Nomination of George A. Conn To Be Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration

The President today announced his intention to nominate George A. Conn to be Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration, Department of Education. Mr. Conn has worked with the Paralyzed Veterans of America since 1979. From March 1979 to March 1980, he was national research director and recently served as national legislative director of the organization. In 1978 he was a self-employed consultant with the design and engineering section of the General Services Administration at the National Institutes of Health on structural remediation of the Lister Hill Bio-Medical Communication Systems Center. Mr. Conn was special assistant to the Executive Director and Director of Planning, White House Conference on Handicapped Individuals, in 1975-77. He was Director, Office of Public Information, Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in 1972-75. In 1963-66 he was assistant director of public relations, Morton Salt Co., Chicago, Ill.

Mr. Conn was a member of the RSA task force on implementation of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; special sections on the Office on Handicapped Individuals, Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board. He was a member of the recreation subcommittee of the President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped.

Mr. Conn has served as president of the League of Disabled Voters and vice president of the National Paraplegia Foundation. He was graduated from Northwestern University, School of Speech (B.S., 1955). He is married and has four children. He resides with his family in Millersville, Md. He was born in Evanston, Ill., on April 24, 1933.