News
12/13/1994

<TITLE>SHARON HOLSTON NAMED FDA DEPUTY COMMISSIONER FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS</TITLE>
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                          Press Release

P94-22                               Food and Drug Administration
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                Betsy Adams (301) 443-4177


     HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala today announced the
appointment of Sharon Smith Holston as deputy commissioner for
external affairs of the Food and Drug Administration.
     Holston, a 22-year career veteran of FDA, was most recently
associate commissioner for management and systems.  From 1988 to
1993, she was associate commissioner for management after having
served as acting associate commissioner from 1986.
     "Sharon's knowledge of the agency, her talents as a manager
and her organizational skills will be invaluable tools in leading
and overseeing FDA's external affairs offices," said FDA
Commissioner David A. Kessler, M.D.
      Reporting to Holston are the Offices of Consumer Affairs,
Health Affairs, Legislative Affairs, Public Affairs, AIDS and
Special Health Issues, and Women's Health.
     Holston began her career at FDA in 1972.  She has served as
deputy equal employment opportunity officer, acting executive
officer for the office of the commissioner, and special assistant
to the associate commissioner for management and operations.
                             -MORE-


                                       Page 2, P94-22, Holston
     In 1980, she was named deputy associate commissioner for
management and operations and held that post for six years.  
     In her management roles, Holston has overseen the building
of new laboratory facilities and the revision of FDA's ethics
programs to conform to the government-wide standards issued by
the Office of Government Ethics in 1992.  In addition, under her
leadership, the consolidation of FDA onto a single campus was
brought from concept to implementation.
     Holston has received numerous awards during her career at
FDA, including the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious
Executives in 1992, the Commissioner's Special Citation in 1985,
1989, 1992 and 1994 and the Department of Health and Human
Services Senior Management Citation in 1988.
     A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Holston received a bachelor's
degree from Barnard College, Columbia University, and a master of
public administration from the John F. Kennedy School of
Government, Harvard University.
     FDA is a Public Health Service agency in HHS.
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