For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
April 30, 2004
Personnel Announcement
President George W. Bush today announced his intention to appoint
Frances Fragos Townsend to be Assistant to the President and Homeland
Security Advisor. Ms. Townsend will fill the position held by General
John A. Gordon who announced his retirement after 36 years of public
service.
Ms. Townsend currently serves as Deputy Assistant to the President
and Deputy National Security Advisor for Combating Terrorism. She
reports to the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
and to the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security with
respect to matters relating to global terrorism in the United States.
She will continue to serve in this role in addition to her new
responsibilities until a replacement has been identified. Ms. Townsend
came to the White House from the U. S. Coast Guard, where she had been
serving as Assistant Commandant for Intelligence. Prior to that, she
spent 13 years at the U. S. Department of Justice in a variety of
senior positions, including Counsel to the Attorney General for
Intelligence Policy. Ms. Townsend received her bachelor's degree from
the American University and her J.D. from the University of San Diego.
"Frances Townsend has been a trusted advisor on global terrorism in
my Administration. Her strong background in law enforcement, coupled
with her experience in the intelligence community, makes her an
excellent choice to be Assistant to the President and Homeland Security
Advisor as we face the continuing challenges of protecting America from
the terrorists who seek to do us harm," President Bush stated.
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