President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate and Appoint Individuals to Key Administration Posts

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 20, 2020

President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate and Appoint Individuals to Key Administration Posts   Today, President Donald J. Trump announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key positions in his Administration: Julie D. Fisher, of Tennessee, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Belarus. Julie Fisher, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Counselor, currently serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Western Europe and the European Union in the State Department’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs.  She also served on special assignment as Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the U.S. Embassy in Russia. Previously, Ms. Fisher was the Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Mission to NATO; the Chief of Staff to the State Department’s Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources; and the Director of the State Department Operations Center. Earlier assignments include service as Deputy Director of the Private Office of the Secretary General of NATO and, before that, as Counselor for Political and Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia. Ms. Fisher earned her B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an M.P.P. from Princeton University.  She speaks Russian, French, and Georgian. Erik Paul Bethel, of Florida, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Panama. Mr. Bethel recently completed his term as United States Alternate Executive Director of the World Bank.  In that role, Mr. Bethel spearheaded a number of initiatives, including streamlining World Bank operations and promoting new technologies such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, and blockchain. A financial professional with more than 25 years of private equity and investment banking experience in Latin America and Asia, Mr. Bethel is a recognized expert on Chinese investment and financial activities in the Latin American region.  He began his career in New York covering Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico.  Subsequently he moved to Mexico City as an investment banker and later to Shanghai, China as a private equity professional.  He has served on the Board of Governors of Opportunity International, a non-profit organization that provides financial services to people living in poverty in developing countries. Mr. Bethel is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, where he was an Olmsted Scholar, a Cox Fund Scholar, and a Battalion Commander.  He earned an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a Milken Scholar.  He speaks Spanish, Portuguese, and Mandarin. Joel Szabat, of Maryland, to be Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy. Joel Szabat is currently the Assistant Secretary of Transportation for Aviation and International Affairs.  The Senate confirmed him by voice vote in January 2019, and he has been performing the duties of the Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy since June 2019.  Previously, Mr. Szabat served as the Executive Director of the Maritime Administration. Since first joining the Department of Transportation in 2002, Mr. Szabat has served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Management and Budget; for Policy; and for Aviation and International Affairs.  In 2009, Mr. Szabat was the department's designated Federal official overseeing $48 billion of ARRA transportation infrastructure investments.  From 2006–2007, Mr. Szabat briefly left the Department of Transportation to be the Chief of Staff of the Small Business Administration.  In 2005, he led United States Government efforts to rebuild airports, ports, and railroads in Iraq. Mr. Szabat began his career as a cavalry officer in the U.S. Army, commanding tank units patrolling the East-West German border during the Cold War.  He earned his B.A. from Georgetown University and his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.   ---   Today, President Donald J. Trump announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key positions in his Administration: Tony E. Sayegh Jr., of New York, to be a Member of the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Abraham Loeb, of Massachusetts, to be a Member of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Daniela Rus, of Massachusetts, to be a Member of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Aaron Dominguez, of Maryland, to be a Member of the National Science Board for a six-year term. Dario Gil, of New York, to be a Member of the National Science Board for a six-year term. Sudarsanam Babu, of Tennessee, to be a Member of the National Science Board for a six-year term. Roger Beachy, of Maryland, to be a Member of the National Science Board for a six-year term.