FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jun 24, 2010

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary

WASHINGTON – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to the Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service:

  • Rick Christman, Member, Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service
  • Jane Hartley, Member, Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service
  • Marguerite W. Kondracke, Member, Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service
  • Matthew McCabe, Member, Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service
  • John Podesta, Member, Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service
  • Lisa Quiroz, Member, Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service
  • Phyllis N. Segal, Member, Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service

President Obama said, “I am proud to nominate a group of individuals whose collective experience will help shape, expand and strengthen the next generation of service. These men and women are true leaders who understand that America faces an unprecedented set of challenges, and that what’s required to overcome those challenges and build a new foundation for economic growth and prosperity doesn’t come from Washington alone – it comes from every American willing to make a difference in communities across this country. I look forward to working with them in the coming months and years.”

President Obama believes that the best ideas come from individuals and communities across the country and is dedicated to engaging more Americans of all ages and backgrounds in service that has an impact. The Administration is committed to expanding service opportunities through the Corporation for National and Community Service, the key Federal agency focused on service.

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

Rick Christman, Nominee for Member, Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service

Rick Christman is CEO of Employment Solutions, Inc., a multi faceted non-profit organization serving the needs of those with barriers to employment. Mr. Christman has been with Employment Solutions for 25 years, growing the organization to include a food processing business, a box manufacturing business and a document destruction business all of which employ people with developmental disabilities. In addition, Employment Solutions also operates a temporary staffing agency, an accredited certificate-based college, and a job placement service all of which assist low income and other disadvantaged persons obtain gainful employment. He has served or is serving on boards that include the Chamber of Commerce, Kentucky Workforce Investment Board, Lexington Transit Authority and New Beginnings Bluegrass, a community residential program for people with mental health conditions. Mr. Christman has a Bachelor’s degree in Special Education from University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, and a Masters in Vocational Rehabilitation from University Of Wisconsin, Stout.

Jane Hartley, Nominee for Member, Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service

Jane Hartley is the Chief Executive Officer of Observatory Group, LLC, a macroeconomic and political consultancy organization. Before co-founding Observatory Group, Ms. Hartley was CEO of the G7 Group, an advisory firm that provides analysis and information on global market economic trends. She previously served as Associate Assistant to the President in the Carter Administration, and was Director of Congressional Relations at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Ms. Hartley also held a variety of senior management positions in the telecommunications industry, including Vice President of Group W Cable, Vice President of Westinghouse Broadcasting (CBS), Vice President of Marketing at MCA (Universal), and Vice President and station manager of WWOR-TV. Ms. Hartley sits on the boards of Sesame Workshop (Sesame Street), the Economic Club of New York, and Heidrick & Struggles, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She is also a member of the Harvard Kennedy School Dean's Council.

Marguerite W. Kondracke, Nominee for Member, Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service

Marguerite W. Kondracke has been President and CEO of America’s Promise Alliance, which was founded in 1997 by General Colin Powell, since 2004. During her 40-year career, Mrs. Kondracke has been both an entrepreneur and a public servant, always working as an advocate for children and families. Before joining America's Promise, she served as Special Assistant to U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander and Staff Director for the Senate Subcommittee on Children and Families. Previously, she co-founded and was CEO of the nation’s largest employer-sponsored child care company, Bright Horizons Family Solutions, one of Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For.” For the past two years, Mrs. Kondracke has been named one of the “Top 50 People of Power and Influence” by The Non-Profit Times. She is a trustee of Duke University, where she co-chairs DukeEngage, which makes civic engagement an integral part of the undergraduate experience.

Matthew McCabe, Nominee for Member, Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service

Matthew McCabe is currently participating in Teach For America where for the past year he served as a teacher at George B. Swift Elementary School in Chicago, Illinois. Previously, while attending the University of Pittsburgh, McCabe interned for Senator Bob Casey and was a Field Organizer for Obama for America in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He also was the Managing Editor for The Pitt News, a daily newspaper with a circulation of 14,000. McCabe was a Member of Pitt College Democrats from 2005 - 2009 and studied abroad at John Cabot University in Rome, Italy in 2007. He received his B.A., magna cum laude with honors in Political Science and Writing from the University of Pittsburgh in April 2009.

John Podesta, Nominee for Member, Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service

John Podesta is the President and CEO of the Center for American Progress. Prior to founding the Center in 2003, Mr. Podesta served as White House Chief of Staff to President Bill Clinton. He served in the president's cabinet and as a principal on the National Security Council. While in the White House, he also served as both an assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff, as well as staff secretary and a senior policy advisor on government information, privacy, telecommunications security, and regulatory policy. Most recently, Mr. Podesta served as co-chair of President Obama’s transition. Additionally, Mr. Podesta has held numerous positions on Capitol Hill, including counselor to Democratic Leader Senator Tom Daschle (1995-1996); chief counsel for the Senate Agriculture Committee (1987-1988); and chief minority counsel for the Senate Judiciary Subcommittees on Patents, Copyrights, and Trademarks; Security and Terrorism; and Regulatory Reform (1981-1987). He also served as a Special Assistant to the Director of ACTION, the federal volunteer agency that preceded CNCS, from 1978 to 1979. Mr. Podesta is a graduate of Knox College and the Georgetown University Law Center, where he is currently a visiting professor of law.

Lisa Quiroz, Nominee for Member, Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service

Lisa Quiroz is the Senior Vice President of Corporate Responsibility for Time Warner Inc. She was appointed to this newly created position in January 2004. In this role, Ms. Quiroz is responsible for setting and implementing the strategic direction of Time Warner's philanthropic efforts in education and the arts, developing all employee-based volunteer initiatives, and establishing Time Warner's new social responsibility guidelines and reporting. In addition, Ms. Quiroz is responsible for the company’s global diversity and multicultural business initiatives. Prior to assuming her current position, Ms. Quiroz worked at Time Inc. where she was founding publisher of People en Español. Previously, at Time Inc., she developed and launched Time For Kids, a classroom news publication. Active in civic issues, Ms. Quiroz was appointed to the New York State Business Development Council and also serves on the board of directors of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and the Colin Powell Center for Policy Studies at the City College of New York. A respected leader in the Hispanic community, Ms. Quiroz received the 2002 Hispanic Heritage Award for Leadership, and was inducted into the Hispanic Scholarship Alumni Hall of Fame in 2003. She received both her undergraduate degree and her Masters in Business Administration from Harvard University.

Phyllis N. Segal, Nominee for Member, Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service

Phyllis N. Segal is currently a Vice President of Civic Ventures, a non-profit think tank. She also serves on the Boards of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, Heller School for Social Policy and Management, and Eli J. Segal Citizen Leadership Program, which was established in memory of Ms. Segal’s husband, Eli, who was the first CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. From 1994 to 2000, Ms. Segal was Chair of the Federal Labor Relations Authority, where she was responsible for administering and adjudicating claims under the Federal Service Labor Management Relations Statute. Among other positions during her career, Ms. Segal was Deputy Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, founding Legal Director of the NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund, Chair of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, and on the faculties of the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School and New York University School of Law. Ms. Segal holds a B.A. from the University of Michigan and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

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AmeriCorps, a federal agency, brings people together to tackle the country's most pressing challenges through national service and volunteering. AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve with organizations dedicated to the improvement of communities. AmeriCorps helps make service to others a cornerstone of our national culture. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov.