Obama Nominates a Certified Hazmat Manager as EPA Administrator
President-elect Barack Obama has nominated Lisa P. Jackson, CHMM, for the top post at the Environmental Protection Agency. The U.S. Senate must confirm her before she assumes the position. Previously, she served as the commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), where she managed a staff of 3,400. Prior to that post, she worked for 16 years in the Superfund Program at EPA, developing key hazardous waste cleanup regulations, overseeing hazardous waste cleanup programs and directing multimillion-dollar cleanup operations.
"This nomination places a huge amount of trust in Lisa, her professionalism, and her professional training provided through the CHMM certification program," said Academy of Certified Hazardous Materials Managers President Michael J. Mandracchia, CHMM, who worked for Jackson at NJDEP. "We are extremely proud of Lisa for being the nominee for the EPA administrator post and prouder still that she, like many of the 4,000 members of ACHMM, is a holder of the Certified Hazardous Materials Manager credential. If confirmed by the Senate, Lisa will do a tremendous job for the people of the country just as she did for the citizens of New Jersey."
The CHMM credential, which is administered by the Institute of Hazardous Materials Management, recognizes professionals who have demonstrated superior competency, knowledge, and expertise in hazmat management. At NJDEP, the Essentials of Hazardous Materials Management (EHMM) course is an integral part of the agency's cross-training and hazardous materials education program. More than 200 federal, state and local government employees have taken the EHMM course offered by the NJDEP, either for cross-training or to prepare for the CHMM exam. As a result, nearly 50 current agency employees have earned the CHMM designation after successfully completing the challenging credentialing exam. Jackson took the EHMM course to prepare for the CHMM exam, a move that illustrates her commitment to the profession and her recognition of the quality of the course. For more information, visit www.ihmm.org.