NEWS RELEASE
| FOR RELEASE: | May 3, 1999 | CONTACT: | John Wright 202/208-6416 |
Walt Rosenbusch Tapped to Head Interior Department's
Minerals Management Service
Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt today
announced the appointment of Walt Rosenbusch as Director of the Minerals Management
Service (MMS). He succeeds Cynthia Quarterman who resigned in February. The appointment of
Rosenbusch becomes effective May 17, 1999.
"Walt Rosenbusch is no stranger to the
issues of the Department and in particular the Minerals Management Service," Babbitt
said. "He brings an impressive array of skills and experiences that will allow him to
hit the ground running."
Since July 1996, Rosenbusch has worked as a
senior tax manager for Ernst & Young's Houston Energy Service Team, where he was
responsible for planning and coordinating major projects resulting in significant tax
savings for clients. Before that, (1993-96) he worked for the U.S. Department of the
Interior as a special assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals
Management, where his duties included serving as liaison for MMS, working to resolve
federal oil, gas and mineral royalty issues involving federal onshore and offshore
leasing. He also served as the Department's primary contact for the Clinton
Administration's initiatives on oil and gas policy.
Prior to joining the Interior Department in
1993, Rosenbusch worked in the Texas General Land Office as Deputy Lands Commissioner of
Energy Resources (1989-93), where he was responsible for the management and administration
of 13.5 million mineral acres. During his tenure he established leasing and mineral
development policies and procedures to ensure fair market value for the mineral resources
extracted from public acreage.
Rosenbusch, 43, is a native of Austin, Texas.
He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration (1979) from The University of
Texas at Austin. He attended the State of Texas Governor's Executive Development Program
in 1991. Rosenbusch is a member of the Petroleum Accountants Society of Houston, the
Institute of Professional Taxation, Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, the
Institute of Internal Auditors, and a past member of the Natural Gas Marketing Association
of Houston.
The Director for MMS has responsibility for the
management and administration of the nation's oil, gas and other mineral resources on the
Outer Continental Shelf. The revenues collected by MMS from royalties derived from federal
offshore oil and gas leasing supports a number of environmental projects under the Land
and Water Conservation Fund. MMS collects more than $4 billion annually. These funds are
distributed to 38 states, 41 Indian tribes, 20,000 Indian mineral royalty owners, and to
the U.S. Treasury.
-MMS-
MMS Internet website address: http://www.mms.gov
24 hour Fax-on-Demand Service:(202) 219-1703