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Mary Nichols

Chair of the California Air Resources Board

Mary Nichols is current Chair of the California Air Resources Board, a post she has held since 2007. She also served as Chair of the Air Resources Board from 1979–1983.

As Chair, she has devoted her entire career in public and nonprofit service to advocating for the environment and public health. In addition to her work at the Air Resources Board, she has served as Assistant Administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Air and Radiation program under President Clinton, Secretary for California’s Resources Agency from 1999 to 2003 and Director of the Institute of the Environment at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Her priorities as Chair include moving ahead on the state’s landmark climate change program (AB 32), steering the Board through numerous efforts to curb diesel pollution at ports and continuing to pass regulations aimed at providing cleaner air for Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley. She values innovation, partnerships and common-sense approaches to addressing the state’s air issues.