Robert M. Summers, the state’s acting secretary of the environment, has been officially given the job, Gov. Martin O’Malley announced Thursday.
Summers had served as a deputy secretary since January 2007 and took over running the department in December 2010. O'Malley said Summers has been a key contributor to the state's environmental programs, including those that focused on the Chesapeake Bay restoration, during his 27-year career that has mostly been spent at the Maryland Department of the Environment.
"With his highly-regarded expertise, straightforward approach to finding workable solutions, and passion for clean water, clean air and a healthy environment, we are confident that his continued leadership will serve the people of our state well as we work to protect our environmental priorities," O'Malley said in a statement.
Summers said he'd apply "the best science, the best service using e-commerce, predictability and transparency in permitting and encouraging innovative technologies to protect public health and the environment."
He said the bay particularly offered an opportunity to foster innovation and create jobs.
The appointment drew praise from leaders of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation as well as the Maryland Chamber of Commerce.
Summers earned his B.A. in 1976 and Ph.D. in 1982 in environmental engineering from the Johns Hopkins University.
Baltimore Sun file photo of Summers