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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release March 21, 1996

PRESIDENT CLINTON NAMES AMBASSADOR TO AUSTRALIA

The President today announced his intent to nominate Genta Hawkins Holmes of California, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, as Ambassador to Australia.

Ms. Holmes, who is currently serving as Diplomat-in-Residence at the University of California, Davis, was most recently Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Personnel for the Department of State (1992-95). She became the first U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Namibia following a tour as Deputy Chief of Mission in Port-au-Prince, Haiti (1986-88) and Lilongwe, Malawi (1984-86). Other overseas assignments include Nassau, Paris and Abidjan. Ms. Holmes' first Presidential appointment was as Assistant Administrator for Legislative Affairs at the Agency for International Development (1979-82).

Ms. Holmes was born in Anadarko, Oklahoma on September 3, 1940. She earned magna cum laude a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California and did graduate studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science on a Rotary International Fellowship. She speaks French and holds a Presidential Superior Honor Award. She is married to Michael Dayton Holmes, a former Marine and Viet Nam veteran.

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