Deborah Markowitz

Visiting Professor, Environmental Policy and Leadership, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont

Deb comes to UVM following a long career in public service.  She was elected Vermont’s Secretary of State six times, serving from 1999-2011. In 2011 Deb was appointed Secretary of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR), where she served until 2017.

As ANR Secretary, Deb shaped Vermont’s environmental agenda, focusing on climate change, forest health and integrity, and cleaning up Lake Champlain. She speaks nationally and internationally on state leadership in the fight against climate change. She served on the board of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and represented Vermont on the White House Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience, and at the United Nation’s Summits on Climate Change in Paris and Marrakech. Deb currently serves on the boards of advisors for the Georgetown Climate Center, Antioch’s Center for Climate Preparedness and Community Resilience, and UVM’s Rubenstein School. She founded Vermont Parks Forever, the foundation for Vermont’s state parks and the Women’s Leadership Initiative.