Executive Director

NESCAUM is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit association of state air quality agencies in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. The directors of these agencies serve as NESCAUM’s board of directors. NESCAUM’s purpose is to provide scientific, technical, analytical, and policy support to the air quality and climate programs of the northeast states. NESCAUM helps its members develop effective strategies to attain and maintain national ambient air quality standards, mitigate the impact of climate change and pursue emerging issues. NESCAUM staff coordinate and facilitate the activities of a number of committees and workgroups composed of staff from the member agencies who meet regularly to discuss topics such as air toxics and public health, permit modeling, mobile sources, monitoring, attainment planning and enforcement and compliance. The organization also coordinates professional training for staff from its member agencies.

The northeast governors created NESCAUM in 1967 to help their states more effectively address air pollution issues through coordinated management of air as a shared resource, which was a breakthrough concept in environmental policy at that time. In the decades that followed, the northeast states—working together through NESCAUM and with the federal government—made dramatic progress in reducing levels of airborne lead, carbon monoxide, ozone, particulate matter and a host of air toxics. These air quality improvements occurred while the region’s economic output, electric power needs, household energy consumption and vehicle miles traveled grew, demonstrating that environmental and public health protection can occur in lockstep with economic development.

NESCAUM creates an important block of states that has helped make its region a national and international leader in air quality and climate change protection despite the relatively small size of most of its individual states. Coordinated regional actions also help the states adopt and implement emission control strategies and enable its member agencies to be more efficient through complementary actions that alleviate the need for each state to undertake them in isolation. With its member states now dealing with daunting issues such as climate change, NESCAUM remains intently focused on the great challenges that lie ahead. To this end, regional coordination is even more crucial due to the interconnected nature of the Northeast’s energy and transportation systems and common airshed.

NESCAUM is uniquely entrepreneurial and leverages the dues provided by its member agencies to raise considerable resources to support state air quality and climate work. NESCAUM has successfully brought in funding from a wide range of public and private sources. NESCAUM also competes for state grants related to air quality, climate, and energy and has contracted with all of the member states at various times to conduct analysis and research in support of their programs. Over the last three years, NESCAUM’s annual operating budget is approximately $3 million. NESCAUM employs 15 staff members, several of whom work remotely from the Boston headquarters.

The organization is approaching its first leadership transition in 14 years. The next executive director will have the opportunity to lead this ground-breaking, forward-looking nonprofit dedicated to addressing air quality and climate issues while influencing the nation’s agenda through the collective efforts of NESCAUM’s staff and member states. High priorities for the next executive director include:

 

Skills and Experience:

This search is being conducted by TSNE MissionWorks with transition consultant John Tarvin. All submissions will be acknowledged and are confidential. Interested candidates should submit materials to:

Please include a resume and a cover letter with salary requirements, information regarding how you learned of the position, and a description of how your qualifications and experience match NESCAUM’s needs and mission. All submissions of candidacy will be accepted until the position is filled. Salary is commensurate with experience, within the framework of the organization’s annual operating budget.