Mary Nichols is Strong Choice for California Air Board

SACRAMENTO (July 3, 2007) – Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today appointed Mary Nichols as chair of the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Nichols has decades of experience in high-level posts in state and federal government. She also is a veteran of environmental advocacy, including working as a founding attorney in the Los Angeles office of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

 

 

“As the nation’s leading air quality regulatory agency, the California Air Resources Board has a worldwide reputation. Its integrity and capability have never been more important. Its mandate to reduce global warming pollution is as complex a challenge as anything it’s ever faced.

 

“Mary Nichols has proven her mettle time after time as a leader, enforcer and advocate for a healthy environment and public health. She brings decades of experience at both the state and federal levels, managing complex air quality and natural resource programs. As a veteran of CARB, she knows the agency extremely well and is committed to its science-based independence. It would be hard to find a stronger chair of the board.

 

“We look forward to working with Mary. We are confident that she can hit the ground running and help return stability to this important agency so it can get back to its job of cleaning the air and fighting global warming.”