Environmentally Speaking

Nestled between the cities of Hickory, Newton and Claremont, Conover is one of the most easily accessible cities in the Charlotte Metro region. With nearly 8,300 people living there, Conover is a hub of innovation and opportunity.

DEQ Secretary Michael Regan recently went to Sarah P. Duke Gardens to recognize Rebecca Lauzon for completing her N.C. Environmental Education Certification.

DEQ’s secretary, Michael Regan, made a visit to the Orange County Soil and Water Conservation District this week to present Lisa Pope with her environmental education certificate. Pope is the resource program support coordinator for the Orange County Soil and Water Conservation District and recently completed the department’s Environmental Education Certification Program. Secretary Regan took this opportunity to acknowledge the contribution of educators like Pope to science education and environmental stewardship.

After months of intensive training and completion of projects relevant to their job duties, six DEQ employees – two each from the divisions of Air Quality, Waste Management and Water Resources – have graduated from the Certified Public Manager (CPM) program. They were among the 51 state employees earning the nationally-accredited degree, all of whom were honored in a recent ceremony at the N.C. Museum of History. More than 2,245 mid-level managers have earned the degree since 1981, when the program launched with the goal of bringing greater effectiveness to public sectors across the state.