THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

           PRESIDENT CLINTON NAMES KENNETH H. "BUDDY" MACKAY 
                 AS SPECIAL ENVOY OF THE PRESIDENT AND 
                  SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE AMERICAS

The President announced today his intent to appoint Kenneth H. "Buddy" MacKay as Special Envoy of the President and Secretary of State for the Americas.

Kenneth "Buddy" MacKay became Governor of Florida in December, 1998 after the untimely death of Governor Lawton Chiles. Previously, MacKay served as Lieutenant Governor of Florida from 1990-1998. As Lieutenant Governor, MacKay managed Governor Chiles' involvement in the Summit of the Americas. MacKay served in the United States House of Representatives for six years. While in Congress, MacKay served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and on a Subcommittee related to Latin America. Prior to this, he served six years in the Florida Senate and six years in the Florida House of Representatives.

Mr. MacKay received a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Florida, and following graduation, joined the Air Force, where he spent three years on active duty as a pilot. After leaving the Air Force, MacKay received a law degree from the University of Florida School of Law. He practiced law in Daytona Beach, Florida before returning to Ocala, Florida, where he is involved in the citrus farming business. He is married to the former Anne Selph, and they have four sons.

The Special Envoy to the Americas is primarily responsible for coordinating and formulating hemispheric policy, working through the existing White House mechanisms of the National Security Council, as well as the National Economic Council, and in conjunction with the State Department. The Special Envoy to the Americas will advise the President on United States involvement in the hemisphere.

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