Illinois EPA

Douglas P. Scott, Director

Doug Scott was appointed Director of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency effective July 1, 2005 by Governor Rod Blagojevich.

In announcing the appointment, Governor Blagojevich said he was confident Director Scott will be “an energetic and innovative advocate for public health and the environment.”

Doug Scott was born in Rockford in 1960 and graduated from Rockford East High School in 1978. He returned home after receiving his Bachelors Degree with honors from the University of Tulsa in 1982, and graduating with a law degree with honors from Marquette University in 1985.

Doug served as Assistant City Attorney and City Attorney for Rockford from 1985 to 1995. While working for the City, Scott began the curbside recycling, compost collection, used tire, used engine oil and household hazardous waste collection programs that are still in successful practice today. He also represented the City on a number of environmental issues.

During his tenure from 1995-2001 as an Illinois State Representative for the 67th District, Doug distinguished himself as a champion of working families and urban renewal. As Chair of the House Urban Revitalization Committee, Scott introduced initiatives to give Rockford and its residents the tools that they need to rid their neighborhoods of abandoned buildings and vacant lots. Scott served on the Energy and Environment Committee, and was a member of the committee that rewrote the States’ electric utility laws.

Doug Scott was elected to the Office of the Mayor of Rockford in April 2001 and served a four-year term.

In addition to being elected to leadership positions in the Illinois Municipal League, United States Conference of Mayors and national League of Cities, Scott has served as President of the Illinois Chapter of the National Brownfields Association.

Director Scott took over leadership of the nation’s oldest state environmental agency on the 35th anniversary date of the Illinois EPA’s start on July 1, 1970. He is committed to maintaining and enhancing the Agency’s key role in protecting our air, land and water making government more accountable and accessible to citizens and the regulated community, including local governments and business.

Among the many new progressive programs started under Governor Blagojevich that Director Scott will continue and expand include the Safe and Healthy Schools Initiative to protect our kids; a brownfields program that is one of the nation’s most successful in cleaning up and redeveloping abandoned industrial and commercial sites; continued clean air progress through enlisting citizens and industry and negotiating for huge reductions in emissions from the State’s coal-fired power plants, supporting clean coal technology, wind power and other alternative energy and fuel sources; protecting vital public water supplies in Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River; making Illinois the nation’s leader in public notification and community relations activities on environmental concerns; and implementing the Governor’s program to clean up more orphaned open dump sites and ensure that all Illinois landfills are properly operated. Director Scott is now chairing the Governor’s Climate Change Advisory Committee, which made recommendations on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Illinois, and serves on the Midwestern Governors’ Association panel developing a regional cap-and-trade system. He also served two years as Chair of the Air Committee for Environmental Council of the States (ECOS).

Doug Scott believes that being accessible and accountable to citizens and businesses are top priorities. Doug gives much of the credit for his success to the support of his wife Tammy. Since they married in 1985, Tammy has become a community leader in her own right, working as a professional grant writer and serving on numerous non-profit boards.

Education

• Rockford East High School - Graduated 1978
• University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK - BA with honors, 1982
• Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI - JD cum laude, 1985

Experience

• Assistant City Attorney, City of Rockford, 1985-1987
• City Attorney, City of Rockford, 1987-1995
• State Representative, State of Illinois, 67th House District, 1995-2001
• Mayor, City of Rockford, 2001-2005
• Director, State of Illinois Environmental Protection Agency 2005- present

Memberships

• Illinois State Bar Association
• Wisconsin State Bar Association
• Illinois Recycling Association, Board Member, 1993-1995
• League of Women Voters
• Rockford Area Chamber of Commerce, Executive Board 2001-2005
• Rockford Area Economic Development Council, Executive Board 2001-2005
• Illinois Issues, Board Member 2003-2005
• Illinois Coalition, Board Member 2002-2004
• Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, invited participant 2001- 2005
• Illinois Municipal League, Executive Board, Sergeant.-at-Arms 2003-2005
• Illinois Tax Increment Association. Board of Directors 2001-2005
• National League of Cities, Board of Directors 2004-2005
• National League of Cities, Member 2001-2005
• Northern Illinois Mayors Association 2001-2005
• US Conference of Mayors, Board of Directors 2004-2005
• US Conference of Mayors, Member 2001-2005
• National Brownfield Association, Illinois Chapter President 2003-2005
• National Brownfield Association, Illinois Chapter Executive Committee 2005- present
• Environmental Council of States, Member 2005 – present
• Environmental Council of States, Chairman Air Committee 2006 – 2008
• Governor’s Climate Change Advisory Committee, Chairman 2006 – 2007
• Midwestern Governors’ Association regional greenhouse gas panel, member 2007-present