, professor of the practice of public policy in the at the University of Notre Dame, was nominated today by President-elect Joe Biden to serve as secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Cabinet appointment is subject to Senate confirmation.
鈥淒enis is a dedicated public servant who, over the past three years, has been a valued member of our Keough 91视频 faculty, sharing his considerable expertise in public policy, international and domestic affairs and management with both graduate and undergraduate students,鈥� , Notre Dame鈥檚 president, said. 鈥淚 join his campus colleagues in extending congratulations on his nomination and wish him well in the confirmation process.鈥�
, the Marilyn Keough Dean of the Keough 91视频 of Global Affairs, added: 鈥淧rofessor McDonough is an invaluable member of our policy studies faculty at the Keough 91视频. Generous with his many talents, he is a natural teacher and mentor of our global affairs graduate and undergraduate聽students. He is聽an outstanding role model of an American patriot who cares deeply about advancing human dignity globally and here at home.聽If confirmed, he will serve the Biden administration and the nation鈥檚 veterans with the same tireless dedication and skill he demonstrated in his years working closely with President Obama.鈥�
McDonough joined the Notre Dame faculty in August 2017. He teaches courses on public policy analysis and formulation; writing for policy, government and nongovernmental organization management and leadership; and selected topics such as migration and refugees and national and international security. He also contributes policy expertise to the Keough 91视频鈥檚 Global Policy Initiative.聽
Most recently, McDonough is directing a Notre Dame research program called the , which seeks to identify potentially weak areas of the current presidential transition process and to provide the public with an ongoing, near real-time assessment of the transition.
Chief of staff to President Barack Obama from February 2013 to January 2017, McDonough and Andy Card, chief of staff to President George W. Bush, were the featured speakers for the 2017 Notre Dame Forum, 鈥淕oing Global: Exploring the Challenges and Opportunities of Globalization.鈥� Addressing an audience of more than 1,000, they offered聽observations and commentary on foreign policy from their perspectives as chief confidants to Bush and Obama.
As Obama鈥檚 chief of staff, McDonough managed the 4,000-member White House staff, as well as Cabinet secretaries and agency leaders. He provided strategic advice to the president on the most significant domestic policy, national security and management issues facing the federal government and enforced plans and accountability for performance and goals.
McDonough also planned and coordinated efforts to recruit and retain key talent 鈥� including an unprecedented expansion of technology experts, engineers and content generators within the White House and across the federal government.
Prior to his role as chief of staff, McDonough served from September 2010 to February 2013 as assistant to the president and principal deputy national security adviser. He chaired the National Security Council鈥檚 Deputies Committee, leading a multiagency team that addressed complex national security challenges, including crisis management as well as policy decisions related to the Iran nuclear negotiations, strategic arms reductions talks with Russia, the United States re-balance to Asia, the Afghanistan surge and the Iraq drawdown. He was among the small group joining Obama in the White House Situation Room on May 1, 2011, when Navy SEALs raided Osama bin Laden鈥檚 compound in Pakistan.
McDonough previously served in senior leadership and policymaking positions with the House International Relations Committee and Senate Majority Leader Ken Salazar of Colorado.
McDonough also currently serves as senior principal at the Markle Foundation, where he has worked to address the labor market skills gap, particularly in light of the looming artificial intelligence revolution.
McDonough graduated聽summa cum laude聽from St. John鈥檚 University in Minnesota with bachelor鈥檚 degrees in history and Spanish. He also holds a master鈥檚 degree from Georgetown University鈥檚 Walsh 91视频 of Foreign Service.
The Keough 91视频 of Global Affairs聽鈥� founded in 2014 as Notre Dame鈥檚 first new degree-granting school or college in nearly a century 鈥� prepares new generations of students for skilled, effective and ethical global professional leadership. The school鈥檚 Global Policy Initiative was established to create new opportunities for engagement with policymaking institutions and programs in Washington, D.C., and around the world.