Attorney General William P. Barr has appointed Andrew R. Vara as the U.S. Trustee for Ohio and Michigan (Region 9) effective December 22, 2019, the Executive Office for U.S. Trustees (EOUST) announced today. He will replace Daniel M. McDermott, who is retiring after 30 years of government service. In addition to his appointment in Region 9, Mr. Vara also will continue to serve as the U.S. Trustee for Region 3 (Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania) on an interim basis.

Mr. Vara has served the U.S. Trustee Program with distinction for 26 years, first as a Trial Attorney under the Attorney General’s Honors Program and then as an Assistant U.S. Trustee in Wilmington, Delaware, from 2005 to 2008 and in Cleveland for the past 11 years. He received his law degree from The Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz College of Law and his undergraduate degree magna cum laude from Duke University.

“Mr. Vara has made significant contributions to the U.S. Trustee Program both at the local and national levels, and he possesses the legal and managerial skills that will allow Region 9 to continue to perform at the highest level,” said EOUST Director Cliff White. “I also congratulate and thank Mr. McDermott for his many years of exceptional leadership in support of the U.S. Trustee Program’s mission.”

The U.S. Trustee Program is the component of the Justice Department that protects the integrity of the bankruptcy system by overseeing case administration and litigating to enforce the bankruptcy laws. The USTP has 21 regions and 90 field office locations. Region 9 is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, with additional offices in Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio, and Detroit and Grand Rapids, Michigan.