CUOMO SAYS NEWLY CONFIRMED OFFICIALS WILL STRENGTHEN HUD

WASHINGTON -- Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo today said four recently confirmed top officials at HUD "will strengthen HUD and help this Department improve its performance and better serve the American people."

The four are: Chief Financial Officer Richard F. Keevey; General Counsel Gail W. Laster; Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Eva M. Plaza; and Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development Saul N. Ramirez, Jr.

As Chief Financial Officer, Keevey manages HUD's financial resources, plans and develops HUD's annual budget, and is responsible for financial statements and internal controls. He will oversee the establishment of HUD's electronic financial management system. Keevey came to HUD from the Department of Defense, where he served as the Director of the Defense Finance and Accounting Service and as Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Financial Management. He received his undergraduate degree from La Salle College and a graduate degree from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

As General Counsel, Laster serves as Cuomo's principle legal advisor. Laster served as Director of Governmental Relations for Legal Services Corporation in Washington before coming to HUD, and earlier was Counsel to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. She is a graduate of Yale University and New York University School of Law.

As Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, Plaza is responsible for enforcement, education and outreach involving Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity laws. Before coming to HUD, Plaza was a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Division, Torts Branch of the Department of Justice. Earlier she was a trial attorney handling criminal and federal litigation. Plaza, who was raised in public housing in El Paso, TX, received her undergraduate degree at Harvard University and a law degree at the University of California, Berkeley.

As Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development, Ramirez oversees HUD programs for community development, homeless assistance and economic development. Ramirez served as mayor of Laredo, TX for eight years before coming to HUD. He also co-chaired the U.S. Conference of Mayor's Task Force on Immigration, served on the Board of Trustees of the U. S. Conference of Mayors, and was previously in the cattle ranching business.