Apuzzo has been serving as Associate Deputy Secretary of Labor at the United States Department of Labor since September, 1996. In her new position, she is scheduled to become the nation's highest ranking out gay or lesbian government official in history.

In the White House position, Apuzzo will direct all the management and administration functions of the entire White House complex and she will have oversight responsibilities for all of the agencies of the Executive Office of the President. These include the White House intern program, the photography office, the telephone service and the travel office. She began the new job yesterday.

Both the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) expressed evident satisfaction with the president's choice.

"We applaud this appointment as yet another step in President Clinton's promise to made his administration look like America," said Elizabeth Birch, HRC's executive director, "and we look forward to more appointments and nominations of openly gay people in Clinton's second term."

"This is historic," said Kerry Lobel, NGLTF's current executive director, "She has impeccable professional credentials-that she's an activist is icing on the cake. Her tenure with NGLTF brought impressive visibility to the movement. Her solid perspective on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues will be a tremendous asset to the Administration."

Before taking the top gay leadership position at NGLTF, Apuzzo held positions as Executive Director of the Office of Trials and Hearings for the City of New York and as Assistant Commissioner, Office of Operations, City of New York Department of Health.

After her NGLTF tenure, between 1985 and 1991, Apuzzo served as deputy executive director of the New York State Consumer Protection Board. For part of that time, from 1986 to 1989, she served concurrently as the governor's liaison to the gay and lesbian community.

Prior to joining the Clinton Administration, Apuzzo was also President of the New York State Civil Service Commission and Commissioner of the New York State Department of Civil Service.

She spent most of her professional career in New York where she worked in both the public and private sector.