MIAMI — Paul Grogan, vice president for Government, Community and Public Affairs at Harvard University, and Cesar Alvarez, president and CEO of the law firm Greenberg Traurig, have been elected to the board of trustees of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

Paul Grogan, 50, was appointed to the external relations post at Harvard in 1998 after serving as president and CEO of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) since 1986. LISC, a nonprofit organization that finances inner city and rural revitalization efforts across the United States, grew under Grogan’s leadership from a small New York-based operation to a national organization with 500 employees and 42 offices across the country, investing more than $2 billion in poor neighborhoods.

Grogan earned his bachelor’s degree from Williams College and his master’s degree from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. Alvarez, 53, was appointed president and CEO in 1997 of the international law firm of Greenberg Traurig, which employs more than 750 attorneys. He joined the Miami-based firm in the early 1970s as the 13th lawyer on staff. Alvarez has practiced securities, corporate and international law for more than 25 years.

Alvarez was named one of the “100 Most Influential Lawyers in America” for 1997 and 2000 by The National Law Journal and one of the “100 Most Influential Hispanics” for 1996 and 1998 by Hispanic magazine. He serves in a variety of leadership roles with numerous legal, community and nonprofit organizations.Alvarez earned his bachelor’s, master’s and law degrees at the University of Florida.

“These men are outstanding leaders in their chosen fields and they will add depth and experience to our board,” said Dr. W. Gerald Austen, M.D., chairman of Knight foundation’s board of trustees. “We look forward to their contributions.”