Appointment of Michael E. Baroody as Director of the White House Office of Public Affairs

The President today announced the appointment of Michael E. Baroody as Director of the Office of Public Affairs at the White House.

The Public Affairs Office will have the responsibility for the coordination of public affairs offices in the various departments and agencies of the administration, as well as the operation of a central research and information center to serve the White House staff.

The Public Affairs Office will be one of four reporting directly to the Assistant to the President for Communications, David Gergen.

Mr. Baroody, 35, joined the White House staff as Deputy Director of Communications in April 1981, leaving another position as Executive Assistant to the U.S. Trade Representative, Bill Brock.

Mr. Baroody has been public affairs director, and before that research director, at the Republican National Committee from 1977 to 1981. At the RNC, he founded and edited "Commonsense: A Republican Journal of Thought and Opinion," and directed the RNC's involvement in the Republican Party's unprecedented institutional advertising campaign, "Vote Republican. For a Change." He also served as editor-in-chief of the 1980 Republican platform.

Prior to 1977 Mr. Baroody had held various political and governmental positions, including service as executive assistant to Senator Bob Dole (R-Kans.) and legislative assistant to Senator Roman Hruska (R-Nebr.).

A native of the Washington, D.C., area, Mr. Baroody served in the U.S. Navy from 1968 to 1970 and is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame. He and his wife Muff and their six children reside in Alexandria, Va.