Granholm was the first woman to be elected governor of Michigan and served two terms. As Governor of Michigan, Granholm had worked closely with the auto industry, the dominant industry in the Great Lakes state, which could aid Biden in his efforts to move the country toward electric vehicles. Before being elected governor, Granholm was elected Attorney General of the state in 1998 and was also the first woman to serve in that role.
Haaland would be the first Native American Cabinet secretary if confirmed by the Senate. She is an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Laguna and also has Jemez Pueblo heritage, according to the biography on her conference website. Haaland made history in 2018 when she was elected one of the first two female Indians in Congress. Haaland represents New Mexico’s first congressional district, covering most of Albuquerque. In 2016, Haaland traveled to North Dakota to participate in protests over plans to build a pipeline under a major water source for the Standing Rock Reservation.
Regan would be the first black man to lead the EPA if confirmed by the Senate. Regan has served as Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality since January 2017. The agency’s mission is to protect the environment and natural resources of the state. Regan previously led the Environmental Defense Fund’s efforts to combat the effects of the climate crisis and air pollution, the state’s government website said. He also worked for the EPA during the Clinton and Bush administrations.
Mallory is the director of regulatory policy at the nonprofit Southern Environmental Law Center. She previously served as Executive Director and Senior Advisor to the Conservation Litigation Project, which supports public land protection and conservation. During the Obama administration, Mallory was the general counsel of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. Previously, she served as the acting general counsel and principal deputy general counsel at the EPA.
McCarthy was the administrator of the EPA under President Barack Obama from 2013 to 2017. McCarthy was originally appointed by Obama as an Assistant Administrator for the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation in 2009. Before serving in the Obama administration, McCarthy was the commissioner of Connecticut’s environmental protection department. She has a career spanning decades at the state and local levels, working on environmental issues. Since January, McCarthy has been the president and chief executive officer of the NRDC, a nonprofit international environmental activist group.
Zaidi is currently deputy secretary to the governor for energy and environment in New York and chairman of climate policy and finance. He is an adjunct professor at Stanford University and co-founded the Stanford coordinate initiative Lawyers for a Sustainable Economy. Zaidi, who has emigrated from Pakistan, has been a long-time advisor to the president-elect on climate issues.