Permitting Council Agencies & Members

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) leads efforts in food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, and nutrition. Its policies are based on public policy, scientific research, and efficient management. 

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USDA Rural Development (RD)

The USDA Rural Development (RD) aims to improve the economy and quality of life in rural America. RD offers loans, grants, and loan guarantees for essential services like housing, economic development, healthcare, first responder services, and infrastructure for water, electricity, and communications. RD also supports economic growth by providing loans to businesses through financial institutions and community lending pools and offers technical assistance to agricultural producers and cooperatives.  

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U.S. Forest Service (USFS)

The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) protects national forests and grasslands by requiring special-use authorizations for projects seeking rights-of-way or other uses of National Forest system land.

Permitting Council Member - USDA

Xochitl Torres Small was confirmed by the United States Senate to serve as Deputy Secretary of Agriculture on July 11, 2023. She is the first Latina to hold this position.

Prior to her confirmation as Deputy Secretary, Torres Small served as Under Secretary for Rural Development. In this role, she oversaw loans and grants to provide infrastructure improvements; business development; affordable housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, Tribal, and high-poverty areas. During her leadership, USDA Rural Development secured $2 billion to support rural broadband through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Prior to joining USDA, Torres Small was a United States Representative for the fifth largest district in the country. As Representative, Torres Small served as a member of the House Agriculture Committee, the House Armed Services Committee and as chairwoman of the Oversight, Management, and Accountability subcommittee of the House Homeland Security Committee. Torres Small was the first woman and first person of color to represent New Mexico’s second congressional district.

The granddaughter of farmworkers, Torres Small grew up in the borderlands of New Mexico. She has worked as a field representative for Senator Tom Udall, a clerk for United States District Court Judge Robert C. Brack, and an attorney practicing water and natural resources law. Torres Small has a law degree from the University of New Mexico School of Law, an undergraduate degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, and an international baccalaureate from Waterford Kamhlaba United World College of Southern Africa. She’s married to New Mexico State Representative Nathan Small.

The Department of Commerce fosters economic growth and opportunity by promoting innovation, entrepreneurship, and competitiveness.

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National Telecommunications & Information Administration

The National Telecommunications & Information Administration works to increase broadband Internet access to support economic growth, job creation, and improved education, healthcare, and public safety. 

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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) manages ocean resources and their habitats and enforces laws like the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act to recover protected species while allowing economic activities. It also ensures compliance with fisheries regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. 

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NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS)

The NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) manages a network of underwater parks to conserve natural and cultural resources and promote sustainable recreation and tourism. The National Marine Sanctuaries Act allows ONMS to issue permits for activities and requires federal agencies to consult ONMS if their actions might harm sanctuary resources.

Permitting Council Member - DOC

Don Graves brings decades of experience in the private sector, government, and nonprofits to the Department of Commerce as its 19th Deputy Secretary. Most recently, he served as Counselor to President Joe Biden during the 2020 presidential campaign. Prior to that, Graves served as Executive Vice President and Head of Corporate Responsibility and Community Relations at KeyBank. In this role, Graves led KeyBank’s corporate responsibility team, including the bank’s $16.5 billion National Community Benefits Plan, the bank’s sustainability work, stakeholder engagement, and outreach, and oversaw the KeyBank Foundation and the First Niagara Foundation.  

During the Obama-Biden Administration, Graves served as Counselor and Domestic and Economic Policy Director for then-Vice President Biden. He was previously appointed by President Barack Obama as Executive Director of the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness and led the federal government’s efforts in the economic recovery of the city of Detroit. Graves also served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Small Business, Community Development, and Housing Policy at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, where he oversaw the CDFI Fund, the $4 billion Small Business Lending Fund, and the $1.5 billion State Small Business Credit Initiative. He was also the U.S. Federal Representative to the G7 Task Force on Social Impact Investment.  

He has served on the Board of Directors of the MetroHealth Foundation, the FDIC’s Advisory Committee on Economic Inclusion, the Board of Trustees of the Community Reinvestment Fund, the Policy Advisory Board of the Biden Institute at the University of Delaware, the Board of Visitors of the Cuyahoga Community College, the Advisory Board of the Commission on Economic Inclusion, and as Co-Chair of Cleveland Rising.

Graves has a rich family history connected to the Commerce Department. His four-times great grandparents built a successful horse and buggy taxi business in Washington that once stood at the site of the Department’s headquarters. Their son went on to own a premier hotel just blocks away and become one of our nation’s first Black patent-holders through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.  

Graves holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History from Williams College and a Juris Doctor from the Georgetown University Law Center, where he received the Dean’s Award. He is a fellow of the National Association of Public Administration. Graves is married and has two children. 

The U.S. Department of the Interior manages and protects natural resources and cultural heritage, provides scientific information, and honors commitments to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and affiliated Island Communities. 

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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) conserves fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats. USFWS ensures federal activities do not jeopardize protected species under laws like the Endangered Species Act and issues biological opinions or letters of concurrence for federal projects. 

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Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) oversees public lands for multiple uses while conserving resources. BLM collaborates with various entities to develop Resource Management Plans for public lands, which guide decisions on land use. 

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Bureau of Reclamation

The Bureau of Reclamation manages water resources in the western U.S., providing irrigation, municipal and industrial water, and hydropower. It operates land, facilities, and waterbodies according to environmental and economic considerations.

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National Park Service (NPS)

The National Park Service (NPS) reviews permit applications for activities in NPS-managed areas, striving to minimize impacts on park resources and values. NPS preserves natural and cultural resources for future generations. 

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Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) manages energy and mineral resources on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). BOEM conducts resource assessments, scientific research, and environmental reviews, and oversees leasing and project management. 

Permitting Council Member - DOI

Laura Daniel-Davis has more than two decades of experience in the public and non-profit sectors. She served as Chief of Staff to Interior Secretaries Sally Jewell and Ken Salazar in the Obama administration. She was most recently the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management. Prior to joining the Biden-Harris administration, she served as Chief of Policy and Advocacy for the National Wildlife Federation.

The Department of Energy (DOE) addresses energy, environmental, and nuclear challenges through science and technology. DOE works to transform the nation’s energy system, secure leadership in energy technologies, plan resilient infrastructure, and modernize the electric grid. 

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) helps consumers access reliable, efficient, and sustainable energy services at reasonable costs. FERC regulates the development of infrastructure like hydropower projects, LNG terminals, and interstate pipelines. 

Permitting Council Member - DOE

Prior to his nomination as Deputy Secretary, Turk was the Deputy Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), where he focused on helping countries around the world tackle their clean energy transitions. He also directed reports on the digitalization of energy systems, the future of clean hydrogen, and a project tracking progress on a wide range of clean energy technologies.

During the Obama-Biden Administration, Turk coordinated international technology and clean energy efforts at DOE. During this time, he helped spearhead the launch of Mission Innovation—a global effort to enhance clean energy innovation.

Turk also served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director at the U.S. National Security Council, where he coordinated interagency legislative affairs efforts by the full range of national security agencies and provided legislative advice to National Security Council decision-making. He also previously worked at the U.S. Department of State, including as Deputy Special Envoy for Climate Change and helping to coordinate New Start Treaty ratification efforts in the U.S. Senate.

Earlier in his career, Turk worked in both the U.S. Senate, primarily on national security issues, and as the Staff Director of the National Security Subcommittee of the House Oversight Committee.

Turk was born in Quito, Ecuador and raised in Rock Falls, Illinois. He is a graduate of both the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Virginia Law School. He and his wife, Emily Turk, have three children. 

Permitting Council Member - FERC

Terry Turpin is the Director of the Office of Energy Projects. The Office is responsible for siting infrastructure projects including licensing, administration, and safety of non-federal hydropower projects; authorization of interstate natural gas pipelines and storage facilities; and authorization and operation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals. Terry started his career at the Commission in 1998 as a staff engineer where he was responsible for the review of natural gas pipeline applications. He then took on positions of increasing responsibility within the LNG program area and served as LNG Engineering Branch Chief and then LNG Engineering & Compliance Branch Chief. More recently, Terry served as Deputy Director of this office, and prior to that Director of the Division of Gas – Environment and Engineering within the Office of Energy Projects. In this role, Terry oversaw a multi-disciplinary staff in the preparation of environmental documents for proposed natural gas pipelines and LNG facilities.

Terry holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering and is a Registered Professional Engineer.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) oversees policies and programs that help ensure a fast, safe, efficient, accessible, and convenient transportation system. DOT modernizes permitting and project delivery processes to enhance economic growth and competitiveness. It supports innovative financing mechanisms and promotes best practices in environmental streamlining. 

Permitting Council Member - DOT

Polly Trottenberg is Deputy Secretary at the US Department of Transportation (USDOT). As the number two official and Chief Operating Officer, she supports Secretary Buttigieg on providing leadership and strategic vision for USDOT. She has an extensive 25+ year public sector career in all levels of government. Trottenberg served from 2014 to 2020 as New York City’s Transportation Commissioner, where she ran a complex 5,800-person agency responsible for the safe, efficient, and equitable operations of New York City’s transportation network, including 6,000 miles of roadways, 789 bridges, the nation’s largest traffic operation and parking system, the Staten Island Ferry, and extensive bicycle, pedestrian, and public plaza infrastructure, as well as key initiatives in urban mobility, smart transportation technologies, and safety.

In New York, Trottenberg helped implement the landmark Vision Zero program, the first in the U.S., taking a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary approach to significantly reduce traffic fatalities and injuries. She also led the New York City Department of Transportation through COVID-19 response and recovery, prioritizing transforming City streets to promote livability, sustainable transportation, and economic recovery.  

Trottenberg served in the Obama Administration as the Assistant Secretary and Under Secretary for Policy at the U.S. Department of Transportation. During her previous five years at the Department, she developed and implemented transportation policies to address the needs of state and local transportation agencies on every type of project from roads and bridges, to transit and rail, to airports, ports, and pipelines. 

Trottenberg’s additional policy and managerial experience includes her time in the U.S. Senate, where she served Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Majority Leader Charles Schumer, and Senator Barbara Boxer. Trottenberg graduated from Barnard College and received her Master's in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

The Department of Defense (DOD) is America’s largest and oldest government agency, providing military forces to deter war and protect national security. The DOD Siting Clearinghouse, established in 2010, serves as the point of contact for analyzing energy development projects' impacts on military readiness and operations.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) provides essential public and military engineering services to enhance national security, energize the economy, and reduce disaster risks. 

The USACE Directorate of Civil Works handles water resource development, including flood risk management, navigation, ecosystem restoration, hydropower, recreation, and environmental stewardship. USACE grants permissions for altering or using Civil Works projects and regulates activities affecting U.S. waters under various acts like the Rivers and Harbors Act and the Clean Water Act.

Permitting Council Member - DOD

Mr. Ronald Tickle is a member of the Senior Executive Service and currently serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Real Property in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition & Sustainment (OUSD (A&S)), U.S. Department of Defense.

Prior to OUSD (A&S), from August 2014 to January 2016, Mr. Tickle served as the Director, Operations, Readiness and Sustainment in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Energy, Installations and Environment). His responsibilities included coordination with the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and other agencies on a wide range of encroachment, readiness, and sustainability matters, including identifying and addressing potential impacts from wind farms, transmission lines, and other energy and non-energy projects.

Prior to his position on the ASN EI&E staff, Mr. Tickle served for over 20 years in numerous capacities on the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV) staff. From 2011 to 2014, he was Branch Head for Readiness Sustainment and Compatibility. In this capacity he was responsible for ensuring the Navy’s ability to continue to train and test in the face of increasing external pressures. His responsibilities included coordination with the DoD Siting Clearinghouse, implementation of the National Ocean Council Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning process, and assessing wind turbine development and its impacts on low-level training as well as electromagnetic interference with radar and navigation aids.

Additionally, while on the OPNAV staff, Mr. Tickle served for 10 years as Branch Head for the Operational Environmental Readiness and Planning Branch, which was responsible for environmental planning, marine mammal compliance, and natural resources preservation. In this position he initiated the Navy’s Tactical Theater and Planning Program (TAP) that resulted in the first comprehensive fleet training environmental planning effort, and the first-ever Marine Mammal Protection Act authorizations for Navy training and testing activities. Prior to that position, Mr. Tickle served as the Head of the Shore Compliance Branch, where he was responsible for environmental compliance worldwide at Navy facilities. Mr. Tickle began his career at the Naval Energy and Environmental Support Activity, Port Hueneme, CA, where he worked in the installation restoration program.

Mr. Tickle earned a Master’s Degree of Science in Engineering and a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from West Virginia University. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of California.

Mr. Tickle has earned numerous Special Act Awards and recognition for his actions. Most notably, he was awarded the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Medal by the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Logistics) and was presented the Navy Superior Civilian Service Medal by the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Fleet Readiness and Logistics).

Permitting Council Member - USACE

Mr. Jaime A. Pinkham was appointed to the position of Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works on April 19, 2021, and is also serving as the Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works.

As the Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, he establishes policy direction and supervises the Department of the Army functions relating to all aspect of the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers' Civil Works program. These responsibilities include programs for conservation and development of the nation's water and wetland resources, flood control, navigation and aquatic ecosystem restoration.

Prior to his appointment, Mr. Pinkham served as the executive director of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission in Portland, Oregon, since 2017. Prior to that position, he was the vice president of the Bush Foundation, a private foundation in St. Paul, Minnesota. He led the Foundation’s Native nations program and worked with tribes across North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota as they redesigned their governing systems. He spent the previous two decades in the Pacific Northwest advocating for tribal sovereignty, self- determination and treaty rights.

He has been a member of and served on numerous non-profit organizations, including the Governing Council of the Wilderness Society, American Rivers Board of Directors, Native Arts and Culture Foundation, Board of Trustees at Northland College in Wisconsin, and the Advisory Council for the Udall Center’s Native Nations Institute for Leadership, Management and Policy at the University of Arizona. He is chairman emeritus for the American Indian Science and Engineering Society and past president of the Intertribal Timber Council.

Mr. Pinkham received forestry degrees from Oregon State University (OSU) and Peninsula College. He is an OSU Alumni Fellow and also received an Outstanding Alumnus Award from OSU’s College of Forestry. He is a recipient of national awards from the Wilderness Society, the Native American Fish and Wildlife Society, and the Intertribal Timber Council for his service to tribal communities.

He is a citizen of the Nez Perce Tribe. He is married and has two daughters and three grandchildren. He enjoys fishing, hunting, and hiking. When he times his trips just right back home to Nez Perce Country, he can be found sitting around the drum singing the old songs in the old way.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mission is to protect human health and the environment.

EPA works to ensure that:

• Americans have clean air, land and water;

• National efforts to reduce environmental risks are based on the best available scientific information;

• Federal laws protecting human health and the environment are administered and enforced fairly, effectively and as Congress intended;

• Environmental stewardship is integral to U.S. policies concerning natural resources, human health, economic growth, energy, transportation, agriculture, industry, and international trade, and these factors are similarly considered in establishing environmental policy;

• All parts of society--communities, individuals, businesses, and state, local and tribal governments--have access to accurate information sufficient to effectively participate in managing human health and environmental risks;

• Contaminated lands and toxic sites are cleaned up by potentially responsible parties and revitalized; and

• Chemicals in the marketplace are reviewed for safety.

Permitting Council Member - EPA

Jane Nishida is the Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of International and Tribal Affairs (OITA). She served as EPA’s Acting Administrator from January 20, 2021 to March 11, 2021, before the confirmation of current EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. She was appointed by President Biden, confirmed by the U.S. Senate, and sworn in as OITA’s Assistant Administrator on September 24, 2021.  

Nishida leads EPA's international and tribal portfolios, and is responsible for the full range of EPA's international and tribal policies, strategies and relationships. She represents EPA within the United States Government and works closely with tribal governments, foreign governments, international organizations, and other key stakeholders on matters relating to the environment. 

Nishida has over thirty years of environmental experience working in federal and state government, and international and nongovernmental organizations. Prior to joining EPA in 2011, Nishida served as the Senior Environmental Institutions Specialist at the World Bank. From 1995 to 2002, she was appointed as the Secretary of Maryland’s Department of the Environment. Additionally, she served as the Maryland Executive Director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. She also held positions as Legislative Officer in the Maryland Governor’s Office and Committee Counsel in the Maryland General Assembly. 

Nishida received a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon and a Juris Doctorate from Georgetown Law Center in Washington, D.C. 

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) ensures public health and safety, promotes defense and security, and protects the environment by regulating civilian uses of nuclear materials. NRC oversees nuclear power plants, fuel cycle facilities, waste disposal, and the medical use of nuclear materials through licensing, inspection, and enforcement. 

Permitting Council Member - NRC

Scott Morris serves as the Deputy Executive Director for Reactors and Preparedness Programs in the Office of the Executive Director for Operations. He leads the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Offices of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, Nuclear Security and Incident Response, and the NRC’s four regional offices. Mr. Morris joined the NRC in 1993. Since joining the NRC, he has served in a number of progressively more responsible positions, including Senior Resident Inspector at two different power reactor facilities in Region I; Executive Technical Assistant, Office of the Executive Director for Operations; and Reactor Security Branch Chief, Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response (NSIR). Since joining the Senior Executive Service (SES) in 2007, Mr. Morris has served in several senior management positions in NSIR, including Deputy Director for Reactor Security, Division of Security Policy; Deputy Director for Incident Response; and Deputy Director, Division of Preparedness and Response. In May 2014, Mr. Morris was selected as the Director, Division of Inspection and Regional Support, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. Prior to joining the NRC, Mr. Morris served seven years on active duty as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy (Nuclear Submarine program). Mr. Morris received a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University and is a 2007 graduate of the NRC’s SES Candidate Development Program.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ensures a safe, secure, and resilient homeland. DHS oversees the U.S. Coast Guard, which administers bridge permits and reviews plans for structures crossing navigable waters, and FEMA, which coordinates federal disaster recovery efforts and supports disaster preparedness. 

Permitting Council Member - DHS

Randolph D. “Tex" Alles became the Deputy Under Secretary for Management in July 2019. In his role, Mr. Alles oversees Department-wide management and oversight for all support functions, such as Information Technology, budget and financial management, procurement, human capital, security, and asset management.

Mr. Alles previously held several leadership positions at the Department of Homeland Security. Most recently, he served as the 25th Director of the United States Secret Service from April 2017 to April 2019. As Director, he was responsible for the successful execution of the dual Investigative and Protective missions of the Secret Service. He led a diverse work force, comprised of more than 7,000 Special Agents, Uniformed Division Officers, Technical Law Enforcement Officers, and administrative personnel.

He also held various positions in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), notably serving as Acting Deputy Commissioner, Acting Executive Assistant Commissioner of the Enterprise Services, and leading Air and Marine Operations as the Executive Assistant Commissioner.

Prior to joining the Department, Mr. Alles served in the U.S. Marine Corps for 35 years, retiring in 2011 as a Major General. Throughout his military service, he gained extensive experience in flight training, standardization, operations, quality assurance, logistics, and aviation maintenance.

His squadron (VMFA-312) was awarded the 1997 Robert M. Hanson Award for Marine Corps Fighter Attack Squadron of the Year. His military honors include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal with Oak Leaf cluster, the Legion of Merit with Combat V and Gold Star, the Meritorious Service Medal with Gold Star, the Air Medal with strike/flight numeral 8, and the Navy Commendation Medal with Gold Star.

Mr. Alles received his bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University and a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College. 

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) creates sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes. HUD strengthens the housing market, meets the need for rental homes, and supports infrastructure planning and disaster recovery, including leading the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force. 

Permitting Council Member - HUD

Adrianne Todman is the 12th Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Deputy Secretary Todman has dedicated her career to improving people’s lives and strengthening communities through housing.

Deputy Secretary Todman served as the CEO of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) from 2017 to June 2021. During her tenure, Deputy Secretary Todman improved the association’s financial standing and business operations, created a member-centric culture, and advocated for funding and policies to preserve and develop affordable housing and help communities thrive.

Before joining NAHRO, Deputy Secretary Todman served as the Executive Director of the District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) from 2009 to 2017. At DCHA, Ms. Todman implemented a national award-winning model to house veterans experiencing homelessness, increased homeownership opportunities by 50 percent for low- and moderate-income families served by DCHA, increased the number of affordable units available in sub-markets experiencing rapid growth, and oversaw 12 concurrent large redevelopment efforts. She prioritized youth empowerment programs and workforce development, and commissioned the first citywide needs assessment of public housing residents.

Deputy Secretary Todman also served in several career positions at HUD. First, as a manager of HUD’s $500 million grant competition that focused on the redevelopment of distressed public housing sites, then as a policy aide in both the Office of Public and Indian Housing, and the Office of the Secretary where she worked with staff across HUD’s programs on policy solutions and streamlining implementation.

Deputy Secretary Todman believes that we have a responsibility to confront housing insecurity and help ensure access to good homes, to eliminate all forms of housing discrimination, and to build our nation’s housing infrastructure in a way that expands equitable access to housing for all people.

As Deputy Secretary, Todman will work alongside Secretary Fudge to ensure that HUD has the staff and tools it needs to administer and provide oversight over programs critical to supporting families and to moving the country forward.

Deputy Secretary Todman’s career in public service began in the office of then-Congressman Ron de Lugo, a long-serving delegate representing the U.S. Virgin Islands, where Todman was born and raised. She is a graduate of Smith College. She lives in Washington, D.C.

The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) is an independent federal agency that promotes the preservation, enhancement, and sustainable use of our nation's diverse historic resources, and advises the President and the Congress on historic preservation policy. The ACHP oversees the implementation of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act to ensure that federal agencies consult with interested parties to identify and evaluate historic properties, assess the effects of federal actions on historic properties, and resolve any adverse effects. The ACHP also can tailor the Section 106 process for specific activities, improving the effectiveness and efficiency of reviews. 

Permitting Council Member - ACHP

Sara C. Bronin was confirmed by unanimous consent by the United States Senate in December 2022 to serve as the 12th chair of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. A Mexican American, she is the first person of color to serve in this position.

Prior to her confirmation, Chair Bronin spent her career as a professor and public servant. Her interdisciplinary research in the areas of property, land use, historic preservation, and energy has focused on how law and policy can foster more equitable, sustainable, well-designed, and connected places. She has published five books and treatises and dozens of articles, book chapters, and shorter works on these topics. She also founded the National Zoning Atlas, which aims to translate and standardize information about how zoning regulates housing in around 30,000 jurisdictions nationally.

While chairing the ACHP, she is on leave from her tenured position at Cornell University, where she serves as Professor in the College of Architecture Art & Planning, Professor in the Rubacha Department of Real Estate, an Associate Faculty Member of the Law School, and a member of the Graduate Faculty in the Field of Architecture. At Cornell, she founded and directs the Legal Constructs Lab, serves as a faculty fellow of the Atkinson Center for Sustainability, and is an affiliate of the Cornell Center for Social Sciences. She has also held visiting positions at the Yale School of Architecture and the University of Pennsylvania Kleinman Center for Energy Policy.

Among other nonprofit service, she has served as an advisor to the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Sustainable Development Code, served on the board of Latinos in Heritage Conservation, and founded Desegregate Connecticut. In addition, she chaired Preservation Connecticut and led the nationally recognized efforts of the City of Hartford to draft and adopt a climate action plan, city plan, and zoning code overhaul. In addition, Chair Bronin has consulted for public and private entities, including on zoning reform, project construction, and litigation strategy.

Chair Bronin received a J.D. from Yale Law School, where she used her Harry S Truman Scholarship for Public Service. She received an M.Sc. in Economic and Social History from the University of Oxford, where she was a Rhodes Scholar. She received a B.Arch. and B.A. in the Plan II Liberal Arts Honors Program from the University of Texas at Austin.
                                                                  
Chair Bronin is a seventh-generation Texan, born and raised in and around Houston. She is the daughter of a public school teacher and civil engineer, and she grew up working in her grandparents’ Mexican restaurant.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) implements the President’s vision across the Executive Branch. OMB resolves disputes over permitting timetables and issues guidance to federal agencies, ensuring compliance with the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST-41). 

Permitting Council Member - OMB

Shalanda Young, a native of Southern Louisiana, is currently Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget, having been confirmed in the Senate as the agency’s Deputy Director. Before her time at OMB, Young served as Clerk and Staff Director for the House Appropriations Committee. She previously served as Deputy Staff Director, Professional Staff Member, subcommittee clerk, and Detailee. As Staff Director, she oversaw the $1.3 trillion annual appropriations bills, necessary disaster aid, and major aspects of COVID-19 related spending. Young moved to D.C. nearly two decades ago to serve as a Presidential Management Fellow at the National Institute of Health. Young holds a Master’s Degree from Tulane University and a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Loyola University New Orleans.

The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) coordinates federal environmental efforts and develops environmental policies. CEQ ensures federal agencies meet their National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) obligations and resolves disputes over NEPA compliance. CEQ also helps implement FAST-41 by resolving disputes over project facilitation. 

Permitting Council Member - CEQ

Brenda Mallory was confirmed by the United States Senate on April 14, 2021 and sworn in as the 12th Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). She is the first African American to serve in this position. As Chair, she advises the President on environmental and natural resources policies that improve, preserve, and protect public health and the environment for America’s communities. She is focused particularly on addressing the environmental justice and climate change challenges the nation faces while advancing opportunities for job growth and economic development.

Chair Mallory grew up the oldest of four children in a working-class community in Waterbury, Connecticut. Raised in a family of dedicated community and public servants, she learned the importance of hard work, service, and perseverance. She saw the impacts on her community and the larger city when the industrial base of the “Brass City,” as Waterbury was known, abandoned the area, leaving deep physical and economic scars behind. Her personal experience fuels her commitment to making America’s environmental laws work for all people and ensuring that no community is left behind as the nation pursues a clean energy future.

Chair Mallory earned a scholarship to a prestigious boarding school for high school that changed the course of her life. She became the first in her family to attend college, graduating from Yale College with a double major in history and sociology and then from Columbia Law School as a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. She began her environmental law career in private practice, where much of her work involved helping local governments secure federal environmental approvals for economic development projects. She eventually chaired the law firm’s Natural Resources Practice Group. Through this work, she gained valuable experience in the application of the National Environmental Policy Act, the bedrock statute that created CEQ in 1969 and which the agency administers. In 2000, she joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in its Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds, commencing an almost 20-year career in Federal service.

Chair Mallory served in a number of senior roles throughout her federal career at EPA and CEQ. She was involved in major Clean Water Act jurisdictional actions, including signature Supreme Court cases and the development of the 2015 Clean Water Rule. She served as EPA’s representative on a White House Task Force on Energy Project Streamlining with a focus on Clean Water Act permitting. She led EPA’s Pesticide and Toxic Substances Law Office as the agency tackled lead in renovations, lead and mercury in products, and early efforts to reform the Toxics Substances Control Act and address PFAS contamination. She also worked closely with agency officials on significant emergency response efforts, including those in response to the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Hurricane Katrina, and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

As the ranking career official in EPA’s Office of General Counsel (OGC), Chair Mallory served as the chief operating officer for OGC and led operational efforts focused on Environmental Justice and diversity initiatives. She supported the development of OGC’s EJ Legal Tools report, which outlines opportunities within EPA’s legal authorities for advancing environmental protection of low-income and communities of color. She helped reform the EPA Office of Civil Rights to enable more effective processing of Title VI complaints. In addition, she guided the legal teams working on implementation of initiatives designed to integrate environmental justice considerations into EPA permitting and rule writing.

In Chair Mallory’s first stint at CEQ as the General Counsel, she helped shepherd many of President Obama’s signature environmental and natural resource policy successes to completion. She worked on the development of significant climate and environmental rules and policies, including the 2016 NEPA GHG guidance, which instructed federal agencies on how to effectively consider climate change impacts in decision-making; the Lautenberg TSCA Reform Bill, which gave EPA the tools to ensure the safety of chemicals and strengthen health protections for American families; the Clean Water Rule, which protected streams and wetlands from harmful pollution; and the designation of national monuments and other protected areas.

After serving as General Counsel, Chair Mallory spent four years working in the environmental advocacy community, most recently as the Director of Regulatory Policy at the Southern Environmental Law Center and prior to that as the Executive Director and Senior Counsel for the Conservation Litigation Project, a project supporting the protection of environmental and conservation values on public lands.

Now having returned to CEQ, Chair Mallory is looking to reinvigorate CEQ’s important environmental policy role in service of President Biden’s agenda. She is committed to working with all stakeholders to advance efficient permitting approaches that engage affected communities and that help avoid, minimize, or mitigate the environmental impacts of decisions. Chair Mallory will see that CEQ’s expertise is applied to the challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and to helping communities prepare for the increased flooding, more frequent hurricanes and wildfires, and other impacts of climate change that are already occurring. She will work to protect our nation’s natural treasures, and she will ensure that the voices of low-income and people of color are heard as we tackle the environmental and public health crises our nation faces.

Chair Mallory and her husband Mark live in Rockville, MD. They have three adult children. The family enjoys visiting the parks and other natural treasures that reflect the environmental values she has worked to protect.