Erie County Times

Gov. Tom Wolf has announced that Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Patrick McDonnell will be leaving his position on July 2.

The governor plans to appoint Ramez Ziadeh as acting secretary.

McDonnell has worked with the department since 1998 and has served as secretary since 2016, a press release from the governor's office said this week. He was also the DEP director of policy and has run the State Energy Office in the past. 

“Patrick’s dedication to protecting our commonwealth’s environment has been a decades long commitment at DEP, and I am grateful for his service,” Wolf said in the release. “Through his leadership, we are taking significant action to address climate change, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect our waterways, and ensure that contaminated lands are cleaned up and repurposed so that our communities can enjoy these spaces once again.”

Other roles McDonnell has had include three years as the DEP deputy secretary for administration, executive policy manager for former Public Utility Commissioner Pamela A. Whitmer, and a number of roles with the Environmental Council of States (ECOS).

“I’m so honored to have served Governor Wolf and lead a tremendous and dedicated staff at DEP, all of whom work hard every day — whether in the office, out in the community and even in our waters — to protect Pennsylvania’s abundant natural resources,” McDonnell said. “From our litter cleanups to improving our permitting processes to taking unprecedented steps to address climate change, I’m proud of the work we’ve been able to accomplish. Thank you, Governor Wolf, and thank you to all my colleagues at DEP for prioritizing protecting our environment.” 

Ziadeh has ample experience for the job, the release said. He has been the executive deputy secretary of programs at the DEP since 2017. He was also the director of the Bureau of Waterways Engineering and Wetlands and is a licensed engineer in Pennsylvania and California. Ziadeh has been with the DEP since 1994 and has 28 years of experience in compliance, policy, environmental permitting and regulatory rulemaking.

“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 in the release. “I look forward to working with Governor Wolf to ensure that Pennsylvanians have clear air, clean water, and healthy communities.”