Three nominees for top posts at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) were sworn in on May 4 after being confirmed by the U.S. Senate on May 1. They are: Helen Kanovsky, General Counsel; Peter Kovar, Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs; and John Trasviña,, Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity.

Kanovsky previously was Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel of the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust. In the late 1990’s, she was chief of staff to U.S. Senator John F. Kerry (D-MA). Earlier, she served as a Special Assistant to HUD Secretary Patricia Harris.

Kovar was previously chief of staff for Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee. During his 26-year tenure on Capitol Hill, Kovar worked on a wide array of issues, including immigration policy, Medicare reform, environmental protection, government ethics, and economic development. For the past six years, he also played a key role in coordinating the interaction between Rep. Frank’s Congressional office and the work of the Financial Services Committee, which has jurisdiction over federal housing policy.

Trasviña was President and General Counsel for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) in Los Angeles, CA. In 1985, Trasviña began his career at MALDEF in Washington, DC as a legislative attorney. He later worked for U.S. Sen. Paul Simon (D-IL) as General Counsel and Staff Director of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution. In 1997, President Bill Clinton appointed Trasviña as Special Counsel for Immigration Related Unfair Employment Practices. As such, he led the only federal government office devoted solely to immigrant workplace rights.  read more…