WASHINGTON, D.C. — President George W. Bush has named Texas State Senator Florence Shapiro to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, the governing body of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The Council consists of 55 Presidential appointees in addition to 10 Congressional representatives and three ex-officio members from the departments of Education, Interior and State. State Senator Shapiro will serve the remainder of a five-year term expiring on January 15, 2010.

Florence Shapiro, Plano, TX, has represented the 8th District in the Texas Senate since 1993. As a first-generation American, the daughter of Holocaust survivors, Shapiro is a former small business owner and public school teacher active in education issues. She chairs the State Senate Education Committee and serves as Co-Chair of the Education Policy Taskforce for the Council of State Governments. She is the recipient of many awards and recognitions including the "Raise Your Hand Gold Star" for commitment to improving public school accountability.

A living memorial to the Holocaust, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum inspires leaders and citizens to confront hatred, prevent genocide, promote human dignity and strengthen democracy. Federal support guarantees the Museum's permanence, and donors nationwide make possible its educational activities and global outreach. For more information, visit www.ushmm.org.