Press Releases

NEW APPOINTMENTS IN THE NATIONAL PARKS (NPARKS) BOARD

Professor Leo Tan To Be Succeeded By Mrs Christina Ong as Chairman National Parks Board

Professor Leo Tan, who has served as Chairman of the National Parks Board (NParks) since 1998, will be relinquishing the appointment with effect from 6 June 2007. He will be succeeded by Mrs Christina Ong, currently the board’s Deputy Chairman.

2 Under Professor Tan’s leadership, NParks has grown from a green infrastructure builder to a provider of exciting lifestyle and recreational experiences amidst our parks and greenery. A significant project initiated under his tenure is the 101-ha Gardens by the Bay situated in the heart of Marina Bay. Another major project that has raised the profile of the local landscape industry considerably is the inaugural Singapore Garden Festival held in December 2006.

3 During Professor Tan’s term, NParks also made considerable progress in building an island-wide Park Connector Network to give Singaporeans better access to our parks and nature reserves. New regional parks such as the Choa Chu Kang Park and the Punggol Park were developed, and the Singapore Botanic Gardens, East Coast Park and West Coast Park were upgraded.

4 Mr Mah Bow Tan, Minister for National Development, said, “MND and NParks would like to express our deep appreciation to Professor Tan for his contributions and dedication in promoting greenery and parks in Singapore, transforming our Garden City into a City in the Garden.

The successful launch of projects like Gardens by the Bay and events such as the Singapore Gardens Festival helped us established our international standing as a horticulture centre of excellence. Under his guidance, NParks also built greater public awareness and appreciation for biodiversity and nature conservation through its education and outreach programmes. We wish him all the very best in his future endeavours.”

5 Professor Tan is currently a Professor in Biological Sciences at the National Institute of Education. He has agreed to stay on as chairman of the Management Committee of NParks’ fundraising arm – the Garden City Fund.

6 Mrs Christina Ong, who will take over as the new Chairman of the NParks Board, is the Managing Director of Club 21 Pte Ltd. She brings on board valuable marketing and private sector experience in developing new competencies as NParks seeks to bring better lifestyle and recreation opportunities for our park visitors and the community.

7 Mrs Theresa Foo, current Member of the NParks Board, will be appointed the Deputy Chairman of the NParks Board. Mrs Foo is the Chairman and Senior Advisor of BNP Paribas Capital (Singapore) Ltd.

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Last updated on 05 June 2007