DEC’s Brown receives national honor

Petroleum News Alaska Staff

The governor’s office said June 13 that Michele Brown, commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation, has received the 2002 Excellence in Leadership Award for a Woman in State Government from the group Women Executives in State Government.

“Michele Brown’s effectiveness and innovation as a leader are well known among Alaskans both within her department and in the industries it regulates,” Gov. Tony Knowles said. “It is a fitting tribute to her service to the state of Alaska that her work is being recognized on a national level.” The award recognizes an executive in state government who shows exemplary leadership and outstanding achievement, promotes innovative and creative solutions to challenges facing state government, serves as a mentor to women and works to eliminate barriers to women’s advancement. It is one of four annual awards given by Women Executives in State Government. The other three recognize a person in the private sector, a person in the public sector, and a governor.

Commissioner Brown was nominated for the award by several of her current and former employees, who emphasized her work on the ground-breaking cruise ship monitoring program, children’s environmental health protection, rural sanitation improvements and the environmental commitments to the economic merger between BP Alaska and ARCO that guarantee more than $15 million to protect Alaska’s environment.

“I am honored to receive this award, but it actually recognizes the work of the entire Department of Environmental Conservation,” said Commissioner Brown. “I am truly proud of the people in my organization and their work to protect human health and the environment.”

Women Executives in State Government is a non-profit, non-partisan educational organization of professional women who are elected or in high level appointed positions in the executive branch of state government.