PALM BEACH, Fla. (October 13, 2004)--- The Historical Society of Palm Beach County has appointed Harvey E. Oyer III as its chairman and Loren Mintz as its president and CEO. Oyer previously served as the organization’s president and Mintz as its executive director. They have both been instrumental in establishing the Historical Society as one of the county’s leading cultural organizations that is preparing to open the area’s first countywide history museum inside the to-be-restored 1916 Palm Beach County Courthouse.

Under their leadership, the organization has substantially extended its reach into the community through partnerships and initiatives that help educate the public about local history. Together with the School District of Palm Beach County, the organization launched an innovative local history education curriculum for fourth grade students, which will be expanded into seventh grade classrooms in 2005. Additionally, Oyer serves as an advisor to the School Board in the naming of new schools after people and events of historical significance. To date, several new Palm Beach County schools have taken names of local historical relevance.

Oyer and Mintz’ contributions also include leading the Historical Society’s countywide commemoration of the 75 th Anniversary of the Storm of 1928, which included lectures presented by leading hurricane experts and well-known authors. This December, the organization will honor Lilly Pulitzer at its fourth annual Archival Evening benefit, and in January, it will be the beneficiary of the Preview Evening for the inaugural Palm Beach Connoisseur Fair. The event will feature prestigious dealers of art, jewelry, décor and collectibles and is already one of the most talked about new events to the Palm Beaches.

In addition to serving as chairman of the Historical Society, Oyer is a shareholder and real estate attorney with West Palm Beach-based Gunster, Yoakley & Stewart, P.A. A fifth-generation Palm Beach County native, he was instrumental in the campaign to save the 1916 County Courthouse in Downtown West Palm Beach and helped to establish the county’s first and only state Underwater Archeological Preserve, the Lofthus, off Boynton Beach. He was recently chosen by Mayor Frankel to serve on the evaluation committee for “City Center,” a planned mixed-used development that will include the new West Palm Beach City Hall, West Palm Beach Library and the Palm Beach Photographic Center. He is a board member of the Palm Beach County Cultural Council, a trustee of the Palm Beach Community Chest – United Way, an advisory board member of the Arthur R. Marshall Foundation and a member of the Palm Beach County Centennial Committee and the Economic Forum of Palm Beach County. In addition to his juris doctor, he has a master’s degree in archaeology from Cambridge University.

Prior to the Historical Society, Mintz was the director of administration and development for the Boca Raton Museum of Art, where he successfully led the organization’s $10 million capital campaign initiative to build an enhanced museum. He was instrumental in expanding the museum’s membership base and managing the museum’s transition to its new home in Mizner Park, Boca Raton. He also served as the organization’s treasurer and is a charter member of the Boca Raton Museum of Art Foundation, which he helped to establish. Mintz has also served as the president and CEO for several financial institutions. He received his bachelor’s degree in management from Washington and Lee University and his M.B.A in finance from the University of Michigan.

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