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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary


For Immediate Release March 11, 1996

THE PRESIDENT NAMES DAVID SHINN AMBASSADOR TO ETHIOPIA

The President today announced his intention to nominate David H. Shinn of Washington D.C. a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, as Ambassador to Ethiopia.

Currently Director of East African Affairs, Mr. Shinn served as Ambassador to Burkina Faso from 1987-1990. He was Deputy Chief of Mission in Sudan, Cameroon and Mauritania; his other overseas tours were in Lebanon, Kenya and Tanzania. Stateside assignments have included State 2000 Task Force, State Department Coordinator for Somalia, a detail at the Mayor's office in Seattle, diplomatic residence in Baton Rouge, Deputy Coordinator for Liaison with State and Local Government and desk officer for Somalia, Djibouti, Tanzania and Uganda, and assistant for Ethiopia.

Mr. Shinn was born in Yakima, Washington in 1940. He received a B.A., M.A. and Ph.D from George Washington University and certificate in African Studies from Northwestern University. He is married to the former Judy Rolfe; they have two sons, Steven and Christopher. Mr. Shinn speaks French and Swahili. He received the American Association of Community College National Alumni of the Year Award in 1994 and the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society's Most Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1995.

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