The E-Sylum:  Volume 8, Number 42, October 2, 2005, Article 13

NEESE MINT DIRECTOR NOMINATION WITHDRAWN

Our crack team of numismatic investigators missed this one,
but the folks at Numismatic News covered it on the front page
of their October 4th issue. Coin World also covered it this
week in their October 10-dated issue.

Terry Neese of Oklahoma's nomination to the post of Director of
the U.S. Mint has been withdrawn. A notice was posted on the
White House web site September 20th. According to the
Numismatic News article, Neese asked not to be considered for
the post and "informed the White House of her decision on Sept.
19," one day before her scheduled congressional hearing.

The E-Sylum published word of her nomination on August 5, 2005
(v8n34), and I questioned her background, asking "Shouldn't a
Mint Director have experience managing far-flung manufacturing
operations with a large workforce? It will be interesting to see how
the Senate explores Neese's qualifications."

Well, the Senate never got the chance. Perhaps Neese became
a victim of the post-Katrina fallout over the Federal Emergency
Management Agency's Director's qualifications for his position.
Was she asked to withdraw? We may never know - Neese
simply cited family reasons for her pullout. But it will be interesting
to compare her qualifications with those of the next nominee.
Will it be another political appointee with little relevant experience?
Or a candidate more likely to withstand the likely congressional
scrutiny?

To read the White House press release, see: Full Story

Here are some questions for our hard-core Mint trivia fans - is this
the first time a Mint Director nominee has been withdrawn? Has
a nominee ever been rejected? I don't know the answers, but
perhaps one of our readers does.

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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