Complex sentence: Gioia was President George W. Bush's second choice to lead the NEA, the first, composer Michael P. Hammond, died only a week after taking office as the NEA's eighth chairman in January 2002.
Split into simpler sentences: Gioia was President George W. Bush's second choice to lead the NEA. The first, composer Michael P. Hammond, died only a week after taking office as the NEA's eighth chairman in January 2002.