Department of the Interior

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Office of the Secretary
CONTACT: Dan DuBray
For Immediate Release: May 18, 2005
(202) 208-3172

Interior Secretary, Puerto Rico Governor Appoint New Leadership to Board of Trustees of The Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton and Governor of Puerto Rico Anibal Acevedo Vila have jointly appointed two new members and reappointed another member to the board of trustees of The Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico.

Former U.S. Sen. Mack F. Mattingly and Loren Ferré-Rangel are new members of the board, and Kate Romero is reappointed for a second term.

"I am pleased that these individuals will serve on this important board," Secretary Norton said..

The Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico is a nongovernmental, nonprofit organization established in 1968 through a memorandum of agreement between the U.S. Department of the Interior and the government of Puerto Rico "to protect and enhance the environment of the island." The sole beneficiary of the trust is the people of Puerto Rico. The trust has acquired over 17,000 acres of land and conducts educational and reforestation programs across the island. Trustees are selected for three-year terms by mutual agreement of the governor of Puerto Rico and the secretary of the Interior.

The charter of the board requires that one member reside in the U.S. mainland, and two members reside in Puerto Rico.

At the recommendation of the White House, Sen. Mattingly joins the trust for his first term as trustee after a long career in government, which includes serving as U.S. senator for Georgia from 1981 to 1987, NATO assistant secretary general for Defense Support from 1987 to 1990, and U.S. ambassador to the Republic of the Seychelles from 1992 to 1993.

Ferré-Rangel joins the Board of Trustees after serving as chairman in the trust's advisory council since June 2000. Ferré-Rangel has served as sales and marketing director of Grupo Ferré Rangel, Puerto Rico's largest communications conglomerate, and as member of the board of directors for the Center of the New Economy. She has extensive experience in media and communications. She has a master's degree in preservation and museum studies from Boston University.

They both join Romero, who has served as trustee since 1999. Romero is the former first lady of Puerto Rico (1977-1985). She has supported many issues of concern to the people of Puerto Rico related to the environment, the arts, the rights of the disabled, parks, children's causes, education, and Puerto Rico's cultural, historic and artistic heritage.

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[Editors Note: A photograph of Secretary Norton greeting the three trustees can be found on the Internet at http://www.doi.gov/island_communities.html ]

 

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