Nomination of William Edward McCann To Be United States Ambassador to Ireland
March 17, 1981
The President today announced his intention to nominate William Edward McCann to be Ambassador to Ireland.
Since 1968 Mr. McCann has served as president, chief executive officer, and director of operations of the Foundation Life Insurance Company of America, Chatham, N.J. He held the same positions with the Associated Life Insurance Company of Wilmington, Del., prior to 1968.
He has been active in the Republican Party, including serving as national chairman of the Reagan-Bush Pioneers during 1980. He was a delegate to the 1980 Republican National Convention.
Mr. McCann served in the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict. He was graduated from Bradshaw College in Lowell, Mass. (1957). He also attended Boston University.
Mr. McCann is married to the former Virginia Ann Blouin, and they have two children. He resides with his family in Short Hills, N.J. Mr. McCann was born on September 27, 1930.
Nomination of Richard T. Pratt To Be a Member of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board, and Designation as Chairman
March 17, 1981
The President today announced his intention to nominate Richard T. Pratt to be a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board for the remainder of the term expiring June 30, 1981. In addition, Mr. Pratt will be nominated for a new term of 4 years expiring June 30, 1985. Upon confirmation, the President intends to designate Mr. Pratt as Chairman.
Since 1970 Mr. Pratt has served as president of Richard T. Pratt Associates, Inc. He has also been a partner with the firm of Johnson, Pratt and Stewart since 1975. He is a professor of finance, College of Business, University of Utah, and has served in that position since 1973.
Mr. Pratt has consulted with many businesses and the government on financial matters. He was public interest director of the Seattle Federal Home Loan Bank and a member of its Executive Bank Board in 1970 - 79. He was associate professor of finance, College of Business, University of Utah, in 1966 - 73 and assistant professor of finance, University of Iowa, in 1965 - 66.
Mr. Pratt was graduated from the University of Utah (B.S., M.B.A.) and Indiana University (Ph. D.). He was in the Air Force Reserve in 1959. Mr. Pratt is married and has four children. He resides with his family in Salt Lake City, Utah. Mr. Pratt was born in Salt Lake City on February 5, 1937.
Appointment of Frank A. Whetstone as a United States Commissioner of the International Boundary Commission, United States and Canada
March 17, 1981
The President announced today his intention to appoint Frank A. Whetstone to be Commissioner on the part of the United States on the International Boundary Commission, United States and Canada.
Mr. Whetstone is former president of Lack Jack Gas and Oil Co. and publisher and president of Cut Bank Pioneer Press in Montana. He is chairman of the board of radio station KLCB in Libby, Mont. He was chief executive officer and chairman of the Cut Bank Gas Co., Cut Bank, Mont. He also served as chairman of the board of the Coeur D'Alene Co., with offices in Montana, Idaho, and Washington States. He is president of IMPEX, an import-export firm.
Mr. Whetstone is active in many civic organizations in Montana. He initiated an annual ``Good Neighbor Day'' for observance by Montana and Alberta, Canada, citizens. He chaired a highway committee to build better roads between Montana and Canada and initiated good will tours from Montana to Canada.
Mr. Whetstone is an active Republican in Montana. He served as a senior adviser to the transition group and as Western States coordinator to the Reagan for President Committee.
Mr. Whetstone is a native of Cut Bank, Mont. He was born on June 19, 1914.
Appointments to the White House Office of Public Liaison
March 17, 1981
The President today announced the following appointments to the Office of Public Liaison:
Red Cavaney to be Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy to Elizabeth H. Dole, Assistant to the President for Public Liaison. Formerly president and chief executive officer of Ericson Yachts, Inc., of Irvine, Calif. Mr. Cavaney served as a volunteer advance representative during the 1980 general election campaign. In 1973 - 77 he served as Special Assistant to the President and Director of the Advance Office. Previously he was commercial loan vice president for Security National Bank in Newport Beach, Calif. He was graduated from the University of Southern California (1964). Mr. Cavaney is married and has two children. He resides in Balboa, Calif. He is 37 years old.
Jack Burgess to be Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director for Public Liaison, with management responsibilities for the business, labor, and agriculture sectors. He served as Peace Corps country director in Micronesia in 1975 - 78 and for several years prior to that was the executive assistant to the Director of ACTION. Mr. Burgess is a former assistant dean of the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and was dean of freshmen of the College of Arts and Sciences. Mr. Burgess was graduated from Georgetown University (A.B., 1963; M.A., 1966). He was ethnic media liaison of the Reagan-Bush Committee's nationalities division and was director of the nationalities division of the Republican National Committee in 1968.
Diana Lozano to be Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director for Public Liaison, with management responsibility for human services. Miss Lozano was national account marketing representative with the IBM Corp. in New York. In 1973 - 77 she was executive assistant to the Director of the Minority Business Development Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce. In 1972 Miss Lozano was a member of the White House staff. In 1971 - 72 she served as special assistant to the Chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Opportunities for Spanish-Speaking People. She was graduated from the University of California (B.A., 1970). She was born on October 30, 1947, in San Jose, Calif. Miss Lozano resides in Great Neck, N.Y.
Aram Bakshian, Jr., to be Special Assistant to the President for Public Liaison, with responsibilities including maintaining liaison with leaders in the arts, humanities, and private foundations. An author, critic, and essayist, Mr. Bakshian served as consultant to former Treasury Secretary William Simon in 1976 - 77. He was Deputy Special Assistant to the President in 1972 - 75. In 1971 Mr. Bakshian was special assistant to the chairman of the Republican National Committee. In 1966 - 70 he was an aide to former Representative William E. Brock (R-Tenn.). A native of Washington, D.C., Mr. Bakshian was educated in local public and private schools and in the autumn of 1975 was appointed a fellow of Harvard University's Institute of Politics.
Thelma Duggin to be Deputy Special Assistant to the President for Public Liaison. Formerly Ms. Duggin served as a field coordinator with Wright McNeill & Associates. During the 1980 general election she was a volunteer in the national black voters program as a liaison from the Republican National Committee. In 1973 - 77 Ms. Duggin was a senior merchandise manager with the J. C. Penney Co. in Columbus, Ga. In 1971 - 73 she worked with the Catholic school system in Mobile, Ala., as a teacher at Holy Family Elementary School. She has served as a member of the mayor's Community Relations Commission, Columbus, Ga., and served on the board of governors for the Georgia Health System Agency. She was graduated from Edgewood College in Madison, Wis. (1971). Ms. Duggin was born in Mobile, Ala., on December 23, 1949. She resides in Alexandria, Va.
Morton C. Blackwell to be Special Assistant to the President for Public Liaison, with responsibilities for veterans, fraternal organizations, Native Americans, religious affairs, and limited government organizations. Formerly policy director for Senator Gordon Humphrey (R-N.H.), Mr. Blackwell has also served recently as deputy director of congressional clearance in the office of the President-elect. Mr. Blackwell oversaw the Youth for Reagan effort in the 1980 campaign. He founded and was chairman of the Committee for Responsible Youth Politics in 1972 - 79. In 1973 - 79 he was editor of The New Right Report and a contributing editor of Conservative Digest in 1974 - 81. Mr. Blackwell has held a number of posts in Republican youth organizations, including executive director of the College Republican National Committee and national vice chairman of the Young Republican National Federation. He is married and has one child. He resides with his family in Arlington, Va. Mr. Blackwell was born in LaJara, Colo., on November 16, 1939.
Virginia H. Knauer to be Special Assistant to the President for Public Liaison, with responsibilities for consumers, aging, health care, and the disabled. Mrs. Knauer was founder and president of Virginia Knauer and Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in consumer issues. In 1969 she was appointed Special Assistant to the President for Consumer Affairs. In addition, she was Executive Secretary of the President's Committee on Consumer Interests, Director of the U.S. Office of Consumer Affairs, and U.S. Representative and Vice Chairman of the Consumer Policy Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Mrs. Knauer has been chairman of the Council for the Advancement of Consumer Policy, a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization, and served as a member of the executive committee of the Board of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc., and many other consumer organizations. Mrs. Knauer was the consumer adviser to the Reagan-Bush Committee and was a transition adviser on the Federal Government's consumer programs and policies. Mrs. Knauer was graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. She has two children and she resides in Washington, D.C. She was born in Philadelphia, Pa., on March 28, 1915.
Robert F. Bonitati to be Special Assistant to the President for Public Liaison, with responsibilities for labor, public services, and natural resources. Mr. Bonitati was director of public affairs for the Air Line Pilots Association, responsible for government relations and political activities of the pilot's union since 1975. He was assistant to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget in 1973 - 74 and Associate Director of the Cost of Living Council in 1973 - 74. He served as campaign director for Senator Howard Baker (R-Tenn.) in 1966 and 1972 and as executive assistant to Senator Baker in 1966 - 67. Mr. Bonitati was assistant dean of students for the University of Tennessee in 1964 - 66 and assistant dean of men at Arizona State University in 1962 - 64. He was graduated from the University of Connecticut (B.A., 1960). Mr. Bonitati resides in Alexandria, Va. He was born in Bridgeport, Conn., on September 19, 1938.
Ernest Eugene Garcia to be Director of Resources, Office of Public Liaison, and Deputy Director, Office of Consumer Affairs. In addition, Mr. Garcia will serve as liaison with the Hispanic community. He was administrative assistant and legislative coordinator to Elizabeth H. Dole during the transition. He has previously worked for Senator Robert Dole (R-Kans.) as legislative assistant and administrative assistant in 1977 - 80. In 1976 - 77 he was a policy analyst with the division of State planning and research, policy research/intergovernmental relations section, State of Kansas. He was a research analyst with InterAmerica Research Associates in 1975 - 76. In 1974 - 76 Mr. Garcia was assistant to the dean of men at the University of Kansas. He was leadership training coordinator, El Centro de Servicios Para Mexicanos, in 1973 - 74. Mr. Garcia is a member of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. He is married and has one child. He resides with his family in Lawrence, Kans. Mr. Garcia was born in Garden City, Kans., on July 12, 1946.
Wayne H. Valis to be Special Assistant to the President for Public Liaison, with responsibilities for trade associations, corporations, small business, and chambers of commerce. Since 1977 Mr. Valis has served as special assistant to the president of the American Enterprise Institute. In 1973 - 77 he was first Staff Assisant to the President and then Director of Planning and Research, Office of Public Liaison. In 1976 he was director of opposition research for the President Ford Committee. Mr. Valis was assistant to the director for legislative analysis of the American Enterprise Institute in 1972 - 73. In 1966 - 72 he was editor, the Intercollegiate Review, Intercollegiate Studies Institute, Bryn Mawr, Pa. Mr. Valis has written many articles and books, including ``The Future Under President Reagan.'' Mr. Valis was graduated from Rutgers University (B.A., 1966). He resides in Falls Church, Va., with his daughter. Mr. Valis was born in Somerville, N.J., on June 14, 1944.
Nomination of Willard Kenneth Davis To Be Deputy Secretary of Energy
March 17, 1981
The President today announced his intention to nominate Willard Kenneth Davis to be Deputy Secretary of Energy.
Since 1973 Mr. Davis has served as vice president, planning and advanced development, Bechtel Power Corp. He was vice president, nuclear projects, in 1971 - 73; vice president, Vernon Division, in 1970 - 71; vice president and manager, IPIM Division, in 1967 - 70; vice president and manager, scientific development department, in 1963 - 67; and vice president, science and nuclear development department, in 1958 - 62.
Mr. Davis was Director of Reactor Development, Atomic Energy Commission, in 1954 - 58. He was chief development engineer and manager of the research department, California Research and Development Co., in 1951 - 54. In 1949 - 53 Mr. Davis was associate professor and professor of engineering at the University of California (Los Angeles).
Mr. Davis was graduated from MIT (B.S., 1940; M.S., 1942). Mr. Davis is actively involved in many private energy-related societies and committees.
Mr. Davis is married and has three children. He resides with his family in San Raphael, Calif. Mr. Davis was born in Seattle, Wash., on July 26, 1918.