TRANSITION MEETING AT THE WHITE HOUSE ON 12 NOVEMBER 1980

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81B00493R000100090010-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 16
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 18, 2004
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: November 12, 1980
• Content Type: MFR

UNCLASSIFIED NFAC #7470-80
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SUBJECT: Transition Meeting at the White House on 12 November 1980
1. This meeting was called by Jack Watson to introduce the out-
going transition team to the incoming one. At the head table were Meese,
Casey, Ann Armstrong, McDonald, Watson, and Wellford. There were also
present in addition to the outgoing team a number of members of Reagan
team including Dick Allen and Martin Anderson.
2. Watson opened the meeting with the usual courtesies. He men-
tioned three memoranda to heads of agencies that had been sent out by
his office. We have only received one, but copies were distributed
and are attached. He then turned the meeting over to Meese.
3. Meese replied with further courtesies, and then ran through the
organization of the Reagan team. It is essentially as outlined in the
papers, but he added that Allen and Anderson will be senior advisors
for foreign and national security policy and domestic policy respect-
tively.
4. Timmons, who heads the Executive Branch management group, then
described his plans, again as suggested in the press. There will be
four major "clusters" with that for national security matters headed by
David Abshire. We were told that they hoped by tomorrow to announce
the team leaders for each agency. He said a typical team might include
a leader and officers for policy, programs, personnel, budget, and con-
gressional relations.
5. Both Meese and Watson stressed the necessity for keeping deal-
ings between the two Administrations in the established channels, i.e.,
between transition teams. Meese said that there were a number of people
already purporting to talk for the Reagan Administration who had no right
to do so. They also emphasized that the purpose of the Reagan teams is
fact-finding, not policy-making. Watson added that it was important to
surface problems candidly and quickly. He asked that we document the
record to the transition and wants these records forwarded to his office
for ultimate permanent storage somewhere in the Executive Branch. It
was also stressed that the initiative for contacts lies with the Reagan
side; we should wait to hear from our transition officer. The tone of
the meeting was extremely friendly and cooperative.
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UNCLASSIFIED
 UNCLASSIFIED
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6. Allen took me aside afterward and told me that our transition
officer would be Silberman with Ray Cline and Dick Walters as "advisers."
I asked him if they had any agenda for their meeting with the DCI on
13 November and he said they did not.
STAT
Richard Lehman
Chairman
National Intelligence Council
Distribution:
1 - DCI
1 - DDCI
1 - ER
1 - DD/NFA
1 - DD/NFAC
1 - AS/NFAC
1 - D/OCO
1 - C/NIC Chrono
1 - AC/NIC
1 - Transition File
1 - NFAC Registry
2
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UNCLASSIFIED
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THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
November 7, 1980
MEMORANDUM FOR ALL CABINET AGENCY HEADS
FROM JACK WATSON/?~.C~-
This is to reiterate he information conveyed by telephone
concerning the trans'ti Until the official transition
unit heads are design d by the President-elect and you are
so notified by this office, any informal requests of any
persons representing themselves as officials of the President-
elect should be courteously refused and this office notified.
We are cooperating fully to establish a planned and coordinated
transition program with the official representatives of the
President-elect. Consequently, all orientations and exchanges
of information should be channeled through these official
designees.
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THE WHITE HOUSE
November 10, 1980
MEMORANDUM FOR CABINET AND AGENCY HEADS
f
FROM: JACK WATSON _ J ~'r,
SUBJECT: An Orderfv transition of the Presidency
The purpose of this memorandum is to confirm and clarify the
President's instructions given last week regarding the transition.
The Presidential Transition Act of 1963 is intended to facilitate
"... the orderly transfer of the executive power in connection
with the expiration of the term of office of a President and the
inauguration of a new President...." The Act states:
"The national interest requires that such transitions
in the office of the President be accomplished so as
to assure continuity in the faithful execution of the
laws and in the conduct of the affairs of the Federal
Government, both domestic and foreign."
As you know, the President has asked me to serve as overall coor-
dinator of the transition effort on his behalf. Al McDonald,
White House Staff Director, will be working closely with me on
the transition, as will Harrison Wellford, Executive Director of
OMB. As soon as Governor Reagan officially designates his transi-
tion representative(s) for your agency, I will transmit those
names to you. I am planning to meet with Governor Reagan's director
of th
e transition, Ed Meese, on Wednesday, November 12th, and
should receive the names at that time.
The transition briefing materials you are preparing should be con-
cise and contain information that will be of immediate usefulness
to the incoming officials. It would not be fruitful, in my opinion
to innundate Governor Reagan's people with excessive detail or wit
unsolicited advice and recommendations. Our guideline is simply to
be helpful and forthcoming in every way possible, without burying
the new people under mountains of briefing books and paper.
Although the exact form and content of the t
i
rans
tion briefing
materials will be determined by each agency, those materials shoul
cover the subjects set forth in the attachment to this memorandum
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The President and his Administration are, of course, fully re-
sponsible for the exercise of all governmental responsibilities
until the President-elect assumes office on January 20, 1981.
As the Presidential Transition Act states, one of our primary
goals is to "minimize any disruption which could produce results
detrimental to the safety and well-being of the United States
and its people."
Please submit to my office a brief progress report on your
transition efforts on November 15, 1980, and each two weeks
thereafter.
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Attachment
Subjects for Transition Materials
1. Agency missions, programs, and statutory authorities.
2. Basic organization and functions.
3. Budgetary and financial information.
4. Personnel policies and administration -- nature and tenure of
appointment to major positions, conflict of interest, compensation
and benefits, supporting services.
5. Key senior career personnel.
6. Significant interagency relationships.
7. Significant intergovernmental relationships.
8. Budget and appropriation processes.
9. Legislative processes, including legislative clearance requirements.-
10. Issues and priorities, with emphasis on matters requiring immediate
decision and those requiring action during the first quarter of 1981.
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THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
November 12, 1980
MEMORANDUM FOR CABINET AND AGENCY HEADS
FROM: JACK WATSON
The purpose of this me or dum is to inform you of persons
designated by the Pres' nt and Governor Reagan as members of
their respective transition teams. A description of the tran-
sition teams is attached.
This memorandum also establishes guidelines for the filling
of SES positions during the transition period and the detailing
of agency employees to,the Reagan transition team.
Filling SES Vacancies
As part of the President's commitment to an effective transition,
it is important that the new Administration be given appropriate
latitude in filling key career Senior Executive Service (SES)
positions when it assumes office. This is particularly true
since involuntary reassignments of career SES employees may
not be made within 120 days after the appointment of a new
agency head.
Accordingly, the President expects all department and agency
heads personally and carefully to review all recommendations
for new SES appointments and transfers of career SES employees
between now and January 20, 1981.
Use of Detailees
The Presidential Transition Act of 1963 (Sec. 2) provides that
any employee of any agency of any branch of the government may
be detailed to a Presidential transition team on a reimbursable
basis with the consent of the head of the agency. An employee
so detailed shall continue to receive compensation for regular
employment and retain the rights and privileges of such employ-
ment without interruption. The detailee will be responsible
only to the President-elect or Vice President-elect for the
performance of such duties.
As stated in previous memoranda, it is the President's desire
that all departments and agencies should cooperate fully with
the transition team. This general policy extends to any requests
for detailees. Requests should generally be granted, unless
the person requested is necessary for the continued effective
performance of agency functions and operations.
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The agency head should personally approve the use of any detailees.
In order for us to maintain a complete record of transition
services, you are requested to include in your transition progress
reports, a list of the detailees whom you have approved. Please
report any decision to deny a request for detailees to Harrison
Wellford, Executive Associate Director of OMB.
Request for detailees should be discussed by the respective
transition officers for the agency. Formally, the request must
be transmitted to the agency head in writing, and signed by
Mr. Peter McPherson or Vernon Orr (or their designee) with
a copy to the Comptroller of GSA (Mr. Raymond Fontaine).
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William E. Timmons, Deputy Director of the
Transition, is responsible for the Office of
Executive Branch Management.
Frank A. Whetstone is the senior advisor to
this office and Stanley Ebner is Coordinator.
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The following is
and the Director
a listing of Executive
responsible for teams
Branch agencies
to be assigned to
Th
h
i
re
f
the administrative conveni-
e group
ngs a
or
t
em.
ence of the transition staff only and have no policy
implications.
NATIONAL SECURITY
GROUP
Dr. David M. Abshire
Department of State
Department of Defense
Central Ingelligence Agency
International Development Cooperation Agency
Arms Control Disarmament Agency
International Communication Agency
Veterans Administration
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
Overseas Private Investment Corporation
Foreign Claims Settlement Commission
Board for International Broadcasting
RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT GROUP
Richard Fairbanks
Department of Agriculture
Department of Energy
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
Department of-the Interior
Environmental Protection Agency
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Alaska Natural Gas Transportation System
Commodity Futures Trading Commission
Farm Credit Administration
Tennessee Valley Authority
Syn-Fuels Corporation
Office for Micronesian Status Negotiations
National Aeronautics
and Space Administration
HUMAN SERVICES GROUP
Elizabeth Dole
Department
of
Education
Department
of
Health and Human Services
Department
of'
Housing and Urban Development
ACTION
Community
Services Administration
Federal Council on Aging
National Credit Union Administration
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ECONOMIC AFFAIRS GROUP
Stanton D. Anderson
Council on Wage and Price Stability
Office of Special Trade Representative
Department of Commerce
Department of Treasury
Department of Transportation
Comptroller of the Currency
Export-Import Bank
Federal Home Loan Bank Board
Small Business Administration
International Trade Commission
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Federal Reserve System
National Transportation Safety Board
Regional Development Commissions
National Labor Relations Board
Department of Labor
Federal Labor Relations Authority
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
National Mediation Board
Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission
Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation
LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCIES GROUP
Loren A. Smith
Department of Justice
General Services Administration
Office of Personnel Management
United States Railway Association
Civil Aeronautics Board
Federal Communications Commission
Federal Trade Commission
Interstate Commerce Commission
Securities Exchange Commission
Federal Maritime Commission
Consumer Product Safety Commission
Federal Emergency Management Agency
National Science Foundation
Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations
United States Postal Service
Federal Election Commission
Merit System Protection Board
Smithsonian Institution
National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Humanities
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
Postal Rate Commission
Civil Rights Commission
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions
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Team leaders report to one of five Group Directors
who manage issues clusters.
Department team leaders are:
Department of State: Robert E. Neumann
Department of Defense: William Van Cleave
Department of Treasury: Gerald L. Parsky
Department of Justice: Richard Wiley
Department of Interior: Richard Richards
Department of Agriculture: Richard Lyng
Department of Commerce: Calvin J. Collier
Department of Labor: Richard Shubert
Department of Health and Human Services: Robert Carleson
Department of Housing and Urban Development: Gerald Carmen
Department of Transportation: Arthur E. Teele
Department of Energy: Michael Halbouty
Department of Education: Loreli Kinder
Team leaders for agencies and independent commissions,
as well as members of the departmental teams, will be
announced later.
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Jack Watson 456-6799'
White House Chief of Staff
Al McDonald
White House Staff Director
Harrison Wellford
OMB Executive Director
Michael Rowny
Deputy to the Staff Director
Hugh Carter
Special Assistant to the President
for Administration
456-7873
395-3864
456-7873
Ray Jenkins 456-2100
Rex Granum 456-2100
Deputy Press Secretaries
Vice President's Office:
Dick Moe
Vice President's Chief of Staff
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THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
November 12, 1980
LIST OF TRANSITION OFFICERS
DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Jim Williams
(Howard Hjort - budget)
(Joan Wallace
- space, tech.,
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Ms. Elsa Porter
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Peter Hamilton
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Under Secretary Steven
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Douglas G. Robinson
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
pers.)
377-4951
697-8388
755-1100
252-6476
HUMAN SERVICES
Randy Kinder
Alair Townsend
245-7163
245-6396
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND
DEVELOPMENT
Terrence Duvernay
755-6810
William Kendig
343-4701
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Kevin D. Rooney
633-3101
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Paul Jensen
523-8231
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Peter Tarnoff
632-2540
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Deputy Secretary Bill Beckham
426-2222
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Curtis Hessler
566-2551
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ACTION
Robert Currie
COMMUNITY SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
Mr. Lee Foley
COUNCIL OF ECONOMIC ADVISERS
Susan Irving
COUNCIL ON EINIRONMENTAL QUALITY
Malcolm Baldwin
254-7264
254-5590
395-5084
395-4522
COUNCIL ON WAGE AND PRICE STABILITY
Bob Russell 456-6466
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Jack Ford 755-2705
FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
William S.W. Jones 653-7776
GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
Mr. E. Perley Eaton, Jr. 566-1212
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
Les Denend 456-2235
(For National Security Affairs)
Ms. Christine Dodson 395-3440
(For the NSC staff)
OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATION
Ms. Sarah T. Kadec
OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
Ms. Alice Rogoff
OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
Alan Campbell, Director
SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM
Dr. Bernard Rotsker
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Bill Mauk
456-2804
456-6992
632-4724
724-0817
653-6678
(AMBASSADOR SOL LINOWITZ)
Andy Marks
U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
Ambassador Robert Hormats
Robert Cassidy
395-5114
395-3150
VETERANS ADMINISTRATION
Rufus H. Wilson 389-2817
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CIA
Richard Lehman
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS AGENCY
Richard Cohen 724-9185
OFFICE OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY POLICY
Frank Press 456-7116
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
Jerry Griffin
PEACE CORPS
Dick Celeste
OFFICE OF, CONSUMER AFFAIRS
Esther Peterson 456-6970
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STAT