Suzanne Israel Tufts Explained

Suzanne Israel Tufts
Office1:Assistant Secretary of Administration at the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
President1:Donald Trump
Term Start1:January 5, 2018
Term End1:October 19, 2018
Education:Princeton University
University of Virginia School of Law

Suzanne Israel Tufts is an American consultant and attorney. She is a former Assistant Secretary of Administration at the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), having resigned in October 2018.

Career

Tufts has practiced law focusing on white collar and governmental investigations, complex commercial litigation, employment and small business advisory with the law firms of Weil, Gotshal and Manges; Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison; and Friedman, Kaplan, Seiler & Adelman. She is the founder of her own consulting firm, which focuses on providing services for tax-exempt organizations and emerging companies. Tufts previously worked as president and CEO of the American Woman's Economic Development Corporation, a women's entrepreneurship training center.

Tufts has worked in the private and public sectors in turnaround management. In the public sector, she served in the Administration of President George H. W. Bush as the Regional Director, Region II of ACTION (now known as the Corporation for National Service),[1] where she improved program outcomes and fiscal oversight, including working to defund fraudulent and non-performing grantees.

Tufts was recognized by President George W. Bush and U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao for providing emergency small business crisis services within 72 hours of the September 11 attacks.

She was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 21, 2017, to become an Assistant Secretary of Administration at the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) after being nominated by President Donald Trump in October 2017.[2] Tufts resigned on October 16, 2018, amid controversy, including reports that she had not been to work for two months[3] and questions surrounding news that she was to be appointed acting Inspector General of the U.S. Department of the Interior.[4] [5] The latter announcement was retracted by the Interior Department, explaining that "HUD sent out an email that had false information in it."[6]

Education

Tufts graduated summa cum laude with an A.B. in bio-medical ethics from Princeton University in 1977, and received her J.D. in 1982 from the University of Virginia School of Law, where she was awarded a Dillard Fellowship in legal writing and research.[7] [8] [9]

Personal life

Tufts lives in New York. Her husband, Bob Tufts, was a Major League Baseball player for the San Francisco Giants and the Kansas City Royals, who taught at the Sy Syms School of Business of Yeshiva University and was the founder of My Life Is Worth It, a patient and innovation advocacy organization; he died on October 4, 2019.[10] She has a daughter, Abigail Tufts.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: - Nominations of Brian D. Montgomery, of Texas, to be Assistant Secretary for Housing, Federal Housing Commissioner, Department of Housing and Urban Development; Robert Hunter Kurtz, of Virginia, to be Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing, Department of Housing and Urban Development; and Suzanne Israel Tufts, of New York, to be Assistant Secretary for Administration, Department of Housing and Urban Development.
  2. News: Giaritelli. Anna. Trump picks 42 key administration nominees, including heads of NASA and Office of National Drug Control Policy. October 10, 2017. Washington Examiner. September 1, 2017.
  3. News: Trump appointee tapped days ago to run Interior Department's watchdog office resigns amid controversy. Dawsey. Josh . et al. October 19, 2018. Washington Post. February 20, 2019.
  4. Web site: HUD official quits amid Interior Department watchdog controversy. October 19, 2018. October 19, 2018.
  5. Web site: Instead of becoming Interior's top watchdog, Tufts resigns from HUD. NBC News. October 19, 2018 . en. 2019-02-21.
  6. Web site: After mistaken announcement, HUD official out of a job. www.cbsnews.com. October 19, 2018 . en-US. 2019-02-21.
  7. News: President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Personnel to Key Administration Posts . October 10, 2017 . . . September 2, 2017.
  8. News: Miller. Jason. Trump finally begins to fill out important government management leadership roles. October 10, 2017. Federal News Radio. September 5, 2017.
  9. Web site: LinkedIn. Tufts. Suzanne. October 19, 2018. LinkedIn.
  10. Web site: Bob Tufts, Syms Professor, Passes Away at 63 after Long Cancer Battle. October 4, 2019.
  11. Web site: HUD political appointee to lead probes of Zinke. . October 16, 2018 .