For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
March 3, 2006

Personnel Announcement

President George W. Bush announced that he has nominated four individuals and designated one individual to serve in his Administration. He also intends to appoint one individual to serve in his Administration:

The President nominated John W. Cox, of Texas, to be Chief Financial Officer at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Mr. Cox currently serves as a Private Consultant. He previously served as Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer for BMC Software, Inc. Prior to this, he served the company as Vice President for Investor Relations and Taxation and Manager of Taxation. Earlier in his career, he served as Tax Manager for Ernst & Young, LLP. Mr. Cox received his bachelor's degree from Texas A & M University.

The President nominated George McDade Staples, of Kentucky, to be Director General of the Foreign Service at the Department of State, and intends to appoint him Chairman of the Board of the Foreign Service. Ambassador Staples is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, with the rank of Minister-Counselor. He currently serves as Political Advisor to the Supreme Allied Commander for Europe at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Prior to this, he served as the Ambassador to Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. Ambassador Staples has also served as Ambassador to the Republic of Rwanda. Earlier in his career, he was a Senior Watch Officer at the Department of State's Secretariat and Senior Turkey Desk Officer in the Bureau of European Affairs. Ambassador Staples received his bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California and his master's degree from Central Michigan University.

The President nominated the following individuals to be Governors on the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service:

Mickey D. Barnett, of New Mexico, for the remainder of a nine-year term expiring December 8, 2013.
Katherine C. Tobin, of New York, for the remainder of a nine-year term expiring December 8, 2012.

The President designated William Ludwig Wehrum, Jr., of Tennessee, to be Acting Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation at the Environmental Protection Agency.

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