Our People

Officers

CHAIR: Richard Jackson, District of Columbia

Director, District of Columbia Department of Energy and Environment
Richard Jackson is the Director of the District of Columbia Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE). He provides strategic guidance and leadership to a workforce of more than 450 environmental professionals and oversees the daily operations of five administrations that work collaboratively to protect the environment and conserve natural resources in the District of Columbia. He joined DOEE in 2008 as a hazardous waste inspector in the Environmental Services Administration (ESA). Prior to his appointment as director, he served as senior deputy director -- the second in command at DOEE. Richard spent 21 years with the U.S. Navy as a nuclear submariner operating nuclear reactors, power generation and propulsion systems, and maintaining weapons systems. He is a proud U.S. veteran.

VICE CHAIR: Melanie Loyzim, Maine

Commissioner, Maine Department of Environmental Protection
Melanie Loyzim is the Commissioner of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (Maine DEP). She has been with the agency since 2006, and has served in a variety of roles including underground tank inspector, air toxics and emissions inventory program manager, director of Bureau of Air Quality and the Bureau of Remediation and Waste Management, and most recently as deputy commissioner. Prior to her tenure at Maine DEP, she worked for Colorado's Department of Public Health and Environment in its emissions inventory program and as a rule writer. She also has experience as an Environmental, Health and Safety Consultant, a Site Health and Safety Officer, and 40-hour Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) trainer.

TREASURER/SECRETARY: Serena McIlwain, Maryland

Secretary, Maryland Department of the Environment
Secretary Serena McIlwain was confirmed in March 2023 as the 11th Secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment, where she leads the state’s efforts to protect public health, safeguard natural resources, and advance Maryland’s ambitious climate and environmental goals. Before joining Governor Wes Moore’s cabinet, Secretary McIlwain served as Undersecretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency. Her roles in the federal government included Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Assistant Secretary in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy, as well as Assistant Regional Administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 9, based in San Francisco. As Secretary, her priorities include positioning Maryland to meet its nation-leading climate targets, strengthening environmental protections while addressing long-standing environmental injustices, restoring and protecting Chesapeake Bay, and leading a high-performing agency grounded in accountability, equity, and public service.

MANEVU CHAIR: Vacant

Staff

Michelle Manion

Executive Director
mmanion @ nescaum.org

Alex Karambelas

Modeling, Stationary & Area Sources, and MANEVU TSC
akarambelas @ nescaum.org

Jesse Way

Mobile Sources
jway @ nescaum.org