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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary


For Immediate Release October 2, 1997
               PRESIDENT CLINTON NAMES JANICE R. LACHANCE 
            AS DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

President Clinton announced his intention to nominate Janice R. Lachance to serve as Director of the Office of Personnel Management.

Ms. Lachance, of Biddeford, Maine, was appointed on August 1, 1997 as Deputy Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and is now also serving as the Acting Director of OPM. As Deputy Director, she is the Chief Operating Officer of an agency of 3,700 employees with an operating budget of $376 million, and is chair of the senior executive team responsible for strategic planning and agency management. Ms. Lachance has 17 years of professional experience with Federal agencies, the U.S. Congress and national labor organizations. Ms. Lachance joined OPM in 1993, as Director of Communications. From 1994 to 1996, she served as the agency's Director of Communications and Policy and from 1996 to 1997 she served as Chief of Staff. Before working at OPM, Ms. Lachance was Director of Communications and Political Affairs for the American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO, where she directed the political, media, and public affairs programs for the nation's largest federal employee union. On Capitol Hill, she has held positions as Communications Director for then-Congressman Tom Daschle, and as Administrative Assistant for Congresswoman Katie Hall. Ms. Lachance also served as Staff Director and Counsel for the Small Business Subcommittee on Antitrust and Restraint of Trade of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Ms. Lachance received a B.A. from Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York, and a J.D. from the Tulane University School of Law in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The Office of Personnel Management provides leadership in government-wide human resources management by ensuring that federal employees are recruited, selected and treated fairly, equitably, and on the basis of merit. OPM's mission includes providing personnel services to federal agencies, employees and job seekers, administering the government's compensation systems, managing the world's largest employer provided health insurance program, and providing benefits and services to retired employees.

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