HUD Asst. Secretary for CPD Nominated; Former Oregon DHS Director Gets Obama Post at Agriculture.

Obama Administration continues to roll out new nominees. Two of Note:

1. Nominee for HUD AS for Community Planning and Development is Mercedes Márquez.

Mercedes Márquez assumed her duties as the General Manager of the City of Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD) in January 2004. Mercedes returned to public service after serving as Vice-President of McCormack Baron Salazar, Inc., a national firm specializing in the development, consultation, and management of urban communities. Márquez oversaw developments throughout the Southwest and California, which included initiating new developments, coordinating the planning process, acting as liaison with joint venture partners, and interfacing with government officials and local community groups. Prior to her time with McCormack Baron Salazer, Inc, she served in the Clinton administration as the Senior Counsel to the Secretary and Deputy General Counsel for Civil Rights and Fair Housing for the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in Washington, D.C. She was principal advisor to former Secretary Andrew Cuomo on civil rights policy including fair lending and fair housing enforcement, and led investigations and negotiations of housing discrimination cases resulting in landmark settlements. She also advised the Secretary on rural housing and economic development policy, supervised farm worker and Colonias Community Builder specialists in five states, and served as a U.S. delegate to international commissions. From 1992 to 1997, Márquez was a partner at Litt & Márquez, where she specialized in complex public interest litigation including slumlord, fair housing, public housing, sexual harassment, employment discrimination, and constitutional issues cases. Márquez is an Advisory Board Member of The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers & Human Rights Project and the Center for Urban Redevelopment Excellence, a former Trustee of The McAuley Institute, and past national Vice-President of the YWCA of the USA. Márquez has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Southern California and a J.D. and LL.M. from Georgetown University Law Center.

2. Former Oregon DHS Director Kevin Concannon was nominated to be the Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services, United States Department of Agriculture

Kevin Concannon was appointed Iowa Department of Human Services Director in March 2003. He was re-appointed as DHS Director by Governor Culver and Lt. Governor Judge in January 2007. Iowa DHS provides authority and financing for health care for Iowans of all ages through the Medicaid program and the Iowa hawk-i program. The agency also is the lead agency for child welfare, low income assistance programs, child support collections, food assistance and behavioral health care, and directly operates four state psychiatric hospitals and two State Resource Centers for Iowans with developmental disabilities, two state juvenile residential centers, and the Civil Commitment Unit for Sexual Offenders (CCUSO). Previously, Concannon served as Maine’s Department of Human Services Commissioner from 1995 to 2003. From 1987 to 1995 he was the Director of the Oregon Department of Human Services. From 1982 to 1987 he was Commissioner of the Maine Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation. From 1980 to 1982 he was Commissioner of the Maine Department of Mental Health and Corrections. He has led efforts at the state level to obtain more affordable prescription drugs for state residents. He has been instrumental in increasing access to food stamps, farmers markets, and simplified application processes for state residents. He has been a leader in long-term care system reform for elderly and disabled persons and has championed improved child support and child care programs. Concannon has served as President of the American Public Welfare Association (APWA) and previously served as President of the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors.