For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
August 11, 2003
Personnel Announcement
President George W. Bush today announced his intention to nominate one
individual to serve as a member of his administration:
The President intends to nominate Utah Governor Mike Leavitt to be
Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Governor
Leavitt is currently the longest serving state chief executive in the
country, an honor known as the "Dean of Governors." He has served as
Utah's governor since 1993, and he is the former chair of the National
Governors Association, the Western Governors Association, the
Republican Governors Association and the Council of State Governments.
Governor Leavitt is a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council
and he chairs the state and local government subcommittee.
Governor Leavitt has led Utah and other western states to
significant environmental improvements through leadership, consensus
building and partnerships. Today, Utah meets all federal air quality
standards. This was not the case at the beginning of the Leavitt
Administration. Utah also has the nation's cleanest watersheds, and
they have improved significantly during his tenure. Seventy-three
percent of Utah's streams currently meet federal water quality
standards, compared to 59 percent a decade ago. And Utah's most
environmentally-sensitive lands are better protected because of his
service. He protected 500,000 acres of Utah's state lands that are
surrounded by national parks, monuments, recreation areas and
wilderness study areas. He also helped establish Utah's Quality Growth
Commission, which has conserved approximately 35,000 acres of critical
land forever, protecting wildlife, watersheds, and historical and
agricultural assets in the state.
Under Governor Leavitt's leadership, Utah has ranked as the best
financially-managed state in the nation by USA Today in June 2003. In
2002, Utah successfully hosted the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.
Prior to being elected to governor, Mr. Leavitt joined the Leavitt
Group, a regional insurance firm. He eventually became president and
chief executive officer of the company, establishing it as one of the
top insurance brokers in America. He also was a member of the Utah
State Board of Regents, overseeing the state's nine colleges and
universities. Governor Leavitt earned his bachelor's degree in
economics and business from Southern Utah State University
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