Press Release - Personnel Announcement

President George W. Bush today announced his intention to nominate nine individuals and appoint one individual to serve in his administration:

The President intends to nominate Charles Darwin Snelling of Pennsylvania, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, for the remainder of a six-year term expiring May 30, 2006. Mr. Snelling is the President and Director of the Snelling Company and Western Lehigh Valley Corporation in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Earlier in his career, he was appointed by Secretary of Commerce Elliot Richardson to the Commerce Technical Advisory Board. He was also appointed by President Gerald Ford to the President's Commission on Personnel Interchange. In 1990 he was appointed to serve on the U.S. Small Business Administration's National Advisory Council. Mr. Snelling earned his bachelor's degree from Lehigh University.

The President intends to nominate Harry K. Thomas, Jr. of New York, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the People's Republic of Bangladesh. Mr. Thomas is currently enrolled in Senior Seminar at the National Foreign Affairs Training Center at the Department of State. He previously served on the National Security Council as the Director for South Asia. Prior to that assignment, he served as both Deputy Director and then Director of the National Security Council's Operations Center. Mr. Thomas earned his bachelor's degree from College of the Holy Cross.

The President intends to nominate William B. Wood of New York, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Colombia. Mr. Wood is currently enrolled in Language Training at the National Foreign Affairs Training Center. He previously served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau for International Organization Affairs. Mr. Wood has also served as Director of the Washington Office of the United States Mission to the United Nations. In addition to earning his bachelor's degree from Bucknell University, Mr. Wood earned his MBA from George Washington University.

The President intends to nominate Robert W. Fitts of New Hampshire, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and the Republic of Vanuatu. Currently, Mr. Fitts serves as a Political Advisor for the Southern Command at MacDill Air Force Base. He previously served as Deputy Chief of Mission for the American Embassy in Manila. Earlier, he served in the State Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs as the Director of the Office of Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, and Singapore Affairs. Mr. Fitts earned his bachelor's degree from Tufts University.

The President intends to nominate Tracey Ann Jacobson of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Turkmenistan. Ms. Jacobson currently serves as the Deputy Chief of Mission for the U.S. Embassy in Riga, Latvia. She previously served at the White House as Deputy Executive Secretary and Senior Director of Administration for the National Security Council. Ms. Jacobson is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University. She earned a master's degree from The Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University.

The President intends to appoint Daniel W. Sutherland of Virginia, to be Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, Department of Homeland Security. Currently, Mr. Sutherland serves as Chief of Staff and Senior Counsel to the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the Department of Education. He previously served at the White House, with the Domestic Policy Council, as well as the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice. Mr. Sutherland earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville and earned his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.

The President intends to nominate the following individuals to be Members of the Board of Trustees of the Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development:

The President intends to nominate John Richard Grimes of Massachusetts, for the remainder of a six-year term expiring May 19, 2006.

The President intends to nominate Georgianna E. Ignace of Wisconsin, for the remainder of a six-year term expiring October 18, 2004.

The President intends to nominate Lisa Genevieve Nason of Alaska, for the remainder of a six-year term expiring October 18, 2004.

The President intends to nominate Henry Townsend of New Mexico, for the remainder of a six-year term expiring May 19, 2008.