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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release February 23, 1994

                 PRESIDENT CLINTON NAMES DEREK SHEARER 
                      TO BE AMBASSADOR TO FINLAND

President Clinton today announced his intention to nominate Derek Shearer, Director of the International and Public Affairs Center at Occidental College in California, as Ambassador to Finland.

"Derek Shearer has a keen intellect and a broad range of foreign policy experience, particularly in international economics," the President said. "I am pleased that he has accepted this assignment and I have full confidence that he will represent our country effectively and with honor."

Shearer, in addition to his role as Director of the International and Public Affairs Center, also serves as an associate professor of public policy at Occidental and as director of the college's program in public policy. Previously, Shearer has served as Deputy Undersecretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs, and as a policy advisor to President Clinton during the 1992 election campaign. Shearer has published articles on international and domestic policy in numerous journals, magazines and newspapers, and has lectured at universities in the United States, Europe and Asia.

Born on December 5, 1946 in Los Angeles, California, Shearer graduated from Culver City High School. He studied Russian and international affairs at Yale University and earned a B.A. from Yale in 1968. In 1977, he received a Ph.D. in public policy from the Union Graduate School. Shearer has received numerous grants and awards, including a Guggenheim fellowship, a Swedish Bicentennial grant, a German Marshall Fund grant, and a U.S.-Japan Leadership Fellowship.

Shearer resides in Santa Monica, California. He is married to Ruth Goldway, and has three children, Julie, Anthony and Casey.

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