UNC MPA Alumna Biser named Secretary of NC DEQ

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Elizabeth Biser in a hallway with glass windows, square white pillars, and lights in the background. Photo from NC DEQ

UNC MPA alumna and former School of Government Foundation Board member Elizabeth Biser ‘17 has been appointed Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). Biser took her oath of office on July 1, 2021 in Raleigh.

“I am honored and humbled to lead the agency charged with providing environmental stewardship for the health and prosperity of all North Carolinians,” Biser said in a release announcing her appointment. “I look forward to working with key leaders, stakeholders and people throughout North Carolina to fulfil this important mission.”

Biser will be charged with oversight of North Carolina DEQ, which protects the state’s environment and natural resources. Its programs seek to safeguard air, water, land, coastal fisheries, and the public’s health; the agency also offers technical assistance and encourages responsible behavior and respect toward the environment. Her appointment is subject to confirmation by the North Carolina Senate.

Biser was appointed to the position by Governor Roy Cooper in late June. She most recently served as president of Biser Strategies LLC and senior policy advisor for The Recycling Partnership.

“Elizabeth Biser is a strong leader who has experience with this environmental agency and knows its critical work in North Carolina,” Cooper said upon Biser’s appointment.

Biser is a double graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, holding a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Public Administration. She has a strong background in environmental affairs. In addition to her work at Biser Strategies LLC, she served as vice president of policy and public affairs at The Recycling Partnership, government relations and policy director for Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard LLP, and as director of legislative and intergovernmental affairs at the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (the predecessor of DEQ). Biser served on the School’s Foundation Board from 2019 to 2021.