For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
January 3, 2007

Personnel Announcement

Mrs. Laura Bush announced today that Cherie Harder has been appointed as Special Assistant to the President and Director of Policy and Projects for the First Lady.

Before coming to the First Lady's office, Ms. Harder served as Policy Advisor to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist from 2005 to 2006, where she advised the Leader on domestic social issues and served as liaison and outreach director to outside groups. From 2001 to 2005, she was the Senior Counselor to the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), where she helped the Chairman design and launch the NEH and Administration's "We the People" initiative to enhance the teaching, study, and understanding of American history. From 1997 to 2001, Ms. Harder was the Policy Director for Sen. Sam Brownback. She also served as the Deputy Policy Director at Empower America from 1995 to 1997.

Ms. Harder holds a BA in Government from Harvard University and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Literature from the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, where she studied as a Rotary Scholar.

Mrs. Bush also named Sonja Maria Miller as Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of the First Lady. Miss Miller most recently served as Deputy Director of Projects to the First Lady, where she was responsible for helping to manage the First Lady's policy projects and initiatives.

Prior to joining the First Lady's office, Miss Miller served as Press Secretary to Mrs. Lynne Cheney from 2004 to 2005. From 1999 to 2004, Miss Miller worked on Capitol Hill for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce. In 2001, then-Chairman Rep. John Boehner appointed Miss Miller as Coalitions Director for Education, where she directed outreach efforts on President Bush's No Child Left Behind Act. From 1996 to 1998, Miss Miller began her professional career consulting for Alpha Delta Pi International and later Andersen Consulting, LLP.

In addition to her civilian career, Miss Miller received a direct commission as U.S. Navy Public Affairs Officer in 2002. Lieutenant Miller currently serves on reserve duty at the Naval Media Center.

Miss Miller holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Central Florida in Orlando.

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