Raimondo plans to reappoint Coit as DEM director

PROVIDENCE – Governor-elect Gina M. Raimondo said she will reappoint Janet L. Coit as director of the state Department of Environmental Management, and will submit her name to the Senate next month for reconfirmation.
“During the past four years, Director Coit proved to be not only a strong advocate for the environment, but a skilled manager of a complex department,” Raimondo said in a statement. “I admire her passion for conserving our natural resources and am thrilled to have her continue her good work as a member of my cabinet.”
During Coit’s tenure, her team launched a “lean government initiative” to improve and increase efficiency of business processes to reduce turnaround times for permit decisions. A new permit application center also was created to provide consistent service to businesses.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to work for Governor-elect Raimondo and continue serving the people of Rhode Island,” Coit said. “I am optimistic about the opportunities ahead at DEM.”
Coit also has led efforts to obtain funding to reduce water pollution and redevelop former industrial sites. She also leads the state government’s effort to confront and prepare for issues relating to climate change.
She has worked for more than 20 years on environmental matters. She has been director of the state agency since 2011, and has focused on efforts to promote local agriculture and seafood.
In 2014, she received the “John H. Chafee Conservation Leadership Award” from the Environment Council of Rhode Island.
Before coming to the Department of Environmental Management, she worked for a decade at The Nature Conservancy, serving as the nonprofit organization’s Rhode Island state director, where she oversaw some of Rhode Island’s largest land conservation projects.

Prior to joining The Nature Conservancy, she was counsel and environmental coordinator in the Providence office of the late Sen. John Chafee and, subsequently, then-Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee. She moved to Rhode Island in 1997, making a transition from her position as counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works, where she worked on national environmental policy.

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