Press Releases
Montgomery County Welcomes Sarah Kogel-Smucker as New Climate Change Officer
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, September 27, 2023
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich announced today that Sarah Kogel-Smucker is the new Climate Change Officer. Ms. Kogel-Smucker joins Montgomery County after leading the creation of the climate change division of the District of Columbia’s (DC) Office of the People’s Counsel. Prior to her work in the District, she served as senior counsel for the New York City Law Department’s Environmental Division. In this role, she advocated for the deployment of affordable clean energy initiatives, analyzed environmental legislation and advised other divisions on climate policy. She has more than 15 years of experience in environmental issues, particularly in the area of environmental law.
"Addressing climate change and designing and implementing effective environmental policy are top priorities for us,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “I am pleased to welcome Sarah Kogel-Smucker to our team. We are looking forward to her using her experience and passion to help us reach our goal to achieve an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2027 and a 100 percent reduction by 2035. As a county, we cannot solve the problems created by climate change but we can be a leader and a model for other jurisdictions, and Sarah's work will be an important part of those efforts."
The climate change officer leads the County’s community-wide climate goals through coordination and collaboration with County departments on climate change planning, implementation and management of organizational initiatives and programs. Ms. Kogel-Smucker began her duties on Monday, Sept 25.
Ms. Kogel-Smucker has a Juris Doctor from the Boston College Law School and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Grinnell College.
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Media Contact: Nordea Lewis, 240-962-0315 or Nordea.lewis@montgomerycountymd.gov
Media Contact: Nordea Lewis
Categories: Environment