For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
February 10, 2003

Personnel Announcement

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

The President intends to nominate Reno L. Harnish of California, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Azerbaijan Republic. A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Mr. Harnish currently serves as Chief of Mission at the U.S. Office in Pristina, Kosovo. From September 1999 until 2002, he was the Deputy Chief of Mission in Cairo, where he had an active role in working with the Egyptian government to foster a negotiated resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He served from 1996 until 1999 as Deputy Chief of Mission in Stockholm, Sweden. From 1992 until 1996, Mr. Harnish worked to design programs for economic and political change in Central Asia and was an active player in steps to resolve the civil war in Tajikistan. He also previously served as Science and Technology Counselor in Rome, Economic and Commercial Counselor in Berlin and Economic Officer in Vienna. He received Department Superior Honor awards in 1995 and 1992 and a Meritorious Honor award in 1981. He is a graduate of San Diego State University and earned his masters degrees from American University.