Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy Announces New Chairperson LOS ANGELES, CA–The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy announced today the election of its new Chair for 2016. Irma R. Muñoz, Member appointed by the Mayor of the City of Los Angeles, was elected Chairperson by a unanimous vote of the Conservancy at its January 11, 2016 meeting. Irma R. Muñoz is the founder and president of Mujeres de la Tierra, an environmental-equity non-profit that inspires and teaches women and their children to take ownership and leadership of neighborhood issues and challenges. She also serves as Vice-Chair of the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board. Previously, Ms. Muñoz has served as chief of staff to a senior ranking state legislator, public relations and community affairs executive with Centre City Development Corporation, a presidential appointee with the Clinton Administration for seven years at the U. S. Small Business Administration, senior manager with TreePeople, and as a member of the City of Los Angeles Environmental Affairs Commission. In 2010, Ms. Muñoz was named a “community champion” by the Annenberg Foundation for excellence in leadership in Los Angeles County and honored by Senator Curren Price as a “SheHero” for her role in improving the health of families in Senatorial District 26. Muñoz has served on the Conservancy since 2010. “It is a high honor to have the confidence of the Board and I look forward to our work together to continue to preserve, protect and restore natural resources for the public good and benefit.” The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, established by the Legislature in 1980, is composed of nine voting members and three ex officio members. The nine voting members represent local, state, and federal government including the Superintendent of the Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area, a member appointed by the Mayor of the City of Los Angeles, a public member appointed by the Governor, a public member appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, one public member appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, a member appointed by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, a member appointed by the Ventura County Board of Supervisors, the designee of the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency of California, and the Superintendent of the Angeles District of California State Parks. Ex Officio Members include the Supervisor of the Angeles National Forest and appointees of the California Coastal Conservancy and the California Coastal Commission. A 26-member Advisory Committee consisting of representatives of local jurisdictions, and members appointed by the Governor, the Senate Rules Committee, and the Speaker of the Assembly advise the Conservancy. The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy was established by the State Legislature in 1980. Since that time, it has helped to preserve over 73,000 acres of parkland in both wilderness and urban settings. Its mission is to strategically buy back, preserve, protect, restore and enhance treasured pieces of Southern California to form an interlinking system of urban, rural and river parks, open space, trails, and wildlife habitats that are easily accessible to the general public.
