Patricia W. Aho, Commissioner

Patricia Aho is the Commissioner of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, having previously served as the agency’s Deputy Commissioner. As Commissioner, Aho directs Maine DEP’s many programs to protect and improve public health and Maine’s water, air and environmental quality. The DEP employs more than 400 scientists, engineers, geologists and environmental and business assistance specialists in four offices across the state including Portland, Augusta, Bangor and Presque Isle.

Commissioner Aho, a native of Boothbay Harbor who graduated from Nasson College and earned a law degree from Western New England College, has been in the forefront of environmental advocacy for nearly three decades and has been active on many of the most critical issues facing Maine, including solid waste, energy efficiency, greenhouse gas and petroleum regulation.

Admitted to the Maine Bar, the Commissioner lives in Newcastle with her husband, Ron, and has a lengthy commitment to community service, having served on town boards and committees in both Boothbay Harbor and Newcastle and on the boards of the Lincoln County Community Theater and Orchestra and the Maine Tourism Association. She has also been honored with the prestigious Athena Award from the Kennebec County Chamber of Commerce for her tireless advocacy on behalf of the business community.