From natural resources to Daco: these are Pierluisi’s last appointments to his office

The elected governor Pedro Pierluisi He made five appointments to his cabinet on Tuesday, which will be his last appointments before taking office on January 2.

Here’s a look at the nominees and their credentials:

Edan Rivera Rodríguez, Secretary of the Consumer Department

He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus. He also holds a doctorate in law from the University of Puerto Rico Law School. He also earned a master’s degree in law from Columbia University in New York. He began his professional career in 2011 working for a law firm in San Juan, and in 2013 he went to work at the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico as a legal officer for associate justice Rafael Martínez. He then joined the Department for Consumers (DACO) in 2017, where he worked until 2019 as a legal advisor.

Javier Bayón, director of the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company

He is a lawyer and a certified public accountant, with over 13 years of experience in both fields. He graduated from the University of Puerto Rico with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and then continued his studies at the Inter-American University, where he obtained his doctorate in law. He has auditing experience working in prestigious companies such as Deloitte & Touche and Ernst & Young. In addition, he worked in several well-known law firms where he concentrated his practice in tax law. He worked in the Treasury Department and the Economic Development and Trade Department. In 2017, he joined the Department of Economic Development and Trade as Executive Director of the Tax Exemption Bureau, where he was able to develop incentive strategies for production, services, renewable energy and other industries.

Mariano Mier Romeu, Insurance Commissioner of Puerto Rico

He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Colby College, Maine. He worked as a financial analyst at various prestigious companies such as Merrill Lynch, where he focused on banking investments and at Printon Kane / Cambrian Capital Corp, developing financial projections. He also worked as a journalist for El Nuevo Día, which dealt with economic and government issues. He completed his doctorate in law at the University of Puerto Rico School of Law, while also working as a professor of mathematics and research at the same university.

Ray J. Quiñones Vázquez, Secretary for Recreation and Sports

He has a bachelor’s degree in pedagogy, with a concentration in physical education from the University of Puerto Rico, Campus Mayagüez. He also has a master’s degree in physical education and training for athletes from the Universidad del Turabo. He has been a professor of physical education, athletic director and senior leader on various campuses at the University of Puerto Rico. Since 1984, he has been the athletic coordinator for various educational entities and national leagues, such as the Puerto Rico Collegiate Athletic Association and the National Collegiate Athletic Association, better known as the NCAA. From 2003 to 2005, he was a consultant for the Department of Sports and Recreation and currently serves as program director for sports affairs at the Mayagüez campus. He won a gold medal at the Central American Athletics Games. He was inducted into the Mayagüez College Sports Immortality Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Puerto Rico Sports Immortality Hall of Fame in 2005.

Rafael Machargo-Maldonado, Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment

He currently holds this position. He has more than 25 years of experience in the legal sector, with an emphasis on environmental law. He has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Tulane University in Louisiana. He then graduated with a Juris Doctor from the Faculty of Law of the University of Puerto Rico. He also holds a master’s degree in environmental law from George Washington University in Washington, DC. He began his career in environmental law by studying the Clean Air Law and witnessed the implementation of this program in Puerto Rico. In 1998, he joined the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment as Undersecretary, developing public policies and projects for the management and conservation of Puerto Rico’s natural resources. After 19 years of private practice, he returned to the public service as secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment.