A former environmental leader in the City Council will take his fight for a cleaner, more sustainable city to the governor’s office.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has hired former Councilmember Jim Gennaro to join the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) as deputy commissioner for New York City Sustainability and Resiliency, the governor announced last week.
“This year, the state is reimagining New York for a new climate reality, building back better and more resilient after the major storms from the last few years,” Cuomo said in a statement. “I am pleased to have Mr. Gennaro join our team at DEC where he will bring his many years of environmental experience to help protect and prepare New York City for extreme weather.”
Gennaro served in the city’s lawmaking body from 2002, chairing the Environmental Protection Committee until he was term-limited in 2013.
The outspoken fracking skeptic and geologist had more than 42 pieces of environmental legislation passed by the City Council in that time.
He was also awarded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s “Environmental Quality Award” in 2013.
Gennaro’s new responsibilities include helping the city rebuild after Sandy and preparing it for climate change challenges and future storms.
“Jim’s demonstrated passion for improving the environment and his leading role in shaping environmental policies to protect New Yorkers make him a natural fit for DEC,” said DEC Commissioner Joe Martens.
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