Donald L. Scott, retired Army brigadier general and vice president and national director of the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps, has been appointed Deputy Librarian of Congress after an extensive nationwide search. He will assume his duties at the Library on Sept. 30.
"I am delighted to appoint Donald Scott as my deputy and the Library's chief operating officer," said Dr. Billington. "His varied experience, his distinguished career in public service, and demonstrated competence as a manager and leader have impressed all who have met him."
Said Mr. Scott: "I am pleased and honored by this opportunity to work with Jim Billington and the dedicated employees of the country's oldest national cultural institution as we move ahead toward the 21st century. There is much to be done, and we will need everyone's help to do it."
The Librarian has given Mr. Scott full authority to manage the day-to-day administration of the Library's internal operations, making Library-wide decisions consistent with the Librarian's directions and established policies. The Deputy Librarian will allocate financial and other resources, monitor the Library's operational progress and ensure that the Library's mission is carried out and its objectives are met. He will lead the Executive Committee and provide direction and supervision to the Library's senior administration.
Dr. Billington selected Mr. Scott from a pool of candidates following a nationwide search by the Interface Group Ltd./Boyden, an executive search firm.
Mr. Scott has been serving since 1993 as the chief executive officer of AmeriCorps' National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), a division of the Corporation for National Service. The federally funded corporation, established in 1993, recruits people 18-24 years of age, from all backgrounds, for full-time community service. At AmeriCorps headquarters in Washington, D.C., he designed the organizational structure, developed the training program, recruited and placed more than 1,000 participants at four sites across the country and selected nearly 600 community projects to receive assistance. In the NCCC program, high school and college graduates help communities solve problems in public safety, education, the environment and disaster relief operations.
Prior to joining the NCCC, Mr. Scott served the mayor of Atlanta, Maynard Jackson, from April 1991 through December 1992 as chief operating officer and chief of staff. His responsibilities as chief operating officer included providing public services to the city's citizens, dealing with human resources issues and reducing the size of the city government. His chief of staff responsibilities included improving job performance in the various departments of the mayor's office, including public relations, inter- governmental affairs, budget and finance, correspondence and community relations.
In 1991 Mr. Scott retired from U.S. Army active duty with the rank of brigadier general after 31 years of service. In 1988-1991, at Fort Gillem, Ga., he managed a staff of 400 that provided financial, personnel, operational, logistical and training support for Reserve and National Guard units in the southeastern United States and the Virgin Islands. He expanded cooperative ventures between military and local business communities, coordinated the emergency operation center for the cleanup after Hurricane Hugo and managed the activation of individuals and units in response to Operation Desert Storm. His earlier career in the Army included stints in Germany and two tours in Vietnam. His decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, six Bronze Stars and the Combat Infantryman's Badge.
A native of Hunnewell, Mo., Mr. Scott received his B.A. in graphic arts from Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo., in 1960, as well as a commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, and his M.A. in counseling and human development from Troy State University in Montgomery, Ala., in 1982. Lincoln University conferred on Mr. Scott its Honorary Doctor of Law degree in 1992.
Mr. Scott married Betty Jean Forte in 1962. They are the parents of two sons, Jeffrey and Merill (Mel), and grandparents of Taylor, Desiree and Gena. The Scotts live in Alexandria, Va.