SACRAMENTO — Secretary of Resources Mike Chrisman has announced that he will leave his post as of February 1, 2010 after serving as Secretary for six years under Governor Schwarzenegger. To fill his position, the Governor has appointed Lester Snow, current Director of the Department of Water Resources.
“Mr. Chrisman, who served as the founding Chair of the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, leaves behind a legacy of service to the Sierra Nevada,” notes The Sierra Fund’s CEO, Elizabeth “Izzy” Martin. “Under his leadership the Conservancy grew a strong institutional base, including building support for the work of the Conservancy amongst the stakeholders of the Sierra. We will miss his experience and wisdom.”
Chrisman has announced that he will be joining the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) as the director of its new Southwestern Partnership Office. Based in San Francisco, Chrisman will oversee program development in a region that includes Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah.
“It is difficult to match Mike’s depth of experience as an administrator and natural resource steward anywhere in this country,” said Jeff Trandahl, NFWF executive director. “His addition to our team represents a significant infusion of talent and passion that will pay huge dividends for the fish and wildlife resources of the Southwest,” said Trandahl. “Because partnership building represents the core of the Foundation’s work, we fully expect that Mike will take our programs to new heights throughout the Southwest.”