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Lee M. Thomas
Biography
[EPA press release - June 30, 1983]
Lee M. Thomas is the new Assistant Administrator for Solid Waste and Emergency Response for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Thomas, 39, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate for the position Wednesday, June 29, after being nominated June 7 by President Reagan. Earlier this year he had been appointed by the President February 24 to the same position in an acting capacity, succeeding Rita M. Lavelle. He subsequently was named by the President on March 25 as Acting Deputy Administrator of the agency.
"EPA is indeed fortunate to have an executive of Lee Thomas' caliber," declared EPA Administrator William D. Ruckelshaus. "The program he is managing, which includes Superfund and the enormous task of cleaning up the nation's many toxic waste sites, is one of the agency's most pressing responsibilities. He brings to the job both competence and managerial skills that he already has demonstrated in an outstanding fashion."
Thomas served as Associate Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (state and local programs support) from 1981 to 1983. He managed all disaster relief efforts at the agency and was Chairman of the President's Task Force on Times Beach, Mo. Dealing with dioxin contamination.
From 1979 to 1981 he was Director of the Division of Public Safety Programs in the Governor's office for the State of South Carolina, where he was responsible for public safety planning for criminal justice, highway safety, comprehensive emergency management, and Chairman of a Task Force on Emergency Response Capabilities in support of nuclear facilities.
Thomas served as an independent consultant from 1977 to 1979 in criminal justice planning and management. From 1972-77 he was Executive Director of the Office of Criminal Justice Program in the Office of the Governor of South Carolina. He served from 1971-72 as Director of the Comprehensive Offender Rehabilitation Program in the Governor's office, and from 1970-71 was a research analyst in the state's Department of Corrections, as well as serving as a probation officer from 1968-70 in the Richland County, S.C., Family Court.
A native of Ridgeway, S.C., Thomas received a Bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of the South in 1967 and a Master's degree in education from the University of South Carolina in 1970.