Interior Secretary Gale Norton Names New Members
to National Park System Advisory Board

WASHINGTON--Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton announced today her appointment of six new members to the 12-member National Park System Advisory Board. The new members are Honorable Jerry Hruby; Michael Kammen, Ph.D.; Janet Snyder Matthews, Ph.D.; Jake Louis (Jay) Parmer II; Daniel Ritchie; and Douglas Wheeler.

"I am delighted to appoint these highly qualified, insightful individuals to the National Park System Advisory Board," said Norton. "They bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Board, as well as a deep level of commitment and dedication. I'm looking forward to receiving their counsel on various issues relating to the National Park System."

The Board advises the Director of the National Park Service (NPS) and the Secretary of the Interior on issues concerning the national parks and programs managed by the NPS, and also makes recommendations concerning national historic landmarks, national natural landmarks, and proposed national historic trails.

Members are selected from among United States citizens and are appointed to serve a term no longer than four years. They have demonstrated their commitment to the mission of the NPS and possess outstanding expertise in specified professions and fields of study. Members represent various geographic regions, including each of the administrative regions of the NPS.

National Park System Advisory Board
*denotes new member

Margaret L. (Margie) Brown, former senior vice president, Cook Inlet Region, Inc; Alaska
Robert S. Chandler, retired, National Park Service; California
Sylvia A. Earle, Ph.D., explorer in residence, National Geographic Society; Washington, DC
*Honorable Jerry Hruby, Mayor of Brecksville, Ohio, adjacent to Cuyahoga Valley National Park; Ohio
*Michael Kammen, Ph.D., Professor of History and Culture, Cornell University; past president, Organization of American Historians; California

Shirley Mahaley Malcom, Ph.D., head, Directorate for Education and Human Resources Programs, American Association for the Advancement of Science; Washington, DC

*Janet Snyder Matthews, Ph.D., Florida State Historic Preservation Officer; Director, Florida Division of Historical Resources; advisor emerita, National Trust for Historic Preservation; Florida
Gary Paul Nabhan, Ph.D., director, Center for Sustainable Environments, Northern Arizona University; Arizona
*Jake Louis (Jay) Parmer II, Principal Managing Director, American Strategies, Inc. (public affairs consulting firm); expert in corporate public affairs pertaining to local, state and federal issues; Nevada
*Daniel Ritchie, Chancellor, University of Denver; previously, Chairman and CEO of Westinghouse Broadcasting Corporation; Colorado
*Douglas Wheeler, Hogan & Hartson LLP (Environmental Section); former Secretary of California Resources Agency; Washington, DC
Thomas B. Williams, former Democratic staff director, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, U.S. Senate; Virginia

The National Park System Advisory Board was established in 1935 to advise the Secretary of the Interior on matters of the National Park System and the Historic Sites Act. When the Board's authorization expired in 1995, it was reestablished administratively. The Board's charter has been extended to January 1, 2006, under legislative authority (Public Law 104-333).

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