NEW ORLEANS PASSPORT AGENCY ANNOUNCES NEW DIRECTOR, NEW HOURS

October 1, 1999

The U.S. Department of State has announced the selection of a new director to head the New Orleans Regional Passport Agency. Beverly Hitts-Christophe, a native of New Orleans and a graduate of Dillard University, has been selected to replace P. Joyce Gunn, who now heads the Houston Passport Agency. Mrs. Hitts-Christophe began her career at the New Orleans office in 1972 as a passport examiner, and later held the positions of senior passport specialist, Adjudication Manager, and Assistant Regional Director. She has been Acting Director since May of this year. The New Orleans office is responsible for providing passport services to 13 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

The New Orleans Passport Agency is also announcing a change in its business hours. Effective Monday, November 1, 1999, the agency, located at One Canal Place, 365 Canal St., Suite 1300, will be open weekdays from 8:30a.m. to 3:30p.m. This change is intended to offer more convenient service to the public. Only those customers needing a passport within 2 weeks should apply in person at the Canal Street location. All other customers may submit applications for passports at any of the following locations in the New Orleans metropolitan area: Metairie Post Office, 3301 17^th St., Metairie; the Jefferson Parish Clerk of Court, 1221 Elmwood Park Blvd., Suite 603, or 200 Derbigny St., Gretna; Kenner Main Post Office, 2300 Williams Blvd., Kenner; Carrollton Station Post Office, 3400 S. Carrollton Ave., New Orleans; Chef Menteur Station Post Office, 5919 Chef Menteur Hwy., New Orleans; Gretna Post Office, 406 Gretna Blvd., Gretna; Covington Post Office, 1775 N. Columbia, Covington; Mandeville Post Office, 1 St. Ann Drive, Mandeville; Slidell Main Post Office, 1950 Second St., Slidell, and the St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court, 520 E. Boston St., Covington, and 520 Old Spanish Trail, No. 405, Slidell.

Customers can obtain more information about passport application procedures and requirements by contacting the National Passport Information Center at 1-900-225-5674, or by visiting the Bureau of Consular Affairs’ Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov.