THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Richard Sklar as Special Representative of the President and the Secretary of State for Civilian Implementation in Bosnia. This appointment underscores that, with success in meeting the principal military tasks under the Dayton Accords, we must give high priority now to making the peace irreversible by accelerating efforts to rebuild the political and economic fabric of Bosnian society.

Mr. Sklar will be the senior U.S. official resident in Bosnia responsible for coordinating the work of all U.S. civilian agencies involved in the reconstruction effort, under the authority of the U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia. His responsibilities will encompass humanitarian assistance, economic revitalization and reconstruction, the resettlement of refugees, the conduct of elections, and strengthening of public security. He will also serve as liaison to his counterparts from other countries and the heads and staffs of all the international institutions engaged in civilian implementation activities.

I can think of no one more qualified to spearhead this critically important endeavor than Richard Sklar. Mr. Sklar has had a distinguished 35 year career in private and public sector management. Prior to accepting this appointment, he has served as President and Chief Operating Officer of O'Brien-Kreizberg Inc. (OK), the oldest and largest "pure" project and construction management firm in the United States. OK is now managing over 100 major construction projects in the United States and abroad, from airports and rail systems to facilities for the Atlanta Olympics. Mr. Sklar served on the Administration's transition team for the Agency for International Development during the Administration's first three months, and then became a member of the Board of Directors of the Russian-American Enterprise Fund. He has continued to serve as an advisor to AID Administrator Brian Atwood and to Richard Morningstar, coordinator for assistance to the New Independent States. Mr. Sklar has built and led two businesses, both world leaders in the construction industry. In addition, he served in major public management roles for the City of San Francisco. Mr. Sklar was an officer in the U.S. Army Artillery following his graduation as a Mechanical Engineer from Cornell University in 1956.

I am deeply grateful that Mr. Sklar has accepted this appointment, and for his willingness to serve our nation in helping to build an enduring peace in Bosnia.

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