United States Commission On Civil Rights - Commissioners

Commissioners

The Commission is composed of eight Commissioners. Four are appointed by the President of the United States, two by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and two by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

During the Presidency of George W. Bush, Democrats criticized the panel for becoming dominated by conservatives after two Republican commissioners reregistered as independents and President Bush appointed additional Republican members.

As of May 2011, the members of the Commission are:

• Martin R. Castro, Chair (D) – President and CEO of Castro Synergies, LLC (appointed by President Obama, January 2011).
• Abigail Thernstrom, Vice-Chair (R) – Manhattan Institute political scientist and former member of the Massachusetts Board of Education (appointed by Congress, 2001; switched registration to "Independent" when appointed Vice-Chair by President Bush, 2004; switched registration back to Republican and reappointed to USCCR by President Bush in 2007; term will expire in 2013).
• Gail Heriot (I) – University of San Diego law professor; alternate delegate to the 2000 Republican Convention (appointed by Senate, February 2007).
• Peter N. Kirsanow (R) – Cleveland attorney and former member of the National Labor Relations Board (appointed by President Bush, December 2006).
• David Kladney (D) – Lawyer in private solo practice in Reno, NV.
• Roberta Achtenberg (D) – Corporate Advisor in Public Policy and California State University Trustee (appointed by President Obama, January 2011).
• Michael Yaki (D) – San Francisco attorney and former member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors (re-appointed by Congress in April 2011).
• Todd F. Gaziano (I) – Senior Fellow in Legal Studies and the Director of the Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at The Heritage Foundation (appointed by Republican minority in Congress, 2007).