Secretary Jewell Praises President Obama's Intent to Nominate Tommy Beaudreau as Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today praised President Obama's intent to nominate Tommy P. Beaudreau as Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget (PMB). If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Beaudreau would oversee a broad portfolio of policy and administrative functions that support the Department and its workforce, including budget, law enforcement and security management, human resources and procurement.

“Tommy's legal background, policy expertise, and extensive managerial experience with complex natural resource issues will be an invaluable asset as we carry out our vital and diverse missions in unprecedented fiscal and budgetary times,” said Secretary Jewell. “He has successfully led key administration and departmental energy reforms in the Gulf of Mexico, steadily advanced our Atlantic offshore wind program and developed and implemented critical regulatory initiatives for Arctic conservation and energy policy. His accomplishments and skills will well serve the department and the nation in his new position.”

The Assistant Secretary for PMB also holds responsibility as the Department's Chief Financial Officer and Chief Human Capital Officer, and provides policy leadership on the Arctic, international affairs and initiatives on land conservation, sustainability, diversity, and youth engagement and employment.

Beaudreau currently concurrently leads the office of the Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management and is the Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) at Interior. As the head of Land and Minerals Management – a position he has held since January 2013 – Beaudreau has overseen the stewardship of more than 245 million acres of federal lands and 700 million acres of subsurface mineral estate for multiple uses, including responsible conventional and renewable energy development; preservation of National Conservation Lands; a wide range of recreational activities; livestock grazing; fire planning and operations; and habitat management.

Beaudreau, among other things, acts as the chair of the Interagency Working Group on Coordination of Domestic Energy Development and Permitting in Alaska and has been one of the key participants in developing an integrated approach to managing the dynamic Arctic landscape in support of the National Strategy for the Arctic Region.

As BOEM Director, Beaudreau has overseen the economically and environmentally responsible development of America's offshore oil and gas, renewable energy and mineral resources across more than 1.7 billion acres of the U.S. outer continental shelf. Under Beaudreau, BOEM has made substantial strides in advancing clean, renewable energy development offshore the United States. He has helped guide implementation of the Department's Smart from the Start initiative, and this year oversaw the first two commercial lease auctions for wind power generation in federal waters.

Beaudreau joined the Interior Department in June 2010 to help develop and lead aggressive reforms of offshore energy management and oversight, including the reorganization of the former Minerals Management Service. Through September 2011, he served as the senior advisor to the director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, where he played an integral role in designing and implementing the Department's broad reform agenda with respect to the regulation and oversight of offshore oil and gas development.

Prior to joining the Administration, Beaudreau was a partner at the international law firm of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver and Jacobson LLP. Beaudreau's practice focused on criminal and civil litigation, enforcement proceedings, and internal investigations for public and private companies as well as for public agencies pursuing reform. He is a graduate of Yale University and the Georgetown University Law Center. He clerked for the Honorable Jerome B. Friedman in the federal District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. He lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife and two children.

If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Beaudreau would replace Rhea S. Suh, who President Obama nominated as Interior's Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks.