Kenneth L. Marcus Named Staff Director to U.S. Commission On Civil Rights

White House Names Kenneth L. Marcus Staff Director to U.S. Commission On Civil Rights

12/13/2004 4:22:00 PM

To: National Desk

Contact: Terri A. Dickerson of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 202-376-7700

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 /U.S. Newswire/ -- President George W. Bush has appointed Kenneth L. Marcus as Staff Director of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Starting today as Staff Director, Marcus will serve as the agency's senior executive officer, directing the work authorized by the eight-member panel of Commissioners.

Prior to joining the Commission, Marcus served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Education for Enforcement and since 2003 possessed the authority of the Assistant Secretary of Education for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education. In directing the Office of Civil Rights (OCR), he was the primary civil rights advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Education and oversaw the resolution of approximately 5,000 civil rights cases per year via OCR's twelve enforcement offices. Marcus instituted proactive enforcement initiatives at OCR, including numerous nationally coordinated investigations addressing such problems as: misidentification of racial and ethnic minorities and English language learners in special education. He also accomplished an important reengineering of the Department of Education's civil rights enforcement process that addressed investigative quality, efficiency, and customer service.

Earlier, Marcus served as the General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and a as Commissioner on the Brown v. Board of Education 50th Anniversary Commission. He is a graduate of Williams College and the University of California at Berkeley School of Law.

Marcus, who assumed his post today, commented "I am pleased to undertake this important assignment and look forward to working in this new capacity toward the nation's pursuit of equality for all."

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The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights is an independent, bipartisan agency charged with monitoring federal civil rights enforcement. Members include Chairperson Gerald Reynolds, Vice Chairperson Abigail Thernstrom and Commissioners Jennifer C. Braceras, Christopher Edley Jr., Peter N. Kirsanow, Elsie M. Meeks, and Russell G. Redenbaugh. Kenneth L. Marcus is Staff Director. Commission meetings are open to the media and general public.

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