About the Acting EPA Administrator and Assistant Administrator of EPA's Office of International and Tribal Affairs

Jane Nishida

Jane Nishida is the Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of International and Tribal Affairs (OITA). She served as EPA’s Acting Administrator from January 20, 2021 to March 11, 2021, before the confirmation of the 16th EPA Administrator, Michael S. Regan. She was appointed by President Biden, confirmed by the U.S. Senate, and sworn in as OITA’s Assistant Administrator on September 24, 2021. As of January 1, 2025, she is serving as the Acting EPA Administrator.

Nishida leads EPA's international and tribal portfolios, and is responsible for the full range of EPA's international and tribal policies, strategies and relationships. She represents EPA within the United States Government and works closely with tribal governments, foreign governments, international organizations, and other key stakeholders on matters relating to the environment. 

Nishida has over thirty years of environmental experience working in federal and state government, and international and nongovernmental organizations. Prior to joining EPA in 2011, Nishida served as the Senior Environmental Institutions Specialist at the World Bank. From 1995 to 2002, she was appointed as the Secretary of Maryland’s Department of the Environment. Additionally, she served as the Maryland Executive Director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. She also held positions as Legislative Officer in the Maryland Governor’s Office and Committee Counsel in the Maryland General Assembly. 

Nishida received a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon and a Juris Doctorate from Georgetown Law Center in Washington, D.C.