A Journey Toward Environmental Stewardship

In A Journey Toward Environmental Stewardship Mike Zagata recounts his varied career working as an environmentalist for nearly fifty years. He held an Assistant Professorship at the University of Maine-Oronos School of Forest Resources; was Field Director for The Wildlife Society; Audubons Director of Federal Relations; Program Development Officer for the National Research Council (National Academy of Sciences) where he formed a committee to address renewable natural resources issues; and tenure with Tenneco Inc. a Fortune 50 Company. While there he graduated from the University of Virginias Darden Business Schools The Executive Program. Mike was promoted to Director of Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) for Tenneco Oil E&P. From there he became VP of EH&S forTransco Energy Co. Under his leadership the companies received the National Wildlife Federations Conservation Achievement Award Ducks Unlimiteds Silver Teal Award and The Conservation Funds Calder Award. He then served in Gov. Patakis cabinet as Commissioner (CEO) of New Yorks Dept. of Environmental Conservation. After leaving the DEC he helped found and served as president of the Conservation Alliance of New York and recently retired as President and CEO of the Ruffed Grouse Society--an international wildlife conservation organization promoting sound forest management for the benefit of both hunted and non-hunted wildlife. His awards/recognition include a letter from President Carter thanking him for his help in passing the Fish & Wildlife Conservation Act of 1980 (later known as CARA) and induction into the Hall of Fame by the offshore energy industry for his work at Tenneco on wetlands mitigation banking and Rigs to Reefs (converting retired offshore energy production platforms into functioning artificial reefs) and into the New York State Outdoorsmans Hall of Fame.