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Dan G. Blair
Deputy Director
On February 13, 2002, the United States Senate unanimously
confirmed Dan G. Blair to be Deputy Director of the U.S. Office
of Personnel Management. |
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Mr. Blair was nominated by President George W. Bush on December 20, 2001 to serve as Deputy Director of OPM. Prior to his confirmation, Mr. Blair served as Senior Policy Advisor to OPM Director Kay Coles James, and served in this position since October 2001. Mr. Blair brings to OPM extensive experience in the civil service sector, having served for almost 17 years on the staffs of both House and Senate committees charged with federal civil service oversight.
Prior to joining the staff at OPM, Mr. Blair served as Senior Counsel to Senator Fred Thompson (R-TN) on the United States Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs. Mr. Blair was appointed to this position in January 1998 and was responsible for review of legislation and policy affecting the federal civil service, the U.S. Postal Service, federal budget process, government ethics, and federal lobbying reform. He served as the principal Governmental Affairs Committee staffer on the House and Senate conference committee charged with developing a new personnel system for the Internal Revenue Service as part of the overall IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998. He also advised Senator Thompson on the comprehensive review the Committee on Governmental Affairs undertook to reform the process by which Presidential nominees undergo appointment and Senate confirmation. Further, Mr. Blair was responsible for Committee work establishing a long-term care insurance program for federal employees and the uniformed services and reforms for the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program and life insurance programs.
Prior to joining the Committee on Governmental Affairs, Mr. Blair served as Staff Director for the House of Representatives Subcommittee on the Postal Service. He was appointed to this position by Subcommittee Chairman John McHugh (R-NY) in January 1995. Mr. Blair was responsible for directing the Subcommittee's oversight of the U.S. Postal Service and directed the development of comprehensive postal reform legislation. He also coordinated enactment of legislation establishing an independent Office of Inspector General for the Postal Service.
Mr. Blair also served as Minority General Counsel for the House of Representatives Committee on Post Office and Civil Service from January 1985 until December 1994. Mr. Blair was named to the position by then Ranking Member Gene Taylor (R-MO) and served under successive Ranking Members Benjamin Gilman (R-NY) and John Myers (R-IN). While in that position, Mr. Blair was responsible for helping design the Federal Employees Retirement System and for developing legislative initiatives reforming the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. He also developed legislation establishing a living benefits program for employees and retirees covered by the federal government life insurance program.
As Deputy Director, Mr. Blair represents OPM on a number of important external initiatives and has been responsible for many internal reform efforts. At the request of Director James, he has headed OPM’s effort to “fix the hiring process” for the Federal Government and has been actively seeking ways to provide agencies with the tools to streamline and reform their processes in this area. He chairs OPM’s critical outreach program to veterans through his work and meetings with veterans service organizations. In addition, Mr. Blair sits on the President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency which was established by executive order to increase the professionalism and effectiveness of Inspector Generals personnel throughout the Government. Mr. Blair has testified for OPM before U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives committees on a variety of issues
Within OPM, Mr. Blair was Director James’ point person to implement OPM’s restructuring initiative which significantly reformed the internal operations of the agency. Mr. Blair further oversees OPM’s computer security program, an integral component of the agency’s effort to fulfill its information technology obligations under the President’s Management Agenda.
Mr. Blair was born and raised in Joplin, Missouri. He received a Bachelor of Journalism degree from the School of Journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1981 and his Juris Doctor from the School of Law at the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1984. He and his wife, Michele, reside in Washington, D.C.
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