Announcement of Board of Directors of the National Environmental Education Foundation, 13339-13340 [2024-03531]

Agencies

• ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 36 (Thursday, February 22, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13339-13340]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-03531]



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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-11756-01-OA]


Announcement of Board of Directors of the National Environmental 
Education Foundation

AGENCY: Office of Public Engagement and Environmental Education, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of appointment and re-appointment of Board of Directors.

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SUMMARY: The National Environmental Education and Training Foundation 
(doing business as The National Environmental Education Foundation or 
``NEEF'') was created as a private 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. 
It was established by Congress as a common ground upon which leaders 
from business and industry, all levels of government, public interest 
groups, and others can work cooperatively to raise a greater national 
awareness of environmental issues beyond traditional classrooms.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information regarding this Notice 
of Appointment, please contact Hiram Tanner, 202-564-4988, Director for 
Office of Environmental Education, U.S. EPA 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue 
NW, Washington, DC 20460.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As required by the terms of the NEEA, the 
Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency appoints and 
reappoints eligible individuals to serve on NEEF's Board of Directors. 
The Administrator announces the following four-year appointments to 
NEEF's Board of Directors, effective 90 days after publication of this 
original notice:

 Kim Moore Bailey, President, and CEO, Justice Outside
 Arielle King, Consultant, Intersectional Environmentalist
 Chandra Taylor-Sawyer, Senior Attorney and Leader of 
Environmental Justice Initiative, Southern Environmental Law Center
 Marc Washington, Senior Director, Capital One
 John Whyte, MD, Chief Medical Officer, WebMD

    Additionally, the Administrator re-appoints the following four 
individuals to serve a second four-year term:

 Katie Hogge, Digital Outreach Manager, The Ocean Conservancy
 Jennifer Love, Former Chief Security Officer and SVP, Safety, 
Health and Environment, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
 Lori McFarling, Non-profit Advisor, Former President, Social 
Impact, Discovery Education
 Stephen Sikra, Former Vice President and Head of the Americas, 
Alliance to End Plastic Waste

    Additional Considerations: As an independent foundation, NEEF is 
different from the Agency's several federal advisory committees and 
scientific boards, which have their own appointment processes.
    Because NEEA gives complete discretion to the Administrator in 
appointing members to NEEF's Board of Directors, EPA is taking 
additional steps to ensure all prospective members are qualified to 
serve on the Board and represent a variety of points of view and bring 
with them a variety of expertise and experiences.
    Section 10(a) of the National Environmental Education Act of 1990 
(NEEA) establishes the National Environmental Education Foundation and 
its underlying terms. The statute in its entirety is available on EPA's 
website and may be accessed here: https://www.epa.gov/education/national-environmental-education-act#s10.
    Section 10 of the NEEA provides the following, in pertinent part:
Establishment and Purposes
    Establishment--
    There is hereby established the National Environmental Education 
Foundation. The Foundation is established in order to extend the 
contribution of environmental education and training to meeting 
critical environmental protection needs, both in this country and 
internationally; to facilitate the cooperation, coordination, and 
contribution of public and private resources to create an 
environmentally advanced educational system; and to foster an open and 
effective partnership among Federal, State and local government, 
business, industry, academic institutions, community based 
environmental groups, and international organizations.
    The Foundation is a charitable and nonprofit corporation whose 
income is exempt from tax, and donations to which are tax deductible to 
the same extent as those organizations listed pursuant to section 
501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. The Foundation is not an 
agency or establishment of the United States.
    Purposes--The purposes of the Foundation are--
    Subject to the limitation contained in Section 10 (d) of the 
National Environmental Education Act of 1990 (NEEA) to encourage, 
accept, leverage, and administer private gifts for the benefit of, or 
in connection with, the environmental education and training activities 
and services of the United States Environmental Protection Agency;
    To conduct such other environmental education activities as will 
further the development of an environmentally conscious and responsible 
public, a well-trained and environmentally literate workforce, and an 
environmentally advanced educational system; and
    To participate with foreign entities and individuals in the conduct 
and coordination of activities that will further opportunities for 
environmental education and training to address environmental issues 
and problems involving the United States and Canada or Mexico.
    Programs--The Foundation will develop, support, and/or operate 
programs and projects to educate and train educational and 
environmental professionals, and to assist them in the development of 
environmental education and training programs and studies.
Board of Directors
    Establishment and Membership--
    The Foundation shall have a governing Board of Directors (hereafter 
referred to in this section as `the Board'), which shall consist of 13 
directors, each of whom shall be knowledgeable or experienced in the 
environment, education and/or training. The Board shall oversee the 
activities of the Foundation and shall assure that the activities of 
the Foundation are consistent with the environmental and education 
goals and policies of the EPA and with the intents and purposes of this 
Act. The membership of the Board, to the extent practicable, shall 
represent diverse points of view relating to environmental education 
and training.
    Appointment and Terms--
    Members of the Board shall be appointed by the EPA Administrator.
    Within 90 days of the date of the enactment of this Act, and as 
appropriate thereafter, the Administrator shall publish in the Federal 
Register an announcement of appointments of Directors of the Board. 
Such appointments become final and effective 90 days after publication 
of the notice of appointment.
    The directors shall be appointed for terms of four years. The 
Administrator shall appoint an individual to serve as a director in the 
event of a vacancy on the Board within 60 days of said vacancy in the 
way the original appointment was made. No individual

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may serve more than two consecutive terms as a director.

    Dated: February 14, 2024.
Loni Cortez Russell,
Associate Administrator, Office of Public Engagement and Environmental 
Education.
[FR Doc. 2024-03531 Filed 2-21-24; 8:45 am]
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