Longtime Interior Department Leader Laura Daniel-Davis Named Acting Deputy Secretary

Date: Tuesday, October 31, 2023
Contact: Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov

WASHINGTON — Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland today announced that President Biden will designate longtime leader Laura Daniel-Davis as Acting Deputy Secretary, effective today. Daniel-Davis has more than three decades of experience in the public and non-profit sectors, and was most recently the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management at the Interior Department. 

“There are few people who have been by my side more over the past two and a half years than Laura, and I am so grateful that she has agreed to step into this role as we work together to implement President Biden’s ambitious and historic agenda,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. “Laura has a depth of experience that will be invaluable in our work to build a clean energy future, honor our commitments to Indigenous communities, and leave our air, water and public lands better for future generations.” 

“The work of the Department of the Interior touches all Americans, and I am honored to have the opportunity to serve as Acting Deputy Secretary,” said Daniel-Davis. “We will continue to work in partnership with states, Tribes, industry, non-profit organizations and academia to ensure that the best available science guides our decision-making as we deliver on our promises to the American people.” 

Daniel-Davis has more than 14 years of working at the Department of the Interior across multiple administrations. She served as Chief of Staff to Interior Secretaries Sally Jewell and Ken Salazar, as well as Associate Deputy Secretary, during the Obama-Biden administration. During her tenure, she has been involved in all major issues before the Department, including permitting the first offshore wind project, restoring the Klamath River Basin, and serving on a crisis team during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010. She also served at the Department during the Clinton-Gore administration in a variety of roles, including Associate Director of Congressional and Legislative Affairs. 

Prior to joining the Biden-Harris administration, Daniel-Davis served as Chief of Policy and Advocacy for the National Wildlife Federation, where she led successful efforts on a variety of issues including a federal wildfire funding fix which boosted forest restoration on 193 million acres of public lands and a bipartisan agreement to get the Land and Water Conservation Fund permanently authorized and fully funded. She also rallied bipartisan support for conservation solutions like the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, the expansion of offshore wind and clean energy opportunities, and climate-informed infrastructure solutions.   

Between her service at the Interior Department, Daniel-Davis served as Deputy Chief of Staff to then-Representative Mark Udall of Colorado, where she managed his Washington office and provided strategic guidance on the implementation of policy on energy and climate change, public lands and Farm Bill conservation programs.

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