U.S. Department of the Interior
Minerals Management Service
Office of Communications

NEWS RELEASE

MMS NAMES DEPUTY DIRECTOR

The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) announced that Thomas R. Kitsos, Ph.D., has been selected as the Deputy Director for the agency. Kitsos will be responsible for reviewing MMS policies and program development and will help provide management decisions that involve offshore oil and gas activities and the collection of royalties from mineral production on federal lands.

"I am pleased to announce that I have selected Tom Kitsos to serve as my Deputy in guiding the future of this agency. His experience on Capitol Hill, combined with his thorough understanding of offshore energy issues, his zeal for protecting marine and coastal environments, and his outstanding leadership abilities will be valuable assets to the MMS management team," remarked MMS Director Cynthia Quarterman.

Kitsos has extensive experience analyzing national ocean and coastal issues, offshore energy development, and environmental and marine resource management legislation. Since June 1996, he has served as staff assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Land and Minerals Management where he was responsible for energy development and royalty issues on Federal offshore, Federal onshore, and Indian lands for the MMS and the Bureau of Land Management.

Kitsos previously served as the MMS Program Director for the Office of International Activities and Marine Minerals. Prior to working for the MMS, he was a staff member on the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries in the House of Representatives. During a 20-year span, he progressed into positions of greater responsibility, ending his tenure as the Committee's Chief Counsel.

Overseeing amendments to the OCS Lands Act, the Coastal Zone Management Act, and the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 are among his many accomplishments. A native of Chicago, Illinois, Kitsos holds M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Political Science from the University of Illinois (Champaign-Urbana) and has written some 30 papers on coastal policies and other governmental issues.

-MMS-

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