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Washington, D.C. – The 91´«Ã½ Washington Office today announces two staff appointments in the Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP).

Larra Clark will serve as the new director of the Program on Networks and Associate Director of the Program on America’s Libraries for the 21st Century. Marijke Visser will become the new assistant director of OITP.

Clark’s new responsibilities will include overall management of OITP’s telecommunications portfolio and day-to-day management of projects in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Since February 2007, Clark has served as project manager of the Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study (PLFTAS) in the Office of Research & Statistics (ORS). Larra began her 91´«Ã½ career in the Public Information Office as Manager of Media Relations. Earlier in her career, she was press secretary to Alderman Gene Schulter in Chicago. Larra received her M.S. from the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Clark’s appointment will be effective on November 1, 2010, but she will be providing some support to ORS for a limited period after that date to ensure a smooth transition of the PLFTAS.

As assistant director, Visser’s responsibilities will include primary management of OITP’s E-rate activities, working in collaboration with Larra Clark and Alan Inouye. In addition, Visser’s policy portfolio will include projects focused at the intersection of children and youth and information technology policy. She will also have responsibility for OITP communications and other office-wide activities.

Since January 2009, Visser has served as Information Technology Policy Analyst in OITP. Visser was initially hired to work on the Opportunity Online Broadband Grant Program, sponsored by the Gates Foundation, and her work portfolio expanded to include E-rate and support for a number of OITP activities on the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) and the National Broadband Plan. Visser received her master’s degree in library science from Indiana University, Indianapolis.

Visser’s appointment will be effective on October 18, 2010.