WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of the Interior announced additional Biden-Harris administration appointees who it said will work to fulfill the agency’s mission to steward America’s public lands and waters, pursue environmental justice and build nation-to-nation relationships with Tribes.
The appointees are:
— Matthew Dutko, Special Assistant to the Senior Advisor and Infrastructure Coordinator
Dutko most recently served as a White House advance associate while earning his master’s degree in international affairs with a concentration in energy, resources and the environment from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. He is a Biden for President campaign alum and a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley. He is originally from Maryland.
— Peter Gallagher, Advisor on Orphaned Wells, Office of Policy, Management and Budget
Gallagher has nearly a decade of congressional experience, most recently serving as professional staff on the House Committee on Natural Resources, covering federal onshore and offshore oil and gas leasing and development under the leadership of Chairman Raúl M. Grijalva. He joined the Democratic staff of the Committee in 2013 where he served as a staff assistant and chief clerk. Raised outside of Boston, Gallagher has a Bachelor of Arts from Elon University and a Master of Science in energy policy and climate from Johns Hopkins University.
So-called “orphan” oil and natural gas wells have been abandoned by defunct companies that cannot pay to plug them, often creating environmental hazards. Interior has documented 130,000 such wells nationwide, though there may be millions more.
— Brendan Jackson, Deputy Director of Advance
Jackson most recently served in the Department of Education as an advance representative. Prior to joining the Biden-Harris administration, he worked on the presidential campaigns of Joe Biden and Tom Steyer and spent several years in the entrepreneurial space, working on various projects at the intersection of food production, sustainable industry, land use and climate. He graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 2015 with a degree in political science and global studies.
— Malcolm McGeary, Senior Advisor, National Park Service
McGeary was most recently the director of natural resources policy for U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, where he served in various roles for nearly 10 years. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon and a master’s degree in public policy from the Johns Hopkins University.
— Iqra Nasir, Advisor, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
Nasir most recently served as a senior associate at Kearns & West. Previously, she worked at SustainabiliD; the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy; the U.S. Senate; the Environmental Protection Agency; and the White House Council on Environmental Quality. She holds a Master of Public Policy and a Master of Science in environmental policy, planning and justice from the University of Michigan.
“We are thrilled to welcome a new group of accomplished professionals to the Interior Department who will help deliver on President Biden’s ambitious agenda,” Chief of Staff Rachael Taylor said in a statement. “Our new colleagues will help provide critical leadership as the Department continues to move quickly to implement the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, tackle the climate crisis while lowering costs for families and creating good-paying jobs, and honor the federal government’s trust responsibilities to Indian Country.”
