President-elect Joe Biden has nominated Michael Regan as the next administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The current Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Regan has served in the EPA under both Democratic and Republican presidents and has a track record of bringing people together across the public, private, and non-profit sectors to advance environmental issues and seek solutions to environmental and climate challenges.

A native of Goldsboro, N.C., Regan has a bachelor’s degree in earth and environmental science from N.C. Agricultural and Technical State University and a master’s degree in public administration from George Washington University.

National Pork Producers Council congratulated Regan following the announcement of his nomination.

“As DEQ secretary in North Carolina, a leading pork-producing state, he always had an open door, valued diverse points of view, and worked to find solutions that ensured science and data were guiding decisions,” said National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) president Howard “AV” Roth, a hog farmer from Wauzeka, Wisconsin. “We hope those same qualities will be carried over to his leadership at EPA. We look forward to working with him on issues of importance to U.S. pork producers, as we continue to produce the highest-quality, most affordable and nutritious protein in the world.”

Ethan Lane, vice president of government affairs for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association's (NCBA), said the organization “stands ready to engage with Mr. Regan on environmental issues important to the beef cattle industry.”

He continued, “Cattle producers across the country rely on clean water, air, and soil for the health of their livestock and families, and they take great pride in the myriad investments made in those resources through responsible stewardship. We look forward to building on the U.S. cattle industry’s environmental success with Mr. Regan."

Regan’s nomination will be considered by the U.S. Senate when the chamber convenes in January.

In addition to Regan, Biden announced other key nominations and appointments of his climate team, including Rep. Deb Haaland (D., N.M.) as Secretary of the Interior; former Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm as Secretary of Energy; Brenda Mallory as chair of the Council on Environmental Quality; former EPA administrator Gina McCarthy as National Climate Advisor; and Ali Zaidi as Deputy National Climate Advisor.