THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release July 19, 1993

NELSON NAMED GENERAL COUNSEL AT E.P.A.

(Washington, DC) President Clinton announced today that he intends to nominate Jean Nelson to be General Counsel of the Environmental Protection Agency.

"Through her service as a law enforcement official and environmental activist, Jean Nelson has been consistently recognized for her achievements," said the President. I am confident that her service at the E.P.A. will be marked by the same level of excellence as her previous work."

Nelson has served for the past four years as Tennessee's Chief Deputy Attorney General, responsible for management of a staff of 200 and a budget of close to $10 million, as well as her department's environmental and consumer protection efforts. Throughout her tenure, she has been active in the National Association of Attorneys General. In 1992 she chaired the Association's organization of Chief Deputies. Before joining the Attorney General's office in 1988, she was a partner in the law firm of Gullett, Sanford, Robinson & Martin.

In addition to her legal career, Nelson has also been actively engaged in environmental activities and organizations. She serves on the Executive Committee of the Southern Environmental Law Center and is Chair of the Greenways Commission for Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County. She is also a former President and Board Member of the Tennessee Environmental Action Fund and has served on the Board of the Tennessee Environmental Council.

Among her other activities, Nelson served as Chief of Staff to Tipper Gore during the Clinton/Gore campaign in 1992. She holds a B.A. and J.D. from Vanderbilt University.

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