Office of the Press Secretary
_________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release

January 28, 2009

President Obama Announces Deputy Directors for Intergovernmental Affairs

WASHINGTON – Today, President Barack Obama announced that David Agnew and Sean McGrath will serve as Deputy Directors for the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.

President Obama said, “It is a priority of my administration to make sure that the doors of this White House are open to all of our citizens, and that our government is open and honest and that the American people are heard. David and Sean, along with Cecilia Munoz and the rest of the team, will work to ensure that our administration is working closely with state and local officials elected by the American people. We believe a strong partnership between government at all levels is the best way to bring change to American families and to provide the leadership the American people deserve. I am happy to welcome them to our team.”

David P. Agnew, Deputy Director, Intergovernmental Affairs

Prior to joining the White House, Agnew was a businessman and community leader in Charleston, South Carolina. From 1996 to 2001 he was top deputy to Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. and from 1993 to 1996 served as a Special Assistant in the Office of U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich. Mr. Agnew has been active in urban policy and city issues throughout his career, and has served in leadership roles for numerous non-profit organizations including the College of Charleston, Riley Center for Urban Affairs and Policy Studies, the South Carolina Trust for Public Land, and the Charleston Parks Conservancy.

Shaun McGrath, Deputy Director, Intergovernmental Affairs

Prior to joining the White House, McGrath was Program Director for the Western Governors Association, an independent, non-profit organization representing the governors of the 19 western states and three U.S. flag islands in the Pacific, where he managed programs on wildlife corridors, sustainable water, renewable energy, and climate adaptation. McGrath is also the Mayor of Boulder, Colorado, a progressive city of 100,000, named the “smartest city in America” by Forbes magazine in 2006 and 2008. As Mayor, he led efforts to establish Boulder as the first smart-grid city in the country, pass a climate action plan for which voters approved country’s first carbon tax, and become only the third city in the country to receive the platinum level “bicycle friendly community” award from the League of American Bicyclists.