Auntie Charo's Soapbox

THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
OFFICE OF INSULAR AFFAIRS
NEWS RELEASE

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Roger
Stillwell 202-208-6974

Office of Insular Affairs Funds Second Annual
Governor Tauese Sunia Coral Reef Internships

(WASHINGTON, D.C., May 5, 2005) The Department of the Interior’s Office of
Insular Affairs is funding the Second Annual Governor Tauese Pita Fiti
Sunia Memorial Coral Reef Conservation Summer Internships. Established by
the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force in 2004, the internships recognize the late
Governor of American Samoa’s outstanding leadership in and contribution to
U.S. coral reef conservation. They provide two outstanding college
students from the U.S. insular areas and Hawaii the opportunity to develop
their professional skills by working at the headquarters of Federal
agencies involved in coral reef management and policy.

"These internships keep alive the memory of one of the Pacific's true
statesmen," said Dr, Karen Koltes, Manager of OIA’s Coral Reef program.
"Governor Tauese was deeply committed to protecting the environment. There
is no more fitting way for the Office of Insular Affairs to honor the late,
beloved governor of American Samoa."

After reviewing the applications, the Coral Reef Task Force's Steering
Committee, co-chaired by the Office of Insular Affairs, selected Tiffany
Robinson from Hawaii and Kassandra Cerveny from Puerto Rico. Ms. Robinson
is a third-year student at Western Washington University working toward a
B.S. in marine biology. Ms. Cerveny is completing her M.S. in Marine
Science at the University of Puerto Rico. Both students will spend their
three-month internship working on coral reef management projects with the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Refuges Program as well as with the
Department of the Interior's Coral Reef Team and the U.S. Coral Reef Task
Force.