President Bush has appointed Diane Cullo to be the executive director of the President's Advisory Board on Tribal Colleges and Universities.

The President created the advisory board and the White House Initiative on Tribal Colleges and Universities in July 2002 to ensure that the nation's 34 Tribal Colleges and Universities are recognized and have full access to federal programs that benefit other postsecondary institutions. The advisory board consists of 15 members who provide advice and recommendations on ways the federal government can help Tribal Colleges and Universities strengthen and expand their resources, programs, facilities and technology use.

Diane Cullo most recently served as the director of development, communications and program initiatives for the American Indian Higher Education Consortium. Cullo has a bachelor's degree in communication arts from James Madison University. She lives in Alexandria, Va.

Board members include Tribal College presidents, educators, business leaders and public servants. U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige's office coordinates the White House Initiative on Tribal Colleges and Universities and provides staff and support for the board of advisers. Secretary Paige presents the board's recommendations to President Bush.

Tribal Colleges and Universities serve more than 30,000 full-time and part-time students and offer vocational certificate programs and associate, bachelor's and master's degrees. These institutions are often the only postsecondary institutions in some of the nation's poorest rural areas and serve a variety of people, including young adults, senior citizens, American Indians and non-American Indians. Tribal Colleges and Universities also provide crucial services and add hope to communities that suffer high rates of poverty and unemployment.

More information about the White House Initiative on Tribal Colleges and Universities is available at http://www.ed.gov/about/inits/list/whtc/edlite-index.html.

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