FOR RELEASE:  September 26, 1994              CONTACT:  Lee Scurry
                                                    (202) 208-3983

        VICE PRESIDENT GORE COMMENDS MMS FOR NPR EFFORTS (#40066)


      Utilizing interactive electronic communications, Vice
President Al Gore commended employees at the U.S. Department of the
Interior's Minerals Management Service (MMS) last week for their
progress in reinventing government by promoting customer service
excellence and partnerships with the public and private sectors,
MMS officials announced today.

      "On [September 20], President Clinton and I held a press
briefing on Customer Service at the White House, and your customer
service standards are a prominent part of those which were
presented to the American people," Gore said.

      "MMS is an important member of the federal family and I
encourage you to continue to work together as a team to manage our
natural resources," he said. "Congratulations on your initiative."

      The Vice President's message came across the Information
Superhighway during MMS National Performance Review (NPR)
celebrations in the Pacific and Gulf of Mexico regional offices
where awards were given out for team accomplishments in
reinvention.

      The celebrations were led by acting MMS Deputy Director
Carolita Kallaur in the Gulf of Mexico region and by Associate
Director for Offshore Energy and Minerals Management Thomas Gernhofer in the
Pacific region.  At both events, Interior Chief of Staff Tom
Collier also used the bureau's electronic communications, known as
"NPR Talk Back," to congratulate award recipients and "all MMS
employees who support this worthy goal of reinvention."

      MMS' senior managers will continue to host NPR award
celebrations through the month of October at the following
locations:
      -- Houston area employees: October 4
      -- Dallas area employees: October 5
      -- Washington/Herndon area employees: October 16 (tentative)
      -- Denver area employees: October 25
      -- Oklahoma City and Tulsa area employees: October 26 

      The NPR ceremonies are part of a national campaign to
highlight federal employees who have demonstrated leadership in
implementing changes in the workplace.  Under NPR, federal
employees are empowered to take individual and collective
initiative to make government work more efficiently and become more
responsive to customer needs.

                              -MMS-

Subject: PR-09/26/94 NPR/Vice President Gore Commends MMS for NPR
Efforts (#40066)