Two New Members Join The Trust For Public Land’s National Board

Ignacia S. Moreno and Ana Teresa Valdez have joined the national board of directors of The Trust for Public Land, the organization announced today.

Page Knudsen Cowles, chair of the national board, said, “Both Ignacia and Ana are leaders in their communities and they understand the importance of creating places for people and families to enjoy the outdoors. I look forward to working with them to protect the special places Americans care about.”

Ms. Moreno has practiced environmental and natural resources law for nearly 25 years. She is the Chief Executive Officer and a principal of The iMoreno Group, PLC, a law firm that offers legal services and strategic counseling on environmental and natural resources matters in the context of regulatory compliance, enforcement proceedings, litigation, business transactions, project development, government relations, and crisis management. The firm also offers advice and counsel on corporate, criminal defense, and immigration matters.

In 2009, President Obama nominated Ms. Moreno to be assistant attorney general for the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the United States Department of Justice, and the U.S. Senate confirmed her nomination by a unanimous vote of 93 to 0. She led the 650-person (430-lawyer) division from 2009 to 2013 and received awards for her outstanding service, including for her leadership of the division’s response to the 2009 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Before her appointment, Ms. Moreno was in-house environmental counsel at the General Electric Company. She practiced environmental and natural resources law and litigation at two prominent Washington, D.C., law firms, including as a partner. She served at the United States Department of Justice in the Environment and Natural Resources Division for seven years during the Clinton administration.

Ms. Moreno is a graduate of New York University and the New York University School of Law. She was born in Cartagena, Colombia, and is a naturalized U.S. citizen. She lives with her husband and teenage son in McLean, Virginia.

“The work of The Trust for Public Land makes an enormous difference in the lives of the American people. The Trust for Public Land has long understood that conservation efforts, including the creation of parks and playgrounds, ‘must serve all people and all communities, regardless of income, ethnicity, or geography.’ These are values that I hold dear,” said Ms. Moreno.

Ms. Ana Valdez is a native of Mexico City who currently lives in Los Angeles. She graduated with a business degree from the Tecnologico de Monterrey in Mexico and received a master’s degree in international relations from the Instituto Universitario Ortega Y Gasset in Madrid, Spain.

Mr. Valdez has extensive corporate and nonprofit experience all around the world, having worked for the likes of Nielsen, Banamex/Citigroup, United Nations, and the Clinton administration.

In 1997, she co-founded Valdez Consulting Group, based in Los Angeles, California. The company advises corporate, political and nonprofit clients on media, marketing and public relations strategy. She has also participated in multiple nonprofit boards throughout the years, empowering children and minority groups.

“I am very excited to be part of a board that is so passionate about creating and protecting green spaces for our children, and future generations,” she said. “I especially look forward to bringing nature and parks experiences to underprivileged communities.”