Excerpt of a Statement by Press Secretary Fitzwater on the Citizens Democracy Corps

The President launched the Citizens Democracy Corps in May as a new initiative to support the voluntary efforts of American citizens to help strengthen the emerging democratic institutions and market economies of Central and Eastern Europe. It is today being expanded to include activities in the Soviet Union as well.

The President is pleased to announce the names of the Chairman and Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the Citizens Democracy Corps. He is gratified that these distinguished American leaders, representing a cross section of our society have agreed to serve. They are as follows:

Chairman of the Board

The Honorable Drew Lewis, chairman of the board, Union Pacific Corp.; former Secretary of Transportation

Executive Committee

The Honorable John R. Block, president, National American Wholesale Grocers' Association; former Secretary of Agriculture

The Honorable Derek Bok, president, Harvard University

Mr. Lodwrick M. Cook, chairman and chief executive officer, ARCO

The Honorable William A. Hewitt, former chairman, John Deere & Co.; former U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica

The Honorable Barbara Jordan, the Lyndon B. Johnson chair in national policy, University of Texas; former Member of Congress

The Honorable Nancy Kassebaum, U.S. Senate

The Honorable Lane Kirkland, president, AFL - CIO

The Honorable Henry A. Kissinger, chairman, Kissinger Associates, Inc.; former Secretary of State.

Mr. Robert H. Krieble, president, Krieble Associates

The Honorable Frederic V. Malek, vice chairman, Northwest Airlines; cochairman, Coldwell Banker Commercial Groups

Mr. Frank N. Piasecki, president and chief executive officer, Piasecki Aircraft

The Honorable Robert S. Strauss, partner, Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld; former chairman, Democratic National Committee; former U.S. Trade Representative

Mr. William T. Ylvisaker, president and chief executive officer, Corporate Focus, Inc.

A Board of Directors will be announced later.