THE WHITE HOUSE

                     Office of the Press Secretary
                        (Little Rock, Arkansas)
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                      July 17, 1998

        PRESIDENT CLINTON NAMES PATRICIA T. MONTOYA AS COMMISSIONER
           OF THE ADMINISTRATION ON CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES
              AT THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

The President today announced his intent to nominate Patricia T. Montoya to serve as Commissioner of the Administration on Children, Youth, and Families at the Department of Health and Human Services.

Ms. Patricia T. Montoya, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is a Registered Nurse with extensive experience in children's health, social services, and family needs. She has served as the Regional Director of the Department of Health and Human Services in Dallas since 1994, where she oversees operations in five states. From 1993-1994, she served as Practice Manager of Presbyterian Family Healthcare, a primary care/urgent care center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. From 1989-1993, Ms. Montoya was the Executive Director of New Mexico Health Resources, a non-profit organization which recruits health care professionals to work in the rural areas of the state. She served as the Assistant Director of the American Nurses Association in Washington, D.C. from 1987-1989. She has worked as a nurse in many capacities, including as a school nurse for the Albuquerque Public Schools and as a staff nurse in the emergency department of the Kaseman Presbyterian Hospital. She has served on the New Mexico Governor's Task Force on Nursing, the New Mexico Board of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the White House Health Professional Review Group on Health Care Reform. In addition, she is a former member of the Board of Directors of Family/Child Services of Washington, DC.

Ms. Montoya received a B.S. degree in Nursing and an M.A. degree in Public Administration/Health Administration from the University of New Mexico.

The Commissioner of the Administration on Children, Youth and Families at the Department of Health and Human Services oversees the implementation of Federal programs whose missions are to assist vulnerable children and youth. The Commissioner serves as spokesperson for the Administration on issues related to child development, early childhood education, child welfare, child care, and youth development.

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