Officially In: Donald Gips to Pretoria

Map from CIA World Factbook

On June 4^th, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Donald Gips to be Ambassador to the Republic of South Africa. Official bio released by the WH below:

Donald Gips is currently the Assistant to the President and Director for Presidential Personnel. Prior to serving in the White House, Gips helped lead then President-elect Obama’s Presidential Transition Team as a Co-Chair for the Agency Review team.

From 1998-2008, Gips was Group Vice President of Global Corporate Development for Level 3 Communications, where he led merger and acquisition efforts and was the Chief Strategy Officer. Gips previously served in the White House as Chief Domestic Policy Advisor to Vice President Al Gore. Mr. Gips also was Chief of the International Bureau at the Federal Communications Commission where he was responsible for the WTO negotiations and all spectrum policy, and helped launch the Americorps Program at the Corporation for National Service. Before entering government, he was an Executive Manager at McKinsey & Company.

Gips his MBA from the Yale School of Management and received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University.

* * * From whorunsgov.com

Gips has donated more than $64,000 to politicians since 1999, almost all of it to Democrats (He gave $500 to Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, in 2003). Gips donated the maximum allowable to Barack Obama in 2008, and also donated $2,000 to him in 2004.⁽²³⁾ He was one of Obama’s top bundlers during the presidential campaign, raising more than $500,000 for the 2008 campaign.⁽²⁴⁾

If confirmed, Mr. Gips would replace Eric M. Bost who was appointed US Ambassador to South Africa during President Bush’s second term.

Related Item: President Obama Announces Intent to Nominate Key Administration Posts, 6-4-09