Appointment of Maria Solandros Eitel Sheehan as Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Media Affairs

The President today announced the appointment of Maria Solandros Eitel Sheehan, of Washington State, as Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Media Affairs.

Since 1989, Ms. Eitel Sheehan has served the President as Deputy Director of Media Affairs with responsibility for regional, specialty, and trade media. Before coming to the White House, Ms. Eitel Sheehan worked at the U.S. Information Agency as a program officer and producer for "Worldnet Dialogues" and as a correspondent for the television news program "America Today." In 1987, Ms. Eitel Sheehan worked at WETA - TV in Washington, DC, as an associate producer for "World Beat," a foreign affairs television series. Prior to this, she served in the economics section of the U.S. Embassy in Cameroon. From 1983 to 1985, in Seattle, Ms. Eitel Sheehan worked in the news and documentary departments of NBC affiliate KING - TV and was a freelance reporter and producer for PBS station KCTS - TV.

Ms. Eitel Sheehan graduated from McGill University in Montreal, Canada (B.A., 1983) and Georgetown University School of Foreign Service (M.S.F.S., 1988). She was born June 26, 1962, in Everett, WA. She is married, has one child, and resides in Washington, DC.