Wednesday, November 19, 2008 3:46 PM

Obama Announces Policy Working Groups

By CORINE HEGLAND

The Obama transition team has announced policy working groups in seven areas: economic; education; energy and environment; health care; immigration; national security; and technology, innovation and government reform. Full biographies of the lucky wonks leading the groups are up on the Change.Gov Web site. The CliffsNotes version follows.

Economic

• Daniel K. Tarullo. NOW: Professor at Georgetown University Law Center. THEN: President Clinton's representative to the G-7/G-8, 1995-1998.

Education

• Linda Darling-Hammond. NOW: Education professor at Stanford University. THEN: No prior federal gig, but former president of the American Educational Research Association; former executive director of the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future; former chair of the New York State Curriculum and Assessment Council.

Energy & Environment

• Carol Browner. NOW: Principal at the Albright Group. THEN: EPA Administrator, 1993-2001.

Health Care

• Tom Daschle. NOW: Adviser to law firm of Alston and Bird. THEN: Senator from South Dakota, 1987-2005; Senate Democratic Leader, 1995-2005.

Immigration

• T. Alexander Aleinikoff. NOW: Dean of Georgetown University Law Center and executive vice president of Georgetown University. THEN: General counsel and then executive associate commissioner for programs at the then-Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1994-1997.


• Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar: NOW: Professor at Stanford Law School. THEN: Senior adviser to the undersecretary for enforcement at Treasury, 1997-1999.

National Security

• James B. Steinberg. NOW: Dean of the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas. THEN: Deputy national security adviser, 1996-2000.


• Susan E. Rice. NOW: Senior fellow at Brookings. THEN: Assistant secretary of State for African Affairs, 1997-2001.

Technology, Innovation & Government Reform

• Blair Levin. NOW: Managing director of Stifel Nicolaus. THEN: Chief of staff to FEC Chairman Reed Hundt, 1993-1997.


• Sonal Shah. NOW: Head of global development at Google.org, Google's philanthropic branch. THEN: Worked at Treasury Department from 1995 to 2002, including a two-year stint at the National Security Council.


• Julius Genachowski. NOW: Co-founder of Rock Creek Ventures and LaunchBox Digital, special adviser at General Atlantic. THEN: Worked at FCC from 1994 to 1997, including stint as chief counsel to Hundt.