From the PA Environment Digest Blog

On July 2, Ramez Ziadeh took over as Acting Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection, replacing Patrick McDonnell who held the post for the last six years.

Ramez Ziadeh, P.E., served as the Executive Deputy Secretary of Programs at the Department of Environmental Protection since June 2017 and previously served as Director of the Bureau of Waterways Engineering and Wetlands. 

Ziadeh is a licensed professional engineer in the states of Pennsylvania and California.  He received his B.S. degree in civil engineering from the University of Pittsburgh in 1993. 

Ziadeh started his career in DEP in 1994. He has over 28 years of extensive experience in environmental permitting, compliance, policy, and regulatory rule making.

“It’s been an honor and a privilege to serve with Secretary McDonnell, and I am committed to upholding the high standards he set for the office and for the department,” Ziadeh said. “I look forward to working with Governor Wolf to ensure that Pennsylvanians have clear air, clean water, and healthy communities.”

[Note: Unfortunately, it is unlikely Ziadeh will go through the Senate confirmation process because Senate Republicans have refused to take action on any of Gov. Wolf’s agency nominees until he withdraws his executive order and regulations reducing carbon pollution from power plants in Pennsylvania.  Read more here.]