News Release No. 399

DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES ANNOUNCES
NEW OMBUDSMAN FOR ST. LOUIS REGION

Volume 33-399

Contact: Connie Patterson

(For immediate release)

573-751-1010

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, SEPT. 28, 2005 -- The former director of environmental affairs for the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association (RCGA) has been hired by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to serve as the department's ombudsman for the St. Louis area, according to department Director Doyle Childers.

French Village, Mo., resident Michael Alesandrini will start in the new position on Oct. 1. Alesandrini has been the RCGA director for environmental affairs since January 1996. In that position, he worked with area businesses and elected officials, as well as local, state and federal regulators.

"Michael's communication experience, along with his familiarity with the environmental issues that affect the St. Louis area, positions him to make an immediate, positive impact," said Childers.

The purpose of the ombudsman program is to improve communication between the department and the community. The ombudsman will work within the department's regional offices, but operate independently of the office. He or she will inform the regional director and the department director of issues, concerns and problems and assist in issue development. This is expected to remove some time-consuming responsibilities from the regional directors and free up more of their time to address additional professional, technical and leadership responsibilities.

Alesandrini is the sixth person to be hired to full or part-time ombudsman positions. The only remaining ombudsman vacancy is in the area serving Kansas City.

For news releases on the Web, visit www.dnr.mo.gov/newsrel. For a complete listing of the department's upcoming meetings, hearings and events, visit the department's online calendar at www.dnr.mo.gov/calendar/search.do.

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