Kimmell ’82 named Commissioner of Mass. DEP

Kenneth Kimmell ’82 was named commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. Previously he was general counsel for the executive office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, joining Governor Duval Patrick’s team in 2007.

Energy and Environment secretary-designate Richard Sullivan has described Kimmell as the “legal lead” on all aspects of recent state energy and environmental policy.

Kimmell has been credited with overseeing the state permitting of Cape Wind, the nation’s first off-shore wind project, as well as leading environmental permitting changes and drafting land-based wind energy siting reform legislation.

Additionally, he has focused on the development and early implementation of policy initiatives such as the MEPA Greenhouse Gas policy, a first-in-the-nation policy that requires developers of major projects to identify, avoid, and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

Prior to joining the Patrick-Murray Administration, Kimmell was in private practice, where he specialized in environmental and land use law and litigation.

A College of Social Studies major at Wesleyan, Kimmell received his law degree from the UCLA School of Law.