PROVIDENCE -- Department of Environmental Management Director Janet Coit today announced the appointment of Terrence "Terry" Gray, P.E. as associate director for environmental protection. Gray has served as assistant director for air, waste and compliance at DEM since 1999.
"Terry Gray is a key member of my leadership team, and I am very pleased that he has accepted this appointment," said DEM Director Janet Coit. "Throughout his career, Terry has demonstrated a strong commitment to our environment and finding constructive solutions to problems. His extensive experience and first-hand knowledge of the Bureau of Environmental Protection will serve the state well and help me to improve efficiency and customer service at DEM."
As associate director, Gray is responsible for the planning, administration, coordination, direction and supervision of programs within DEM's Bureau of Environmental Protection. The Bureau – and its staff of 177 full-time employees – includes the Offices of Air Resources, Water Resources, Waste Management, Compliance and Inspection, Customer and Technical Assistance, and Emergency Response.
"Having Terry Gray oversee all the environmental protection programs will provide a better opportunity to improve operations across programs at DEM, which is needed to better align our staff and programmatic resources to meet the demands of today," added Director Coit. "Terry has worked well with the business community and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and has my confidence to deliver for the environment and the economy."
Gray has served at DEM since his graduation from Lehigh University. During his 25-year tenure at the Department, he has served in positions of increasing responsibility, including chief of the Division of Site Remediation and chief of the Office of Waste Management, before being named assistant director for air, waste and compliance in 1999. Among his goals as associate director are to enhance communication and coordination in DEM's environmental regulatory programs and improve both the effectiveness of the Department's efforts to protect the environment and DEM's customer service and responsiveness.
A registered professional engineer, Gray holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Rhode Island, a Master of Civil Engineering degree from Northeastern University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Lehigh University. In addition to the strong academic preparedness he received in environmental protection, Gray has also completed the Leadership Rhode Island program. He is a member of the Board of Directors, Rhode Island Underground Storage Tank Financial Responsibility Fund Review Board and has served as chairman since 2007; Board of Directors, Northeast Waste Management Officials Association; and Board of Directors, Association of State and Territorial Waste Management Officials Association.
A resident of West Greenwich, Gray is a member of the West Greenwich Land Trust and active in local Cub Scout and Boy Scout programs. He is married and has two children.