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Obama to nominate two Oles as key administrators

By David Gonnerman '90
December 1, 2009
Robert Petzel '65

President Obama is planning to nominate two St. Olaf alumni -- Robert Petzel '65 and Ian Kelly '77 -- to key posts in his administration.

Obama will nominate Petzel to be under secretary for health in the Department of Veterans Affairs. Petzel has been acting principal deputy under secretary for health of the Veterans Health Administration since May. Previously he was network director of the Department of Veterans Affairs Midwest Health Care Network based in Minneapolis.
Ian Kelly '77

The president will nominate Kelly, who has been spokesman for the State Department since May, to be U.S. representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, with the rank of ambassador. Most recently Kelly was acting deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau for European and Eurasian Affairs, with responsibility for Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Belarus, and director of the Office of Russian Affairs.

Contact David Gonnerman at 507-786-3315 or gonnermd@stolaf.edu.