Thomas G. Labrecque and his wife, Sheila, dined with President Clinton last week.
The Chase Manhattan Corp. couple were among the 113 guests at Thursday's state dinner for Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso.
Mr. Labrecque was the only banker on the White House guest list, which included Tony Meola, goalie on the U.S. World Cup soccer team, jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis, and Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.
With flags at half staff in mourning for victims of the Oklahoma City bombing, the dinner was not the usual festive affair. Still, Attorney General Janet Reno took a break from pursuit of the bombers to attend.
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Roberta Achtenberg's last day as assistant secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development will be Friday.
Ms. Achtenberg is leaving the Clinton administration to run for mayor of San Francisco.
Along with HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros, Ms. Achtenberg has been credited with reawakening the agency to its responsibility for enforcing the Fair Housing Act, much to the chagrin of bankers.
Ms. Achtenberg was also the first openly gay presidential appointee to face Senate confirmation. She was blasted by conservatives during a fiery three-day debate in May 1993 before her nomination was finally confirmed on a 58-to-31 vote.
In a statement this month, Ms. Achtenberg said she had made the "extraordinarily difficult decision" to leave HUD because she felt compelled to focus on nonprofit and affordable housing in her home city.
"Throughout my tenure in Washington ... I have never forgotten where I come from - and where my heart is," Ms. Achtenberg said.
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Jonathan L. Fiechter may just be "acting," but he's getting another substantial role.
The acting director of the Office of Thrift Supervision was named chairman of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council for a two-year term.
The regulatory agency heads rotate among themselves the chairmanship of the council, which coordinates action on regulatory issues. National Credit Union Administration Chairman Norman E. D'Amours is the council's new vice chairman.
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Sen. Alfonse M. D'Amato can't get a break.
The Senate Banking Committee chairman had been scheduled to speak at his son's graduation from Syracuse University's law school. But after the New York Republican used a phony Japanese accent to mock Judge Lance Ito on Don Imus' radio show, the students voted to withdraw their invitation.
Sen. D'Amato, who apologized for the Ito incident, said he was "deeply disappointed" by the law students' decision.
