Saturday, October 30, 2010

Governor’s Aide Named To Replace Ousted DEC Commissioner

“DEC accounts for approximately 2.5 percent of the New York State workforce subject to executive control,” and yet, “DEC's layoffs will comprise more than 10 percent of the 2,000 positions that the governor plans to eliminate.” - Memo from DEC Commissioner Alexander B. Grannis to Gov. David A. Paterson. The memo says laying off another 209 employees is unfair and disproportionate. Mr. Grannis was fired by the governor’s top aide, Larry Schwartz, after the memo was leaked.


Albany

Gov. David A. Paterson is replacing a Pete with a Peter. On Thursday he announced that his deputy secretary for the environment, Peter M. Iwanowicz, was taking over as acting commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Conservation after the dismissal of Alexander B. Grannis, better known as Pete, according to the New York Times.

Peter M. IwanowiczJudy SandersPeter M. Iwanowicz

Mr. Iwanowicz, 43, will remain in his current post and hold both positions.

He first joined state government in 2007, when Mr. Grannis named him director of the state Climate Change Office.

Last week, Governor Paterson fired Mr. Grannis after the leaking of a memo warning of dire consequences from the administration’s budget cuts to the department. Mr. Grannis denied he had anything to do with the release of the memo and complained that he was dismissed by Lawrence Schwartz, the governor’s secretary, without ever getting a chance to talk to the governor.

As the governor’s deputy secretary for the environment, a position he assumed in March, Mr. Iwanowicz is responsible for environmental policy matters.

As the first director of the New York State Office of Climate Change, he oversaw the state’s participation in the cap-and-trade program among Northeastern states known as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI, pronounced “Reggie.”)

Before joining state government, Mr. Iwanowicz was vice president of the American Lung Association of New York State and also worked for the Albany-based Environmental Advocates of New York.

Alexander B. Grannis in his Albany office in April. He was fired on Thursday October 21, after a memo about cuts in his staff was leaked. (Photo:Mike Groll/Associated Press)

Read More:


New York Times Green Blog - October 28, 2010
- By Mireya Navarro

WENY -
October 29, 2010
- By
Jane Park

New York Daily News - October 28, 2010 - By Celeste Katz

DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis Fired Over Leaked Critical Memo

A Walk In The Park - October 22, 2010

Internal DEC Memo Warns Governor Against Further Agency Cuts

A Walk In The Park - October 20, 2010



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