Mary D. Nichols

Mary Nichols
Chair of the California Air Resources Board
In office
2007–2020
GovernorArnold Schwarzenegger
Jerry Brown
Gavin Newsom
Preceded byRobert Sawyer
Succeeded byLiane Randolph
In office
1979–1983
GovernorJerry Brown
Preceded byThomas Quinn
Succeeded byGordon W. Duffy
Secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency
In office
1999–2003
GovernorGray Davis
Preceded byDouglas Wheeler
Succeeded byMike Chrisman
Personal details
Born
Mary Dolores Nichols

April 1945 (age 79)
Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
RelativesBenjamin Nichols (father)
EducationCornell University (BA)
Yale University (JD)

Mary Dolores Nichols (born 1945) is an American attorney and government official who has been the chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) since 2007. She also held that post between 1979 and 1983. From 1999 to 2003, she served as secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency in the cabinet of then-Governor Gray Davis.[1] Due to her efforts to combat global warming, she has been dubbed "the Queen of Green",[2][3] and described as "the most influential environmental regulator in history."[4]

In November 2020, she was named a possible candidate for administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. In December 2020, it was announced that Michael S. Regan would serve in the role.[5][6]

  1. ^ "Chair, California Air Resources Board Mary D. Nichols". California Air Resources Board. California Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  2. ^ ""Queen of Green" Mary D. Nichols to Speak at Harvey Mudd Commencement". Harvey Mudd College. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  3. ^ Wholf, Tracy (February 11, 2013). "Dan Rather Reports: Behind the Scenes with the Queen of Green". Vimeo. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  4. ^ Walsh, Dylan (January 2020). "The climate in California". yalealumnimagazine.com. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  5. ^ Politico Staff (November 7, 2020). "Meet the contenders for Biden's Cabinet". POLITICO. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Seethe was invoked but never defined (see the help page).