Secretary Evans Names Director to the
Office of Business Liaison

Washington, DC - Secretary of Commerce Don Evans today named Travis Thomas to head the Office of Business Liaison at the Department of Commerce. Thomas is the first official to hold the post in the Bush Administration.

"Travis Thomas will serve as an effective and tireless advocate for the business community," said Evans.

Thomas hails from Corpus Christi, Texas, but for the last several years he has served President Bush in a variety of capacities in Austin since Bush's first term as governor. Thomas brings state-level experience as a business advocate to his new post, having served the Texas Department of Commerce from 1995-96. Most recently, Thomas worked as the deputy national finance director for Bush-Cheney 2000 and as associate director of presidential personnel at the White House.

The Office of Business Liaison is the primary contact for the business community within the Department of Commerce. Through daily communications with company representatives, industry groups and trade associations worldwide, the Office of Business Liaison works to build a positive and productive relationship between the public and private sector.