DOI Chief of Staff Rachael S. Taylor | U.S. Department of the Interior
Four leadership positions have been filled at the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the agency announced earlier this month.
Three of the appointees will join the DOI, with the fourth going to the BLM, the agency announced June 1, "to help advance the clean energy economy, steward America’s public lands and waters, pursue environmental justice and honor our nation-to-nation relationship with Tribes."
Phil Burton has been named Senior Advisor for Infrastructure Equity for the DOI, the announcement reports. Burton is rejoining the DOI after serving previously as a policy and management analyst with the National Park Service, according to the news release. After leaving the NPS, Burton worked with Booz Allen Hamilton as a business management consultant and associate for approximately five years, Burton states on his LinkedIn profile. Burton has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from California State University Fullerton and a Master of Public Policy in Social Policy from the University of Maryland.
Sara Moffatt is the BLM's new Senior Policy Advisor. Before joining the BLM, Moffatt worked with the Western Conservation Foundation, the release states, and in the office of the late U.S. Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) for seven years as a policy advisor focusing on public lands and natural resources. Moffatt worked for Heritage Outdoors as an energy and public lands regional representative, legislative assistant and policy advisor, according to her Linkedin profile. Moffatt has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Government from the University of Nevada, Reno, as well as a Master of Science in Comparative Politics from The London School of Economics and Political Science, the release reports.
Jacek Pruski has been appointed as the DOI"s Deputy Solicitor for General Law. Pruski most recently served as counsel with Protect Democracy, the release states. He has also served as general counsel and managing director for We The Action; associate general counsel for the U.S. Department of Education; the White House principal deputy associate counsel; and as a trial attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice. Pruski has a J.D. and Master of Public Policy from Stanford University and a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Iowa, the DOI reports.
Zaheer Tajani has been named the DOI's Senior Advisor for Oversight. Tajani served most recently as associate deputy general counsel at the U.S. Department of the Army, where he specialized in environmental and administrative law and appellate litigation, according to the news release. He has also worked at the Environmental Protection Agency, Council on Environmental Quality and the Biden for President campaign. Tajani worked as a water resources scientist before beginning his legal career. According to Tajani's Linkedin profile, he has also been an associate at Latham & Watkins, and at Beveridge & Diamond P.C. Before that, he was a Judicial Extern for the Honorable Deborah A. Batts in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Zaheer graduated valedictorian with a J.D. from Pace Law School, has a Master of Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and holds a Bachelor of Science in civil and environmental engineering from Cornell University, the release states.
“President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is making historic investments to advance climate resiliency, build a clean energy economy and strengthen Indigenous communities," DOI Chief of Staff Rachael Taylor said in the release. "Our new team members will play an important role in achieving Interior’s mission and delivering results for the American people."
