FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                        2000-91


           Barry W. Rashkover Named Associate Director
          of the Commission's Northeast Regional Office
     
     Washington, DC, July 5, 2000 -- Securities and Exchange
Commission Chairman Arthur Levitt today announced the selection
of Barry W. Rashkover as Associate Regional Director of the
Commission's Northeast Regional Office. As Associate Regional
Director, Mr. Rashkover will serve as one of the senior officials
in the office, and will be responsible for helping to plan and
direct the enforcement program of the region.

     Richard H. Walker, Director of the Division of Enforcement,
said, "Barry is one of the most intelligent and energetic
attorneys in the Division.  He has worked tirelessly on some of
the most important cases that have been brought by the Northeast
Region in the last few years.  I am confident that Barry's
experience and wisdom will continue to contribute greatly to the
enforcement program."

     Acting Director of the Northeast Regional Office Edwin H.
Nordlinger said, "Barry is an outstanding attorney and has been a
great team builder in the Northeast Regional Office.  I know
Barry will continue to work as tenaciously in his new position to
fight securities fraud as he has in the past."

     Mr. Rashkover, 39, has been an attorney with the Division of
Enforcement since 1995.  Most recently, he served as Assistant
Regional Director in the Northeast Regional Office.  In that
position, Mr. Rashkover has been responsible for several
important Commission enforcement actions.  Mr. Rashkover was one
of the lead attorneys who worked on the case the Commission filed
against the New York Stock Exchange concerning irregularities in
its floor broker regulatory program.  Mr. Rashkover also played
major roles in cases involving The Bennett Funding Group, Inc.
and First Interregional Advisors Corporation, which involved
massive "Ponzi" schemes.  Mr. Rashkover received the SEC's
Stanley Sporkin Award in 1999, which is given by the Chairman of
the Commission in recognition of outstanding contributions to the
SEC's Enforcement program.

     Before joining the Commission staff, Mr. Rashkover was a
litigation associate with Rogers & Wells in New York.  He
received his A.B. from Columbia University in 1983 and his J.D.
from Cornell Law School in 1986.
     
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