Board of Trustees names Albert Maury chair emeritus, Jorge L. Arrizurieta vice chair

Pictured from left to right: Jorge L. Arrizurieta and Albert Maury

FIU’s Board of Trustees on Friday named former chair Albert Maury as chair emeritus and selected Jorge L. Arrizurieta as the board’s new vice chair.

Maury, president and CEO of Leon Medical Centers Health Plans, was elected to lead FIU’s Board of Trustees in 2011. A two-time FIU graduate, Maury has an extensive background in health care finance, executive negotiations, budgeting and contracting. He also was recognized with an FIU medallion for being a staunch advocate for children and for his leadership and work in the community. He was first appointed to the board in 2007 and reappointed in 2011.

Arrizurieta, who is president of business development and government relations consulting firm Arrizurieta and Associates, has been on the board since June 2007 and was reappointed in 2013. Prior to that, he was appointed to the State of Florida Board of Governors for a term beginning in January 2006.

“I know what FIU means to this community, and I’m honored to have this opportunity to help lead FIU in a more meaningful way as vice chair,” Arrizurieta said.

Prior to his position at Arrizurieta and Associates, he served as chair of the international policy group at Akerman, Senterfitt law firm. He is past president of Florida Free Trade of the Americas, where he headed the drafting of a policy recommendation that led to the formation of the Interamerican Ethanol Commission and the collaboration between the U.S. and Western Hemisphere governments.

In early 2002, Arrizurieta was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as the alternate executive director at the Inter-American Development Bank. Prior to this appointment, Arrizurieta worked for entrepreneur H. Wayne Huizenga in various capacities for over 10 years. He began working with the entrepreneur as the director of community relations at the Florida Marlins, and later as vice president of public affairs at Huizenga Holdings Inc. Prior to his work with Huizenga, he served as director of state projects during U.S. Sen. Connie Mack’s first five years in office.

Arrizurieta has published articles relating to free trade, integration and the importance of biofuels and the possibility of a future hemispheric energy security policy.

“Jorge’s business acumen and public affairs expertise coupled with his deep knowledge of Florida’s public university system and his dedication to FIU, make him the best person for this position,” said Claudia Puig, chair of FIU’s Board of Trustees and senior vice president, general manager, local media at Univision. “We’ve been colleagues for years, and I look forward to working with him in his new role.”

In addition, trustees unanimously approved an amendment to the Campus Master Plan for the Modesto A. Maidique Campus (MMC) to accommodate the construction of two recreational and intramural practice fields on the northern end of FIU’s nature preserve.

In December, the trustees originally approved construction of the fields over Parking Lot 7, but also directed President Rosenberg to consider alternative locations. The Lot 7 location presented a number of problems, including safety issues because of its proximity to heavily traveled Southwest 17^th Street. It also would have resulted in loss of parking and presented severe conflicts with existing utilities.

FIU administrators also met with Miami-Dade County officials about putting the fields in Tamiami Park, but that was not a feasible location because it would have required a voter referendum and allowing non-FIU use of the fields. Additionally, there would be high maintenance costs because the Miami-Dade County Fair and Exposition uses that parkland for parking each year.

The preserve location will put the fields close to bathrooms, locker rooms and other amenities that students using the fields will need. The fields are exclusively for students and will be used as practice fields by student-athletes as well as for intramural sports and recreation.

The section where the fields will be built currently has a man-made pond and mostly invasive exotic species of plants and trees. Sections of the preserve with valuable pine rocklands and hardwood hammocks will not be touched. A mitigation plan also will result in slightly increasing the size of the preserve from 10.8 acres to 10.93 acres.

On March 8, the FIU Faculty Senate passed a resolution supporting construction of the fields, along with provisions that included the establishment of a $2 million endowment that will result in an additional $80,000 in funds for the preserve each year. Currently the preserve receives about $10,000 a year. For more on this project, please click here.

Other items included:

• Trustees reviewed President Mark B. Rosenberg’s performance for academic year 2014-15 and gave him a performance rating of Superior. To view the president’s scorecard, click here.
• Trustees also approved a new Master of Science degree in logistics engineering.

For information on FIU’s Board of Trustees, visit bot.fiu.edu.