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>http://www.projecttransitionaldemocracy.org/bio_reffe_projecttransitionaldemocracy_171e65d6208696ffcaa9ac7a1b1c3fdd.html
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BIRX HUSBAND = REFFE
Mr. Paige E. Reffe
Secretary
In a career spanning more than 20 years in Washington, D.C., Mr. Reffe has worked in both the private and public sectors. Trained as a lawyer, he has enjoyed roles that range from behind the scenes to very public, from detail oriented to global strategist. As a political appointee in the Carter Administration for three years, he worked at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the General Services Administration (GSA) developing an intimate knowledge of the workings of the Executive Branch of the Federal Government. At OMB, he worked on the President�s First Reorganization Project on the Executive Office of the President, and at GSA became the principal assistant to the Administrator.
From 1979-83, Mr. Reffe was a trial attorney with the Tax Division, United States Department of Justice where he concentrated primarily on bankruptcy and civil tax matters. As a litigator, Mr. Reffe refined his advocacy skills in a public forum. From 1985-87, Mr. Reffe served as the chief of staff for Tim Wirth as a Congressman/Senator where he managed a staff of more than forty, a multi-million dollar budget and learned the intricacies of the Legislative Branch.
Mr. Reffe joined the law firm of Cutler & Stanfield at its inception in 1988. While in private practice, he has represented a variety of clients from public instrumentalities and universities to multi-national corporations. From 1990-93, Mr. Reffe was the chief outside counsel for the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority - the largest water utility in North America. The Agency employed more than 7,000 people, had a budget in excess of $700 million and a long-term capital construction program of $2 billion. In addition to supervising legal matters, Mr. Reffe provided guidance and advice on both the day-to-day management of the agency and developing long-term strategies.
As a Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Advance at the White House in 1995-96, Mr. Reffe supervised a staff that grew to more than 200 and a multi-million dollar budget. His office was responsible for the successful execution of the President�s and First Lady�s trips including: ten major overseas visits to more than 30 countries, more than 400 trips in the United States and numerous events in the Washington, D.C. area. Mr. Reffe led the site survey and preadvance teams for all of the President�s foreign travels and in that capacity was the principal negotiator with foreign governments regarding the President�s visits.
The negotiations ranged from whether the President would visit (Sarajevo) to how long (Japan state visit), from whom he would meet to where he would speak (Northern Ireland) and on what suggested topics. Each decision had an impact both substantively and strategically and ramifications for the Administration�s foreign policy. The President�s foreign travel included visits to: Australia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Egypt, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Russia, Spain, Thailand and the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland. By far the most difficult assignments were his work in Bosnia and Croatia, Egypt and Israel, and Northern Ireland. These visits required sensitive negotiating skills, a keen understanding of the diplomatic intricacies of American foreign policy, and a heightened level of political sophistication.
In 1997, Mr. Reffe rejoined the law firm of Cutler & Stanfield as a partner and in 1998, Mr. Reffe established his own law office where he advises clients on federal and international matters. In 2000 Mr. Reffe also established the Reffe Group which specializes in internal events.
The Reffe Group planned and executed all of the Vilnius Group Summits including: a Ministerial in Vilnius, Lithuania in May 2000; a Prime Ministerial summit in Bratislava, Slovakia in March, 2001; a Presidential summit in Sofia, Bulgaria in October 2001; a Prime Ministerial summit in Bucharest, Romania in March, 2002; and a Prime Ministerial Head of State summit in Riga, Latvia in July, 2002. Mr. Reffe presently represents the Governments of Albania, Romania, and Slovakia in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Reffe presently serves on the Board of Directors of the U.S. Committee to Expand NATO. He also served on the Visitor�s Board of the United States Airforce Academy from 2000-2002. He is a graduate of both the college and the law school of Emory University.
Documentry from Bratislava Prime Ministerial
19 March, 2004