Throughout his career, Michael S. Regan has been guided by a belief in forming consensus, fostering an open dialogue rooted in respect for science and the law, and an understanding that environmental protection and economic prosperity go hand in hand.
He joined Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy as a Polis Distinguished Fellow for the 2025-2026 academic year and is actively involved with the Civil Discourse Project (CDP) at Duke.
He previously served as the 16th Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with more than 16,000 employees and annual operating budget over $10 billion. With an additional historic funding boost from the U.S. Congress, he designed and led an investment strategy of more than $100 billion in the health, equity, and resilience of American communities, while providing the private sector with regulatory certainty to ensure job growth, global economic competitiveness, and investor confidence.
He has traveled across the country and around the world meeting face-to-face with communities hardest hit by environmental pollution and threats to public health. In his first year as Administrator, Michael established the EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights, the first national program office in the agency’s history dedicated to solving environmental challenges in economically distressed and frontline communities.
Prior to his EPA nomination, Michael served as Secretary of the NC Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) where he spearheaded the development and implementation of North Carolina’s seminal plan to address climate change and transition the state to a clean energy economy and established the state’s first-of-its-kind Environmental Justice and Equity Advisory Board to better align social inequities, environmental protection, and community empowerment.
He also served as the Associate Vice President of U.S. Climate and Energy and Southeast Regional Director at the Environmental Defense Fund where he successfully managed complex negotiations with energy companies, corporate business leaders, environmental and industry associations and elected officials across the nation.
Michael has been recognized by leading domestic and global organizations/governments for his outstanding contributions to environmental protection, while spurring economic growth across numerous industry sectors. His commitment to excellence has been acknowledged through several awards including Time Magazine TIME100 Next, Time Magazine TIME100 Health, the HBCU Honors Distinguished Public Service Award, Boys and Girls Club of America Alumni Hall of Fame, Keystone Policy Center Leadership Award, and the NNPA National Legacy Award.
Michael is a graduate of NC Agricultural & Technical State University, making him the first EPA Administrator to have graduated from a Historically Black University. He earned a master’s degree in public administration from The George Washington University and received an honorary doctorate from NC Agricultural & Technical State University in 2021. He and his wife Melvina are proud parents of their son Matthew and dog Zeus.