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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary


For Immediate Release October 2, 1996
      PRESIDENT CLINTON NAMES GEORGE W. BLACK, JR., MEMBER OF THE 
                 NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD

The President today announced his intent to nominate George W. Black, Jr. of Gwinnett County, Georgia, to serve as a Member of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Mr. Black was confirmed as a Member of the NTSB in February 1996. During this time Mr. Black has served as the NTSB Board Member on scene for the Delta MD-88 accident in Pensacola, Florida, involving an uncontained engine failure. He has also participated in both the ValueJet accident in the Everglades and TWA 800 accident in Long Island, New York. Prior to joining the NTSB Mr. Black served as the Director of Transportation for Gwinnett County, Georgia, a large suburban county outside of Atlanta, a position he held from 1988-1995. As Director of Transportation he was responsible for the design, right of way acquisition, construction, maintenance and operation of the County's roadway, airport and storm water systems. Mr. Black has over twenty-two years experience in transportation with Gwinnett County. From 1985 to 1988, Mr. Black served as Director of Engineering for Gwinnett County. Prior to that he served as County Traffic Engineer and Assistant County Engineer for twelve years. As County Traffic Engineer, Mr. Black co-founded and was a member of the County Policy Department's Fatal Accident Investigation Unit. He has responded to and investigated more than 1,500 vehicular crashes and has been honored for his efforts for improving safety at highway-railroad grade crossings. Mr. Black holds a Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology and served in the United States Air Force as an aircraft maintenance officer on B-52 and KC-135 aircraft. As the first highway engineer ever appointed to serve on the NTSB, Mr. Black's qualifications and experience as a civil engineer provide the NTSB with the technical expertise necessary to evaluate complex highway, railroad and bridge design and maintenance issues.

The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent Federal agency responsible for promoting transportation safety by conducting independent accident investigations and determining the probable cause of major accidents occurring in all modes of transportation and by formulating safety improvement recommendations.

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