SILVER SPRING, Md. (February 8, 2000) - Choice Hotels International, Inc. today announced the appointment of William L. Jews to its Board of Directors to fill an unexpired term until the Company`s annual meeting of shareholders in 2002. He will replace James H. Rempe, who will be retiring from the Board at the Company`s May 3 annual meeting.

Jews, 48, is president and chief executive officer of CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, the region`s largest health insurer, serving nearly 2.6 million members in Maryland, the District of Columbia, northern Virginia and southern Delaware. CareFirst was formed when Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Maryland and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of the National Capital Area affiliated in 1998.

“Our Board welcomes Bill`s business expertise and leadership ability,” said Stewart Bainum, Jr., board chairman. “His 25-year career in healthcare administration demonstrates not only his business acumen, but his sense of service to his community.”

He added, “We also want to thank Jim Rempe for his 30 years of dedicated service to Choice and its predecessor, first as a member of senior management and subsequently on our Board. He has made an invaluable contribution to our Company, for which we are grateful.”

A native of Cambridge, Maryland, Jews earned a Bachelor`s degree in social and behavioral sciences from the Johns Hopkins University in 1974. He received a Master`s degree in urban planning and policy analysis, with an emphasis on health administration, from Morgan State University`s Graduate School of Urban Studies in 1976.

In 1993, Jews was named president and chief executive officer of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Maryland, at a time when the company faced severe operational and financial difficulties. He initiated operational changes that produced dramatic improvements in financial strength and customer service. Jews subsequently spearheaded the business combination of the Maryland Blues plan with the neighboring Blue Cross and Blue Shield of the National Capital Area, forming CareFirst.

He serves as a Governor in the Baltimore office of the Federal Reserve Bank and as chair of the Greater Baltimore Alliance, a public-private regional economic development marketing association. He also serves on the Baltimore County Revenue Authority, the University of Maryland at Baltimore County President`s Advisory Board, the Maryland Health Care Foundation Board of Trustees, and the Washington-Baltimore Regional 2012 Coalition, which is working on the region`s Olympic host bid.

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