Appointment of Wilfredo J. Gonzalez as Staff Director of the Commission on Civil Rights

The President today announced his intention to appoint Wilfredo J. Gonzalez to be Staff Director of the Commission on Civil Rights. He would succeed Joseph Al Latham, Jr.

Since 1988 Mr. Gonzalez has served as Associate Director for Equal Employment Opportunity and Civil Rights at the Department of State. Prior to this, he was Associate Administrator for Minority Small Business and Capital Ownership Development at the Small Business Administration, 1985 - 1988. Mr. Gonzalez was a consultant in Washington, DC, 1985, and a White House volunteer for the Hispanic Inaugural Ball, 1984 - 1985. In addition, Mr. Gonzalez served in several positions at the Peace Corps, including Chief of Operations for Latin America and Deputy Director of the Peace Corps in Colombia, South America, and Director of the Peace Corps in Ghana, West Africa, 1978 - 1984. He served as special assistant to the Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Department of Labor, 1977 - 1978; HEW fellow at the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, 1976 - 1977; Assistant Director for the Technical Assistant Unit for the Community Service Society Unit in New York, 1975 - 1976; Director of Development for ASPIRA of America in New York, 1973 - 1975; manpower consultant for the New York Urban Coalition, 1973; and management consultant for Costly, Miller and Sattertwaite, Inc., in Chevy Chase, MD, and New York, 1972 - 1973.

Mr. Gonzalez graduated from the University of Puerto Rico (B.A., 1969). He was born March 26, 1943, in San Juan, PR. Mr. Gonzalez served in the U.S. Navy, 1961 - 1964. He is married, has three children, and resides in Springfield, VA.