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THE WHITE HOUSE

                     Office of the Press Secretary
                            (Yulee, Florida)
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                       May 27, 1999

                PRESIDENT CLINTON NAMES JOHNNIE CARSON AS
                         U.S. AMBASSADOR TO KENYA

The President announced today his intent to nominate Johnnie Carson to be U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Kenya.

Mr. Johnnie Carson, of Chicago, Illinois, is a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor. Since August l997, Mr. Carson has been serving as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs. Prior to his current assignment, Mr. Carson served as U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe from l995-l997, and earlier as U. S. Ambassador to Uganda from l99l-l994. Since joining the Foreign Service in l969, Mr. Carson has held a number of assignments in Africa. He served as Consular and Political Officer at the American Embassy in Lagos, Nigeria, from l969-l97l, Deputy Chief of Mission at the American Embassy in Maputo, Mozambique from l975-l978, and Deputy Chief of Mission at the American Embassy in Gaborone, Botswana from l986-l990. In addition, Mr. Carson has held assignments as Deputy Political Counselor at the American Embassy in Lisbon, Portugal, from l982-l986, desk officer for Angola, Mozambique and Namibia in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (l97l-l974) and as Staff Officer in the Staff Secretariat in the Office of the Secretary of State (l978-l979). Mr. Carson also served as Staff Director for the Africa Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives (l979-l982). Before joining the Foreign Service, Mr. Carson was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Tanzania (l965-l968).

Mr. Carson received a BA from Drake University and an MA from the University of London. He is married to Anne Diemer Carson of Northbrook, Illinois, and they have three children, Elizabeth, Michael and Katherine. They reside in Reston, Virginia.

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