THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

              PRESIDENT CLINTON NAMES LINDA CHAVEZ-THOMPSON 
                 AS A MEMBER OF PRESIDENT'S COMMITTEE ON 
                 EMPLOYMENT OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

The President today announced his intent to appoint Linda Chavez-Thompson as a Member of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities.

Ms. Linda Chavez-Thompson, of Washington, D.C., serves as Executive Vice-President of the AFL-CIO, a position she has held since 1995. In her thirty years in the labor movement, she rose from the organizing ranks of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) to become the highest ranking woman in the labor movement and the first person of color elected to an executive office of the AFL-CIO. From 1988 to 1996, Ms. Chavez-Thompson served as an International Vice President of AFSCME and as a Vice President of the AFL-CIO from 1993 to 1995. She also served as National Vice-President of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement from 1986 to 1996. She served as an AFSCME International Representative, Assistant Business Manager, Business Manager and Executive Director of AFSCME Local 2399 from 1971 to 1995. She serves on many boards, including the United Way's Board of Governors, the Executive Committee of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, the Executive Committee of the Council on Competitiveness, the Board of the Institute for Women's Policy Research, and the President's Initiative on Race.

The President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities provides advice and information on the development of maximum employment opportunities for people who are physically disabled, mentally retarded, and mentally ill. The Committee enlists cooperation among organizations and agencies to promote employment opportunities in the disabled community.

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