President Barack Obama has made two nominations within the Commerce Department by appointing a new assistant secretary and a new leader for the Census Bureau.Dr. Mark Schaefer was chosen assistant secretary for conservation and management and Dr. John Thompson was appointed director of the Census Bureau, the White House said Thursday.
Since 2008, Schaefer has served as deputy executive director for environmental conflict resolution at the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation.
Schaefer is a government veteran, having served as deputy assistant labor secretary for water and science between 1996 and 2000 and as assistant director for environment in the Office of Science and Technology Policy between 1993 and 1996.
Thompson returns to an agency he originally joined in 1975, where he has held positions such as associate director for the Decennial Census and chief of the Decennial Management Division.
He also worked in the statistical support division between 1987 and 1995 and the statistical methods division from 1975 to 1987.
