Tom Burack was appointed by Governor John Lynch as the Commissioner of the NH Department of Environmental Services. His term began on November 1, 2006 and runs to 2010. Previously he was a partner with the law firm of Sheehan, Phinney, Bass + Green in Manchester, NH, where he built a successful practice representing a wide range of manufacturing, service sector and institutional clients in environmental, health and safety, and energy matters. He was an active member of the NH Business & Industry Association’s (BIA) Environmental Affairs Committee for over 15 years, and in that capacity assisted the Legislature with the development of the New Hampshire Brownfields Program, enacted as RSA 147-F. Tom was also the chair of the steering committee for the BIA’s WasteCap Resource Conservation Network, and chair and board member of the Institute for Community, Business and the New Hampshire Economy, the BIA’s non-profit supporting organization. In addition, he served as chair and member of the board of directors of the New Hampshire Land and Community Heritage Investment Program, and he contributed nine years of service to the board of trustees of the Audubon Society of New Hampshire, including two years as chair. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College and the University of Virginia School of Law, and a Harry S. Truman Scholar. Tom resides in Hopkinton, NH, with his wife, Emilie, and their two children, Larsen and Beatrice.
Overview
Through its various units, DES’s Office of the Commissioner carries out a number of department-wide support functions such as accounting and budgeting, geological services, human resources management, information technology management, state laboratory services, legal services, strategic planning and priority-setting, pollution prevention coordination and integration, and public outreach and information dissemination.