GOVERNOR-ELECT YOUNGKIN ANNOUNCES SELECTION OF THE NATURAL RESOURCES SECRETARY AND DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

05.01.22 07:23 PM

By Youngkin Transition Team
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 5, 2022
Contact: Macaulay Porter
Press@youngkinforgovernor.com

RICHMOND, VA - Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin today announced he has chosen Andrew Wheeler as the next Secretary of Natural Resources and Michael Rolband as the next Director of Environmental Quality.

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The Honorable Andrew Wheeler, Secretary of Natural Resources

Andrew brings extensive experience and passion to the administration, dedicating his career to advancing sound environmental policies. He completed his law degree at Washington University in St. Louis, his MBA at George Mason University, and his undergraduate work at Case Western Reserve University in English and Biology

In 2019, the U.S. Senate confirmed Andrew as the 15th Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. He was previously confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the EPA Deputy Administrator in 2018. He began his career during the George H. W. Bush Administration as a Special Assistant in EPA’s Pollution Prevention and Toxics office as a career employee.

He served as a Principal and the team leader of the Energy and Environment Practice Group at FaegreBD Consulting, as well as Counsel at Faegre Baker Daniels law firm, where he practiced since 2009. He also served as the Co-chair of the Energy and Natural Resources Industry team across the entire firm.

Prior to his work with the firm, Andrew served for six years as the Majority Staff Director and Chief Counsel, as well as the Minority Staff Director, of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Before his time at the full Senate EPW Committee, he served in a similar capacity for six years for the Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate Change, Wetlands and Nuclear Safety.

Andrew is the past Chairman of the National Energy Resource Organization (NERO) and a Stennis Fellow. He is also an Eagle Scout.

Michael Rolband, Director of Environmental Quality

Mike Rolband comes to the administration with an abundance of knowledge and hands-on experience, known as an environmental expert by colleagues across the United States, the team is grateful to have him as part of the administration. A graduate of Cornell University, Mike has a B.S. degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering along with an MBA and Master of Engineering Degree.

Mike founded Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc. (WSSI), and grew the company from a one man firm to a multi-disciplinary natural and historic resources consulting firm where he managed and led over 160 regulatory and compliance specialists, scientists, engineers, surveyors, GIS specialists, archeologists, ecosystem and restoration specialists, and arborists. Over nearly 30 years, his company provided services and permit approvals on over 8,000 projects across 300,000 acres in the region, including data centers, major transportation infrastructure, master planned communities, and office and industrial developments. He founded WSSI to assist economic developers in navigating the Clean Water Act, Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act, and local environmental regulations.

Mike and WSSI started Virginia's first wetland mitigation bank in 1991 (approved in 1994, fourth in the U.S.). Virginia's first mitigation bank to provide stream credits (2001), and Virginia's first urban stream bank in 2006. He has received numerous industry achievement and civic engagement awards and is frequently invited by public and private sector entities to conduct seminars on storm water management, mitigation, wetland and stream regulatory policy, and Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act regulations.

Mike established the Resource Protection Group, Inc., a 501(c) 3 non-profit that has awarded over $5.4 million in grants to date, advancing the science of wetland and steam restoration, and funding the graduate school education of dozens of students over the years through these research projects. From 2017 to 2020, Cornell University appointed him a Professor of Practice where he taught Wetlands and Stream Restoration. Mike is a registered Professional Engineer, Professional Wetland Delineator, and a Professional Wetland Scientist (Emeritus).

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