Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Christie Names First Hispanic To Rutgers Board

Today, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie announced the appointment of respected New Brunswick lawyer and Latino Leadership Alliance of New Jersey President Martin Perez, Esq. to the Rutgers University Board of Governors This appointment marks the first time any governor has named a Hispanic New Jerseyan to serve on the university's top governing board.

“Martin Perez will be an excellent addition to the Rutgers Board of Governors. As a longtime advocate for access to quality education, he will bring that same passion to Rutgers,” said Governor Christie. “He will also bring valuable perspective to the university and work to make sure Rutgers continues to serves the entire state.”

The Board of Governors is composed of eleven voting members, six of whom are appointed by the governor with confirmation by the New Jersey State Senate. The remaining five are elected by and from the Board of Trustees. Mr. Perez is being appointed to a 6-year term. Mr. Perez’s nomination, made Thursday, May 12, 2011 requires the advice and consent of the New Jersey State Senate.

In accepting the Governor’s appointment, Mr. Perez said, “I thank Governor Christie for this opportunity to serve my alma mater, Rutgers University, and for his commitment to diversity. I look forward to working with President McCormick, the other members of the Board of Governors and Trustees and most importantly, the students who represent our best hope for the future of the State of New Jersey."

Established in 1766, Rutgers University is America’s eighth oldest institution of higher learning and one of the nation’s premier public research universities. The university currently serves more than 56,000 students on campuses in Camden, Newark and New Brunswick and offers more than 280 bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and professional degree programs and is home to 27 degree-granting schools and colleges, and more than 150 specialized centers and institutes.

Martin Perez (New Brunswick, Middlesex), Appointee, Rutgers University Board of Governors
Martín Perez, a 1986 Rutgers School of Law–Newark graduate, is currently the President of the Latino Leadership Alliance of New Jersey, a statewide umbrella Latino advocacy organization. Mr. Perez grew up in Puerto Rico and graduated from the University of Puerto Rico with a Bachelor’s Degree, Seton Hall University with a Masters Degree in Secondary Education and Rutgers University Law School with a Juris Doctor Degree.

Mr. Perez’s accomplishments include directing Project Puente at Middlesex County College, teaching and working in various positions at Rutgers University and serving as a trial attorney for the Office of the Public Defender in Hudson County.

A well known and respected community leader, Mr. Perez is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options (HCREO) and Excellent Education for Everyone (E-3). In 2007, he served on both the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Advisory Panel on Immigration Policy and as Co-Chair of the Latino Advisory Council to the President of Rutgers University.

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