Mary D. Nichols is widely recognized for her career as one of the world’s most influential environmental regulators. As chair of the California Air Resources Board (CARB), California’s powerful air-pollution and climate regulatory agency from 1975-1982 and again from 2007-2020, under Republican and Democratic governors, Mary oversaw the development and implementation of multiple programs to cut air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in ways that create jobs and support economic growth. Under Mary’s leadership, CARB enacted the first comprehensive cap on industrial greenhouse gas emissions by any government in the world and crafted and enforced regulations that slashed air pollution from cars and light trucks by over 99% and created the roadmap for a transition to a fully electrified transportation system.

While working at the Center for Law in the Public Interest from 1971-1974, Mary brought the first litigation under the then-recently passed U.S. Clean Air Act. From 1993-1997, she served as Assistant Administrator of Air and Radiation for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under President Bill Clinton. Her work there led to the acid rain trading program and to the first federal air quality standard regulating potentially deadly fine-particle pollution. Mary also served as the Secretary for the California Natural Resources Agency from 1997-2003. She is a fellow at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, serves as Distinguished Counsel at UCLA School of Law, is Co-Chair of the Coalition for Reimagined Mobility, and serves on the Boards of the Climate Registry, The Climate Group and Carbon Mapper.