Jeppson out, Motl in as Acting Director of the Mint
By Hubert Walker for CoinWeek ….
According to Michael White at the Office of Corporate Communications for the United States Mint, Rhett Jeppson has resigned as Principal Deputy Director of the Mint. His resignation was effective as of noon on Friday, January 20.
Jeppson has served in this position since January 2015. President Barack Obama nominated Jeppson for the position of Mint Director proper in July 2015, but the U.S. Senate took no action on his nomination until March 15, 2016 when he was part of a multi-position hearing before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, chaired by Senator Richard Selby (R-AL). His nomination later stalled after a Committee vote held on April 7.
Before he became Principal Deputy Director and Acting Director, Jeppson attended the University of Florida. After graduating with a degree in History, Jeppson joined the United States Marine Corps and became an infantry officer. He served in the first Gulf War during Operation Desert Storm and later became Deputy Director of Operations in Afghanistan. After 28 years of military service, he retired and later was employed as the Director of State Purchasing for the State of Florida. He then joined the United States Small Business Administration (SBA), serving as the Associate Administrator for Veterans’ Business Development.
While it is common for previous political appointees to submit resignations during changes of party and or administration, it is not necessarily a requirement; 38th Director of the United States Mint Edmund C. Moy was nominated and approved to the post under President George W. Bush in 2006 and stayed on to serve under Obama until 2011.
With Jeppson’s departure, U.S. Mint Chief Administrative Officer Dave Motl becomes the Acting Principal Deputy Director. He will fulfill this role until the Trump Administration chooses Jeppson’s permanent replacement.
The Mint has no further news at this time concerning Jeppson’s resignation or any upcoming nominations, but a public announcement of some kind is expected soon. CoinWeek will update the story as new information becomes available.
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Listen to CoinWeek Editor Charles Morgan’s interview with Director Jeppson on the CoinWeek Podcast below. A transcript is available HERE.
CoinWeek Podcast #49: Q&A with U.S. Mint Principal Deputy Director Rhett Jeppson
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