Commissioner McCarthy Keynote Speaker at Earth Day Address

Olivia DrakeApril 4, 20083min

Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Gina McCarthy will present “Meeting the Environmental Challenges of the 21st Century” at 8 p.m. April 22 as part of Wesleyan’s Earth Day observance.
Posted 04/04/08
Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Gina McCarthy will present the 2008 Earth Day Keynote Address at Wesleyan titled “Meeting the Environmental Challenges of the 21st Century.” This free event will be held at 8 p.m., Tuesday, April 22 in the Memorial Chapel. A reception will immediately follow in the Zelnick Pavilion.

Appointed by Governor M. Jodi Rell on Dec. 10, 2004, Commissioner McCarthy came to the Connecticut DEP from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, where she worked on environmental issues at the state and local level for 25 years in a variety of high-ranking positions, including Deputy Secretary of Operations for the Massachusetts Office of Commonwealth Development.

“We are very fortunate to have Commissioner McCarthy speaking at Wesleyan’s Earth Day observance,” says Barry Chernoff, the Robert Schumann Professor of Environmental Studies, professor of biology and director of the Environmental Studies Certificate Program. “She has set a very aggressive, forward thinking agenda that is increasing protections for Connecticut. Commissioner McCarthy is an excellent speaker and will have broad appeal to the Wesleyan and Middletown communities.”

McCarthy is working on key environmental priorities, including: health of Long Island Sound; the state’s air quality; the state park system; Connecticut’s innovative Climate Change Action Plan; a new solid waste master plan; and new strategies to protect the state’s natural resources.

McCarthy received a bachelor of arts in social anthropology from the University of Massachusetts, Boston and a joint master of science in environmental health engineering and planning and policy from Tufts University.

Earth Day Keynote Address is part of the Robert Schumann Lecture Series for Environmental Studies at Wesleyan University. For more information, contact Valerie Marinelli, administrative assistant, at 860-685-3733, e-mail vmarinelli@wesleyan.edu or visit www.wesleyan.edu/escp.