FOR RELEASE:  October 4, 1994            CONTACT:  Tom DeRocco
                                                (202) 208-3983

           HOUSTON AREA FEDERAL EMPLOYEES RECOGNIZED FOR 
                   EFFORTS TO REINVENT GOVERNMENT (#40075)

     The Department of the Interior's Minerals Management Service
(MMS) Houston Area Compliance Office celebrated the first
anniversary of the National Performance Review (NPR) with an awards
ceremony today.  Led by Vice-President Al Gore, NPR's aims are to
re-invent government, providing first-class service to all
customers with a minimum of red tape, and to develop better ways to
accomplish agency missions.

     As the agency that manages and regulates the mineral resources
on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), and collects and disburses
about $4 billion annually from OCS leases and onshore leases on
federal and Indian lands, MMS has incorporated these objectives in
its mission.

     Acting MMS Director Cynthia Quarterman provided an update from
Washington, DC on NPR activities and recognized Houston area
employees for their contributions in managing federal mineral
revenues.

     For their work in implementing a pilot project using peer
review and staff consultation to audit contract settlements,
certificates were presented to Moe Gonzales, Ronnie Ball, Clifford
Coston and Darnell Harris.  Paul Price was also recognized for his
service on a special project team formed to develop and conduct a
specialized contract settlements training course.  David Slagle was
cited for his efforts in helping to design and implement new
automated systems to support MMS audits and compliance activities.

     In her remarks, Quarterman thanked employees for their
commitment to make government work more efficiently and become more
responsive to customer needs.

                                -MMS-

Subject: PR-10/4/94 Houston NPR/Houston Area Federal Employees
Recognized for Efforts to Reinvent Government (#40075)