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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                                                                  CONTACT:   March 5, 2009                                                                                                 Chuck Ardo                                                                                                                        717-783-1116           Governor Rendell Announces Resignation of DCNR Secretary Michael DiBerardinis HARRISBURG -- Governor Edward G. Rendell announced the resignation today of Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Michael DiBerardinis. “Michael’s tenure as DCNR secretary has been marked by many achievements that will have a lasting benefit for the natural resources and economic vitality of this commonwealth,” said Governor Rendell. “Michael has worked tirelessly to improve the stewardship of our state parks and forests, at the same time expanding the conservation mission to include efforts to build and maintain sustainable communities and create outdoor connections for citizens and visitors. “With Michael’s guidance, communities across Pennsylvania are looking to land conservation, open space protection, outdoor recreation, and trails as ever more powerful community revitalization and economic development tools.  His vision, leadership and counsel will be missed.” Pennsylvania protected more than 130,000 acres of natural areas during DiBerardinis’ term as DCNR secretary, a greater amount than was conserved over the past 30 years.  He also helped establish large, regional landscape efforts such as the Pennsylvania Wilds—an initiative that is regarded as a national model for mobilizing and coordinating an array of conservation, tourism promotion, economic development and community revitalization interests. Under DiBerardinis, the commonwealth invested more than $415 million in rehabilitation and improvements to Pennsylvania’s state parks and forests.  He instituted measures to connect citizens to recreational and conservation activities at these attractions like the adventure camps for urban youth to explore the outdoors and the construction of a nature inn at Bald Eagle State Park to offer overnight accommodations beyond the traditional camping experience. He also launched the iConserve Pennsylvania outreach effort to encourage people to practice conservation in their everyday lives and helped expand TreeVitalize, the statewide metropolitan tree planting initiative. The goal of TreeVitalize is to plant one million trees across the commonwealth to restore cover, educate citizens about caring for our environment, and build capacity among local governments to understand, protect and restore urban trees. DiBerardinis’ resignation takes effect April 3.   Sent: Thursday, March 05, 2009 8:42 AM Subject: An important note from the Secretary Dear DCNR employees, It is with great sadness that I am announcing my resignation as your secretary effective April 3. Beginning April 6, I will become the new commissioner of Parks and Recreation and senior advisor to the Mayor of the City of Philadelphia. These past six years have been the most rewarding and fulfilling of my entire career. My time as secretary has been one of the best things to ever happen to me. Although the work has been fabulous, it has been the people of this fine organization that have made this journey so special. From my first day in office, I realized I was inheriting an organization filled with dedicated stewards and rich traditions. I was humbled by your knowledge and work and the legacy that you have carried from past conservation leaders. I am no less humbled six years later. As secretary, I challenged us to do more, and you have more than lived up to that challenge. We have accomplished a great deal over these past six years, more than I think we imagined we could. We stretched ourselves to achieve more, and we have. For example, we: *  protected more than 130,000 acres of natural areas, a greater amount than was conserved over the last 30 years; *  established large regional landscape efforts such as the Pennsylvania Wilds; *  invested more than $415 million in rehabilitation and improvements to our state parks and forests for citizen enjoyment and conservation of the resource;   *  increased outdoor connections for citizens and visitors through Get OutdoorsPA; iConservePA; adventure camps for urban youth; and the Bald Eagle Nature Inn, to name a few; *  established TreeVitalize, the statewide metropolitan tree planting initiative that began in southeastern Pennsylvania and has a goal of planting one million trees across the commonwealth; *  and the list goes on… I regret not being able to see this work reach its full potential, but I know I leave the department in very capable hands with the leaders we have built throughout the agency. I have complete confidence that this important work will progress and mature and that DCNR will continue to grow and adapt in its leadership role. I thank you for all of your hard work and commitment over the years. But most of all, I thank you for your friendship and generosity. I will greatly miss all of you and this fine agency. Michael DiBerardinis Secretary City to get new parks commissioner http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20090305_City_to_get_new_parks_commissioner.html By Jeff Shields Inquirer Staff Writer Mayor Nutter is expected to hire Gov. Rendell's open-space czar to oversee the city's new department of parks and recreation, sources familiar with the deal said yesterday. Michael DiBerardinis ran the city Recreation Department during Rendell's time as mayor, 1992 to 2000, and now is in charge of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. He will head the entity formed by the merger of the Fairmount Park Commission and the Recreation Department. Although the merger becomes official July 1, DiBerardinis will assume his post early next month. Neither the mayor's office nor the governor's office would talk directly about DiBerardinis' appointment, but four sources with direct knowledge of it confirmed it this week. And Michael Smith, a spokesman for the governor, said yesterday that DiBerardinis "has spoken with the governor and informed him of his intention to resign." A formal announcement is expected today. DiBerardinis would not comment when approached by a reporter after testifying at a Senate budget hearing at the Capitol. "I can't do it," he said. "You are going to have to get it somewhere else." The administration had not planned to announce the hiring now, and DiBerardinis wanted to present his state department budget before taking the city job, sources said. Although the position was authorized by a referendum proposal that voters overwhelmingly approved in November, the addition of what will probably be another six-figure salary with a cabinetlike position in the midst of a fiscal crisis will be a delicate issue for Nutter. DiBerardinis' resume may help blunt any criticism. A native of Downingtown, he began in city politics in the 1980s as a Malcolm X-inspired activist/agitator for the Kensington Joint Action Council. After a tour as chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Tom Foglietta (D., Pa.), DiBerardinis was hired to run the city Recreation Department in Rendell's mayoral administration. In 2003, Rendell appointed DiBerardinis to his current cabinet post, which oversees state parklands. "With Mike, we couldn't get a better person," said Councilman Curtis Jones Jr., who said he heard the buzz about the appointment at a forum on the Schuylkill River Trail in Philadelphia last week. DiBerardinis was there. Jones said DiBerardinis has an understanding of city government and state bureaucracy, along with a connection to community groups. That could help Nutter, whose administration was criticized for underestimating the community's resistance to closing library branches. Nutter's plan to close 11 of 54 libraries was stopped by a lawsuit enthusiastically supported by library users, community activists, teachers, and some members of City Council. DiBerardinis also lives in the city and commutes to Harrisburg. He makes $132,934 a year as secretary of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and his city salary is expected to be higher, though no exact figure was available yesterday. "He's a go-to guy," Jones said. "If the mayor can pull this off, it'll be a feather in his cap." But DiBerardinis' appointment would apparently involve some restructuring. Although it is unclear what his title will be, DiBerardinis will not report to Donald Schwarz, deputy mayor for health and opportunity, and will be in charge of the Free Library system, two sources said. Under the referendum proposal approved in November by a 3-1 ratio, the Fairmount Park Commission, and all of the parkland it controls, merges with the Recreation Department as of July 1. By law, a new commissioner of parks and recreation is appointed by the managing director, who then appoints two deputy commissioners, one to head parks, the other recreation. The city is also trying to attract candidates for an advisory commission, with applications due Monday. It was also not clear yesterday what DiBerardinis' appointment means for Recreation Commissioner Susan Slawson or Mark Focht, executive director of the Fairmount Park Commission