Talent Deepens @ HHS & DOL OBTPARWG.

“Out of the Spotlight” Postings for November 20th

Talent Deepens @ HHS & DOL OBTPARWG.The Obama-Biden team continues to get stronger and stronger with each day۪s press release.In addition to top-tier scores like Tom Daschle and Peter Orszag, they۪re bringing a bunch of sub-cabinet types whose names are familiar and impressive. OBTPARWG (the Obama-Biden Transition Project۪s Agency Review Working Group) has just added a couple dozen new members to the key agency review teams, including a number of folks we know and love.Among em are:

• Our BFF, Olivia Golden, from the Urban Institute, who brings an experienced eye to reviewing the once-proud Administration of Children and Families (ACF) side of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which suffered greatly over the last eight years.
• John Monahan, another HHS alum and policy wonk, who filled key posts in child support enforcement and intergovernmental affairs under Clinton, followed by star turns at the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Georgetown, is turning over rocks through ACF.
• Child care diva Joan Lombardi,was theDeputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and External Affairs in ACF in the Clinton Administration and also served as the first associate commissioner of the Child Care Bureau. She was also one of the “mothers” of Early Head Start.There۪s no better advocate for low income children and their families on these issues.One bet, she۪ll be recommending that they bring back the Child Care Bureau an office that was eliminated in the Bush years.
• Two of the smartest Medicaid and child health experts in the country are prowling around the huge health care side of HHS. Cindy Mann, who was there at the birth of SCHIP (and experienced most of the labor pains!), andNancy-Ann DeParle,who ran Medicaid and Medicare under Clinton, are now busy getting the place ready for the arrival of Tom Daschle in a few weeks.
• Speaking of labor, over at the Department of Labor (DOL), Bill Spriggs, chairman of the Howard University Economics Department, is part of the team putting supporters of labor back in DOL.Prior to his teaching gig at Howard, Bill was a senior economist at Economic Policy Institute and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, as well in various federal agencies.

When it comes to reducing poverty and increasing opportunity, these folks are fantastic additions to the teams lead by Tom Perez, Bill Corr, and Seth Harris.

Posted by Mike, November20, 2008

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Here at“Out of the Spotlight”we love rumors and gossip (at least of the non-malicious type), so if you hear names that you think we should pay attention to, drop us a line at eithermlaracy@aecf.orgorwatersboots@hotmail.com.We۪ll post new names as we get em! Of course,OOTSdishes on much more than who might be on the dream team. Check out“Out of the Spotlight”for our take on behind-the-scenes policy sparring, the twists and turns of political plans, and more. Contributions welcome!