New Orleans, LA– The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (RESTORE Council) welcomes Mary S. Walker as the Executive Director. Ms. Walker will oversee the RESTORE Council, which is responsible for restoring and protecting the natural resources, ecosystems, fisheries, marine and wildlife habitats, beaches, coastal wetlands, and economy of the Gulf Coast. The Council is comprised of the Governors of the five Gulf Coast States and Cabinet-level officials from six federal agencies. 

“I could not be more excited about this opportunity to work with the RESTORE Council.  As a Gulf Coast native, the opportunity to engage in ecosystem restoration work of this magnitude in a part of the world I deeply love is extraordinary.  I look forward to working with the excellent staff of the RESTORE Council, our federal, state and local partners, and the many engaged stakeholders across the Gulf Coast.” 

Previously, Ms. Walker served as Regional Administrator for  the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 4.  In this role, she oversaw environmental protection efforts in the eight southeastern states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee, as well as six federally-recognized tribes.

Ms. Walker had served at EPA since 2016.  Prior to her appointment as Region 4 Administrator, she served as the Acting Regional Administrator and as Deputy Regional Administrator for Region 4, where she provided leadership to the senior career staff.  She also served as the Region 4 Water Protection Division Director from 2016 to 2018, where she implemented and oversaw federal water programs in the Southeast. 

Mary is a coastal Alabama native and graduate of Tulane University and the University of Georgia.  She has dedicated her career to public service in the Southeast, having started her career in the Georgia Governor's Office of Planning and Budget and later working  in various roles in the Georgia state government.  Prior to joining EPA as Water Division Director, Ms. Walker served as Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, where she helped oversee the 750 person environmental regulatory agency. 

At the RESTORE Council, Ms. Walker is looking forward to the opportunity to engage more directly with coastal restoration efforts and to continue to build the strong partnerships that exist along the Gulf Coast.