Michelle Pirzadeh
Deputy Regional Administrator
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10
Michelle Pirzadeh is the Deputy Regional Administrator (DRA) for EPA Region 10, which has jurisdiction in the Pacific Northwest states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska. Michelle was named to this position in April 2008 by Elin Miller, Regional Administrator.
A 25-year veteran of EPA, Michelle is well-prepared for this assignment. For the past three years, Michelle has served as the Director of Region 10’s Office of Ecosystems, Tribal & Public Affairs (ETPA). Michelle became ETPA’s first Director in 2004, guiding its formation and implementation, and charting its strategic direction. ETPA's work takes place in all four Region 10 states and touches virtually every major program within the Agency, including Water, Air, Waste, Toxics, Superfund, and Tribal Environments.
As Director of ETPA, Michelle had direct responsibility for the following programs: Public Affairs (Press, Congressional and International Affairs); Tribal (affecting 271 Federally-recognized Tribes); Wetlands Protection; Sediments Management and Ocean Disposal; NEPA Review; Environmental Justice; Community Involvement; and Community-Based Environmental Programs (e.g., Regional Geographic Initiative, Children’s Health, Environmental Education, National Estuary Program).
Before moving to ETPA, Michelle served as Associate Director of Region 10’s Office of Environmental Cleanup for five years, overseeing both administrative and programmatic operations of the Superfund, Brownfields and Emergency Response programs. She spent 10 years in the Region’s Community Involvement Program, assisting all of the Region’s programs in the communications and public meeting dimensions of their work.
As DRA, Michelle continues in her role as the Executive Chair of the Regional Incident Coordination Team (RICT). The RICT was established in the aftermath of 9/11 to bolster the Region’s capacity to respond to emergencies. In this position she helps lead the Region's support of Agency-wide response actions, such as the response to the devastation left in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005.
Michelle has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Washington in communications. She is an avid cook, gardener, and boater. She resides in Edmonds, Washington along with her husband Dave and her yellow lab Fleetwood.
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