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SINGAPORE – There will be a leadership change at the National Parks Board (NParks) when chief executive Hwang Yu-Ning steps down on June 1 after three years at the helm. <\/p>\n
Dr Tan Puay Yok, who is chief science and technology officer at NParks and Singapore Botanic Gardens director, will succeed her.<\/p>\n
Dr Tan, 56, will become chief executive (designate) on May 1, before taking the helm on June 1.<\/p>\n
Ms Hwang, 57, will take on a new role as chief of urban innovation and excellence at the Ministry of National Development (MND). <\/p>\n
Before NParks, she held a range of portfolios in the civil service, including deputy chief executive and chief planner at the Urban Redevelopment Authority.<\/p>\n
MND and NParks said in a joint statement on April 24 that Ms Hwang\u2019s career in the Singapore Civil Service has demonstrated \u201cstrong leadership and a breadth of experience across policy and operational roles\u201d.<\/p>\n
The statement said: \u201cShe engaged people from all walks of life, and fostered greater collaboration with NParks\u2019 diverse stakeholder groups. <\/p>\n
\u201cUnder her leadership, NParks forged ahead with adoption of science, research and technology throughout the organisation to support the City in Nature vision.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr Tan, who has a first-class degree and doctorate in horticulture, led the landscape studies cluster in the architecture department at the National University of Singapore (NUS). <\/p>\n
He also helmed horticulture management at the Singapore Botanic Gardens and research at the Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology.<\/p>\n
He played a key role in helping to boost the international standing of the Singapore Botanic Gardens and raising its profile as a leading centre for tropical botany and conservation, a cultural institution and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.<\/p>\n
Dr Tan was involved in beefing up programming and management for the historically significant Fort Canning Park. <\/p>\n
He also helped improve management of the Istana grounds, ensuring \u201chorticultural excellence befitting its national significance\u201d, and helped guide the development of nature parks, the statement added. <\/p>\n
Dr Tan is on secondment from NUS, where he is a tenured professor in the department of architecture. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n