OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING
For Release June 18, 1990 
Jerry Childress (202) 208-2719

O.S.M. ANNOUNCES TWO NEW ASSIGNMENTS FOR FIELD OFFICE DIRECTORS

Director of the Interior Department's Office of Surface Mining
(OSM), Harry M. Snyder, today announced changes in assignments for
two veteran field office directors.

William J. Kovacic, Director of the OSM Field Office in Kansas
City, Missouri, has been named to head the agency's Lexington, Ky.,
Field Office, and Jerry R. Ennis, Director of the Casper, Wyo.,
Field Office, will transfer to Kovacic's former position in Kansas
City.  The changes will become effective July 1, 1990.

Kovacic, 40, has been with OSM since 1968.  In addition to his
position in Kansas City, he has served as a supervisory biological
scientist; chief, Mine Plan Review Branch in Denver, Colo.; as
federal lands coordinator and state program specialist in Kansas
City; and as supervisory reclamation specialist in Tulsa, Okla.

Prior to joining OSM, Kovacic worked as a recreational specialist
with the Missouri Land Reclamation Program; as reclamation planner,
Kaysinger Basin Regional Planning Commission in Clinton, Mo.; and
as a student assistant with the Kansas Geological Survey.  He holds
a Master of Science degree from the University of Missouri and a
Bachelor of Arts degree from Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg,
Kansas.  Kovacic is a native of Pittsburg, Kan.

Ennis, 53, has been with OSM since 1978.  He has served in a number
of assignments for OSM prior to his stint as Field Office Director
in Casper, including:   chief, Division of Reclamation;
coordinator, 1983 Rule Reform Task Force; and special assistant to
the Director, OSM, all in Washington, D.C.; and state program
specialist in Indianapolis, Ind.

Before coming to OSM, Ennis worked as a general engineer, Naval
Weapons Center, China Lake, Calif.; civil engineer, U.S. Geological
Survey, Rolla, Mo.; and mining geologist/engineer for Phelps Dodge
Corporation in Morenci, Ariz.  He holds a master's degree in public
administration from the University of Southern California and a
bachelor of science degree from the University of Missouri at
Rolla.  Ennis was born in East St. Louis, Ill.

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