THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

              PRESIDENT CLINTON NAMES RONALD D. GODARD AS
                       U.S. AMBASSADOR TO GUYANA

     The President announced today his intent to nominate Ronald D.

Godard to be U.S. Ambassador to the Co-operative Republic of Guyana.

Mr. Ronald D. Godard, of Odessa, Texas, is a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor. Most of his assignments have been in the Latin American areas, including early tours in Panama, Cuban Affairs, and Nicaragua. The exception was his tour as Political Officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul, Turkey. Mr. Godard returned to Latin America as Chief of the Political Section in San Jose, Costa Rica. Then, after three years first as Deputy Director and then Country Director of Central American Affairs in Washington, he became Political Counselor in Santiago, Chile. From there, he was assigned as Deputy Chief of Mission in the U.S. Embassy in Managua, Nicaragua, where he also served a year-and-a-half as Charge d'Affaires. Mr. Godard's next posting was the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina as Deputy Chief of Mission where he also spent his last year as Charge d'Affaires. Mr. Godard is currently the Deputy U.S. Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States (OAS). In July l998, on a special assignment at the OAS, the President accorded him the personal rank of Ambassador.

Mr. Godard has a B.A. degree in history and a M.A. degree in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas. He speaks Spanish and Turkish.

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