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EQB Membership List

Powers and Duties

The Environmental Quality Board (EQB) was established by Act 275 of 1970, Section 1920-A of the Administrative Code of April 9, 1929, as amended, to do the following:

  1. Develop a Master Environmental Plan for the commonwealth.
  2. Formulate, adopt and promulgate rules and regulations as necessary to accomplish the Department of Environmental Protection's work.
  3. Have power to subpoena witnesses and records.
  4. Review reports and advise the department on matters of policy.

Board Composition (20 members)

11 Members

Chairperson, Secretary of Environmental Protection
Secretary of Health
Secretary of Community and Economic Development
Secretary of Transportation
Secretary of Agriculture
Secretary of Labor & Industry
Executive Director of Fish and Boat Commission
Executive Director of Game Commission
Chairperson of Public Utility Commission
Executive Director of Historical & Museum Commission
Executive Director of the State Planning Board

5 Members - Citizens Advisory Council

(Elected annually by members of Citizens Advisory Council)

4 Members - General Assembly - one to be appointed by each of the following:

President Pro Tempore of Senate
Senate Minority Leader
Speaker of House of Representatives
House Minority Leader

Term

State Agency Members - consistent with term of agency appointment;
House and Senate Members - at the pleasure of the legislative leaders;
Citizens Advisory Council Members - elected annually by members of the Citizens Advisory Council.

Voting

All Board Members may designate alternates with voting privileges in accordance with Sections 213 and 471 of the Administrative Code. Eight members of the Board constitute a quorum.

Meetings

Meetings are held the second Tuesday of every month in the Rachel Carson State Office Building (RCSOB), 400 Market St., Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Special meetings and hearings are held at the discretion of the EQB. Meetings are open to the public; however, public statements are not permitted at the EQB meetings. EQB public hearings may be scheduled to solicit public comments on proposed regulations.

Chairperson

Honorable Jessica Shirley, Interim Acting Secretary of Environmental Protection
16th Floor, Rachel Carson State Office Building
400 Market Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
jesshirley@pa.gov

Board Members and Alternates:

Department of Health
Member Alternate
Honorable Debra Bogen (Acting)
Secretary of Health
Room 802, Health & Welfare Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
dbogen@pa.gov
Kristen Rodack
Department of Health
Health & Welfare Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
krodack@pa.gov
 
Department of Community and Economic Development
Member Alternate
Honorable Frederick Siger
Secretary of Community and Economic Development
400 North Street
Keystone Building, 4th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17120
fsiger@pa.gov
Adam Walters
Department of Community and Economic Development
400 North Street
Keystone Building, 4th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17120
adwalters@pa.gov
 
Department of Transportation
Member Alternate
Honorable Michael Carroll
Secretary of Transportation
Keystone Building
8th Floor West
Harrisburg, PA 17120
mbcarroll@pa.gov
Shane Rice
Department of Transportation
Keystone Building
8th Floor West
Harrisburg, PA 17120
shanerice@pa.gov
 
Department of Agriculture
Member Alternate
Honorable Russell Redding
Secretary of Agriculture
Room 211, Agriculture Building
2301 North Cameron Street
Harrisburg, PA 17110
rredding@pa.gov
Gregory Hostetter
Executive Deputy Secretary
Department of Agriculture
Room 211, Agriculture Building
2301 North Cameron Street
Harrisburg, PA 17110
grhostette@pa.gov
 
Department of Labor and Industry
Member Alternate
Honorable Nancy Walker
Secretary of Labor & Industry
Room 1700, Labor & Industry Building
7th & Forster Streets
Harrisburg, PA 17120
nancywalker@pa.gov
Kabir Hossain
Department of Labor & Industry
Labor & Industry Building
7th & Forster Streets
Harrisburg, PA 17120
khossain@pa.gov
 
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
Member Alternate
Honorable Tim Schaeffer
Executive Director
PA Fish & Boat Commission
1601 Elmerton Avenue
P.O. Box 67000
Harrisburg, PA 17106-7000
tischaeffe@pa.gov
Heather Smiles
Chief, Division of Enviro. Services
PA Fish & Boat Commission
595 E Rolling Ridge Dr
Bellefonte, PA 16823
hsmiles@pa.gov
 
Pennsylvania Game Commission
Member Alternate
Honorable Bryan Burhans
Executive Director
PA Game Commission
2001 Elmerton Avenue
Harrisburg, PA 17110-9797
bburhans@pa.gov
Tim Haydt, Chief
Division of Environmental Planning & Habitat Protection
PA Game Commission
2001 Elmerton Avenue
Harrisburg, PA 17110-9797
thaydt@pa.gov
 
Public Utility Commission
Member Alternate
Honorable Stephen M. DeFrank
Chairman
Public Utility Commission
Keystone Building, 3rd Floor
400 North Street
Harrisburg, PA 17105
smd@pa.gov
Kathryn Zerfuss
Commissioner
Public Utility Commission
Keystone Building
400 North Street
Harrisburg, PA 17120
katzerfuss@pa.gov
 
Historical and Museum Commission
Member Alternate
Honorable Andrea Bakewell Lowery
Executive Director
Historical and Museum Commission
Room 501, William Penn Memorial
Museum Building, 330 North Street
Harrisburg, PA 17120
anlowery@pa.gov
Joseph Lauver
Chief, Division of Architecture and Preservation
Historical and Museum Commission
Keystone Building
400 North Street, 2nd Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17120
jlauver@pa.gov
 
Governor's Office of Policy and Planning
The Director of the Governor's Policy Office serves as Executive Director of the State Planning Board, which holds a seat on the EQB.
Member Alternate
Honorable Akbar Hossain
Secretary
Governor's Office of Planning and Policy
Room 238, Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
akhossain@pa.gov
Jacob Finkel
Deputy Secretary
Governor's Office of Planning and Policy
508E Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
jafinkel@pa.gov
 
Citizens Advisory Council
Member Alternate
Robert J. Barkanic, P.E.
2139 Rolling Meadow Drive
Macungie, PA 18062
rjbarkanic@outlook.com
John St. Clair
617 Hiner Road
Homer City, PA 15748
jstclair18@gmail.com
 
Cynthia Carrow
Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
800 Waterfront Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
ccarrow@paconserve.org
James Welty
Marcellus Shale Coalition
300 N. Second Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
jwelty@marcelluscoalition.org
 
Trisha Salvia
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
1426 North 3rd Street, Suite 220
Harrisburg, PA 17102
tsalvia@cbf.org
 
 
James Schmid
1201 Cedar Grove Road
Media, PA 19063
schmidjamesa@gmail.com
 
John Walliser, VP
PA Environmental Council
2124 Penn Avenue
2nd Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
jwalliser@pecpa.org
 
 
General Assembly
Member Alternate
Honorable Gene Yaw
Senate of Pennsylvania
Republican Chair,
Senate Environmental
Resources and Energy Committee
Senate Post Office Box 203023
Harrisburg, PA 17120-3023
gyaw@pasen.gov
Matt Osenbach
Executive Director
Senate Environmental
Resources and Energy Committee (R)
Senate Post Office Box 203023
Harrisburg, PA 17120-3023
mosenbach@pasen.gov
 
Honorable Carolyn Comitta
Senate of Pennsylvania
Democratic Chair,
Senate Environmental
Resources and Energy Committee
Senate Post Office Box 203019
Harrisburg, PA 17120-3019
senatorcomitta@pasenate.com
Emily Eyster
Executive Director
Senate Environmental
Resources and Energy Committee (D)
Senate Post Office Box 203019
Harrisburg, PA 17120-3019
emily.eyster@pasenate.com
 
Honorable Martin T. Causer
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Republican Chair,
House Environmental
Resources and Energy Committee
House Post Office Box 202012
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2012
mcauser@pahousegop.com
Glendon D. King
Executive Director
House Environmental
Resources and Energy Committee (R)
House Post Office Box 202012
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2012
gking@pahousegop.com
 
The Honorable Greg Vitali
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Democratic Chair,
House Environmental
Resources and Energy Committee
House Post Office Box 202166
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2166
gvitali@pahouse.net
Evan Franzese-Peterson
Executive Director
House Environmental
Resources and Energy Committee (D)
House Post Office Box 202166
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2166
efranzese@pahouse.net

DEP Staff

Robert "Bo" Reiley, Bureau of Regulatory Counsel
Ezra Thrush, Director, Policy Office

Board Contact Information

Environmental Quality Board
16th Floor, RCSOB
P.O. Box 8477
Harrisburg, PA 17105-8477
(717) 783-8727