New Fellows, Heffernan Visiting Fellow Come to Institute of Politics

A Nobel Peace Prize winner who was president of his country, a major general in charge of peacekeeping forces in Bosnia, a former press secretary to Barbara Bush, and a former mayor are among the fellows joining the Institute of Politics (IOP) as spring 1998 fellows. In residence for the spring semester will be:

Oscar Arias, Heffernan Visiting Fellow, former president of Costa Rica (1986-1990) and Nobel Peace Prize winner (1987); John Perry Barlow, associate fellow, former county chair, Republican Party of Wyoming; John Bullard, director of the Office of Sustainable Development and Intergovernmental Affairs, U.S. Department of Commerce (1993-1998); Joseph B. Dial, former commissioner, U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (1991-1997); Cheryl Lau, former general counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives (1995-1996); William Nash, a major general who was commander of Task Force Eagle, charged with implementing the Dayton Peace Accords in Bosnia-Herzegovina; Anna Perez, former press secretary to Barbara Bush (1989-1993); Dan Schnur, former director of communications for Gov. Pete Wilson.

"There is surely a broad range of diverse and practical experience in this exciting group of people which should serve to inspire the students, and stimulate our community during our spring semester. I am very pleased," said IOP Director Alan Simpson.

The Institute of Politics, located in the Kennedy School of Government, was founded in 1966 to encourage undergraduate student interest in the dynamics of politics and to increase understanding and cooperation between the academic community and the political world.

The Fellows will introduce themselves and participate in a panel discussion on "Personal Perspectives on Politics" at 6 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 12, in the ARCO Forum of Public Affairs. The public is invited to attend.

About the Fellows

Oscar Arias has been named an Elizabeth B. and Dennis B. Heffernan Visiting Fellow. Arias served as president of Costa Rica from 1986 to 1990. He was a member of the legislative assembly from 1978 to 1982 and minister of national planning, from 1972 to 1977. Arias received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987. He is the director of the Arias Foundation for Peace and Human Progress and will be in residence for the month of April.

John Perry Barlow has been named an associate fellow of the Institute. He was a rancher and environmentalist in Wyoming for 17 years. Barlow is the co-founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. He also was a lyricist for The Grateful Dead. Barlow is a writer and lecturer on subjects relating to the virtualization of society and is a contributing editor of numerous publications. He is a recognized commentator on computer security, virtual reality, digitized intellectual property, and the social and legal conditions arising on the Internet. Barlow was the first person to use the term, "Cyberspace" in its contemporary meaning. He wrote the widely distributed Declaration of Independence of Cyberspace, and is interested in the implications of the Net on the politics of both the immediate, and long-term future. In the politics of the physical world, Barlow was a former county chair of the Wyoming Republican Party and ran as a Republican candidate for State Senate, and lost by one vote.

John Bullard was director of the Office of Sustainable Development and Intergovernmental Affairs, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce, from 1993 to the present. He was the mayor of the city of New Bedford, Mass., from 1986 to 1992 and historic preservationist of New Bedford from 1974 to 1985. At NOAA, Bullard directs an office whose mission is to advise on sustainable development and was the administration's point person on the crisis caused by the collapse of Northeastern fisheries. New Bedford, the city where he was mayor, has been transformed by his reorganization of the fishing industry, his clean water policies, his work on crime and drug prevention, and his revitalization of the waterfront and New Bedford's historic district.

Joseph B. Dial was commissioner of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) from 1991 to 1997. He was nominated in April 1991 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in May of 1991. In 1990, Dial won the Republican primary for the U.S. House of Representatives for Texas' 14th District. As commissioner, Dial represented the CFTC at regulatorsÕ forums and industry conferences in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. His efforts culminated with the signing by 16 financial regulatory agencies from around the world of the Windsor Declaration, in 1995, and the Tokyo Communiqué in 1997. For 20 years Dial worked with U.S.D.A.'s Foreign Agriculture Service and numerous foreign governments in developing and implementing programs.

Cheryl Lau was general counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives, from 1995 to 1996. She was Republican secretary of state for Nevada (1992-1995) and deputy attorney general of Nevada's Attorney General's Office (1987-1991). Among her many affiliations, Lau served as the vice chair of the 1992 Republican National Platform Committee, secretary of the Republican National Convention in 1992, and chair of the National Commission for the Renewal of American Democracy.

William Nash served in the United States Army from 1963 to 1997. Major General Nash was a commander of Task Force Eagle, a multinational division organized to implement the Dayton Peace Accords in Bosnia- Herzegovina. General Nash served as a brigade commander in Desert Storm, as program manager and advisor to the Saudi Arabian National Guard, and was a platoon leader in Vietnam. He also served at Headquarters, Department of the Army, the Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Headquarters, U.S. Army, Europe. His decorations include the Army's Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, and the Purple Heart.

Anna Perez has been press secretary to Barbara Bush (1989-1993) and press secretary to U.S. Congressman John Miller (R-Wash.) (1985-1989). Perez is currently vice president, Government Relations, the Walt Disney Company Ñ coordinating and implementing the company's relations with state, county, and municipal governments. From 1993 to 1995 Perez was head of media relations for Creative Artists Agency. She is a member of the California Film Commission, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, and the Black Filmmakers Foundation.

Dan Schnur is former director of communications for Gov. Pete Wilson and former communications director to the California Republican Party. He has also worked as a political analyst on KGO Radio, as a political commentator for the Los Angeles Times and San Francisco Chronicle, and as a weekly columnist on California politics for the Sacramento Bee online news provider. Schnur began his political career in the press office of the Reagan-Bush '84 presidential campaign and later served as a spokesman for the Bush-Quayle '88 presidential campaign and worked in the press offices of the Republican National Committee.