WASHINGTON – Today, President Joe Biden announced his intention to name the following leaders to serve as key leaders in his administration:

• Phillip (Phil) A. Washington, candidate for the position of administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration
• Henry V. Jardine, candidate for the post of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Mauritius and the Republic of Seychelles
• Diane Kaplan, nominee for Board Member of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
• Jeffrey R. Gural, candidate for president of the Public Buildings Reform Commission

Phillip (Phil) A. Washington, candidate for the position of administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration

Phillip A. Washington was nominated by Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock and unanimously confirmed by the Denver City Council as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Denver International Airport. Prior to that, Washington was CEO of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). At Metro, Washington managed a budget of more than $8 billion and oversaw 11,000 employees who transported 1.2 million passengers daily on a fleet of 2,200 clean-air buses and six rail lines. Washington also served as CEO of Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD) and worked as RTD’s Deputy General Manager for nearly 10 years before being named CEO.

Originally from the South Side of Chicago, Washington is a 24-year veteran of the United States Army, where he held the rank of command sergeant major. He retired from active duty, is a disabled veteran, and was awarded the prestigious Defense Superior Service Medal for his outstanding service to his country. He holds a BA in Commerce from Columbia College and an MBA from Webster University.

Henry V. Jardine, candidate for the post of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Mauritius and the Republic of Seychelles

Henry V. Jardine is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Minister-Counsellor class. He is currently Director of the Office of Career Development and Assignments for the Department of State in Washington, D.C. Previously, Jardine was the Senior Deputy Director of the Office of Foreign Buildings Operations for the Department of State and prior to that , the executive director of the Office of Western Hemisphere Affairs. He has also held senior positions abroad as Management Counselor of the United States Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, as Deputy Chief of Mission of the United States Embassy in Tirana, in Albania, and as Consul General of the United States Consulate General in Kolkata, India. Jardine also served at the United States Consulate General in Chiang Mai, Thailand, the United States Embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados, and the United States Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Prior to joining the State Department, Jardine served in the United States Army from 1989 to 1993. Jardine earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and a Masters degree from National Defense University. Its foreign languages ​​include Bengali, Thai, Spanish, German and Albanian.

Diane Kaplan, nominee for Board Member of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting

Diane Kaplan is President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Rasmuson Foundation, based in Anchorage, Alaska. As President and CEO, Kaplan’s approach to philanthropy has raised the bar for funders’ partnership with business, government, and other nonprofit organizations. Prior to joining the Foundation, Kaplan provided consulting services for philanthropic organizations, Indigenous corporations and tribes, and non-profit organizations. Previously, she served as general manager of the 28-station public radio network in Alaska. She serves on the Board of Directors of United States Artists and is a member of the Anchorage Homelessness Leadership Council, the Anchorage Rotary Club, the Community Advisory Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, and the Governance Council of Recover Alaska. In 2019, Kaplan received the Anchorage ATHENA Company Leadership Award, the group’s highest honor. Kaplan graduated with a degree in communications and women’s studies from the University of Pennsylvania, with summa cum laude honors.

Jeffrey R. Gural, candidate for president of the Public Buildings Reform Commission

Jeffrey Gural is currently President of GFP Real Estate LLC. Prior to his current role, Gural held numerous positions at Newmark Knight Frank, including as Chairman until 2017, after which he became Chairman Emeritus. Previously, he was on staff at Diesel Construction Co., where he was responsible for overseeing and constructing over one million square feet of new office space. Gural is a member of the executive committee of the Real Estate Board of New York, former chairman of the board of directors of Times Square Alliance and a member of the board of directors of The New School. Gural has also served as vice president of the Broadway Association, board member of the Statue of Liberty Foundation, and president of the Realty Foundation of New York. Gural graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a degree in civil engineering. He is married, has three adult children, five grandchildren, and resides in Manhattan.

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