Amanda Lefton, a Queens native who grew up on Long Island and now lives upstate with her wife, has been tapped as commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Lefton brings a mix of federal, state, nonprofit and private sector experience to the role. She previously served as director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, where she developed the federal agency’s offshore wind program. Before that she served as the first assistant secretary for energy and environment for New York, where she led the state’s environmental and climate initiatives, and worked as deputy director of policy for The Nature Conservancy in New York. And she most recently was the vice president of offshore development for U.S. East at RWE, an international offshore wind industry company.
“I am honored Governor Hochul has entrusted me to carry out the Department of Environmental Conservation’s critical mission,” Lefton said. “I am committed to delivering meaningful results to enhance the health and safety of communities all across the state and to protecting our environment and natural resources for future generations.”
As DEC commissioner, she will oversee the state agency with a $2.5 billion budget and staff of more than 3,000 that manages 5 million acres of public lands, regulates natural resources, responds to chemical spills, and enforces the state’s environmental laws, among other responsibilities.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, who announced Lefton’s nomination on Feb. 24, said Lefton is a strong leader with “a record of achievement — and … will play a pivotal role leading” the DEC. Her nomination must be confirmed by the state Senate. Lefton starts in the role in an acting position on March 3, replacing DEC Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar, who has been running the agency since Basil Seggos stepped down last year.
Environmental advocates welcomed the news.
“She is a smart, component woman with an extraordinary array of experience in the public and private sector that will provide leadership and expertise to the DEC,” said Adrienne Esposito, executive director of the Farmingdale-based nonprofit Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “I have worked alongside Amanda in the past and she has demonstrated great depth of knowledge and commitment for environmental protection and public health issues. Her expertise is hard to find, and she is exactly the right person for the job.”
Parks & Trails New York Executive Director Paul Steely White said Lefton’s collaborative qualities and expertise will aid the DEC in safeguarding the state’s open spaces.
“Amanda Lefton has a strong track record standing up for the environment and defending the public interest,” White said. “We look forward to working with her to achieve DEC’s mission to conserve, improve, and protect New York’s natural resources.”
