President Obama has nominated the director of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, John Berry, to lead OPM for a four-year term and replace acting director Kathie Ann Whipple, formerly the agency’s deputy general counsel.
Berry has served as the executive director of the congressionally chartered National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, served as assistant secretary for policy management and budget at the Interior Department from 1997 to 2001, and as legislative director for Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md. from 1985 to 1994.
Rep. Hoyer is now the House majority leader. Unions praised the nomination, saying they worked closely with Berry on federal workforce issues when he was on Hoyer’s staff.
"To execute its agenda, the Obama administration needs an effective federal workforce, and building, maintaining, and measuring the success of that workforce is incumbent upon" OPM, said the Partnership for Public Service in a statement, adding, "John Berry’s reputation as a high-energy leader with a strong background in workforce issues suggests he will emerge as a key player in the effort to improve government performance."
