Mark Nechodom

Experience

• 

  California State University, Sacramento

  Jan 1992 - Jan 1994

  Director, Public Policy and Natural Resources
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  UC Davis

  Sept 1994 - Aug 1997

  Co-Director, Land Use and Natural Resources (LUNR)

  Developed programs and curricula for extended and continuing education for professionals in resource management. Implemented numerous new and sustaining courses, seminars and conferences, including: GIS for Managers and Policy Makers; Water Policy in California; the Capitol Intensive: How California's Legislative and Administration Actually Works; Ecosystem Management; and several other land use and natural resources related courses.We also developed special conferences on contemporary issues, such as: The California Conference on Ecosystem Management; Water Project Permitting; The Delta and the Netherlands: where have we been, where are we going?; etc. Show less

• 

  USDA Forest Service

  Sept 1998 - Sept 2008

  Advisor to USDA leadership and Chief of the US Forest Service on California and national climate change policy. Expert leadership on carbon cycling and GHG mitigation policies on Natural and Working Lands. Facilitated public-private partnerships for climate policies on US federal lands. With an overall focus on future energy sustainability, my program focused social science research on: public policy and institutional analysis; adaptive management strategies in natural resources and energy systems; life-cycle analysis of renewable energy systems; and climate policy and greenhouse gas mitigation strategies.

  • Climate Science Policy Advisor

    Apr 2006 - Sept 2008

  • Research Scientist

    Sept 1998 - Sept 2008
• 

  US Department of Agriculture

  Jun 2010 - Jan 2012

  - Led the development of policies and programs for environmental markets, while generating new opportunities for integrating environmental market strategies into USDA programs at multiple levels. - Supervised, coached, and mentored teams to reinforce USDA investment strategies in evolving regional environmental markets, including climate change mitigation, water quality improvement, habitat conservation, and wetlands restoration. - Provided expert counsel on investment strategies to the Chiefs of the US Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service regarding the Farm Bill’s annual $6 billion investment in conservation programs.- Achieved regulatory standards and targets for landowners through market-based solutions for water quality and nutrient trading, carbon markets for greenhouse gas reductions, habitat mitigation for endangered species, and a broad range of quantifiable environmental improvements. Show less - Created a nation-wide agency to establish standardized metrics and market infrastructure for ecosystem services, with a concentration on policy and market designs for climate mitigation and a national greenhouse gas cap-and-trade program. - Liaised at senior levels with Federal departments and agencies, including the EPA, Departments of the Interior, Energy, Defense, Commerce, and Transportation. Worked directly with the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). - Utilized market mechanisms and direct payments for ecosystem services to publish and present advanced approaches to conservation, nationally and internationally. Show less

  • Senior Advisor for Environmental Markets

    Oct 2010 - Jan 2012

  • Deputy Director for Climate and Energy and Director of the Office of Environmental Markets

    Jun 2010 - Sept 2010
• 

  California Department of Conservation

  Jan 2012 - Jun 2015

  Director

  Appointed by Governor Jerry Brown to lead the California Department of Conservation, including management of over 550 employees and an annual budget of $150 million. Provided strategic leadership for the department through major regulatory changes, strategic planning, administrative restructuring, and program development. Executed transformations in public health and environmental protection by leading significant changes in oil and gas regulations, surface mining policies, renewable energy development, geotechnical planning, and farmland conservation. Worked in partnerships with universities and National Laboratories to evaluate risks and develop policies associated with hydraulic fracturing, advanced recovery of gas and oil, solar and wind energy, and greenhouse gas reductions. Developed innovative programs to mitigate climate change impacts and increase carbon resilience of forests and farmland in the state. Show less

• 

  Nechodom Associates, LLC

  Jun 2015 - Aug 2020

  President

  - Provide expert consulting for environmental organizations, public land management agencies, government regulatory agencies, agricultural production and supply chain enterprises, and major oil and gas clients. - Focus on positive policy change in a range of issues including sustainability, energy and transportation, climate change, natural resources management, and land conservation. - Develop and implement strategic plans for water and energy infrastructure development, land-based climate mitigation and greenhouse gas emissions reductions, sustainable agriculture, surface mining and reclamation standards, and oil and gas regulation. Show less

• 

  Montana Department of Agriculture

  Dec 2017 - May 2019

  Administrator

  Government executive overseeing multiple regulatory, licensing and certification authorities ranging from phytosanitation for crop exports, food safety; fertilizer testing and certification; pesticide regulation enforcement and applicator licensing; bee and pollinator protection and regulation; and several field stations for inspection and certification.

• 

  Cerro Coso Community College

  Jan 2020 - Aug 2020

  Adjunct Professor

  Developed and taught curricula in the area of Government, Policy and Regulation for Associate of Arts degree candidates continuing on to four-year undergraduate institutions.

• 

  Western States Petroleum Association

  Aug 2020 - now

  Provide thought leadership and vision in the regulatory and policy space for energy transitions and evolution toward a much lower carbon future.

  • Senior Director for Science and Technology

    Nov 2023 - now

  • Vice President, Upstream Strategy

    Aug 2020 - Jan 2024