Appointment of John O. Koehler as Assistant to the President and Director of Communications

The President today announced his intention to appoint John O. Koehler to be Assistant to the President and Director of Communications. He will succeed Patrick J. Buchanan.

Mr. Koehler is currently serving as special adviser and consultant to the Director of the USIA. He is president of Koehler International, Ltd., an international consulting firm specializing in public affairs and communications. He retired after 28 years of service with the Associated Press in 1985. He had been a foreign correspondent in Berlin and Bonn, Germany, and later held various executive positions in Associated Press' New York headquarters, including assistant general manager and managing director, World Services Division (1957-1977). He also served in the United States Army and United States Army Reserve (1954-1967), holding the rank of captain when discharged.

Mr. Koehler attended the Dresden Business College, San Francisco State College, and New York University. He is married and resides with his wife, Dorothy, in Stamford, CT. He was born June 11, 1930, in Dresden, Germany.