Westport resident reportedly in the running to head FDA

Westport resident Scott Gottlieb, a former internist at Stamford Hospital, is reportedly the latest Connecticut resident to be given consideration for a position in the Donald Trump administration. According to Reuters, Gottlieb, a venture partner at New Enterprise Associates and resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, is being vetted as the next commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

If approved, Gottlieb ”“ who served as a deputy FDA commissioner from 2005 to 2007 ”“ would replace Robert Califf, who took over the position on Feb. 22 of this year. The Trump team recently announced it will nominate Greenwich resident/former WWE CEO Linda McMahon as administrator of the Small Business Administration once Trump takes office on Jan. 20. It also has reportedly spoken with Fairfield resident/former Major League Baseball player and manager Bobby Valentine about becoming the next ambassador to Japan.

Also in the running to head the FDA is Jim O’Neill, a managing director at billionaire Peter Thiel”™s Mithril Capital Management, who last served in the federal government as principal associate deputy secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services ”“ the parent agency of the FDA ”“ during the George W. Bush administration.