Leavitt selects top aides

WASHINGTON — New Environmental Protection Agency administrator Mike Leavitt announced two top staff appointments Monday — and the White House announced that President Bush plans to meet with Leavitt Wednesday to welcome him to his Cabinet.

The White House said the meeting will be private, with only still photographers allowed at the beginning of the gathering.

Leavitt, who took office Thursday after resigning as governor of Utah, also announced that Rich McKeown, who had been his chief of staff as governor, will also be his chief of staff at the EPA. McKeown had been Leavitt's chief of staff since 1999. He was a member of the Utah State Tax Commission from 1996 to 1999. McKeown is an alumnus of Ohio University and the University of Utah School of Law. Leavitt has also hired Cynthia Bergman as the EPA press secretary. In 2002, she handled communications for the Maine Republican Party, focusing on the re-election campaign of Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. Bergman was also a press secretary for Sen. Slade Gorton, R-Wash., from 1997 to 2000 and worked at Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide in New York City. Leavitt issued a statement Monday saying, "I spent my first couple of days meeting with the tremendous people here at EPA and will continue to seek their input and learn from their expertise."

Leavitt added, "Rich and Cynthia will complement this team of dedicated people and help us meet the core mission of the agency." He is expected to announced additional staff appointments in coming weeks.