Lehigh Times

After 25 years of serving the state of Pennsylvania, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Patrick McDonnell is leaving his position Saturday, July 2.

According to Gov. Tom Wolf's (D-PA) website, Ramez Ziadeh will serve as acting secretary. McDonnell has worked with DEP since 1998 and has been secretary since 2016.

“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, according to his website. “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.”

Patrick McDonell | dep.pa.gov

McDonnell was also the DEP director of policy and ran the State Energy Office where he was responsible for coordinating renewable energy and working with energy-efficiency issues. McDonnell has served as the DEP deputy secretary for administration and also spent more than three years as the executive policy manager for former Public Utility Commissioner Pamela Whitmer. He has also served as president and a number of other roles with the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS).

“I’m so honored to have served Gov. 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, according to Wolf's website. “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, Gov. Wolf, and thank you to all my colleagues at DEP for prioritizing protecting our environment.” 

Ziadeh has served as the executive deputy secretary of programs at the Pennsylvania DEP since June 2017. Previously, he was the director of the Bureau of Waterways, Engineering and Wetlands. He is a licensed engineer in Pennsylvania and California, and received his B.S. in civil engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. Ziadeh has more than 28 years of experience and started his time with DEP in 1994.

“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, according to Wolf's website. “I look forward to working with Gov. Wolf to ensure that Pennsylvanians have clear air, clean water and healthy communities.”