Jacques Gérin, Chair of the Board

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is pleased to announce the appointment of Jacques Gérin as Chair of the Board of Directors. Mr. Gérin is a civil engineer with a master's degree in regional planning. He is also a consultant on environment at Hatch, a Canadian consulting engineering company. An environmental specialist, Mr. Gérin has been a manager and consultant in natural resources management, economic development and the environment, in both the public and private sectors. He is a former president of Hatch & Associés Inc. and was responsible for the environment for the Hatch group of companies.

Mr. Gérin was formerly with the Government of Canada as Vice President of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Deputy Minister of Environment Canada, and Associate Deputy Minister, North, of the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.

In 1997 Mr. Gérin received the Richard Beatty Mellon Award from the Air and Waste Management Association. He is a Governor of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and member of the Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC) of the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (NACEC). He currently chairs the Panel on Ecological Integrity of Canada's National Parks.

Angela Cropper, Board Member

Angela Cropper has been appointed to IISD's Board of Directors. Ms. Cropper is a former Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity. She has also been involved in the Caribbean Community Secretariat (CARICOM) as Adviser in Environment and Education, and Director of Functional Cooperation. She is former Project Manager (Eastern Caribbean Office) of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, Western Hemisphere Region (IPPF/WHR). Ms. Cropper is also the Deputy Chair of IUCN's Commission on Environmental Law. She is currently on the Advisory Committee on Forest Policy of the World Bank. Ms. Cropper is a Commission member of the World Commission on Forests and Sustainable Development, and was the Chairperson of its Editorial Committee and Editor of the Commission's Report. Ms. Cropper will be taking over as the Chair of the Advisory Board of Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development in Guyana.

Jim MacNeill, Chairman Emeritus and Distinguished Fellow

Retiring Chair, Jim MacNeill, has been appointed Chairman Emeritus and Distinguished Fellow in recognition of the influential and lasting contribution he has made at IISD. During his five-year tenure as Chair of the Board, Mr. MacNeill helped make IISD a more effective organization by moving sustainable development from concept to practice through his vision, leadership and guidance.

Maurice Strong, Distinguished Fellow

Maurice Strong has been appointed Distinguished Fellow in recognition of his invaluable contribution to advancing sustainable development through initiatives spanning a broad spectrum of activities.

For further information, please e-mail IISD at info@iisd.ca.