DEQ Announces the Creation of a Secretary’s Environmental Justice & Equity Board

Last week North Carolina’s Department of Environmental Quality introduced members of the Secretary’s Environmental Justice and Equity Advisory Board during a ceremony in the agency’s Green Square Lobby.

The scope of the Environmental Justice and Equity Advisory Board is to assist the Department in achieving and maintaining the fair and equal treatment and meaningful involvement of North Carolinians regardless of where they live, their race, religion or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.

“These Board members have been tasked with working directly with me and DEQ staff to help us elevate the voices of the underserved and underrepresented as we work to protect the public’s health and natural resources” said DEQ Secretary Michael Regan. “I am looking forward to working with each and every one of these distinguished board members to provide science based environmental stewardship for the health and prosperity of all North Carolinians.”

Consistent engagement between communities, industry, and the Department will ensure the protection of human health and the environment.

The board members are:
Dr. James Johnson, Jr. of Chapel Hill – Chair;
Marian Johnson-Thompson of Durham -Vice Chair;
Dr. Danelle Lobdell of Chapel Hill;
Naeema Muhammed of Rocky Mount;
Jamie Cole of Raleigh;
Dr. Susan Jakes of Raleigh;
Randee Haven O’Donnell of Chapel Hill;
Angela Esteva of Cary;
Jeff Anstead of the Haliwa-Saponi Indian Tribe, Warrenton;
Joseph Owle of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Cherokee;
Rev. Rodney Sadler Jr. of Charlotte;
William Barber III of Durham;
Marilynn Marsh-Robinson of Knightdale;
Mercedes Hernández-Pelletier of Fuquay-Varina;
Veronica Carter of Leland;
Yu Yang, Ph.D., PE, PMP of Cary

The sixteen board members were selected from all across the state, representing the rich diversity and many cultures of North Carolina.