John Cortes (Gibraltarian politician)

The Hon. Prof.
John Emmanuel Cortes
MBE MP
The Hon. Prof. John Emmanuel Cortes MBE MP
	John Cortes, pictured in 2014
Minister for Education, the Environment & Climate Change, Heritage, Transport & Traffic and Technical Services
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 2011-present
Personal details
Born	Gibraltar
Nationality	British (Gibraltarian)
Political party	Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party (GSLP)
Spouse	Valerie
Children	Zoe and Mark
Alma mater	University of Oxford
Occupation	Zoologist; Politician
Website	John Cortes at the Government of Gibraltar website

John Emmanuel Cortes is an ecologist, zoologist, Justice of the Peace and Gibraltarian MP, member of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party. He is married and has two children.^[1]

Biography

Cortes founded the Gibraltar Union of Students.^[1] In 1976, he became the first General Secretary of the Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society (GONHS), and since 1991, Director of the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens, positions he held until taking government office in 2011.^[2]

Between 1983 and 1991, he was also a civil servant, having reached the post of General Manager of the Gibraltar Health Authority.^[2]

He was also a Magistrate for 17 years, and was elected President of the Gibraltar Magistrates' Association in 2009.^[2]

In December 2011, with his election to the Gibraltar Parliament, Cortes resigned from all his other public duties,^[3] and was appointed Minister of Health and Environment by Chief Minister Fabian Picardo.^[4]

Cortes graduated in Ecology in London, and received his D.Phil. from Oxford University, in 1983.^[2]

^ ^a ^b GSLP (ed.). "John Cortes". Archived from the original on 8 May 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum (ed.). "Profiles of UKOTCF Council Members and other Officers" (PDF). Retrieved 26 September 2012.
^ Pepe Martínez. Campo de Gibraltar (ed.). "John Cortés nuevo candidato a las listas del GSLP de Picardo" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 1 July 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
^ Gibraltar Chronicle, ed. (13 December 2011). "Picardo Announces New Govt. Ministerial Portfolios". Archived from the original on 29 April 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2012.