By BILL SWINDELL, CongressDaily
A wide range of groups -- from those serving the homeless to Realtors and bankers -- have lauded the selection of Shaun Donovan as HUD Secretary nominee for the Obama administration. President-elect Obama tapped Donovan, commissioner of New York City's Department of Housing Preservation and Development, Saturday, noting he would bring "fresh thinking, unencumbered by old ideology and outdated ideas" to the position.
The post has traditionally been a back-bencher spot, and the selection of a secretary has in the past been determined by political considerations as much as policy expertise. Donovan brings a strong resume of housing experience, previously serving as an executive at Prudential Mortgage Capital in charge of its affordable housing investments. During the Clinton administration, he was deputy assistant secretary for multifamily housing at HUD and served as interim commissioner for the Federal Housing Administration.
Nan Roman, president of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, called Donovan "a visionary, brilliant, and practical leader" who is "desperately needed" to deal with the housing crisis. National Association of Realtors President Charles McMillan said Donovan's "hands-on experience in the private and nonprofit sectors will be extremely helpful." Sheila Crowley, president of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, said Donovan is an "expert on the full range of housing issues and has a proven track record of getting things done."
Senate Banking Chairman Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., also applauded the nomination, saying he would try to schedule a confirmation hearing early next year. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called him "uniquely qualified to lead HUD in these troubled economic times," and said she welcomed his "swift confirmation." Donovan will tackle numerous challenges at the agency as record foreclosure rates strike some cities. He will also be under pressure to expand rental housing assistance through programs such as Section 8 vouchers.
With nearly two dozen major appointments and nominations announced since Election Day, Barack Obama has assembled his incoming administration far faster than other recent presidents-elect. Obama's weekly address this Saturday naming Shaun Donovan as his choice to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development brought his number of big picks over the past six weeks to 23.
The next-speediest president-elect in recent memory was George H.W. Bush, who had made 16 major nominations by this point during his 1988 transition. Ronald Reagan takes a distant third, having announced Alexander Haig as his choice for secretary of State and Fred Fielding as White House counsel.
By this point in their transitions, neither Bill Clinton nor George W. Bush had made any big-name announcements, although Bush at least had the excuse of the presidential recount.
Click through the graphic below to see each president-elect's major appointments up to this point in their transitions.
Check back every Monday for updates on that week in transition history.
