President Bush has appointed Michael S. Schwartz as Chairman of the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board. His nomination was confirmed by the Senate on May 23, and he was sworn into office on July 1. Mr. Schwartz succeeds Cherryl T. Thomas.

An independent Federal agency headquartered in Chicago, the RRB administers the
$8.5 billion-a-year benefit programs provided under the Federal Railroad Retirement and Unemployment Insurance Acts covering the nation's railroad workforce and their families.

A long-time official with the State of Illinois, Mr. Schwartz previously served as the Director of the Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS) from 1995 to 2002, and as Associate Director of CMS from 1989 to 1995. CMS provides a wide variety of centralized services to other State and local government agencies, including procurement, data processing and data communication, personnel, property management, and administration of State employee benefit plans.

Mr. Schwartz has also served the State of Illinois as Assistant Director of Personnel, Office of Governor (1988-1989); as Executive Assistant to the Director of Revenue (1986-1988); and as Assistant to the Director of Professional Regulation (1985-1986). Prior to his service with the State he was an elementary school teacher in New Berlin, Illinois.

A native of Illinois, Mr. Schwartz received his B.S. degree in Education from Illinois State University (1975), and his M.A. degree in Educational Administration from the University of Illinois at Springfield (1980).

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