Offshore staff

WASHINGTON -- Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne has named Randall Luthi director of the MMS.

Luthi, currently deputy director of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, is a former speaker and majority leader of the Wyoming House of Representatives. He previously served in the Department of the Interior and at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

"Randall Luthi's past experience, including as a leader in the Wyoming legislature, counselor at NOAA, and attorney at Interior, make him well suited to head the MMS," says Kempthorne.

"This experience, combined with his leadership skills, will enable the MMS to continue to substantially contribute to our goal of reducing America's dependence on foreign sources of energy through safe and environmentally responsible offshore production, while also ensuring that the American public receives a fair share of the value of resources extracted from our public lands and waters," he says.

7/24/2007