September 28, 2026
For Immediate Release
Contact: [email protected]
(Washington, D.C.) The American College of Environmental Lawyers (ACOEL or College) is proud to announce its newly elected Officers and Regents. The College is a professional association of distinguished lawyers who practice in the field of environmental law. Membership is by invitation and members are recognized by their peers as preeminent in their field. ACOEL Fellows are dedicated to: maintaining and improving the ethical practice of environmental law; the administration of justice; and the development of environmental law at both the state and federal level. The new Officers’ and Regents’ terms began on September 25, 2026, at the College’s Annual Meeting held in Chicago, IL.
The new Officers for 2026-27 are:
Jessica Merrigan, a partner at Spencer Fane in Kansas City, was elected President. Jessie has been an active Fellow of the College since 2021. As President Elect Jessie chaired the 2026 Annual Meeting, and prior to that served two years as Treasurer of the College. In her practice, Jessie counsels clients on environmental matters regarding regulatory requirements including permitting, compliance audits and enforcement response. She represents parties in negotiation, management and resolution of Superfund liability, including serving as common counsel for PRP groups, and assists clients in evaluation of environmental liabilities associated with real estate and corporate transactions. Jessie is committed to the importance of mentorship in the practice of law and is excited to continue the College’s work in mentorship and development of attorneys in environmental law.
Steve Miano, a shareholder at Hangley Aronchick Segal Pudlin & Schiller in Philadelphia, was elected President Elect. Steve has been an active Fellow of the College since 2018. Steve has chaired several Annual Meetings and the College’s first Mid-Year Meeting. He also served on the College’s Board of Regents, which he co-chaired for two years. Most recently, he served as Secretary of the College. Steve practices exclusively in environmental law and litigation, focused primarily on issues arising under the Clean Water Act, Superfund, and contaminated property redevelopment. He also counsels clients on environmental permitting, enforcement actions and corporate and real estate transactions. He began his career as an Assistant Regional Counsel at EPA Region 3. Steve is also a Past Chair of the ABA’s Section of Environment, Energy and Resources.
Andy Fitz, Senior Assistant Attorney General for the Washington Attorney General’s Office, was elected Secretary. Andy is chief of the AGO’s Ecology Division, which provides all legal services to the Washington Department of Ecology and four other client agencies on matters including management of Washington water rights; water quality and air quality regulation; hazardous waste regulation; solid waste management; cleanups under CERCLA and Washington’s Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA); cleanup of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation; implementation of an economy-wide carbon cap-and-invest system under Washington’s Climate Commitment Act; and implementation of Washington’s Shoreline Management Act. Andy’s own practice has focused largely on cleanup site oversight under MTCA and CERCLA, hazardous waste regulation under Washington’s RCRA-authorized state law program, and Hanford Nuclear Reservation cleanup.
Kathy Beckett, a partner at Steptoe Johnson in Charlston, WV, was re-elected to serve a second term as Treasurer. Kathy Beckett has experience practicing environmental, regulatory, and natural resources law. She has served business and industry clients concerning all major federal environmental programs. Kathy has represented the electric power generation industry for several years engaging in regulatory and federal appellate practice in that regard. She is active in many industry trade groups and formerly served on the Board of Directors of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and chairs its Energy, Environmental, Climate, and Sustainability Committee. She serves on the Board of Directors of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce and chairs its Environmental Committee. Kathy is Chair of the Industry Advisory Committee of the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO). She is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and the American College of Environmental Lawyers, and is rated in Chambers USA. Kathy is a trustee for the West Virginia Nature Conservancy. She serves on the Board of Directors for Dig Deep. Kathy is the Chair of the Board of the Black Diamond Council for the Girl Scouts serving multiple states.
Alexandra Dunn, President and CEO of CropLife America (CLA)since early 2024, becomes Immediate Past President. She has over 32 years of experience leading non-profit organizations – particularly of state officials – and teaching and writing in key areas of environmental law, focusing on agriculture, water quality, sustainability, justice, and dispute resolution. At CLA she leads global innovation companies advance science-based policies, laws, and regulations to help pesticides and other innovative tools reach American farmers. Dunn focuses through CLA on helping growers protect their crops weed, pest, and disease loss, allowing them to maximize their production of fiber and fuel, and to grow abundant and affordable food for U.S. tables and abroad. Prior, Ms. Dunn was a Partner in the Environment, Safety, and Incident Response group at the global law firm of Baker Botts. This role followed her public service unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate as EPA’s Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (2019-2021, and Region 1 Administrator (2018-2019). She is a Past Chair of the ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources.
The following Fellows were elected to serve as Regents for the 2026-29 term:
- Amy Edwards (2nd Term)
- David VanSlyke (2nd Term)
- Samantha Beers
- David Mandelbaum
- Buddy Cox
- Tracie Renfroe
- Jim Salzman
- Chris Thomas
- Chris Baird
Please contact [email protected] with any questions.
