U.S. Department of the Treasury

 

WASHINGTON - Chairman Hatch, Ranking Member Wyden, distinguished members of the Committee, I am honored to have my nomination come before you today. I am grateful to President Obama and Secretary Lew for asking me to serve at the Department of the Treasury. I also want to thank your staff for meeting with me to discuss management issues and my qualifications for the position for which I have been nominated.

I am particularly grateful to my wife of 9 years, Yvette, and to our children, Hazel (7), August (5) and Evangeline (3), for their support and willingness in allowing me to continue to serve in government with all its attendant sacrifices. Yvette, an alumnus of this Committee’s staff, continues her work of increasing access to health care for Americans, and Hazel, August and Evangeline continue to grow and are becoming more independent by day. 

I was raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and pursued my bachelor’s degree in Houston, Texas.  My public service began after college in AmeriCorps serving those affected by various disasters.  After finishing my Masters in Public Administration at the University of North Carolina, I came to Washington and began my career as an analyst at the now Government Accountability Office.  For five years at the GAO, I worked on a variety of reviews of government programs for different Congressional components and learned the true value of analysis, assessment and accountability when it comes to public programs funded by the American taxpayer.

I left GAO for an opportunity to work for your former colleague Senator Kent Conrad on the Senate Budget Committee.  I spent the next three years gaining a true appreciation of the intricacies and importance of the federal budget process and a reverence for this institution and the important role it plays. It was a privilege to be able to spend time on the Senate floor and experience first-hand the deliberations of its members.

For more than five years now, I have served President Obama first at the Department of Transportation as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Management and Budget in the office of Chief Financial Officer and as the Assistant Secretary for Administration. For the past three months, I have served at the Department of the Treasury as the Assistant Secretary for Management.  

Throughout all of these varied roles, I have learned the significant role government can play in people’s lives.  I strive to properly and efficiently manage government operations and resources to enhance the quality of service provided to the American people.  As part of that effort, I introduced the concept of using performance and management information at the highest levels of the Department of Transportation to guide actions.  In addition, as Senior Sustainably Officer at DOT, I introduced and executed strategies that reduced the Department’s petroleum usage and increased the use of alternative fuels.  In all cases, I led teams of career Senior Executives and talented staff and marveled at their ability to achieve results under the challenging course we set.  

At the Department of the Treasury, I will look to continue to engage our career leaders and ensure they have the tools and resources they need to successfully serve the public and to be responsive to our many stakeholders.  

I am humbled and honored to have the possibility of serving the nation in this new capacity should I be confirmed. If you and your colleagues in the Senate give me the opportunity to serve as Chief Financial Officer for the United States Department of the Treasury, I will apply myself fully to the best of my ability to justify your trust and confidence. 

Thank you for allowing me to appear before you today. I would be pleased to answer any questions.

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