THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 8, 2015

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced the appointment of the following individuals to key Administration posts:

· Regina Blye – Member, Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Access Boar

· Christopher Stephen Hart – Member, Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Access Board

· Mathew McCollough – Member, Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Access Board

· Victor Santiago Pineda – Member, Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Access Board

· Karen Tamley – Member, Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Access Board

President Obama said, “I am honored that these talented individuals have decided to serve our country. They bring their years of experience and expertise to this Administration, and I look forward to working with them.”

President Obama announced the appointment of the following individuals to key Administration posts:

Regina Blye, Appointee for Member, Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Access Board
Regina Blye is the Executive Director of the Texas State Independent Living Council (SILC). Ms. Blye is a member of several national and statewide boards, including SILC Congress, National Council on Independent Living, Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living, Traumatic Brain Injury Advisory Council, Access Empowerment, and the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities. She has been a member of the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Access Board since 2011. Ms. Blye received an M.P.A. from the University of Texas and a B.S. from West Texas A&M University.

Christopher Stephen Hart, Appointee for Member, Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Access Board
Christopher Stephen Hart is a consultant specializing in the Americans with Disabilities Act and Universal Design whose principal work is serving as the Technical Advisor for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and Boston’s disability community. Previously, he was the Director of Urban and Transportation Projects for the Institute for Human Centered Design. Mr. Hart formerly served as an appointed member of the Governor’s Transportation Advisory Reform Committee in Massachusetts and the National Steering Committee for Project ACTION, a national organization dedicated to promoting universal access to transportation for people with disabilities. Mr. Hart currently serves as a board member for LivableStreets Alliance, Disability Law Center, and Agassiz Village. He has been a member of the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Access Board since 2011. Mr. Hart received a B.A. from the College of Public and Community Service at the University of Massachusetts, Boston.

Mathew McCollough, Appointee for Member, Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Access Board
Mathew McCollough is the Executive Director of the District of Columbia Developmental Disabilities Council (DDC), which promotes independence and equal opportunity for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Prior to assuming the current position as the DDC Executive Director, he served as the Communications Manager for the D.C. Office of Disability Rights, the Americans with Disabilities Act compliance office for the District Government. Previously, he served as a grants manager and trainer with the Association of University Centers on Disabilities and for the National Service Inclusion Project – a training and technical assistance provider that advocates on the behalf of individuals with disabilities to fully participate in service and civic-minded programs within their communities. He has been a member of the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Access Board since 2011. Mr. McCollough received his M.P.A. in Public Administration from American University and his B.A. from James Madison University.

Dr. Victor Santiago Pineda, Appointee for Member, Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Access Board
Dr. Victor Santiago Pineda is President of the World Enabled and the Pineda Foundation, positions he has held since founding the organizations in 2003. Dr. Pineda was the University of California, Berkeley Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Academic Diversity and an Adjunct Professor in City & Regional Planning at University of California, Berkeley, positions he held in 2012. He was a Senior Research Fellow at the World Institute on Disability in 2011. Dr. Pineda was a Summer Associate at the Department of the Treasury in 2006, a Researcher at the Institute for Urban and Regional Development in 2005, a Researcher at the University of California, Berkeley Kujacic Endowment in 2004, a member of the Youth Advisory Committee of the National Council on Disability in 2003, and a Principal Investigator with Energenz do Brasil in 2002. He has received numerous grants and awards, including a National Science Foundation Innovation research grant, a Fulbright-Hays Scholarship, and the AAPD Paul G. Hearne Leadership Award. Dr. Pineda received a B.A., B.S. and M.C.P. from the University of California, Berkeley and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles

Karen Tamley, Appointee for Member, Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Access Board
Karen Tamley is Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities for the City of Chicago, a position she has held since 2005. Ms. Tamley co-founded the Disability Rights Action Coalition for Housing, where she served as a National Organizer from 1994 to 2004. She was Director of Programs at Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago from 1996 to 2005. Previously, Ms. Tamley was Housing Director at Atlantis Community, Inc. from 1992 to 1996 and an Executive Assistant at the National Disability Action Center from 1990 to 1992. She is a member of the Executive Committee of Meals on Wheels Chicago, the Board of Directors of Pace Suburban Bus, the National Advisory Panel of the Institute for Human Centered Design, and the Transit Access Advisory Committee of the Regional Transportation Authority. Ms. Tamley received a B.A. from University of California, Berkeley.

Thursday, June 25, 2015 Supreme Court Decision This morning the Supreme Court made an important decision about the Health Insurance Marketplace. Their ruling means that consumers will continue to receive quality affordable health care coverage no matter where they live. Consumers may have questions about what today’s decision meant for their lives. For consumers getting theircoverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace, this means that nothing has changed. You can watch the president’s address here and read the Supreme Court’s ruling here. We have posted additional information about what the Supreme Court decision means for consumers atHealthCare.gov/Decision. This information is included below – feel free to share. What Does the Supreme Court Decision Mean for Me? I purchased health insurance from the Health Insurance Marketplace or HealthCare.gov. Great news! Your affordable quality coverage has not changed. The Supreme Court has confirmed that if you qualify, you can still get financial help to lower the costs of your health care no matter where you live. This means that consumers in every state will continue to be eligible for premium tax credits, lowering the average consumer’s costs by $272 each month. So, nothing has changed for you. You can still use your health insurance as long as you continue to pay yourbills. As a reminder, tell the Marketplace about any changes to your household, income, and insurance status to getthe most accurate tax credit. I have health insurance through my employer or purchased it on the individual market. While the Supreme Court case did not directly impact you, you are probably already benefiting from increasedfinancial and health security because of the health care law. These provisions include: banning discriminatorypractices such as denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions and dropping people from coveragewhen they get sick; guaranteeing access to insurance when you change jobs , lose a job, or strike out on yourown; providing better benefits like guaranteed access to free preventive care; preventing medical bankruptcy bybanning annual caps on coverage of essential benefits and requiring new annual limits on out-of-pocket costs;improvements in the care you receive through incentives that promote quality of care and time spent betweenpatients and doctors; and allowing young adults to stay on their family’s plan. I don’t have health insurance. Visit HealthCare.gov or call 1-800-318-2596 to see if you can still get coverage for 2015. You may qualify for aspecial enrollment period due to a life change like marriage, having a baby, or losing other coverage. The Supreme Court confirmed that if you qualify, you can receive financial assistance, including a premium taxcredit, to make coverage more affordable no matter where you live. On average, consumers enrolled in theMarketplace are receiving $3,260 per year in tax credits, or $272 each month. About 8 in 10 consumers couldfind coverage for $100 or less with tax credits through the Marketplace. The Open Enrollment period for 2015 is over. Open Enrollment for 2016 starts on November 1, 2015. Sign up here to be reminded about the start of Open Enrollment. You may also be eligible for Medicaid or your family could be eligible for the Children’s Health Program (CHIP). There is no deadline to enroll so if you qualify, it’s never too late to get coverage. Medicaid and CHIP providefree or low-cost health coverage to millions of Americans, including some low-income people, families andchildren, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with disabilities. People qualify for these programs based ontheir household size, income, and other factors, like age and disability. When you fill out your application you’llfind out if you and your family qualify. Visit HealthCare.gov or your State Medicaid office for more information.

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