WASHINGTON -- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the selection of US Water Alliance CEO Radhika Fox as the Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water. Radhika is a Day One Presidential Appointee in the Biden-Harris Administration. She will serve as the Acting Assistant Administrator for Water.
“The Board of Directors and staff at the US Water Alliance applaud President Biden for selecting Radhika for this important role at the EPA," Mami Hara, Chair of the Board of Directors for the US Water Alliance said. "Radhika has been a visionary leader at the US Water Alliance for the last five years, and she is the right leader to guide our nation’s water program at this uniquely volatile and critical time. Radhika brings a deep commitment to equity and inclusion in all that she does. She is also an expert consensus builder on complex environmental issues. We are excited for her to take on this even bigger and broader role in the water sector.”
Fox joined a team of new members at a swearing-in ceremony on January 20, 2021.
“It is an incredible honor and privilege to be selected by President Biden to serve our country. I am proud to join the EPA team of dedicated career professionals who have a long-standing commitment to protect public health and the environment," Fox said. "Water policy and investments can be a force for addressing the four compounding crises facing our nation—the global pandemic, economic recovery, racial equity, and the climate crisis. I stand ready to support this administration as we Build Back Better for every American."
Members of the water industry praised Fox for her work with the US Water Alliance, including National Rural Water Association (NRWA) CEO Matthew Holmes, who said: “Radhika is a courageous leader in the water sector. We have worked together to tackle the most difficult problems facing rural Americans, including historically underserved communities, which unfortunately tend to have high concentrations of minority residents. Radhika maintains a fair and honest mind when working to address these water issues, even when people disagree.”
Other Biden administration appointees include:
Dimple Chaudhary, Deputy General Counsel for Nationwide Resource Protection Programs, who joins EPA after serving as Deputy Litigation Director at the Natural Resources Defense Council. Her work included litigation and advocacy to protect communities from drinking water contamination and exposure to toxics. Dimple was lead counsel for community groups in Flint, Michigan, in a case brought to address lead contamination in the city's drinking water, which led to a settlement requiring the replacement of all Flint's lead service lines within three years.
Rosemary Enobakhare has bee appointed Associate Administrator for Public Engagement and Environmental Education, returning to EPA where she served as the Deputy Associate Administrator for Public Engagement and Environmental Education, leading the agency’s community outreach and strategic engagement plans. Since then, she has been the Director of Campaigns at The Hub Project, developing and managing large-scale advocacy campaigns that shift the conversation around top progressive policies. She also worked for two years as the Campaign Director at the Clean Water for All Campaign, serving as the principal point of contact for stakeholders and overseeing all aspects of the campaign’s daily operations. Rosemary is a graduate of Spelman College with a degree in Economics.
