Nomination of Paul A. Russo To Be United States Ambassador to Barbados, Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, and St. Christopher and Nevis

The President today announced his intention to nominate Paul A. Russo, of Virginia, as Ambassador to Barbados, the Commonwealth of Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, and St. Christopher and Nevis. He succeeds Thomas H. Anderson, Jr.

Mr. Russo began his career in 1967 in the Cuyahoga County sheriffs department, detective bureau, in Cleveland, OH. From 1968 to 1969, he was a relocation counselor for the Ohio department of highways in Cleveland. In 1969 he was director of advance, Robert Taft for Senate campaign, in Cincinnati. He worked there until 1971, when he became special assistant to the chairman of the Republican National Committee in Washington, DC. In 1973 he returned to Cleveland as director of Federal relations in the office of the mayor. Mr. Russo was special assistant to the Governor of the State of California from 1973 to 1975, and from January to August 1976, he served as assistant to the chairman, Reagan for President Committee, followed by assistant to Vice-Presidential nominee, Ford/Dole Committee, from August to December 1976. In the first 6 months of 1977, he was director of special projects for the Honorable Thomas B. Evans, Jr., in the U.S. House of Representatives. He later served as director of the Political Action Committee Development (PAC) for the Republican National Committee. From 1978 to 1979, he was executive director, Campaign America PAC (Senator Bob Dole), in Washington, DC, and from 1979 to 1980, director of congressional relations, Reagan for President/Reagan-Bush Committee, in Washington, DC. From 1980 to 1981, he was deputy director for congressional relations, office of the President-elect, and from 1981 to 1983, he was Special Assistant to the President, the White House. In 1983 he became Deputy Under Secretary for Labor, where he served for a year, before serving as chief labor adviser for the Reagan-Bush '84 Committee. He joined Keene-Monk and Associates as a partner in Alexandria from 1984 to 1985, at which time he was also a consultant to the Department of Labor, as well as a consultant to Capitol Consultants in Alexandria, VA. Since 1985 he has been president of Capitol Consultants.

Mr. Russo graduated from Ohio State University (B.S., 1966). He is married to the former Kathie Regan, and he was born July 21, 1943, in Cleveland, OH.