Governor Cooper Appoints Mary Penny Kelley as the new Secretary of the NC Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)
With a little more than three months left in his second term as North Carolina’s governor, Gov. Roy Cooper has appointed veteran environmental leader Mary Penny Kelley as the new Secretary of the NC Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). Kelley replaces outgoing DEQ Secretary Elizabeth S. Biser, who has led DEQ since 2021.
New Secretary’s Career
“Mary Penny Kelley’s long career in environmental law and experience within DEQ make her the right person to lead the department and continue to work to protect North Carolina’s air and water,” said Cooper. “I appreciate DEQ Secretary Elizabeth Biser’s service to our state and her work to help make North Carolina a leader in the fight against PFAS and other harmful forever chemicals. This critical work will continue under Secretary Kelley.”
Kelley’s environmental work career includes previous service with DEQ, including as Senior Advisor for Policy and Innovation. She began her career with the NC Department of Justice, and served as Deputy Director of DEQ’s predecessor agency, the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR). She received her undergraduate degree in biology from NC State University and her law degree from Tulane University School of Law.
Continuing the Work
Biser thanked Cooper for the opportunity to serve as part of his administration. “Under Governor Cooper’s leadership, we have advanced the fight against forever chemicals, used historic state and federal funding to increase access to clean water and proved that a healthy environment and a healthy economy go hand in hand,” Biser said. “None of this would have been possible without the dedicated DEQ team, which I know will continue to carry out our mission.”
Kelley vowed to continue the fight against pollution, saying “Safe air, land and drinking water are vital for strong communities, healthy families and a growing economy. I look forward to continuing to protect these vital resources and hold polluters accountable.”
