After serving more than two years as Deputy Secretary and nearly ten at the Department of the Interior, Deputy Secretary Tommy Beaudreau announced that he will depart his role at the end of October.
Deputy Secretary Beaudreau has helped lead the Department's efforts on many of its highest priorities and most pressing issues, including ensuring the sustainability of the Colorado River system, implementation of billions of dollars through the President's Investing in America agenda, tackling the climate crisis by standing up clean energy infrastructure, conserving and protecting America's public lands, upholding trust and treaty obligations to Indian Country, and promoting the public's trust through the reforms of the Department's Law Enforcement Task Force.
"Tommy's impact on the Department can be seen in every aspect of our work," said Secretary Deb Haaland. "He has been a valued counselor and friend. His legacy will continue as we carry on our work to implement President Biden's historic Investing in America agenda and steward our public lands and waters for the American people."
"I love the Interior Department, and it has been the greatest honor and responsibility of my career to serve as Secretary Haaland's deputy in the Biden-Harris administration," said Deputy Secretary Beaudreau. "I will always cherish the opportunities I've had to work with the best career staff in federal service and diverse communities across the United States to help figure out solutions to some of the most challenging problems facing our country."
There are 40 million people, seven states, and 30 Tribal Nations who rely on the Colorado River Basin for basic services, including drinking water, electricity and irrigation. Deputy Secretary Beaudreau led discussions with the seven Basin states to reach a historic, consensus-based system conservation proposal to protect the stability of the Colorado River operations while new guidelines are developed for the long-term sustainability of the system.
Deputy Secretary Beaudreau has overseen the Department's implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, which are the most transformative infrastructure and climate investments in history. In July, the Department launched a new interactive map to track the billions of dollars invested so far from this historic law in over 1,450 projects nationwide. The tool is the first of its kind from a cabinet agency.
Deputy Secretary Beaudreau served as the Department's point person on the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council amid the Biden-Harris administration's historic all of government progress on permitting utility-scale renewable energy and transmission projects. During his time at Interior, the Department advanced the President's vision to protect millions of acres of public lands and waters, including withdrawing Bristol Bay and the entire federal Arctic Ocean from future oil and gas leasing, protecting the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness from mining, and issuing a proposed rule to provide maximum protection to more than 13 million acres of special areas in the National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska. He has facilitated locally led conservation efforts by finding common ground across state and local governments, Tribes, landowners, conservation groups, and recreation and sporting communities as part of the Administration's America the Beautiful initiative and through historic investments in ecosystem restoration and nature-based solutions.
As chief operating officer for the Department, Deputy Secretary Beaudreau was charged with building the Department's capacity to serve the American people. This work included chairing the Department's Law Enforcement Task Force, which has developed updated policies to advance safe, transparent, accountable and effective policing practices while building public trust and strengthening public safety. Deputy Secretary Beaudreau also worked to make the Department's critical information systems resilient and secure in the face of rapidly evolving cyber threats.
Deputy Secretary Beaudreau originally joined the Interior Department in 2010 during the Deepwater Horizon crisis. He served for nearly seven years at the Department during the Obama-Biden administration, including as the first director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Acting Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management, and Chief of Staff to Secretary Sally Jewell.
