Nomination of Fred J. Eckert To Be United States Ambassador to Fiji, Kiribati, Tonga, and Tuvalu

The President today announced his intention to nominate Fred J. Eckert, of New York, to be Ambassador to Fiji, to the Republic of Kiribati, to the Kingdom of Tonga, and to Tuvalu. He would succeed William Bodde, Jr.

Mr. Eckert was assistant director of mass communications at the Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America in Ossining, N.Y., in 1964-65. He was a public relations specialist at General Foods Corp. in White Plains, N.Y., in 1965-67 and an account executive at Rumrill-Hoyt (advertising agency) in Rochester, N.Y., in 1967-69. In 1970-73 he was supervisor of the town of Greece, N.Y. Since 1973 he has been president of Eckert Associates, Inc. (advertising agency) in Rochester, N.Y., and also since 1973 he has served as a New York State senator in Albany.

Mr. Eckert graduated from North Texas State University (B.A., 1965). He is married, has three children, and resides in Rochester, N.Y. He was born May 6, 1941, in Rochester.