Don Johnson, Assistant Secretary for Local Program Coordination & Emergency Response

Biography

Don Johnson currently serves as the Assistant Secretary for Local Program Coordination for the California Environmental Protection Agency.  He is responsible for implementation of the "Unified Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Materials Management Regulatory Program" or Unified Program, coordination of disaster and emergency response activities for Cal/EPA, and represents the Secretary of Cal/EPA on the Site Designation Committee for hazardous material site clean up.

Prior to assuming his responsibilities within the Cal/EPA, in October of 1999, he held a number of supervising and management positions within state and local government environmental programs.

He began his career in 1976 with the County of Riverside Division of Environmental Health as an environmental health specialist.  Between 1976 and 1987 he worked for environmental health programs within the counties of Riverside, Tulare and San Diego.  In Riverside County he managed environmental health programs for the Desert Health District, in Tulare County he was the Director of Environmental Health, and in San Diego he supervised county hazardous materials programs.

From 1987 to 1998 he worked for the California Department of Toxic Substances Control holding several management positions within the Hazardous Waste Management Division.  While working for the Department of Toxic Substance Control he was responsible for obtaining RCRA authorization for the State of California and development of the Unified Program.

Don is an Environmental Health Officer within the United States Naval Reserve, currently holding the rank of Commander.

Executive Management Biographies