Eric Beightel

Meet the Executive Director
Eric Beightel is the Executive Director of the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (Permitting Council) under the Biden-Harris Administration. In this role, he helps manage nearly $75 billion in major infrastructure projects. Executive Director Beightel works with federal agencies to develop and enforce project schedules capturing all necessary reviews and permits for FAST-41 covered projects in an effort to bring transparency, predictability and accountability to the environmental review and authorization process.

With nearly 25 years of experience in the environmental and infrastructure fields, Director Beightel is a nationally recognized expert. He has significant experience in both the public and private sectors, specializing in environmental law, regulations and policy, and solving complex permitting challenges at local, state, and national levels. Previously, Beightel served as a senior environmental policy advisor at the Department of Transportation, where he developed strategies to accelerate the permitting process while ensuring positive outcomes for communities and the environment. He also worked as a policy advisor at the Office of Management and Budget, focusing on the federal permitting process for major infrastructure projects.

In the private sector, Beightel held leadership roles at WSP USA, and HDR, Inc. At WSP, he was a senior director and vice president, helping clients navigate federal environmental regulations efficiently. Most recently, at HDR, Inc., he served as an associate vice president and national lead for infrastructure policy and environmental strategy.

Beightel holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas and a Master of Public Policy degree from George Mason University.

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