Alabama Department of Environmental Management names new director

The Alabama Environmental Management Commission (AEMC) announced on June 13, 2025, it has selected Edward F. Poolos, deputy commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, as the new director of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM).

The commission voted to appoint Poolos after interviewing four finalists for the director’s job during a public meeting. The other finalists were Anthony Scott Hughes, chief of the Field Operations Division at ADEM; David A. Perry, former chief of staff and state finance director for Gov. Robert Bentley; and James “Mike” Thornton, director of Coffee County Environmental Services.

The commission evaluated the applications of 10 people who sought to replace former ADEM Director Lance LeFleur, who retired in May after leading the state environmental agency for 15 years.

Poolos has served as the deputy commissioner to ADCNR Commissioner Chris Blankenship for the past eight years. Prior to that, he worked 25 years at ADEM, including 17 years as a manager in ADEM’s North Alabama Field Office in Decatur.

“I am extremely grateful for Commissioner Blankenship and Gov. (Kay) Ivey for putting their trust in me in helping lead the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. I learned a lot,” Poolos said in a press release. “ADEM and ADCNR have two big things in common – serving the people and protecting the environment.”

A starting date for Poolos at ADEM has not been determined.

“I really look forward to returning to ADEM,” Poolos said in a press release. “I know the Department well – its dedicated staff and its mission. I am 100% invested in making the department better, safeguarding the environment and protecting the health and well-being of all Alabamians. I am extremely excited about this opportunity.”