María José Hernández Mendoza, delegate for Spain, took part in the CIHEAM Governing Board meeting on 18 and 19 July held at the Institute of Chania (Greece) for the last time. Her mandate as Counsellor for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of the Embassy of Spain in Paris draws to a close this month. During her time as delegate she has shown great interest in strengthening governance, developing corporate groups, and improving strategic planning and managerial efficiency. On behalf of us all at CIHEAM Zaragoza we would like to express our gratitude to María José for her interest in the progress of our Institute and wish her every success in her next professional challenge.