FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 11, 1999

Stephanie Hanna (O) 202/208-6416

BABBITT APPOINTS MARILYN HEIMAN AS SPECIAL ASSISTANT FOR ALASKA

Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt announced today the appointment of Marilyn Heiman as his new Special Assistant to the Secretary for Alaska. She will begin serving in her new position on February 16, 1999.

"Marilyn Heiman will be a great asset and is a natural fit for this position," Secretary Babbitt said. "She has already demonstrated great enthusiasm for and a strong sense of vision toward resource issues in the State of Alaska. I look forward to using her talents on the many challenges that lie ahead."

Heiman has been serving as Governor Tony Knowles' Special Assistant for Natural Resources for the past four years. She has coordinated the outreach on natural resource policy to diverse constituencies inside and outside of Alaska and overseen community participation and consensus building to resolve controversial issues.

From 1991 until 1994, she was a consultant on public policy and natural resources for North Coast Research, and was an Environmental Specialist for the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation in 1990 and 1991. From 1986 to 1990, Heiman was a Professional Assistant to the Alaska House Resources Committee, working with leadership during the Exxon Valdez oil spill and the subsequent development of legislation. She also staffed the Oil Spill Commission created in 1989 to make recommendations to the Legislature on prevention of future oil spills.

Heiman graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a B.S. in Political Economy of Natural Resources. A resident of Juneau, she will relocate to Anchorage where she can be reached at (907) 271-5485.

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