U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Central Region Director Thomas J. Casadevall today announced David Ozman as the new Outreach Coordinator for the USGS Central Region office based in Denver. Ozman will direct regional media relations and coordinate the region's outreach to district congressional offices, state and local elected officials, schools, federal and state agencies, and the general public.

"We are pleased to have Dave Ozman as part of our team here at the USGS," said Casadevall. "Dave's experience in media relations, intergovernmental affairs and in working with Congress will be a tremendous asset to the Central Region and all of USGS."

Ozman joins the USGS after a nearly 13-year career at the U.S. Department of Education. At the Department of Education's Region VIII Office in Denver, he served for eight years as public affairs specialist and before that as Special Assistant to the Secretary's Regional Representative. In those positions, he coordinated media relations and worked with congressional offices, state and local elected officials, educators and others on cooperative efforts throughout the six-state region.

In 1996, Ozman joined the staff of the Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental and Interagency Affairs at the U.S. Department of Education headquarters in Washington, D.C. As Special Assistant for Intergovernmental Affairs, he served as a liaison between the Education Department and mayors, state legislators, governors' offices, and other state and local elected officials. He worked closely with a number of national governmental associations including the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National Conference of State Legislatures, the National Association of County Officials and the National League of Cities.

Before joining the Department of Education, Ozman worked in the Washington, D.C. and Colorado offices of former U.S. Congressman Ken Kramer. Prior to that, he served on the staff of the Colorado House of Representatives in Denver and worked in the Office of the Vice Chancellor at the University of Colorado in Boulder.

Ozman graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication. He is a Colorado native and graduated from Yuma High School in Yuma, Colo.

As the nation's largest water, earth and biological science and civilian mapping agency, the USGS works in cooperation with more than 2,000 organizations across the country to provide reliable, impartial scientific information to resource managers, planners and other customers. This information is gathered in every state by USGS scientists to minimize the loss of life and property from natural hazards, to contribute to the conservation and the sound economic and physical development of the nation's natural resources, and to enhance the quality of life by monitoring water, biological, energy and mineral resources.

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