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Laura Yoshii, Acting Regional Administrator
Laura Yoshii, Acting Administrator of the US EPA's Pacific Southwest Region
Laura Yoshii is acting as the Regional Administrator of EPA's Pacific Southwest Office until a permanent Administrator is appointed to the position.
Ms Yoshii has served as the Deputy Regional Administrator since 1996. The Deputy Regional Administrator serves as Region’s Chief Operating Officer working with Divisions, incorporates input from national program managers, state, tribal and other partners, to develop strategic operation plans, and systems of accountability to ensure results and effective utilization of resources. Oversees workforce of 900, and a regional budget $870 million and a $2.3 billion grants program. Laura is directly responsible for providing guidance to the Senior Management Team, Office of Civil Rights and the Labor Management Planning Council. She provides guidance and oversight for cross-media regional priorities: US/Mexico Border, energy and climate, tribal programs, environmental justice (EJ), and human resources efforts. She represents the Region at the National level through various forums: Human Resources Council, Indian Program Policy Council, Innovation Action Council and EJ Executive Steering Committee.
She began her career as a Presidential Management Intern in 1978. Through this two-year program, she completed various rotational assignments throughout the Agency. She started her permanent career with Region 9 as a program coordinator for the Hazardous Waste Management Division. In 1981, she moved into the management ranks as the Section Chief for RCRA Hazardous Waste Programs implementing RCRA Hazardous waste and solid waste programs. In 1985, she became Branch Chief of the Pesticides and Toxics Office where she implemented pesticides and TSCA programs. In 1986, through an intergovernmental personnel assignment, she served as the Director, California Toxic Program Planning, Policy and Evaluation Division, CA Department of Health Services. She helped establish California’s hazardous waste program. She was responsible for policy and legislation development, implementation, program monitoring and evaluation, and Division-wide organizational development. She returned to EPA in 1988 to become the Deputy Director, Office of Waste, Hazardous Waste Management Division. She was promoted to Director of Waste Programs in 1995 and responsible for the overall management of the RCRA hazardous waste, solid waste, underground storage tank programs and Region 9’s pollution prevention efforts. In 1996, she became the Director of the Cross Media Division where she was responsible for the overall management of the pesticides and toxic programs, National Environmental Policy Action reviews and federal facility compliances, outer Pacific Islands multi-media environment programs, Tribal programs, Environmental Justice and community based environmental projects.
Ms Yoshii holds a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from the University of California, Berkeley and a Master's degree in Public Administration from the California State University, Hayward.
