WASHINGTON -- Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne today praised President Bush's nomination of C. Stephen Allred to be Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Land and Minerals Management. His nomination is subject to confirmation by the U.S. Senate.

Allred has more than 40 years experience in engineering, management and leadership positions, half in private industry and half in public service.

"Steve has a lifetime of leadership experience in the government and private sectors and his civil engineering background will enable him to meet the technical challenges of overseeing Interior's Minerals Management Service, Bureau of Land Management and Office of Surface Mining," Kempthorne said. "I have worked with him and have confidence in his judgment and abilities. He'll be an outstanding addition to the Interior leadership team."

Allred most recently served as a member of then-Governor Kempthorne's cabinet. In 2000, as Administrator of the Division of Environmental Quality, Allred successfully won legislative authorization for the formation of a Department of Environmental Quality, becoming its first Director. Previously, Allred served as Director of the Idaho State Department of Water Resources and as a senior vice-president and group president for Morrison-Knudson Corp.

Allred is a board member of the Department of Energy Environmental Advisory Board; board member of the University of Idaho Research Foundation; and Managing Member of the Allred Consultants, LLC. He was named an Outstanding Government Official of the Year in 2001 by Governing Magazine. Allred received his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Idaho. He has been married for more than 40 years and has two grown children.

Acting Assistant Secretary Johnnie Burton will continue to serve in that capacity until Allred has been confirmed.