Cuomo appoints DEC commissioner with Westchester ties

A lawyer formerly with the Ossining-based environmental watchdog group Riverkeeper has been nominated commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Conservation by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, the governor”™s office recently announced.

Basil Seggos replaces outgoing commissioner Joseph Martens, who held the position since 2011. Deputy Commissioner Marc Gerstman stepped up as acting commissioner following Martens”™ departure in July, but will remain as deputy commissioner after Seggos starts in his new role.

Basil Seggos at a recent DEC event.

Seggos’ appointment is contingent on a simple majority vote in the state Senate.

Since 2012, Seggos has worked for the Cuomo administration, most recently as deputy secretary for the environment.

Seggos previously worked as the vice president of business development with the sustainability-focused private equity company Hugo Neu Corp. as well as numerous positions with Riverkeeper, where he served as the environmental group”™s attorney, chief investigator and Hudson River program director.

Riverkeeper President Paul Gallay congratulated Seggos on the appointment.

“Basil has his work cut out for him, but he knows what real environmental leadership looks like. We”™re counting on him to be a great commissioner and looking forward to working with him,” Gallay said.

Seggos is a captain in the U.S. Army Reserves and serves in the Judge Advocate General”™s Corps. in Schenectady.

Seggos earned his law degree from Pace University”™s Energy and Climate Center in White Plains.