Utah DEQ Appoints New Director of Division of Water Quality

For those of you who may have missed it, Utah DEQ Executive Director Alan Matheson last week appointed Erica Gaddis as the new Director of the Division of Water Quality.

Ms. Gaddis will replace Walt Baker, who after 12 years as Director (and 32 years with the Division), has decided to step down into retirement. Mr. Baker was considered well versed in all aspects of the Division’s regulatory jurisdiction, accessible to the regulated community and generally quite predictable.

Ms. Gaddis has very strong academic credentials, including an undergraduate degree in biology and environmental science from Willamette University, a Master’s degree from Central European University as a Fulbright Scholar in Budapest, Hungary, and a doctorate degree in natural resources, emphasis in water resources from the University of Vermont. She has experience from 2014 with the Division of Water Quality as the Assistant Water Quality Director, over the Planning and Assessment Branch, and before then in the private sector working as a consultant on water quality plans for various Utah reservoirs.