Zachary Thomas Fardon, of Illinois, to be United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois for the term of four years, vice Patrick J. Fitzgerald, term expired.

Landya B. McCafferty, of New Hampshire, to be United States District Judge for the District of New Hampshire, vice Steven J. McAuliffe, retired.

Brian Morris, of Montana, to be United States District Judge for the District of Montana, vice Sam E. Haddon, retired.

Susan P. Watters, of Montana, to be United States District Judge for the District of Montana, vice Richard F. Cebull, retired.

• William I. Althen – Member, Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission
• Ann Marie Buerkle  – Commissioner, Consumer Product Safety Commission
• Michael Piwowar  – Commissioner, Securities and Exchange Commission 

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

William I. Althen, Nominee for Member, Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission

William I. Althen is founder of William I. Althen Consulting, which provides counsel on legal issues related to health, safety, labor, and employment matters.  From 2004 to 2010, Mr. Althen served as Of Counsel in the Ogletree Deakins law firm, and from 2003 to 2009, he was an adjunct professor at George Mason University.  From 1981 to 2003, he was Founder and Managing Partner of the Heenan, Althen & Roles law offices in Washington, D.C and Charleston, West Virginia.  Mr. Althen received an A.B. from Georgetown University and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

Ann Marie Buerkle, Nominee for Commissioner, Consumer Product Safety Commission

Ann Marie Buerkle served as the U.S. Representative of New York’s 25^th Congressional District from 2011 to 2013.  During her time in Congress, Ms. Buerkle was selected to serve as a United States Representative to the 66^th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations from 2011 to 2012.  Previously, Ms. Buerkle was an Assistant Attorney General for the state of New York from 1997 to 2009.  Earlier in her career, she practiced law in a private firm from 1994 to 1997.  She began her career as a registered nurse at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City.  She received a B.S. from Le Moyne College and a J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law.

Dr. Michael Piwowar, Nominee for Commissioner, Securities and Exchange Commission

Dr. Michael Piwowar is the Chief Economist for the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, a position he has held since 2009.  From 2008 to 2009, Dr. Piwowar served as a Senior Economist on the Council of Economic Advisers, where he was also a Staff Economist to the Financial Regulatory Reform Working Group of the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board.  From 2006 to 2009, he worked as a Principal at the Securities Litigation and Consulting Group, Inc.  Dr. Piwowar was a Senior Financial Economist from 2004 to 2006 and a Visiting Academic Scholar from 2002 to 2004 at the Securities and Exchange Commission.  From 1998 to 2004, Dr. Piwowar served as an assistant professor at Iowa State University.  He received a B.A. from the Pennsylvania State University, an M.B.A. from Georgetown University, and a Ph.D. from the Pennsylvania State University.

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BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Last year, devastating hurricanes upended coastal communities spanning the shores of New England to the Gulf of Mexico. Scenes from Isaac and Sandy shook us to the core — great cities plunged into darkness, homes swept away with the tide, families whose worlds were torn apart with the loss of a loved one. But in the aftermath, we also saw what is best in America. Heroic first responders rose far beyond the call of duty, working around the clock to rescue, recover, and rebuild. Ordinary citizens fought through tough times together, looking out for their neighbors and leaving nobody behind.

This week, we reaffirm that it is never too early to prepare for this year's hurricane season. As my Administration keeps working with State and local partners to apply lessons learned and improve hurricane preparedness, all families can take simple steps to ensure that if disaster strikes, they are ready. These steps include building a supply kit with food, water, and medicine; taking time now to learn evacuation routes, and how workplaces and schools will respond in an emergency; and most importantly, discussing what to do in a disaster and developing a plan that everyone knows. If a hurricane is coming, always follow instructions from State and local officials, and heed evacuation orders if they are given.