FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 18, 2021
DENVER—President-elect Joe Biden today announced he will nominate Elizabeth Klein as Deputy Secretary of the Interior. The Center for Western Priorities released the following statement from Executive Director Jennifer Rokala:
“Elizabeth Klein is the perfect choice to serve as Deputy Secretary at the Interior Department. Her knowledge of public lands law and policy is second-to-none. She knows the department inside and out, which makes her supremely qualified to repair the damage caused by David Bernhardt and the Trump administration.
“Deb Haaland will need an experienced, steady hand to implement the Biden climate plan and get the Interior Department back on course. I’ve known Elizabeth Klein for years, and there’s no one better for the job.”
Klein is currently the Deputy Director of the State Energy and Environmental Impact Center at the NYU School of Law, where she worked alongside Biden climate adviser David J. Hayes. She’s a veteran of the Obama and Clinton administrations, most recently as the associate deputy secretary at the Interior Department. She’s also served in senior positions in the Office of Policy, Management and Budget, and clerked at the Justice Department’s Environment division.