The upcoming transition in presidential administration has left some environmental advocates wondering what the future of environmental protection in the United States will look like. On December 18, 2024, the GW Engineering’s Environmental and Energy Management Institute (EEMI) hosted a webinar to address these concerns, entitled “Navigating the Trump 2 Deregulatory Agenda: Lessons from Environmental Officials in Trump 1.”
The event was organized and directed by Dr. Ed Saltzberg, the EEMI Director of Professional Education. "The idea for the topic came from an EEMI staff meeting where Teresa Pohlman mentioned her experience keeping her environmental and security program moving forward in the first Trump administration,” Dr. Saltzberg said. “I thought that her experience and that of other EEMI staff in high-level federal positions in the 2016 transition would be helpful guidance for federal staff and others involved in public policy."
The webinar was widely attended and reflected the environmental protection community’s strong interest in the topic. Over 850 participants registered for the event, including organizational registrants from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Colorado Public Health Department, and Leaders in Energy, with even more attending the event live.
Dr. Jonathan Deason, the EEMI’s Executive Director, shared his enthusiasm about the event’s success. “The huge level of attendance at this event, and the enthusiasm it generated, was most gratifying, especially in light of the major changes we are likely to see with the new administration in Washington, DC. We will be leveraging that success by having similar webinars in the near future.”
The event featured the following EEMI leaders as panelists, all of whom are former senior federal government officials:
- Dr. Teresa Pohlman, a GW Engineering doctoral graduate who retired recently as the Director of Sustainability and Environmental Programs at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), where she led efforts to integrate sustainability and environmental compliance into DHS operations. With a career spanning decades in federal service, Teresa previously held key roles in environmental management and policy, including overseeing safety and environmental initiatives at multiple federal agencies. She now is a key EEMI leader and an Adjunct Professor in GW Engineering.
- Mark Pollins, a former long-time Director of the Water Enforcement Division at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, where he led efforts to enforce the Clean Water Act and ensure compliance with critical environmental regulations. Throughout his career, Mark was instrumental in addressing significant challenges, such as water quality enforcement and public health crises. He now is the EEMI Director of Food and Water.
- Alex Beehler, who served as the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy, and Environment during the first Trump administration, where he focused on enhancing energy resilience and environmental sustainability across Army operations. Prior to that role, Alex held several other senior positions in the federal government, including Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Installations and Environment, and Assistant Deputy for Environment, Safety, and Occupational Health at the Department of Defense. His extensive experience in energy, environment, and defense uniquely positioned him to navigate the complexities of aligning federal priorities with the Trump administration’s agenda. Alex is now the EEMI Director of Innovative Energy Strategies.
The panelists explored their experiences in successfully navigating the challenges of the first Trump administration. Despite the administration’s emphasis on deregulation, these leaders found creative ways to keep their energy, environmental, and climate programs operational. They maintained progress on critical priorities by leveraging strategic alignment, finding common ground, and developing innovative frameworks.
Attendees provided a large amount of positive post-event feedback, sharing that the experiences of the panelists provided valuable insights for federal staff facing similar challenges today. One participant noted that attending the webinar put them more at ease about the approaching administration change, with another participant validating that it was very encouraging to have a conversation focused on being proactive about and prepared for the future of environmental protection.
A recording of the event can be seen at the following link: Navigating the Trump 2 Deregulatory Agenda: Lessons from Environmental Officials in Trump 1.
EEMI will be hosting another webinar in the Navigating Trump 2.0 series in collaboration with the GW Law School on Friday, February 21st. The webinar, “Guardrails of Governance: Legal and Administrative Resilience in Trump 2.0,” will delve into potential risks to the rule of law and administrative governance in the newly elected Trump 2.0 administration. Click here to register.