“Ms. Loerzel has worked on numerous Micronesia Challenge projects in collaboration with the Guam Coastal Zone Management Program, and is quite familiar with the goals and mission of this ambitious regional project,” said Marion Henry, assistant secretary with the FSM Department of Resources and Development and Chairman of the Micronesia Challenge Steering Committee.
“Her background provides her with a unique perspective on the challenge and the needs of the regional partners who will be working on this program. I have no doubt she will prove to be a tremendous asset in moving the Micronesian Challenge forward.”
Loerzel currently serves as the main environmental policy advisor for Camacho and has worked on a number of issues pertaining to the Micronesia Challenge, including coral reef conservation, water quality, and invasive species management. In 2001 she served as the primary bill writer and research assistant for then-Senator Camacho.
Prior to working in the governor’s office, Loerzel was an award-winning reporter on environmental and land issues for a Guam newspaper.
She holds a bachelor of arts degree in English and biology from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and has completed graduate courses in environmental science and marine biology at the Water and Environmental Research Institute, University of Guam.
“As a lifelong resident of Guam, I have always been passionately interested in the preservation of natural resources both on my home island and in our unique part of the world,” said Loerzel. “I have had the privilege of traveling throughout the region and have a great appreciation for the natural environment that is such a fundamental part of the island lifestyle.”
The Micronesia Challenge is a commitment by the chief executives of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, Palau, Guam, and the CNMI to effectively conserve at least 30 percent of the near-shore marine resources and 20 percent of the terrestrial resources across Micronesia by 2020.
