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Donald van der Vaart
2025 - Present
2031
0
Donald van der Vaart is a member of the North Carolina Utilities Commission. Vaart assumed office on July 1, 2025. Vaart's current term ends on June 30, 2031.
Biography
Van der Vaart served as the department's deputy secretary and energy police advisor from August 2014 until his appointment as director. He previously worked as an engineering supervisor and program manager with the state Division of Air Quality. Van der Vaart has also worked as a researcher with Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.[1]
Education
- B.S., in chemistry, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
- M.S., in chemical engineering, N.C. State University
- J.D., North Carolina Central University
- Ph.D. in chemical engineering, University of Cambridge[1]
Political career
North Carolina Utilities Commission (2025-Present)
Van der Vaart was appointed to serve on the North Carolina Utilities Commission by State Treasurer Brad Briner.[2]
North Carolina Secretary of Environmental Quality (2015-2017)
Van der Vaart was appointed to serve as the North Carolina secretary of environmental quality by Gov. Pat McCrory (R) effective January 1, 2015. He served until January 3, 2017, when he was succeeded by Michael Regan.[1][3]
Prior to leaving office, Regan demoted himself to an environmental program manager position in the department in order to gain employee protections and prevent being fired by newly-elected Gov. Roy Cooper (D).[4]
Appointments
2015
Van der Vaart was appointed to serve as the North Carolina secretary of environmental quality by Gov. Pat McCrory (R) effective January 1, 2015.[1][3]
See also
| North Carolina | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs nameddonald - ↑ NC Newsline, "NC Senate panels endorse van der Vaart for Utilities Commission slot," May 14, 2025
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedretire - ↑ Think Progress, "North Carolina environmental chief moves to block his own removal by new governor," January 3, 2017
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North Carolina Utilities Commission 2025-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
North Carolina Secretary of Environmental Quality 2015-2017 |
Succeeded by - |
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