The American College of Environmental Lawyers is proud to announce that this year it has elected 22 new Active Fellows and two Honorary Fellows to membership in the College. Each individual was selected for his or her distinguished experience, high standards of practice and substantial contributions to the field of environmental law.
ACOEL President, Mary Ellen Ternes, partner with Earth & Water Law, LLC, stated, “The 22 lawyers elected as Fellows to the College represent the best environmental lawyers in government service, public interest, academia, and private practice from across the country. Our new Fellows have earned this recognition based on their career achievements and as leaders in the broad and diverse areas of environmental law and policy. Our Honorary Fellows have distinguished themselves for their substantial contributions as leaders in thought and action regarding Environmental Justice.“
Our newly elected Honorary Fellows – a designation bestowed by the President of the College for sustained leadership – are Dr. Dorceta Taylor and Ms. Peggy Shepard. Dr. Taylor, Professor within the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental studies, is a prolific author, contributor to development of the “Principles of Environmental Justice” and recognized as “one of the “Mothers of Environmental Justice.” Ms. Shepard co-founded WE ACT for Environmental Justice, which has worked to improve environmental quality for New Yorkers, especially those in low-income communities of color, for over 30 years. Ms. Shepard has also been named as co-chair of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council and was the first female chair of the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council to the U.S. EPA.
The newly elected Active Fellows are:
Mary Jane Angelo
Samuel T. Dell Professor of Law
Co-Director of the Environmental and Land Use Law Program
University of Florida Levin College of Law (FL)
Elizabeth Armistead Andrews
Professor of Law and Director of Virgina Coastal Policy Center
William & Mary Law School (VA)
James B. Blackburn
Professor in the Practice in Environmental
Law, Baker Institute for Public Policy
Rice University (TX)
Donald C. Bluedorn
Managing Shareholder
Babst, Calland, Clements and Zomnir, P.C. (PA)
Linda K. Breggin
Senior Attorney and Director
Center for State, Tribal and Local Environmental Programs
Environmental Law Institute (TN)
John V. Byl
Partner
Warner Norcross + Judd (MI)
Ann E. Carlson[*]
Chief Counsel
National Highway Safety Traffic Admin. (DC)
Teresa B. Clemmer
Senior Counsel
Bessenyay & Van Tuynm LLC (AK)
Bessie Antin Daschbach
Managing Member
Jones Swanson Huddell & Daschbach (LA)
Franca L. DeRosa
Partner
Brown Rudnick LLP (CT)
Gwendolyn Keyes Fleming
Partner
VanNess Feldman LLP (DC)
Sarah Krakoff[*]
Deputy Solicitor for Parks & Wildlife
U.S. Dept. of the Interior (DC)
Francis X. Lyons
Partner
Schiff Hardin LLP (IL)
Karen McGuire[*]
Director, Office of Environmental Stewardship
U.S. EPA, Region 1 (MA)
Smita Narula
Distinguished Chair of International Law
Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University (NY)
Claudia M. O’Brien
Retired Partner
Latham & Watkins (DC)
Lori J. Potter
Partner
Kaplan Kirsch Rockwell LLP (CO)
Ruth Santiago
Private Practice
Ruth Santiago, JD, LLM (PR)
Basil Seggos[*]
Commissioner
New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation (NY)
Amy Sinden
Professor of Law
Temple University Beasley School of Law (PA)
Carlton Waterhouse[*]
Deputy Assistant Administrator,
Office of Land and Emergency Management
U.S. EPA (DC)
Marla E. Wieder[*]
Assistant Regional Counsel, Caribbean Environmental Protection Division
U.S. EPA, Region 2 (NY)
[*] Fellows who are employed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, or by any other federal, state, or local governmental agencies, participate in the ACOEL in their personal capacities only, and not as governmental representatives.