Brenda Mallory (born September 14, 1957) is an American lawyer specializing in environmental law who is the current chair of the

Council on Environmental Quality The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) is a division of the Executive Office of the President that coordinates federal environmental efforts in the United States and works closely with agencies and other White House offices on the developme ...

in the

Biden Administration Joe Biden's tenure as the 46th president of the United States began with his inauguration on January 20, 2021. Biden, a Democrat from Delaware who previously served as vice president under Barack Obama, took office following his victory ...

. She previously served as director of regulatory policy at the

Southern Environmental Law Center Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) is the largest 501(c)(3) organization, 501(c)(3) environmental nonprofit organization in the Southern region, with more than 80 attorneys and 75 staff members working at the local, state, and federal level ...

, and helped lead the Climate 21 Project. Mallory served as general counsel for the

in the Obama administration.

Early life

Mallory was raised in an industrial, working-class community in Waterbury, Connecticut, and then attended the prestigious Westover boarding school in Middlebury, Connecticut, on a scholarship. Mallory graduated from

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

and then

Columbia Law School Columbia Law School (Columbia Law or CLS) is the law school of Columbia University, a private Ivy League university in New York City. Columbia Law is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious law schools in the world and has always ranked i ...

, and started in private practice as an attorney before joining the U.S. federal government in 2000.

Career

Mallory is the former executive director and senior counsel at the Conservation Litigation Project, which works to protect public lands, and served as general counsel of the

White House Council on Environmental Quality The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) is a division of the Executive Office of the President that coordinates federal environmental efforts in the United States and works closely with agencies and other White House offices on the developmen ...

in the Obama administration. Before the Council on Environmental Quality, she served as the principal deputy general counsel at the

United States Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it ...

(EPA), which is the ranking career position in that office. She served in both Democratic and Republican administrations over fifteen years at the EPA. Before Mallory joined the EPA, she was the chair of the natural resources practice group at the environmental law firm Beveridge and Diamond. According to the

Environmental Law Institute The Environmental Law Institute (ELI) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., that seeks to "make law work for people, places, and the planet" through its work as an environmental law educator, convener, publ ...

, Mallory is a Fellow in the American College of Environmental Lawyers and is a member of the

Environmental Defense Fund Environmental Defense Fund or EDF (formerly known as Environmental Defense) is a United States-based nonprofit environmental advocacy group. The group is known for its work on issues including global warming, ecosystem restoration, oceans, and hu ...

's Litigation Advocacy Committee. Mallory also serves on the Environmental Policy Innovation Center's Advisory Committee, the Advisory Council for Women in Conservation Leadership, and the Board of Directors of the Environmental Law Institute and at the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. Mallory helped lead The Climate 21 Project, which NPR reports "delivered recommendations for how the Biden administration could enlist the breadth of the government to address climate damage, including that 'the Council on Environmental Quality is best suited to elevate environmental justice to the White House and to lead the agenda on climate change resilience.'" On December 16, 2020, Mallory was reported to be the nominee selected by President-elect Joe Biden to run the

(CEQ) in his

administration Administration may refer to: Management of organizations * Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal ** Administrative Assistant, traditionally known as a Secretary, or also known as an administrative officer, admini ...

. ''

Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency was esta ...

'' wrote that Biden's choice "signals a focus by the incoming administration on environmental policies that would aim to ensure improved clean air and water for poor and minority communities that have historically taken the brunt of industrial pollution, and on pursuing Biden’s overarching plan to fight climate change." ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' wrotes her nomination "would place a veteran government official and conservation advocate in a key administration post, one who works closely with agencies to shape federal environmental and energy policy and to ensure individual communities have a voice in the construction of pipelines, roads and other potentially polluting projects." ''

Bloomberg News Bloomberg News (originally Bloomberg Business News) is an international news agency headquartered in New York City and a division of Bloomberg L.P. Content produced by Bloomberg News is disseminated through Bloomberg Terminals, Bloomberg Tele ...

'' wrote that if confirmed, Mallory will "play a pivotal role guiding environmental policy decisions across the federal government," including the implementation of the

National Environmental Policy Act The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is a United States environmental law that promotes the enhancement of the environment and established the President's Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). The law was enacted on January 1, 1970.Un ...

. ''

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

'' wrote that "Mallory's appointment fleshes out a climate team with expertise in regulation, finance, diplomacy and environmental law" and "Environmental advocates welcomed Mallory's impending nomination, citing her expertise on climate and on environmental equity." On April 14, 2021, Mallory was confirmed as the leader of the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) by a 53–45 vote in the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

."On the Nomination (Confirmation: Brenda Mallory, of Maryland, to be a Member of the Council on Environmental Quality)" United States Senate, April 14, 2021
/ref> She is the first African American chair of the CEQ. The CEQ is responsible for implementing the

(NEPA), and has influence over large infrastructure projects. In a statement, Mallory said, "By helping forge unity of purpose – across communities, across the country, and across government – CEQ will help our nation rise to the environmental challenges of our time, from climate change and the nature crisis to the environmental injustices that have plagued our country for too long."

Personal life

Mallory resides in Rockville, Maryland with her husband and has three adult children.

References

External links

*
Climate 21 Project
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mallory, Brenda 1957 births 21st-century American lawyers 21st-century American women lawyers African-American government officials African-American lawyers African-American women lawyers Biden administration personnel Columbia Law School alumni American environmental lawyers Living people Obama administration personnel People from Rockville, Maryland People from Waterbury, Connecticut Yale University alumni