Chairman Christopher Cox Appoints SEC Veteran John Nester Director of Public Affairs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2006-28

Washington, D.C., Feb. 27, 2006 — Chairman Christopher Cox announced today that Acting Director of Communications John Nester will become Director of the Office of Public Affairs of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

“John Nester has served American investors under four Chairmen by ably disseminating vital information about complex matters to the media under tight deadlines,” Chairman Cox said. “Investors deserve timely and accurate information not only from public issuers, but from the agency charged with ensuring such disclosure. I look forward to continuing to work closely with John as he helps the SEC and the media keep investors informed.”

“The mission of the Office of Public Affairs is to help every other SEC division and office accomplish its missions—to protect investors, maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets, and facilitate capital formation,” Nester said. “I look forward to continuing to work closely with my colleagues to get information to investors, which is at the heart of our mission and our economy.”

Nester was appointed Acting Director of Communications July 1, 2005. He joined the Office of Public Affairs in June 2002 as Media Director and Public Affairs Specialist and was integral to communications efforts during implementation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Previously, he served five and one-half years as Media Director in the SEC’s Office of Investor Education and worked for more than a decade as a journalist covering Capitol Hill and government, including as a bureau chief, assignment editor, and television correspondent. He is a 1982 graduate of George Mason University with a bachelor’s degree in speech communication.

http://www.sec.gov/news/press/2006-28.htm