THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Vice President

                        VICE PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES
                   RONALD A. KLAIN AS CHIEF OF STAFF
           Brings Experience From Administration, Elections, 
                        Capitol Hill To New Job

Vice President Gore today (10/19) announced the appointment of Ronald A. Klain as his new chief of staff. Klain replaces Jack Quinn, who leaves Nov. 1 to serve as Counsel to the President.

"I am pleased that Ron has agreed to serve as my chief of staff," the Vice President said. "He brings strong policy, legislative and administrative experience to the job, and has played a key role in coordinating Democratic initiatives on Capitol Hill. Prior to that, I had the opportunity to work closely with him here in the White House, and I welcome him back to the White House in this new and important role."

Klain leaves his position as staff director for the Senate Democratic Leadership Committees, where he directed policy development, communications strategy, legislative planning and outreach.

"Some people are thinkers. Some are doers. Ron Klain is both," Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle said. "He has provided excellent counsel to me and my colleagues and was vitally important in the early stages of putting our leadership team together. I look forward to working with Ron and with the Administration to keep the country moving in the right direction."

Klain previously served as chief of staff to Attorney General Janet Reno, Associate Counsel to the President, and Washington issues director for the Clinton-Gore campaign. He also worked as chief counsel for the Judiciary Committee in the U.S. Senate, and clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Byron White.

Klain graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School, and summa cum laude from Georgetown University. He was selected as one of "America's 50 Most Promising Leaders Under 40" by Time magazine, and one of 20 "up-and-coming lawyers in America" by the American Bar Association's Young Lawyer Division magazine.

Klain, 34, is a native of Indianapolis, Indiana. He is married to Monica Medina, who is counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for the Environment Division. They have two children.