This database was last updated in October 2019 and should only be used as a historical snapshot. There may be new information that is not included here.

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Department of the Interior

Do you know something about one of the political appointees at Interior or about the work they’re doing? Send us an email at [email protected] or send a Signal message to 347-244-2134.

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Shawn Pensoneau departed Sept. 1, 2018Transferred to Small Business Administration

Interior (joined: Dec. 1, 2016)

Public Affairs Specialist

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Timothy R. Petty

Interior (joined: Dec. 21, 2017)

Assistant Secretary for Water and Science | Financial Disclosure »

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Taylor Playforth

Interior

Advisor, Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs

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Christopher Damian Prandoni

Interior (joined: March 11, 2019)

Senior Counselor to the Deputy Secretary | $132,000

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Ricky D. Puckett departed March 31, 2017

Interior (joined: Jan. 24, 2017)

Special Assistant to the Secretary | $161,900 | Financial disclosure not required because of limited term of service | Resume »

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Brendan John Quinn

Interior (joined: Feb. 12, 2017)

Special Assistant to the Secretary | Financial disclosure not required to be publicly released for this position | Resume »

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James Reilly

Interior

Director, U.S. Geological Survey | Financial disclosure is not available, according to an agency ethics attorney | Resume »

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Hubbel Relat

Interior (joined: July 22, 2018)

Special Assistant, Office of the Solicitor | Financial Disclosure »

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Bio, via LinkedIn:

Experienced policy and outreach strategist and lawyer, with proven success in shaping public opinion, building advocacy programs, and developing large-scale issue campaigns that drive meaningful policy reforms. Deep understanding of federal and state legislative/regulatory processes and environment. Collaborative, creative, entrepreneurial, and motivating leader. EXPERTISE Market Research and Analysis • General Public Policy Fluency with Subject Matter Expertise in Energy, Environment, Health Care, and Federal Regulation • Community Outreach and Education • Message Strategy • Budget Management • Regulatory Compliance • Coalition Building • Paid Media • Donor Presentations • Public Speaking

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Elinor Renner

Interior (joined: July 9, 2017)

Special Assistant to the Secretary | $66,510 | Financial Disclosure » | Resume »

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Former Positions Outside Government

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Laura Christine Keehner Rigas departed June 9, 2018Transferred to Corporation for National and Community Service

Interior (joined: April 16, 2017)

Communications Director | $162,000 | Financial Disclosure »

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Bio, via American Conservative Union via Internet Archive:

As the former Press Secretary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Rigas served as the chief spokesperson for former Secretary Michael Chertoff and managed all national and international media and press contact with the department and its agencies. Most recently, she was the Vice President for Communications at Business Executives for National Security and also helped with Republican campaigns in Massachusetts. Prior to her position at DHS she served at the White House and the U.S. Department of Justice. Before serving in the George W. Bush administration, Rigas was the first Government Liaison at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research. Rigas earned her Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy from the College of William and Mary and her Master’s degree in Public Administration at the Harvard Kennedy School. She is a native of California and married to Michael J. Rigas.

Former Positions Outside Government

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Russell W. Roddy departed Feb. 26, 2018

Interior (joined: Jan. 26, 2017)

Special Assistant to the Secretary | Director, Office of Scheduling and Advance | $131,767 | Financial Disclosure » | Resume »

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Former Compensation Sources

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Kyle Scherer

Interior (joined: Aug. 19, 2018)

Deputy Solicitor for Indian Affairs | Financial Disclosure »

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Bio, via Department of Influence:

Kyle Scherer is currently serving as Deputy Solicitor of Indian Affairs, a position he has been in since March 2018. He was also Acting Deputy Solicitor – Parks & Wildlife from July 2018 to November 2018, and was previously Counselor to the Assistant Secretary, Indian Affairs from December 2017 to March 2018. Kyle Sherer, who is originally from Ohio, received his bachelor’s degree from Harvard in 2005 and earned his law degree from Harvard Law School in 2009. Starting in July 2009, he worked as a Staff Attorney for the Navajo Nation with the DNA-Peoples Legal Services, which is an organization that provides access to justice to low-income Native Americans. Scherer describes himself as Chippewa Potawatomi Wisconsin and Munsee Delaware. Next, Scherer joined the army, where he served in Iraq and Afghanistan and was promoted to the rank of Captain in 2009. In 2011, Scherer joined the law firm of Simpson, Thatcher & Bartlett, where he “advised clients in liability management and corporate finance transactions.” While at Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett, his clients included CCNG Energy Partners and Peabody Energy. Scherer was selected to be a White House Fellow for the 2016-2017 class, where he was placed with the U.S. Department of Justice. Next, Scherer was the Counselor to the Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs, a position he held from December 2017 to March 2018, when he became Acting Deputy Solicitor for Indian Affairs.

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James R. Schindler

Interior (joined: Jan. 20, 2017)

Special Assistant to the Secretary | Special Assistant, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management | $79,720 | Financial Disclosure » | Resume »

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Gregory John Sheehan departed Aug. 16, 2018

Interior (joined: June 18, 2017)

Principal Deputy Director, Us Fish and Wildlife Service | $162,000 | Financial Disclosure » | Resume »

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Melissa M. Simpson departed April 1, 2017Transferred to State

Interior (joined: Jan. 20, 2017)

Special Assistant to the Secretary | Financial disclosure not required to be publicly released for this position

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Aurelia Skipwith

Interior (joined: April 19, 2017)

Deputy Assistant Secretary Fish and Wildlife and Parks | $162,000 | Financial Disclosure » | Resume »

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Former Positions Outside Government

Former Compensation Sources

  • Alltech Inc I served as Assistant Corporate Counsel and Regulatory Affairs Coordinator where I was paid a salary
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Lacey Smethers

Interior (joined: June 11, 2017)

Special Assistant | $44,941 | Financial Disclosure » | Resume »

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Steven Michael Smith departed July 21, 2018

Interior (joined: May 14, 2017)

Advisor, Intergovernmental Affairs | $79,720 | Financial Disclosure » | Resume »

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Paul Daniel Smith

Interior (joined: Jan. 7, 2018)

Deputy Director for Congressional and External Relations, National Park Service | Resume »

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Brian Steed

Interior

Deputy Director, Programs and Policy | $168,000 | Financial Disclosure » | Resume »

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Conrad Stewart

Interior

Senior Advisor

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Tara Mac Lean Sweeney

Interior (joined: July 30, 2018)

Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs | Financial Disclosure »

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Bio, via U.S. Department of the Interior:

Sweeney grew up in rural Alaska and has spent a lifetime actively engaged in state and national policy arenas focused on advocating for responsible Indian energy policy, rural broadband connectivity, Arctic growth and Native American self-determination. She has served her Arctic Slope Regional Corporation and its subsidiaries in a variety of capacities for nearly two decades. The $2.6 billion corporation is the largest locally-owned and operated business in Alaska, with about 13,000 Iñupiat Eskimo members and 12,000 employees worldwide. In her role as the Executive Vice President of External Affairs, she was responsible for all facets of government affairs and corporate communications. Her primary responsibilities include strategic policy and position development, implementation and execution; engagement with federal and state executive and legislative branches on improving policies affecting Indian energy, taxation, resource development, government contracting, broadband development and access to capital; as well as all facets of corporate communication as official company spokesperson, including stakeholder engagement and coalition building. Sweeney also has served in leadership positions on numerous business and nonprofit boards at both the state and national level, including chair of the Arctic Economic Council from 2015 to 2017; co-chair of the Alaska Federation of Natives (2013); Coast Guard Foundation Board of Trustees; the University of Alaska Foundation Board of Trustees; FCC Advisory Committee on Diversity for Communications in a Digital Age; Analytical Services, Inc.; Kohanic Broadcast Corporation (parent to the first Native American-owned, publicly supported FM radio station); Cherokee Nation New Market Tax Credit Advisory Board (CNB Economic Development Company, LLC, beneficiary); Breast Cancer Focus, Inc.; and Arctic Power. Among her honors, Sweeney -- a lifetime member of the National Congress of American Indians -- was crowned Miss NCAI in 1993 and traveled the country as an ambassador for the organization. In 2003, Governor Frank Murkowski recognized Sweeney’s passion for rural Alaska, appointing her to his cabinet as Special Assistant for Rural Affairs and Education. In 2008 she was honored as a “Top Forty Under 40″ business leader by the Alaska Journal of Commerce. In 2014 & 2017 her team won two Emmy® Awards from the Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, for its IAM IÑUPIAQ commercial campaign 2014 and its 2017 long-format documentary titled, “True North, the Story of ASRC”. She also served as co-chair for Senator Dan Sullivan’s (R-AK) successful Senate campaign. In 2017 she was inducted into the Anchorage ATHENA Society, a program of the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce that encourages the potential of women as valued members and leaders of the business community. Born to Dr. Bryan Mac Lean and the Late Representative Eileen Panigeo Mac Lean, Sweeney is the granddaughter of the Late May Ahmaogak Panigeo and the Late Henry Panigeo of Barrow. She is the great granddaughter of the Late Bert and Nellie Panigeo and Isabel and Dr. Roy Ahmaogak. She was raised, attended schools and lived most of her life in rural Alaska in villages from Noorvik to Wainwright, Barrow, Bethel, and Unalakleet. She graduated from Barrow High School in 1991. A 1998 graduate of Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations with a Bachelor of Science Degree, Sweeney is married to Kevin, and together they have two children, Caitlin and Ahmaogak.

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Heather N. Swift

Interior (joined: Jan. 26, 2017)

Special Assistant to the Secretary | Press Secretary | $123,223 | Financial Disclosure » | Resume »

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John Richard Tanner

Interior

Director, Congressional and Legislative Affairs | $168,000 | Financial Disclosure » | Resume »

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Aaron Joseph Thiele

Interior (joined: May 14, 2017)

Advance Representative | $66,510 | Financial Disclosure » | Resume »

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Mary P. Thorstenson

Interior (joined: Feb. 19, 2017)

Administrative Judge, Interior Board of Indian Appeals | $162,827

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Andrea Jean Travnicek

Interior (joined: July 9, 2017)

Deputy Assistant Secretary Water and Science | $162,000 | Financial Disclosure » | Resume »

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Former Positions Outside Government

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