Kevin M. Sligh Sr. will join the Department of the Interior as the new Director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), the lead federal agency charged with improving safety and ensuring environmental protection related to the offshore energy industry on the Outer Continental Shelf.
"Kevin will oversee BSEE’s efforts to promote safety, protect the environment, and conserve offshore resources through vigorous regulatory oversight and enforcement," the Department of the Interior said.
"The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement is playing a critical role as the Interior Department moves quickly to tackle the climate crisis, lead the nation into a clean energy economy with good-paying union jobs, and conserve and protect America’s lands, waters, and wildlife,” said Secretary Deb Haaland.
"Kevin’s exemplary public service career, with years of service at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and as an active-duty and reserve serviceman in the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard working on emergency response and operational readiness, will be invaluable assets for the Department and our mission.”
“I am deeply honored to join the Interior Department and continue my public service career on behalf of the American people. I’ve dedicated my life to keeping the public safe, and I look forward to continuing that service alongside the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement’s incredible career employees,” said Director Sligh.
Sligh joins the Department after serving in a variety of roles with FEMA, including as Individual Assistance Division Director, Senior Advisor on Equity and Deputy Regional Administrator. Before joining FEMA, he served as Deputy Director for the U.S. Coast Guard’s Office of Marine Environmental Response Policy, Chief of the Incident Management & Crisis Response Division, and Area Contingency Plan program manager.
He has more than 24 years of both active duty and reserve career experience from his service in the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard. He attended college part-time throughout his enlisted and commissioned military career, earning a bachelor’s degree from Excelsior College and a Master of Business Administration degree from Northcentral University.