DNR Sec. Cathy Stepp (PHOTO: Jackie Johnson)
The head of the state Department of Natural Resources is leaving the agency for a federal appointment.
Governor Scott Walker says DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp has accepted an appointment with the Environmental Protection Agency to serve as the deputy administrator for Region 7 – which covers Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, and Kansas. Walker called Stepp, a former state senator has served as secretary since 2011, “a strong, trusted reformer who will serve the country well at the EPA.”
In a statement, Stepp thanked the governor for his support. “I am proud of the customer service ethic we watched flourish in our staff, and the communication we have inspired between our agency and our customers,” she said. “We’ve demonstrated how we can have job creation and environmental protection. I’m excited and humbled at the opportunity to bring many of the reforms we’ve implemented in DNR to the national scene.”
Walker has appointed current DNR Deputy Secretary Kurt Thiede to serve as the interim agency secretary, effective August 31.