For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
December 9, 2004

Personnel Announcement from the Office of the First Lady

Mrs. Laura Bush today named Anita McBride as Deputy Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the First Lady. Mrs. McBride currently serves as Senior Advisor in the State Department's Bureau of International Organizations. Prior to that appointment, she served as Senior Advisor to the Secretary and White House Liaison at the State Department. Before joining the State Department, Mrs. McBride was Special Assistant to the President for White House Management, where she oversaw six operational units in direct support of the President, First Lady and White House staff. From 1987- 1992, she served in the Reagan and Bush Administrations as Director of White House Personnel. Mrs. McBride received her bachelor's degree in International Studies from the University of Connecticut and studied at the University of Florence in Italy.

Mrs. Bush also named Lea Berman as Special Assistant to the President and White House Social Secretary. Mrs. Berman most recently served in the Bush-Cheney '04 Campaign in the Coalitions and Finance Divisions. Prior to joining the campaign, she served as Social Secretary and then as Chief of Staff to Lynne Cheney. Mrs. Berman has owned and operated an event planning business in Washington, DC and was Senior Fellow in Latin American Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She received her bachelor's degree from Miami University and her masters in Latin American studies from Georgetown University.

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