Governor Roy Cooper appointed Mary Penny Kelley DEQ Secretary in September of 2024.
“Mary Penny Kelley’s long career in environmental law and experience within DEQ make her the right person to lead the department and continue to work to protect North Carolina’s air and water,” said Governor Cooper.
As DEQ Secretary, she oversees the state agency whose mission is to protect North Carolina’s environment and natural resources. The organization has offices from the mountains to the coast and administers regulatory and public assistance programs aimed at protecting the quality of North Carolina’s air, land, and water. In 2024, the agency continues to prioritize pollution clean-up, environmental justice, clean energy, and infrastructure improvements.
Secretary Kelley recently served as the Executive Director of Hometown Strong, an initiative that connects rural communities with resources needed to advance local priorities. Under her leadership, Hometown Strong convened State executives and local leaders in rural communities, addressed remote learning needs in public schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, supported state efforts to make North Carolina more age-friendly, and launched the Rural Grants Program to help communities access federal dollars.
She began her public service career in 1997 in the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office where she represented the State in civil and criminal matters across a range of topics, including coastal development, land management, and water quality.
Secretary Kelley became the first woman to serve in the role of general counsel at the Department, then known as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, in 2005 where she supported the purchase negotiations for iconic Chimney Rock, modernized public-private partnerships, and implemented measures to diversify the department’s staff and supply chain. She also served as Assistant Secretary for Information Technology and Chief Deputy Secretary before leaving the department in 2013.
After working in the private sector for three years helping individuals and businesses navigate the regulatory maze of government, she returned to DEQ as the Senior Advisor for Policy and Innovation where she focused on clean energy issues, process improvement, and community engagement.
Secretary Kelley lives in Chatham County and is a graduate of NC State University and Tulane University Law School.