(June 28, 2007) -- Former 3rd district LB Councilman/Vice Mayor Frank Colonna has been appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to a vacany on the governing board of the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy.
The Conservancy has 20 members (13 voting and 7 non-voting)...and Colonna's new position is a voting position.
The agency's website indicates that among the vacancies the Governor could fill was one for a "resident of Los Angeles County appointed by the governor from a list of potential members submitted by local, state, and national environmental organizations." The Governor's office declined to say if that position went to Mr. Colonna, citing personnel matters. [At some point, Mr. Colonna's voting position will be added to the agency's public website where everyone can see it, but we didn't feel like arguing with the Governor's press rep].
During his Council tenture, Colonna served on the Conservancy in his capacity as an elected official. The Conservancy's current boardmembers include LB Councilman Patrick O'Donnell (as an elected LB Councilman) and Signal Hill Councilman Ed Wilson (a position appointed by Speaker of the Assembly) are current Conservancy board members.
The Conservancy, created by the state legislature in 1999, is one of nine conservancies within the CA Resources Agency. On its website, the Conservancy says its mission "is to preserve open space and habitat in order to provide for low-impact recreation and educational uses, wildlife habitat restoration and protection, and watershed improvements within our jurisdiction." Its territory covers eastern L.A. County and western OC.
After finishing second to Bob Foster in the 2006 Mayoral race, Mr. Colonna was elected president of LB's Lincoln Club in fall 2007. The group's mission is to promote local Republican candidates for office.
Mr. Colonna has been mentioned as a possible Republican candidate for the 54th Assembly district seat (now held by Democrat Betty Karnette). When asked about this in March 2007, Mr. Colonna offered us a smiling "it's too early to say."
The Governor's announcement of his Conservancy appointment notes Mr. Colonna's background as a registered State Environmental Health Specialist and adds that he earned a Masters degree in environmental health from CSU Northridge and a Bachelor of Science degree in zoology from CSULB.
The position doesn't require Senate confirmation and pays $75 per diem.
