12/13/2002
Task Force Co-Chairs Announced

The Somerset County Board of Commissioners and the Families of Flight 93, Inc. today announced the appointment of the esteemed co-chairs of the Flight 93 Memorial Task Force. Mr. Lawrence Catuzzi, of Houston, Texas and Judge Kim R. Gibson of Somerset, Pennsylvania will serve to jointly lead the Flight 93 Task Force in working with the National Park Service to establish the Flight 93 National Memorial in Stonycreek Township, Pennsylvania. "We are very pleased that Mr. Catuzzi and Judge Gibson have accepted these key appointments. They will provide effective leadership and serve as a strong voice for the families and the community affected by this historic event," said James Marker, Chairman of the Somerset County Board of Commissioners. Mr. Lawrence Catuzzi is the father of Lauren Catuzzi Grandcolas who was a passenger aboard Flight 93. Mr. Catuzzi is a director of Financial Security Assurance Company in New York, New York. He serves as a member of the board of the Houston/Harris County Sports Authority and "Families of Flight 93, Inc.," a non-profit corporation established to assist in the development of a permanent memorial to the heroes of United Airlines Flight 93. Judge Kim R. Gibson is a 1970 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He graduated magna cum laude from Dickinson School of Law serving as an editor of Dickinson Law Review. He served 30 years of service in our nations armed forces with 8 1/2 years on active duty, including service in the Gulf War commanding an Army JAG detachment, retiring as Colonel, U.S. Army Reserve. He was elected Judge of the Somerset County Court of Common Pleas in November 1997 assuming the office in January 1998. Judge Gibson resides in Somerset, Pennsylvania and is father of six children. "This memorial, when completed, will not only commemorate the resting place of our loved ones, but will honor their courageous and heroic act. It will serve as a reminder for generations to come, of America's first victory on its current war against terrorism," Mr. Catuzzi said. "I expect the Task Force, the National Park Service and ultimately the Federal Advisory Commission to work together over the next few years to make this memorial a reality," Catuzzi said. "I accept the position of co-chairman of the Flight 93 Task Force and will endeavor to serve with all of my energy and God-given abilities," Judge Gibson said. "The Flight 93 memorial process must be thoughtful, inclusive and thorough. My initial thoughts are that the memorial should be one which maintains the quiet, dignified, rural setting of the crash site, while at the same time, conveys both the enormous personal loss of the Flight 93 families as well as the loss felt by our community, by this nation and by decent people all over the world. The memorial should also appropriately reflect and commemorate the sacrifice endured and the courage demonstrated by the passengers and crew of Flight 93 in what was the first battle and victory in the struggle to defeat terrorism. Achieving these goals will require great effort by many people and I am sure that the Task Force will need and appreciate everyone's patience, goodwill, prayers, and cooperation," Judge Gibson concluded. The Somerset County Board of Commissioners will appoint the remaining members of the Flight 93 Task Force by the end of the year. It will be comprised of individuals who will represent the local, regional and national interests of the key stakeholders in this process. The first responsibility of the Flight 93 Task Force will be to nominate and recommend the fourteen members of the Flight 93 Federal Advisory Commission to the U.S. Secretary of the Interior. The Flight 93 Task Force and the Flight 93 Federal Advisory Commission will work with the National Park Service to develop and submit a report to the Secretary of the Interior and Congress by September 23, 2005, recommending the plans, design, construction and management of the National Memorial. "The partnership between the Flight 93 Task Force, the Flight 93 Federal Advisory Commission, and the National Park Service is an important one," said Joanne Hanley, the local representative of the National Park Service in southwestern Pennsylvania. "The involvement of citizens at every stage of the memorial planning process will ensure that all voices are heard. This memorial is important to the families, to the nation, and to future generations of Americans," said Hanley. On September 24, 2002, President Bush signed into law a bill to authorize and establish a national memorial to honor and commemorate the passengers and crew of Flight 93 at the crash site in Stonycreek Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to administer the memorial as a unit of the National Park System. Originally introduced in the House of Representatives in March 2002 by Congressman John P. Murtha (D-PA-12), and in the Senate by Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) in April 2002. The bill passed unanimously in both houses. The legislation recognizes the passengers and crew of Flight 93 courageously gave their lives by thwarting a planned attack on our nation's capital.