Governor announces new appointments to state boards, councils

By THE STAR STAFF

Gov. Jenniffer González Colón announced on Wednesday a series of direct appointments to various state boards and councils, with the goal of strengthening public administration by incorporating professionals with experience in their fields.

The appointments do not require Senate confirmation, so the appointees can assume their duties immediately.

Among the appointments are Yrving Joel Rodríguez Torres and agronomist Helga Méndez Soto, who will serve on the Agronomists Board of Examiners, the entity responsible for regulating the practice of agronomy in Puerto Rico and ensuring compliance with professional standards in the agricultural sector.

Likewise, Kristal Collazo García was appointed as a member of the State Council for Independent Living, an organization that promotes the inclusion and autonomy of people with disabilities through public policies and support programs.

In the area of ​​infrastructure, the governor appointed Félix Negrón and Coral Cummings Pino to the board of directors of the Infrastructure Financing Administration, where they will contribute their technical and legal expertise to the evaluation and development of key projects for the island’s economic development.

Meanwhile, planner Suheidy Barreto Soto was appointed to the Puerto Rico Planners Examining Board, which oversees the professional practice of urban and territorial planning.

In addition, the governor announced nominations that will be submitted to the island Senate for review and confirmation. In the Department of Justice, eight legal professionals were nominated to fill prosecutor and attorney positions. Among them were Natalie Lausell Rodríguez, Ángel Luis Pérez Sánchez, and Albert Torres Mercado, who were nominated as Assistant Prosecutor I. Joan Marie Hernández Marrero was also proposed for promotion to Assistant Prosecutor II, and Pedro Juan Mateo Casado and Anamar Menéndez González were appointed as Assistant Prosecutor II.

In the area of ​​juvenile affairs, Tania Fernández Medero and Samuel Wiscovitch Corali were appointed as juvenile affairs prosecutors.

On the Parole Board, the governor nominated Carlos Javier Tavárez Santiago as an associate member, while in the Child Support Administration she appointed Johanna Dennise Santiago Rivera as an administrative judge, a key position to ensure compliance with child support obligations and the well-being of minors in Puerto Rico.