Press Release - Personnel Announcement

President George W. Bush today announced his intention to nominate eight individuals to serve in his administration:

The President intends to nominate Robert L. Crandall, of Texas, to serve as a Member of the Amtrak Reform Board for a five-year term. Crandall is the former Chairman and CEO of AMR Corporation and American Airlines. In 1995, he served on the President's Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations. He is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island and earned his MBA from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.

The President intends to nominate Louis S. Thompson, of Maryland, to serve as a Member of the Amtrak Reform Board for a five-year term. In May of 2003, Thompson retired as the Railways Advisor for the World Bank, a position he held since 1986. Earlier in his career, he served as Director of the Northeast Corridor Improvement Project at the Federal Railroad Administration, and as Policy and Budget Analyst in the Office of the Secretary, at the U.S. Department of Transportation. Thompson received his Chemical Engineering degree from the Michigan Institute of Technology, and his MBA from Harvard University.

The President intends to nominate Floyd Hall, of New Jersey, to serve as a Member of the Amtrak Reform Board for a five-year term. Hall currently serves as Chairman and CEO of Floyd Hall Enterprises, LLC., in Little Falls, New Jersey. From 1995 until 2001, he served as Chairman and CEO of Kmart, and under his leadership K-mart experienced significant turnaround. He attended Southern Methodist University, and was a member of Harvard Business School's Advanced Management program.

The President intends to nominate Gracia M. Hillman, of the District of Columbia, to serve as a Member of the Election Assistance Commission for an initial two-year term. Hillman currently serves as President and CEO of the Hillman Group. She previously served as President and CEO of the World Space Foundation and as Senior Coordinator of International Women's Issues at the Department of State. Hillman attended the University of Massachusetts.

The President intends to nominate Raymondo Martinez, III of Texas, to serve as a Member of the Election Assistance Commission, for an initial four-year term. Martinez is currently in private practice as an attorney, in Austin, Texas. He is a graduate of Southwestern University and earned his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center.

The President intends to nominate David Wayne Anderson, of Minnesota, to be Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs. Anderson is the former Chairman and CEO of Famous Dave's of America. Earlier in his career, he was named to the National Task Force on Reservation Gaming by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Anderson earned a master's degree from Harvard University.

The President intends to nominate W. Robert Pearson, of Tennessee, to serve as Director General of Foreign Service, and to appoint him to serve as Chairman of the Board of the Foreign Service. Pearson is the former U.S. Ambassador to Turkey. He also previously served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in France, Deputy Permanent Representative to the U.S. Mission to NATO, and Executive Secretary at the Department of State. Earlier in his career, Pearson served in the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps. He is a graduate of Vanderbilt University, and earned his law degree from the University of Virginia Law School.

The President intends to nominate Read Van de Water, of Virginia, to be a Member of the National Mediation Board, for the remainder of a three-year term expiring July 1, 2006. She previously served as Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs at the U.S. Department of Transportation. She is a graduate of the University of the South, earned her master's degree from the George Washington University and received her law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center.