For Immediate Release: December 6, 2000

PRESIDENTIAL MEMBERS OF U.S. CENSUS MONITORING BOARD NAME NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

WASHINGTON - Today, the Presidential Members of the U.S. Census Monitoring Board named Margarita Roque to serve as the Board's new Executive Director.

The outgoing Executive Director, Mark Johnson, has relocated temporarily to Florida to deal with a family matter. Johnson will, however, remain a consultant to the Board and be actively involved in its oversight activities.

The bipartisan Board is responsible for monitoring all aspects of the Census Bureau's preparations for the 2000 decennial census, as well as its implementation. The Board consists of four members appointed by the President and four by the Republican leadership in Congress. It issues reports to Congress every six months on its findings and recommendations.

Roque takes the reigns after serving as Director of Outreach at the Monitoring Board for the last six months. She came to the Board after serving as Associate Vice-President at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College.

A Washington veteran, Roque previously served as Executive Secretary of the InterAmerican Commission of Women (OAS); Director of the Executive Secretariat at the Department of Transportation; Special Assistant to the Department of Education; and Executive Director of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

"Margarita has held a number of top leadership and managerial positions in government and the private sector," said Gilbert F. Casellas, Presidential co-chair of the Monitoring Board. "We are very fortunate to have her lead our staff during the upcoming and most important phase of Census 2000."

"There is much work to be done between now and September. In the coming months we hope to learn what made Census 2000 such a monumental success as well as ways to improve the count next time around," said Roque.

Roque will assume her new position effective immediately.