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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary


For Immediate Release October 18, 1996
              PRESIDENT CLINTON NAMES KAREN SHEPHERD TO BE 
                    U.S. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF EBRD

President Clinton today announced the appointment of Karen Shepherd of Salt Lake City, Utah, to be U.S. Executive Director of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Ms. Shepherd will serve as a recess appointee. She was nominated on September 17, 1996. Her nomination will be resubmitted to the Senate when the 105th Congress convenes.

Karen Shepherd represented Utah's second district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993 to 1994. She was twice rated the most effective member of the Utah delegation by the Deseret News. Ms. Shepherd was co-chair of the executive committee of the Democratic Freshman Reform Committee and a member of several committees, including the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues, the Economic and Educational Task Force, the Committee on Public Works and Transportation and the Natural Resources Committee. In addition, she was a member of the Utah State Senate from 1990 to 1992.

Ms. Shepherd has been active in business, politics, international affairs and community service. She was President of Webster Publishing, editor of network magazine, Director of Community Relations at the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah, Director of Salt Lake City County Social Services and Director of Continuing Education at Westminster College. More recently, Ms. Shepherd was a member of the international delegation that monitored elections on the West Bank and Gaza in Israel in 1995 and 1996. In 1995, she was a fellow at the Institute of Politics at Harvard University and led democracy-building seminars for elected officials in Slovakia.

Ms. Shepherd is currently a member of the National Common Cause governing board. She has also served on the boards of the United Way, Westminster College, Planned Parenthood and the Coalition for Utah's Future. Ms. Shepherd received a B.A. from the University of Utah in 1962 and an M.A. in British Literature from Brigham Young University in 1963.

The U.S. Executive Director represents the United States on the Board of Directors of the EBRD; the Directors exercise power delegated to them by the EBRD's Board of Governors. The President has recess appointed Ms. Shepherd because of the critical need for the United States to have day-to-day representation in the operation of this Board.

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