President-elect Joe Biden on Thursday picked Michael Regan, a Black man, to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, continuing to honor his campaign pledge for a diverse staff and Cabinet.
If confirmed, the graduate of the historically Black North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University would be the first African American to lead the EPA.
Regan, who currently heads North Carolina’s environmental agency, also holds a master’s degree from George Washington University.
“Boom,” exclaimed Deitra Matthews, who holds an MPA in Public Policy. “An HBCU grad.”
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, who hired Regan for the state job, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Regan was “a consensus builder and a fierce protector of the environment.”
“He’s been part of a strong, diverse cabinet in North Carolina,” Cooper said. “And if the president-elect selects him, I have no doubt that he will do the same kind of job for our country.”
Regan previously spent a decade at the federal EPA, including managing a national program for air-pollution issues. He has served as an associate vice president for climate and energy issues at the Environmental Defense Fund advocacy group and as head of his own environmental and energy consulting firm.
According to his biography, Regan also founded M. Regan & Associates, LLC, a firm dedicated to helping organizations find transformational solutions to complex energy, environmental and economic challenges.
Regan has served on several boards, and commissions focused on the environment. They include the UNC School of Law Center for Climate, Energy, Environment, and Economics, Green 2.0, N.C. Commission on Global Climate Change, N.C. Energy Policy Council and the Executive Steering Committee of Envision Charlotte.
A native of Goldsboro, N.C., Regan has a bachelor’s degree in Earth and Environmental Science from N.C. Agricultural and Technical State University and a master’s degree in Public Administration from George Washington University.
Regan, his wife, Melvina, and their son, Matthew, live in Raleigh.
Read full article here.