WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke today announced the appointment of former Interior Department official and former Chief of Staff to Rep. Steve Pearce (NM) Todd Willens as Assistant Deputy Secretary of the Interior. In this role, Willens will work closely with yet-to-be-confirmed Deputy Secretary David Bernhardt. Willens brings with him more than 20 years of public policy and governmental affairs experience, with proven successes on behalf of prior Administrations, Members of Congress, national associations, and the private sector. He possesses a deep knowledge and understanding of the Department’s many complex policies, ranging from land to energy, wildlife, and water management.
"In addition to being a westerner, Todd brings a strong combination of public and private sector experience to the Interior Department,” Secretary Ryan Zinke said. “Most of Interior's holdings and responsibilities are in the West, and Todd’s intimate understanding of the West, from growing up in rural California to his previous time at Interior to his tenure with Congressman Pearce, will be a major asset to the people we serve. I look forward to Todd helping us advance Interior’s mission and the work of the Administration on behalf of local communities."
"It is an honor and privilege to be appointed as Interior's Assistant Deputy Secretary,” Willens said. “I thank Secretary Zinke for his confidence in my abilities to serve the Department and the Administration. I look forward to getting to work contributing to the implementation of the President's priorities for the Department and our Agencies, making America great again."
Willens served as Chief of Staff to Congressman Steve Pearce (R-NM) from 2010 to 2017. During his tenure as Chief of Staff, Willens provided strategic advice and operational oversight to meet the needs of the constituents of the 2nd Congressional District of New Mexico. He worked closely with various stakeholders in this capacity, including local government officials, Congress, and the previous Administration to ramp up operations at defense bases, prevent job-killing regulatory action, and increase federal accountability significantly for the people of New Mexico.
"Todd's dedication to New Mexico and the West made him a most effective manager of people and policies,” Congressman Pearce said. “More than anything though, my wife Cynthia and I consider him a close friend. He has run my congressional operations for nearly seven years and been my top adviser on numerous items, delivering countless successes on my behalf. I congratulate Todd and the Administration on his appointment to this important position."
“The selection of Todd Willens to serve as Assistant Deputy Secretary deepens the bench at Interior,” Jackie Johnson Pata, Executive Director of the National Congress of American Indians, said. “In his prior work as Chief of Staff for Congressman Stevan Pearce, Todd handled a wide range of Native issues. In that role, he earned the great respect of many in Indian Country. As the Administration and Tribal Nations partner to advance economic development and self-sufficiency for Native communities, Todd’s expertise and experience will be a valuable asset.”
“I have worked with Todd for several years. He has an exceptional understanding of western issues in general, and Native issues in particular,” Chairman Paul Torres of the All Pueblo Council of Governors said. “Todd is exactly the kind of leadership that can advance Interior’s trust responsibility to tribes, while supporting tribal sovereignty and self-determination. This is an exceptional selection by the Administration.”
“The Tehama Colusa Canal Authority couldn’t be more pleased with the selection of Todd Willens to serve as Assistant Deputy Secretary at the Department of the Interior," Jeff Sutton, General Manager of the Tehama Colusa Canal Authority, said. "A native of Northern California, Todd has a great deal of experience in Western water issues and, as a sportsman-conservationist, he has a long track record of delivering mutually beneficial policy outcomes for the benefit of fish, wildlife and water users throughout the Western United States. We look forward to working with Todd in his new capacity.”
"The Civil War Trust strongly supports the appointment of Todd Willens as Assistant Deputy Secretary of the Interior," James Lighthizer, President of the Civil War Trust, said. "In his previous service on Capitol Hill and in the Department of the Interior, Todd has been a champion of our national parks and historic battlefield sites. We are excited about the opportunity to partner with him to preserve America's battlefield parks as places of remembrance as well as heritage tourism destinations."
“The Boone and Crockett Club proudly supports Todd Willens’ appointment,” said Paul Phillips, co-chair of the Boone and Crocket Club’s Policy Committee. “Mr. Willens is a conservationist who hunts. He has this personal passion and understands the ecological and economic benefits that follow for the public. His experience in the complexities of policy at the Department of the Interior will serve the country and conservation community all very well.”
Prior to working on Capitol Hill, Willens served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks at the Department of the Interior from 2006 to 2008. While at the Department, he worked on the National Parks Centennial, and the historic recovery of the Bald Eagle. In addition, Willens also served as Senior Policy Advisor for United States House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources from 2003 to 2006. In this capacity, he worked closely with the Chairman to develop key legislation, including the 2005 Endangered Species Act Reauthorization and the 2005 Energy Bill. A California native, Willens is a 1994 graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles. He currently lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife and four children.
Source: Department of Interior
