"In my view, Chris is a superb choice for the position," said Mars Society President Dr. Robert Zubrin. "He has been with us since our foundation, and successfully led in many important activities, notably the Mars Society's political mobilizations that were key in creating and saving the Vision for Space Exploration from extinction during its troubled first years, and which will be equally important in both saving it and guiding it into more productive pathways in the years of transition ahead. He is obviously a man of talent and commitment, and I am certain that having him on the team in a position of expanded responsibility will be of enormous value to the Mars Society."

Carberry has extensive experience within the space advocacy community. He has been a member of the Steering Committee since 2005, and served as Political Director since 2003. He also currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Space Society and the Steering Commitee of the Space Exploration Alliance, where he has acted as director of three of the last four Legislative Blitzes. Carberry has been quoted in numerous newspapers and magazines, including USA Today, The Boston Herald, The Hartford Courant, The New Scientist, Metro (of London) and stories have been written about him in several publications including Wired News, Salem News and the Eagle-Tribune. He has provided commentary on various television stations including CNN International, and has appeared as a guest on The Space Show and on the Paul Sullivan Show on WBZ radio in Boston. He is also the author of numerous articles and Op Ed pieces concerning space policy and politics appearing in such publications as Space News, The Space Review, and The Boston Herald. Outside of the space community, Carberry currently serves as Operations Manager for the Massachusetts Historical Society, an independent research library founded in 1791 with the goal of preserving and making accessible "the basic sources of American history".

"I'm pleased and honored to accept the position of Executive Director of the Mars Society," said Carberry. "I look forward to meeting the challenge of growing the organization as we move forward on selecting our next major research project through the recently announced Mars Project Challenge. I feel confident that, with the help of the Steering Committee and the many other dedicated volunteers who have and will assist us, the Mars Society will be able to achieve any goal we set."

As he steps into this new position, Carberry has outlined the following as his top near-term priorities:

1. Build membership. No non-profit organization can thrive without a broad, involved membership base. The recently announced Mars Project Challenge is just one of a number of initiatives being developed in this area.

2. Raise additional funds. As the Mars Society prepares to take on its most ambitious challenge to date, stable sources of funding will be critical, and work is being planned to identify and pursue new funding opportunities of all sorts.

3. Increase mainsteam media coverage. The Mars Soceity already conducts a number of newsworthy activities on a regular basis, including the work being done at its Mars Analog Research Stations and the University Rover Challenge, and will be engaging in many more such activities going forward. A comprehensive, coordinated approach to ensuring that major and local media outlets across the world report on these activities will help achieve the Mars Society's other major goals while raising our stature worldwide.

4. Intensify political outreach. Building on a string of recent successes such as the increased prominence of space policy in this year's presidential election, the Mars Society will be stepping up its efforts to ensure that politicians across the spectrum are well-educated on all of the benefits of space exploration and humans-to-Mars specifically, in order to increase our chances of positive political outcomes.

5. Continue professionalizing the Mars Society's administration. From its founding in 1998, the Mars Society has grown to become one of the leading space advocacy organizations in the world. Ensuring that a top-notch administrative backbone is in place will help ensure that the organization can continue to grow and achieve its goals.

6. Strengthen relations with international Mars Societies. The Mars Society is, and always has been, a global organization. Given the impressive accomplishments of international Societies, such as the Germans' Archimedes Balloon Project and the Canadians' ongoing dedication to supporting and staffing the analog research stations, increased cooperation with and spotlighting of their efforts will be positive for the entire organization.

Anyone interested in contacting Carberry may do so through the Mars Society web site, or by e-mail at carberry@marssociety.org.

Host Hotels Chosen For 11th Annual Convention

The Mars Society is pleased to announce not one, but two host hotels for its 11th Annual International Convention.

The host hotels are located adjacent to each other so no matter which hotel you choose to stay at you will be able to mingle with other convention attendees easily.

The hotels are the Best Western Boulder Inn and the Boulder Outlook. They have very distinct personalities and both are very accommodating. More importantly, you can't beat the rates for Boulder in August! Our Convention is in "Boulder Prime Time" so it is recommended that you book a room as early as possible.

Full hotel information, including rates, is available on the Convention portion of the web site.