President Obama Appoints Eddy Arriola and Kelly Ryan to the Board of the Inter-American Foundation

ARLINGTON, Va., April 12, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- President Barack Obama has appointed Eduardo "Eddy" Arriola of Florida and J. Kelly Ryan of Maryland to the board of directors of the Inter-American Foundation (IAF). Both were confirmed on March 29 by the United States Senate.

Mr. Arriola serves as chairman of the board of Miami-based Apollo Bank. He is also founder, chairman and CEO of Apollo Bancshares, the bank-holding company that, under his leadership, acquired and re-launched Union Credit Bank as Apollo Bank in 2010. He was co-founder and managing director of Inktel Direct, a nationwide provider of third-party direct marketing services, which he grew into one of the largest Hispanic-owned companies in the United States.

Ms. Ryan is currently acting as deputy assistant secretary for immigration and border security at the Department of Homeland Security. She is responsible for oversight of immigration policy and development in all DHS mission areas relating to immigration. From 2002 to 2009, she was a deputy assistant secretary of state in the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration.

"I am delighted that the president has appointed Mr. Arriola and Ms. Ryan to the board of directors. They are leaders in their respective fields, and I know that the IAF and U.S. development assistance in the region will benefit from their guidance," said Robert N. Kaplan, IAF president.

The Inter-American Foundation, an independent agency of the U.S. government, was created by Congress in 1969 to provide development assistance directly to the organized poor in Latin America and the Caribbean. It invests in locally-led initiatives proposed by grassroots groups working to help their communities thrive.

For more information visit www.iaf.gov.

Contact: Manuel A. Nunez
Office of External and Government Affairs
Telephone: 703-306-4329
[email protected]

SOURCE Inter-American Foundation