Washington, DC - President Donald J. Trump announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key positions in his Administration:
William Bookless of California, to be the Principal Deputy Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration at the Department of Energy.
Dr. Bookless received his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Wyoming in 1980. For the next 32 years, until 2012, he was a senior physicist at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. He worked on a wide range of nuclear security topics as the Deputy Associate Director for the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory nuclear weapons program and Associate Director for Safety and Environmental Protection, culminating with a two and a half year assignment as a senior advisor to the Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) from 2009 until 2012. As senior advisor, he received NNSA awards for his work supporting the 2010 Nuclear Posture Review and the New START Treaty. From 2012 to 2015, he was the Assistant Laboratory Director for Policy and Planning at the Brookhaven National Laboratory, before retiring in 2015.
Simon Henshaw of Massachusetts, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Guinea.
Mr. Henshaw, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor, has served as an American diplomat since 1985. He is currently a senior advisor to the Health Initiatives Task Force at the Department of State, coordinating efforts to respond to a series of health and security incidents affecting United States diplomats in Cuba and China. Previously, Mr. Henshaw served in senior leadership positions at the Department of State, including as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and, starting in 2017, as Acting Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration from 2013 to 2018. Additionally, from 2011 to 2013, he served as Director of the Office of Andean Affairs, and, from 2008 to 2011, he served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Mr. Henshaw has also served at five other overseas diplomatic posts. Mr. Henshaw earned a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a M.S. from the National War College. He is the recipient of twelve notable awards from the Department of State. Mr. Henshaw speaks French, Spanish, basic Russian, and basic Portuguese.
Patrick Murphy of Vermont, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Kingdom of Cambodia.
Mr. Murphy, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor, is currently Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the Department of State. Mr. Murphy has served over twenty-five years in the Senior Foreign Service in numerous senior positions, including as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs from 2016 to 2018, Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d’affaires in Bangkok, Thailand from 2013 to 2016, Acting Special Representative and Policy Coordinator for Burma from 2012 to 2013, and Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy in Maseru, Lesotho from 2006 to 2008. Mr. Murphy earned a B.A. from the University of Vermont, an M.A. from Johns Hopkins University, and an M.S. from the National War College. He studied at l’Institut Européen des Hautes Études Internationales in Nice, France. Mr. Murphy is the recipient of twelve notable awards from the Department of State, including the Expeditionary Service Award. He received a Superior Civilian Service Award from the Department of the Army for his leadership role in northern Iraq. Mr. Murphy speaks French, Burmese, Cantonese, and Spanish.
Robert H. McMahon of Georgia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment.
Mr. McMahon recently served as an Assistant Secretary of Defense for Logistics & Materiel Readiness. Prior to this position, he served as President of Fickling Management Services, a member of the Board of Directors for State Bank and Trust and the Mercer National Engineering Advisory Board, and the Robins Air Force Base Museum of Aviation Foundation. Before joining Fickling Management Services, Mr. McMahon served as the Director of C-17 Field Operations for The Boeing Company, and, prior to joining The Boeing Company, as President and Chief Executive Officer of the 21st Century Partnership. While on active duty with the Air Force Mr. McMahon served as: Commander, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center; Director of Logistics, Headquarters United States Air Force; Director of Logistics, Air Mobility Command; and Commander, 309th Maintenance Wing, Ogden Air Logistics Center. He retired as an Air Force Major General. Mr. McMahon graduated from the United States Air Force Academy and the Air Force Institute of Technology.