[D]avid Mears will resign his post as commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation and return to Vermont Law School as an environmental law professor in early August.
Mears’ departure is among several staff changes the Shumlin administration announced Thursday. Alyson Richards is leaving her post as deputy chief of staff and director of intergovernmental affairs. Richards was a top Shumlin adviser who worked mostly on education policy.
Richards is the second top staffer from within the governor’s office to leave since former Chief of Staff Liz Miller resigned in May.
The stream of exits comes after Shumlin’s announcement in June that he wouldn’t seek a fourth term as governor.
Asked if the turnover could impact state government, a Shumlin spokesman said the governor is “honored to have an incredibly talented and hardworking team.”
Mears made his announcement on WDEV’s “The Mark Johnson Show” Thursday, telling the host he had hoped to complete Shumlin’s final term as commissioner, but the opportunity at the law school arose and he jumped at it.
“Law professor jobs don’t come along that often,” he said, adding that Vermont Law School has the best environmental law program in the county and teaching has always been his passion. Mears will return to the Environmental and Natural Law Clinic, where students have the chance to tackle environmental problems through the justice system. His last day at DEC is Aug. 7.
Mears told Johnson he is proud of his record at the department. As commissioner, he launched a universal recycling program and worked on the passage of a clean water bill this past session. While the legislation won’t solve the state’s water quality issues, he said it’s the “most significant single step forward in many decades.”
His departure won’t hurt the new water quality law’s implementation, Mears said. Though it’s “less sexy” than some of his other accomplishments, Mears said he was able to improve how the department operates and improve morale, which will help ensure that programs are effective.
Agency of Natural Resources Secretary Deb Markowitz praised Mears’ leadership in a statement, and said the department is in better shape than when he arrived.
The administration also announced that Jon Copans will fill the deputy commissioner position at the Public Service Department left vacant when Darren Springer took the job as Shumlin’s new chief of staff. Copans was previously a senior policy adviser at ANR.
Joe Flynn, the director of Vermont Emergency Management, will become deputy commissioner at the Department of Public Safety, replacing Francis “Paco” Aumand, who is retiring.
A search is underway for Flynn’s replacement at Emergency Management, a spokesman for the Vermont State Police said in a statement.
The secretaries or commissioners who have left the administration in the past 12 months are Racine; Secretary of Administration Jeb Spaulding; Secretary of Transportation Brian Searles; and Commissioners Mears; Mike Hogan, Department of Liquor Control; Lisa Gosselin, Department of Economic Development; David Yacavone, Department for Children and Families; Paul Dupre, Department of Mental Health; Susan Wehry, Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living; Kate Duffy, Department of Human Resources; and Mark Larson, Department of Vermont Health Access.
