FROM THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) today announced the appointment of Mr. George Wolfe as the Director of Economic Development for the CPA.  Mr. Wolfe will assume this position on the departure of Mr. Peter McPherson, the current Director, on 24 September when he returns to his position as President of Michigan State University.

Mr. Wolfe has served as the Deputy Director of Economic Development since May.

CPA Administrator, Ambassador Paul Bremer said:

“I am extremely pleased that George has agreed to serve as the Director o Economic Development. Since May, he has performed with great skill, energy and effectiveness. George brings a wealth of talents to his new position, and I have great confidence in him.”

Mr. Wolfe has served as Deputy General Counsel for the U.S. Treasury Department since July 2001. Before that, he practiced law in the private sector in Washington DC and in South Carolina. He also served as a private sector adviser to the US Trade Representative under President George H.W. Bush.

Mr. Wolfe will serve as Director of Economic Development until November 1, when he will return to the United States to become Acting General Counsel of the U.S. Treasury Department. He will be succeeded at that time by Marek Belka, whose appointment as CPA’s Director of Economic Development staring on November 1 was recently announced. Belka is the former Deputy Prime Minister of Poland, and has been serving as head of the CPA Centre for International Cooperation.