Brenda Mallory on the transition
President-elect Joe Biden nominated SELC’s Director of Regulatory Policy Brenda Mallory to Chair the White House Council on Environmental Quality. Read her thoughts below on the challenge and promise ahead.
This weekend I had the honor of joining President-elect Joe Biden, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, and other members of the administration’s climate team as I was introduced as the nominee to serve as Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, charged with coordinating environmental efforts across the federal government.
I am humbled by the trust placed in me and I am grateful for the chance to serve, especially at a time when so many communities are struggling under the weight of persistent, interwoven crises. CEQ will work with a broad range of partners on a wide range of issues to:
- tackle the full breadth of climate change,
- preserve the natural treasures of our nation,
- center environmental justice, and
- help more communities overcome legacy environmental impacts.
The historic nature of this moment and my fellow team members give me hope for our future. President-elect Biden has committed to tackle climate change with urgency and unwavering resolve, and he is bringing together an accomplished team that has the experience to do so.
He also is committed to building a team that looks like America and knows the faces of the marginalized. We have witnessed the impacts of environmental injustice and it is now our duty, as my parents taught me, to bring whatever gifts we have been blessed with to bear on the problems faced by so many communities across our nation.
While I am honored by this opportunity, this was a difficult decision. I joined SELC because I knew the organization was playing a critical role in safeguarding our environment.
So while I am excited to head to the White House, I do so grateful that the SELC team will continue the important work to tackle climate change, advance environmental justice, and restore fundamental environmental protections.
There is a lot of hard work ahead but I feel the incredible promise of this moment and what can be accomplished through multiple efforts.