For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 1, 2006

Personnel Announcement

President George W. Bush today announced his intention to nominate five individuals and appoint four individuals to serve in his Administration:

The President intends to nominate Sheila C. Bair, of Kansas, to be Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, for a five-year term, and Member, for the remainder of a six-year term expiring July 15, 2007 and an additional six-year term expiring July 15, 2013. Ms. Bair is currently the Dean's Professor of Financial Regulatory Policy for the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Prior to joining the University's faculty, she served as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Institutions. Earlier in her career, she served as Consultant to the Chairman, Senior Vice President for Government Relations and Legislative Counsel at the New York Stock Exchange. Ms. Bair has also served as Commissioner and Acting Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. She received her bachelor's degree and JD from the University of Kansas.

The President intends to nominate John M. R. Kneuer, of New Jersey, to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information. Mr. Kneuer currently serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information at the Department of Commerce. He also currently serves as Deputy Administrator for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. Prior to this, he served as a Senior Associate at DLA Piper Rudnick, LLP. Earlier in his career, he served as Executive Director for Government Relations for the Industrial Telecommunications Association, Incorporated. Mr. Kneuer received his bachelor's degree and JD from The Catholic University of America.

The President intends to nominate Dawn M. Liberi, of New York, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. Ms. Liberi, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, currently serves as Mission Director at the United States Agency for International Development in Iraq. Prior to this, she served as USAID Mission Director in Nigeria and Uganda. Earlier in her career, she served as the USAID Associate Assistant Administrator in the Global Bureau, Population, Health and Nutrition Office. Ms. Liberi received her bachelor's degree from Hampshire College and her master's degree from the University of California at Berkeley.

The President intends to nominate William B. Taylor, Jr., of Virginia, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Ukraine. Mr. Taylor, a career member of the Senior Executive Service, currently serves as Senior Consultant to the Coordinator of Reconstruction and Stabilization at the Department of State. Prior to this, he served as the United States Representative to the Quartet's Special Envoy for Disengagement in Jerusalem. Earlier in his career, he served as Director of the Iraq Reconstruction Management Office in Baghdad, Iraq. In addition, Mr. Taylor served in Kabul, Afghanistan as Coordinator of United States and International Assistance to Afghanistan and as Afghan Coordinator in the Bureau of South Asian Affairs at the Department of State. He also served as a Captain in the United States Army. Mr. Taylor received his bachelor's degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point and his master's degree from Harvard University.

The President intends to nominate Michael Wood, of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Sweden. Mr. Wood is currently Chairman of Redwood Investments, LLC, a company he founded in 2005. Prior to this, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Hanley Wood, LLC, a company he co-founded in 1976. Earlier in his career, he was the Advertising Sales Manager for the American Institute of Architects. Mr. Wood received his bachelor's degree from Yale University.

The President intends to appoint the following individuals to be Members of the Committee for Purchase from People who are Blind or Severely Disabled:

Perry E. Anthony, of Virginia (Department of Education)

Robert J. Henke, of Virginia (Department of Veterans Affairs)

Andrew D. Houghton, of California (Private Citizen Representing Severely Handicapped Employed in Nonprofit Agencies for other Severely Handicapped)

James House, of Maryland (Department of Agriculture)

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