Secretary of the Interior Manuel Lujan today announced that effective December 17, William D. Bettenberg, a 26-year Department employee, has been appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs.
Bettenberg served for almost five years as Director of Interior's Minerals Management Service (MMS) and as MMS associate director for Offshore Minerals Management. In March of 1990, he was named as a special assistant to Lujan.
"I welcome Bill Bettenberg to the Indian Affairs staff," said Eddie Brown, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs. "His outstanding credentials, experience and knowledge of Indian issues will help us to fulfill this Administration's responsibilities and commitments to the Indian people."
Bettenberg began his career at Interior ·n 1954 as a Bureau of Mines analyst working in automation and redesign of financial management systems. In 1972, he became a program analyst with the Department's Office of Economic Analysis. Two years later in 1974, he became Deputy Director of Interior's Budget Office, and was named Director of that office in 1979. He served as deputy assistant secretary for Policy, Budget and Administration from 1981 to 1983.
Bettenberg was born in Inglewood, California, and grew up in Richland, Washington. He holds a master's degree ·n political science from the University of Washington, and did additional graduate work in economics and public policy under the auspices of the National Institute for Public Administration from 1981 to 1983.
He is a charter member of the Senior Executive Service and holds the SES Meritorious and Distinguished Executive Awards. He received the Interior Department's Distinguished Service Award in 1983.
