Governor Kathy Hochul has nominated Amanda Lefton as Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Lefton’s career spans the public and private sectors, including previously serving as the Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) within the Department of the Interior.

If confirmed, Lefton would be the third woman and first openly gay person to serve as Commissioner in DEC’s history. Erin M. Crotty served March 2001 until February 2005 when Denise M. Sheehan took over the role, serving until January 2007.

Under her leadership, BOEM developed and implemented a federal offshore wind program. Prior to her role as BOEM Director, Lefton served as the First Assistant Secretary for Energy and Environment for New York, where she led the State’s environmental and climate initiatives overseeing a portfolio of executive agencies including the DEC.

She has also worked for The Nature Conservancy in New York as the Deputy Policy Director and climate mitigation lead, the Rochester Regional Joint Board of Workers United and the New York State Assembly and New York State Senate.

Most recently, Lefton was the Vice President of Offshore Development, U.S. East at RWE — one of the world’s leading players in the offshore wind sector.

Originally from Queens, she grew up on Long Island and holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University at Albany. She now resides in the Capital Region with her wife and stepchildren.

If confirmed by the New York State Senate, Lefton would replace Sean Mahar, a longtime DEC official who has served as the interim commissioner since Basil Seggos retired from the position in April 2024.

Photo of Amanda Lefton by Foley Hoag, courtesy Department of the Interior.