United States Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, DC 20460

June 7, 2001

Dear Tribal Leader:

With sincere regrets, I am writing to you to inform you of Kathy Gorospe's departure from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) American Indian Environmental Office. Kathy served as Office Director for more than four years and has decided to continue her work with Tribes at the Washington, D.C. Office of the Nordhaus Law Firm. Administrator Christine Todd Whitman and I applaud the leadership and drive that Kathy brought to the EPA Tribal Program. Her efforts were outstanding. She will be much missed and though we were ready to have her continue with EPA for a long while yet, we nevertheless appreciate her desire to grow and change in her professional life. We heartily thank Kathy for all her hard work and many accomplishments and we're certain that she will do well in her new endeavor and will continue to be a strong advocate for Tribal environmental concerns.

With this communication, I am initiating the process for choosing the next Director of the American Indian Environmental Office. As the Acting Assistant Administrator with whom AIEO works most closely with, Administrator Whitman asked me to lead the EPA search for the new Director. To effectively carry out this charge, I am asking that you urge all possible candidates to apply for the position and I ask for your recommendations of candidates whom you feel would serve the Office and the Tribal Program well. You may send your recommendations directly to me and please include the resume(s) of your proposed nominee(s). I hope you will also consider discussing your recommendations with fellow Tribal leaders to present consensus views wherever possible. We will consider all nominations and recommendations received by July 31, 2001.

The AIEO Director is appointed by the Administrator and has cross-Agency, multimedia responsibilities. The Director serves as a key member of the Administrator's senior management team and has a special advisory relationship with Assistant and Regional Administrators throughout the Agency. In order to ensure the appropriate authority to conduct multimedia operations, AIEO was set up to have direct access to the Administrator's Office. The AIEO Director further serves as the national program manager for the Indian General Assistance Program (the "GAP" program) is the Agency certifying official under Executive Order 13175 for ensuring that coordination and consultation with Tribal governments is accomplished when the Agency takes actions that have Tribal implications; and has formal review authority in a number of Agency processes and procedures such as under the Agency's Tribal enforcement and compliance assistance procedures and pursuant to the Agency's Direct Implementation Tribal Cooperative Agreements guidance. Some additional roles and responsibilities of the AIEO Director and the Office include playing major roles in leading and assisting the Agency to shape its policies, strategies, programs and budget to fit the particular circumstances of Tribal governments; coordinating Tribal operations throughout the Agency; ensuring that EPA managers and staff are sufficiently trained to work with Tribes in a respectful and effective manner; and managing the EPA Tribal Operations Committee--a national level co-regulatory body of Tribal and EPA officials whose chief purpose is to evaluate and improve EPA Tribal operations on an ongoing basis.

On the enclosed announcement, I have laid out a number of ideal qualities that an AIEO Director candidate should have. These qualities have been derived from discussions with the Tribal Caucus of the EPA Tribal Operations Committee and from EPA's experience with, and observations of the work of preceding AIEO Directors.

The process we envision for selecting a new Director entails the following sequential actions and desired completion dates:

  1. Notify Tribal Leaders of the vacancy and request their recommendations for candidates.
  2. Concurrent with Number 1 above, solicit candidate applications (June 8, 2001).
  3. Review and evaluate candidate qualifications using the announced desired qualifications (July 30, 2001).
  4. Compile a list of qualified candidates and review the list eith the Tribal Caucus members. Receive any additional nominations for considerations from the Tribal Caucus members (August 31, 2001).
  5. Interview candidates. Interviewing officials will include the Acting or Senate-confirmed Assistant Adminstrator for Water; the Administrator and/or Deputy Administrator of EPA; and possibly other appropriate EPA officials. Note that candidates may have to interview at least twice (October 30, 2001).
  6. The Administrator selects a new Director based upon qualifications and consideration of Tribal leader recommendations and announces the selection made (November 30, 2001).

Although the described process may seem extensively long, I believe it is a realistic one and it allows for substantial input from Tribal leaders and from the Tribal Caucus of the Tribal Operations Committee. With your advice, I am confident that we will find a good person to fill this important position and we'll be able to continue moving forward with our partnership to protect public health and the environment in Indian country.

Sincerely,
/s/
Diane C. Regas
Acting Assistant Administrator

AIEO Director Vacancy Announcement (Word)