THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

           PRESIDENT NAMES CLIFFORD O'HARA, ALBERT NAHMAD AND 
             VINCE RYAN TO BOARD OF PANAMA CANAL COMMISSION.

President Clinton today announced the nomination of Clifford O'Hara, Albert Nahmad and Vince Ryan to the Board of the Panama Canal Commission.

Mr. O'Hara is currently a transportation and port management consultant in Greenwich, Connecticut. He was previously appointed to the Board by President Jimmy Carter. Prior to his original Board appointment, Mr. O'Hara served as President of the American Association on Port Authorities and as head of the Commerce Department of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Mr. Nahmad is President and CEO of Watsco, Inc., the nation's largest distributor of residential central air conditioners. He is a member of the Florida Council of 100, an advisory board to Governor Chiles, and serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Miami Children's Hospital Foundation. A native of Panama, Mr. Nahmad received a United States education in the Canal Zone from elementary through high school. He will serve as a public member of the Board.

Mr. Ryan is President of the Texas Municipal Labor League of AFL-CIO. He will serve as the member with a background in labor matters in the United States. Since 1988, he has served as a City Council Member for the City of Houston's District C. Previously, he was the Assistant Attorney for Harris County. In recent years, he has led both humanitarian and trade missions to Panama.

The Panama Canal Commission, created in 1977 by the Panama Canal Treaty and an act of Congress, ensures the safe and efficient operation of the Canal. The commission is governed by a Board of nine members, no less than five of whom are nationals of the United States. The remaining four are nationals of the Republic of Panama. All five United States members are appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate.

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