Director's recruitment
The Oregon Environmental Quality Commission holds the responsibility for hiring or appointing the DEQ director. EQC will complete a recruitment process with the selection of the new DEQ Director at a special meeting Feb. 9-10, 2023.
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On Feb. 10, 2023, the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission appointed Leah Feldon as the permanent DEQ Director.
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Feb. 9-10, 2023: Special meeting for DEQ Director interviews and vote
The Oregon Environmental Quality Commission will meet February 9 and 10 for a special meeting at which the commission will interview the two finalists and vote for the next DEQ Director. People may watch the public/open sessions using Zoom, or toll-free telephone line for audio-only connection.
People may provide written feedback on the finalist interviews via email to Recruitment2022@deq.oregon.gov. The commission will accept those emails until 3 p.m., on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023, as part of their consideration for the DEQ Director position.
Jan. 19, 2023: EQC regular meeting, including vote for DEQ Director recruitment finalists
The Oregon Environmental Quality Commission met Jan. 19, 2023, for a regular meeting. During that meeting, the commission voted on two finalists for the Director recruitment: Leah Feldon and Jamie McLeod-Skinner. A special meeting, dates to be determined, will be held in February for finalist interviews and a commission vote for the next DEQ Director.
December 29: EQC executive session special meeting
The Oregon Environmental Quality Commission met Dec. 29, 2022, for an executive session special meeting to discuss the timelines and next steps for the DEQ Director recruitment process.
November 10: DEQ requests your comment and feedback on a draft list of potential interview questions. The commission will select questions from this list, and may add other questions, through the interview process for potential candidates.
October 19: The application period has been extended through 4:59 p.m. on Sunday, November 13.
October 11: EQC Chair Kathleen George and Commissioner Molly Kile hosted an informational webinar on Tuesday, October 11, from 6-7 p.m. The webinar, held on Zoom, was designed for potential applicants to ask questions about Oregon, DEQ and the Director position.
September 16: The job announcement and application materials for the DEQ Director position are now available online. Applications will be accepted for approximately one month, subject to commission direction.
August 24: The commission held a special meeting on August 24 and adopted the final criteria, skills and attributes to be included in the DEQ Director recruitment materials.
July 28, 2022: DEQ issued a public notice requesting comment on the draft qualifications, required criteria and desired attributes for DEQ's next director, as discussed and amended at the July 21, 2022, EQC meeting.
July 21, 2022: EQC discussed the recruitment of DEQ’s next director as Item K on the July 21-22, 2022, EQC meeting agenda.
- DEQ will issue the proposed draft hiring criteria, including the desired attributes, for public comment starting the week of July 25.
Last updated: Jan. 25, 2023