personal and Management recently with this release:
President Obama announced his intent to nominate the follow individuals [March 3rd]:
John Berry, Nominee for Director of the Office of Personnel Management
John began his Federal career as a Legislative Director for U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), a major leader on all issues affecting the Civil Service. John was responsible for overseeing Hoyer's work Federal employees, and was the primary craftsman behind the locality pay reform, among many other issues affecting pay and benefits of employees and retirees.
John began his management career at the Department of Treasury, where he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary and acting Assistant Secretary for Law Enforcement. Later in the Clinton administration, John was appointed Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget, where he focused on employee partnerships, worklife issues for employees and reversing years of decline by achieving one of the largest budgetary increases in the Department's 150 year history.
As Director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, John worked with Interior Inspector General, Earl Devaney, to reconcile 20 years of financial records, establish sound management practices, while also conserving over 3 million acres of wildlife habitat through innovative public-private partnerships.
Most recently, John was hired to turn around the National Zoo, which was laboring under continual reports of issues and problems. In its Accreditation approval last year it was noted that "It is good to see the National Zoo worthy of its name again." John has completed a strategic plan, a mangement[sic] reorganization, and a 20 year capital master plan. John also recognized a critical weakness in the absence of fire protection at the Zoo and has secured the funding (35 million) to replace the Zoo's water main and install sprinklers throughout the Zoo, while also launching the renovation of the 1930 elephant house and seal and Sea Lion exhibits.
Ummm, John Berry is also the most senior openly-gay member of the Obama Administration, as far as I know, although one would never be able to tell from this announcement.
OPM (as the Offie of Personnel and management is known) is an incredibly important agency, since it determines policy for all federal employees, and the Federal Governement is one of the largest (if not the largest) employers in the United States, aespecially as the LGBT community will be asking for federal non-discriminatio protections for ALL employees (and notjust federal ones) on the basis of sexual orientation (real or perceived) as well as gender identity in addition to federal recognition of state's domestic partnerships and civil unions and domestic partnership benefits for federal employees.
It's pretty troubling that this announcement was sent to a mailing list for LGBT press announcements, and appears on the official White House website, scrubbed free of any hint that Mr. Berry may be (gasp!) non-heterosexual.
Pam Spaulding calls this "straight-washing" and I'm very disappointed to see this from the Obama admnistration.
In case you think the Obama Administration never includes personal information with their personnel announcements, check out the information included on the other person who was included in that very same press release:
Julius Genachowski, Nominee for Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission
Genachowski is a technology executive and entrepreneur with strong experience in both the private sector and public service. He is Cofounder and Managing Director of LaunchBox Digital and Rock Creek Ventures, and a Special Advisor at General Atlantic. He was a senior executive for eight years at IAC/InterActiveCorp, where his positions included Chief of Business Operations and General Counsel.
[...]
Genachowski received a J.D in 1991 from Harvard Law School (magna cum laude), where he was co-Notes Editor of the Harvard Law Review, and a B.A. in 1985 from Columbia College (magna cum laude). Genachowski was raised in New York, and now resides in Washington DC. He is married to Rachel Goslins and has three children, Jacob, Lilah and Aaron.
OIne of these things is "not like the other" is it?
