MacDonald Named Deputy Assistant Secretary

(WASHINGTON) -- Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton has promoted Julie A. MacDonald to be deputy assistant secretary for fish and wildlife and parks in the Department of the Interior.

MacDonald has been serving as senior advisor to Assistant Secretary Craig Manson. She will continue to report to Manson in her new position. She came to the Department in July 2002.
"Julie MacDonald has brought the benefits of her long experience in environmental and water law to the Interior Department and done an outstanding job, said Norton. "She is a valuable member of our policy team."

MacDonald is a civil engineer with a master's degree in management. She began her federal career as a hydraulic engineer with Interior's Bureau of Reclamation in 1979. In 1987, she commenced a distinguished career in public policy. She has been a staff consultant in the California Legislature and served as senior staff to the California Senate minority leader. Governor Pete Wilson later appointed her as Associate Secretary of the state Health and Welfare Agency and then in 1996, as Deputy Secretary for Legislative Affairs in the California Resources Agency. In the latter position, she was responsible for gaining bipartisan passage of new provisions in the California Endangered Species Act.