Washington, DC - U.S. Office of Personnel Management Director Kay Coles James has named six individuals to her senior management team.
They are: Paul T. Conway, Chief of Staff; Dawn Hively, Deputy Chief of Staff; John C. Gartland, Director, Office of Congressional Relations; Scott Hatch, Director, Office of Communications; and, Mark A. Robbins, General Counsel. In addition, James indicated that Inspector General Patrick McFarland will continue his service as the Inspector General.
With these appointments, James has selected individuals who, with their combined experience in government, public policy and the private sector, can lead the Bush Administration's response to the contemporary human resource challenges facing Executive Branch agencies.
"I am very pleased to have these highly talented people join the agency as we move forward with efforts to address federal work force issues," said James. "I would like all Americans to consider public service as a honorable and rewarding profession. The federal government should be viewed as a center of excellence and as a rewarding avenue for anyone interested in fulfilling their goals as citizens and professionals. I look forward to renewing the positive image of federal civil servants, recruiting a new generation of professionals committed to the principles of excellence and service and to maintaining the timely delivery of OPM benefit services. Each member of my team has made a personal and professional commitment to maintain high principles while accomplishing these goals."
Paul T. Conway most recently served as Deputy Director of the Citizen Project at the Heritage Foundation. During his tenure with the Heritage Foundation, Conway coordinated a series of national public policy dialogues for faith and community leaders on a variety of issues, including education and health care reform and faith-based initiatives. He has served Director James in several previous capacities, first under President George H.W. Bush in the Office of National Drug Control Policy, then as Deputy Secretary for Administration at the Health and Human Resources secretariat under Virginia Governor George Allen when James served as Secretary. His first experience as a public servant was an appointee under President Reagan at the U.S. Department of Education.
Dawn Hively comes to OPM from Virginia Governor James Gilmore's office, where she was a policy and legislation analyst. In this position, Hively served as communications coordinator on federal legislation to Virginia's congressional delegation and as liaison between the Governor's office and policy organizations. She also was a policy and logistics coordinator with the National Gambling Impact Study Commission. Hively also taught history, government and macroeconomics at the high school level prior to her government service.
John C. Gartland recently served as the Director of Government Affairs for the Amway Corporation, a position he held for 23 years. Gartland has held numerous posts in government, including an appointment by President George H.W. Bush as Chairman of the National Commission for Employment Policy. He also was a member of the Commission during the Reagan Administration. A Navy veteran, Gartland was an administrative assistant to Florida congressman Richard Kelly. Other government experience includes executive positions with the Department of the Treasury and in public affairs.
Scott Hatch has an extensive background in journalism, covering wars and international events. Most recently, Hatch was the producer of Washington Journal, the flagship program of C-SPAN. As a reporter, he has provided on-ground coverage of eight regional wars and served as the White House correspondent for several American and foreign radio outlets. Hatch has produced award-winning television documentaries, including one on the Holocaust, which earned him honorary citizenship of Jerusalem. He was a television news anchor for WKYT, the CBS affiliate in Lexington, KY. Hatch has been the primary spokesman for two presidential campaigns.
Mark Robbins is a graduate of The George Washington University Law School and is a member of the California and District of Columbia bars. Robbins practiced law in Los Angeles, CA, where he specialized in civil litigation. He was Deputy Associate Director of Presidential Personnel for President Reagan, and a Legislative Assistant to two California Congressmen. In 1992, he was the Republican nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives, 29th District of California.
Patrick McFarland has been the Inspector General of the Office of Personnel Management since August 1990. He provides leadership that is independent, non-partisan and objective in the pursuit of waste, fraud, abuse and mismanagement in programs administered by OPM. McFarland is a member of the President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency and chairman of the council's Investigations Committee. In 22 years with the U.S. Secret Service, he coordinated protective activities for six U.S. Presidents. Other law enforcement positions include service as a police officer and detective in St. Louis and special agent with the Federal Bureau of Narcotics in Chicago.