Maine DEP Commissioner Appoints Senior Leadership Team

March 15, 2011

Contact: Samantha DePoy-Warren, Maine DEP Spokesperson samantha.depoy-warren@maine.gov/ 287-5842 (office) or 592-0427 (cell)

-In addition to Commissioner Darryl Brown, the department?s appointed senior staff includes Patricia Aho, Jim Brooks, Teco Brown, Julie Churchill, Samantha DePoy-Warren, Jim Dusch and Barbara Parker-

AUGUSTA ? The Commissioner of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection has named the leadership team that will direct the three units within his office and the three bureaus that administer the day-to-day operations of the state?s environmental programs.

Darryl Brown, who was confirmed as commissioner by the Maine State Senate in late January and began work in early February, has filled all seven of the appointed positions that comprise his senior management team.

Joining the department is Patricia Aho as Deputy Commissioner, Teco Brown (no relation to Darryl Brown) as Director of the Bureau of Land and Water and Samantha DePoy-Warren as Director of Education and Outreach.

Deputy Commissioner Aho, a native of Boothbay Harbor who gradated from Nasson College and earned a law degree from Western New England College, has been in the forefront of environmental advocacy for over 25 years and has been active on many of the critical issues facing Maine, including energy efficiency, greenhouse gas and petroleum regulation. Admitted to the Maine Bar, she most recently served as an attorney at Pierce Atwood and will be Maine DEP?s primary liaison with both the Maine Legislature and the Governor?s Office.

She 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 advocacy on behalf of the business community.

Bureau of Land and Water Director Teco Brown has more than a decade of experience working for Maine DEP, including as Director of the Division of Licensing and Review within the Bureau of Land and Water that he now heads up. More recently, he has worked as an environmental consultant, assisting clients throughout New England navigate the permitting process.

A graduate of the University of Maine with a B.S. in Natural Resource Management and a former Sergeant in the Army, Brown has in the past represented the town of Wayne on its planning board and on the board of the Cobbossee Watershed District and served as the chair of Wayne?s Board of Appeals for 14 years, ending his term last month to rejoin Maine DEP. He lives in Madison with his partner, Brenda Stinchfield.

Director of Education and Outreach DePoy-Warren, who has a B.A. from the University of Maine at Farmington and attended graduate school at the University of Maine, has more than a decade of experience as a communications strategist and award-winning writer and photographer. She has served as a staff writer at the Lewiston Sun Journal, editor of the Livermore Falls Advertiser and most recently was the Marketing and Communications Manager for the Institute for Civic Leadership.

In her new role, DePoy-Warren will serve as the spokeswoman for Maine DEP and work to communicate to the public the meaningful work of the 410-person department that extends far beyond the permitting and enforcement most commonly associated with the agency and includes 24-7 emergency spill response services, business assistance, environmental education, monitoring and much more. She lives with her husband, Kyle, in Portland and also is on the Board of Directors of Day One.

The remainder of the leadership team is comprised of those who have previously worked for the department.

Julie Churchill, the department?s former small business ombudsmen, has been named Director of the Office of Innovation and Assistance and will lead the unit as they help businesses navigate regulations and work proactively to prevent pollution. Barbara Parker, Maine DEP?s longtime Director of Response Services has been asked to serve as Acting Director of the Bureau of Remediation and Waste Management.

Jim Brooks, the longtime Director of the Bureau of Air Quality, will continue to serve in his former capacity as will Jim Dusch, who has been the Director of the Policy Development and Implementation Unit since 2004.

?I am proud of the team we have assembled and confident they bring the expertise and energy needed to lead the department at this time. They bring a diversity of experiences from the public, private and nonprofit sectors that I think that will be invaluable as we work together to meet the department?s mission of protecting and restoring Maine?s environmental and natural resources while working to do the same for Maine?s economy,? said Maine DEP Commissioner Darryl Brown.

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection is responsible for protecting and restoring Maine's natural resources and enforcing the state's environmental laws. Legislative mandate directs DEP to prevent, abate and control the pollution of the air, water and land. The charge is to preserve, improve and prevent diminution of the natural environment of the State. The department is also directed to protect and enhance the public's right to use and enjoy Maine?s natural resources. The department administers programs, educates and makes regulatory decisions that contribute to the achievement of this mission. For more information about the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, visit www.maine.gov/dep.

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