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THE WHITE HOUSE

                     Office of the Press Secretary
                (Hong Kong, People?s Republic of China)
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                       July 2, 1998

                           PRESIDENT CLINTON 
            NAMES BERT T. EDWARDS FOR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER 
                   AT THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

     The President today announced his intent to nominate Bert T.

Edwards as Chief Financial Officer at the U.S. Department of State.

Mr. Bert T. Edwards, of Potomac, Maryland, spent his entire 34-year professional career with the Washington office of Arthur Andersen LLP. Retiring as a partner in 1994, Mr. Edwards, a certified public accountant, specialized in audits and consulting for governments, nonprofit organizations and higher education institutions. In his last 20 years with Arthur Andersen, he was responsible for the firm's practice in these areas. He also served for six years in the U.S. Army Reserve and served his active duty at Ft. Knox, Kentucky. Mr. Edwards is a member of the Resource Council of the Greater Washington Boys & Girls Clubs and a Board member of its Foundation. In addition, he served as Trustee for 14 years, and as President, Vice President and Treasurer of the Barker Foundation, an adoption agency. He is a former Board Chairman, President and Director of Junior Achievement of Metropolitan Washington. He is Treasurer of the National Committee on Public Employee Pension Systems. Mr. Edwards has served 20 years as Trustee and Treasurer of the Population Reference Bureau, and for four years as Director and Treasurer of the DC Appleseed Center.

Mr. Edwards received a B.A. degree from Wesleyan University and an M.B.A. degree from Stanford University.

The Chief Financial Officer at the U.S. Department of State directs its Bureau of Finance and Management Policy and assists in the management of the Department and its overseas posts. The CFO reports directly to the Secretary of State regarding financial management matters and serves under the overall direction of the Under Secretary of Management. The CFO is also responsible for the direction and management of more than 700 Foreign Service, Civil Service and Foreign Service National employees.

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