August 25, 1982

The President today announced his intention to nominate K. William O'Connor to be Special Counsel of the Merit Systems Protection Board. He would succeed Alex Kozinski, who has resigned.

Since July 1981 Mr. O'Connor has served as Inspector General of the Community Services Administration. He served as Special Counsel for Interagency Coordination and Staff Director of the Executive Group Staff in 1980-1981. His duties included advising the Deputy Attorney General on policy, programs, and matters affecting the Executive Group. In 1978-1980 he was senior trial attorney (Prosecutor/CSA Task Force), and led teams of investigators and lawyers in grand jury investigations of fraud schemes at the General Services Administration. In 1976-1978 he was Associate Justice and then Chief Justice, High Court of American Samoa. Mr. O'Connor was vice president and counsel, Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers, Inc., in 1975-1976; Special Counsel, Intelligence Coordination, Department of Justice in 1975; Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, in 1971-1975; Chief, Criminal Section, Civil Rights Division, 1970-1971; Assistant to the Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, in 1967-1970. Previously he held various positions with the Jobs Corps.

Mr. O'Connor graduated from the University of Virginia (B.A., 1952; LL.B., 1958). He served in the U.S. Marine Corps and was discharged in 1955 as a first lieutenant.

Mr. O'Connor is married, has four children, and resides in Falls Church, Va. He was born August 1, 1931, in Washington, D.C.

Date
08/25/1982