About the Deputy Regional Administrator for EPA's Region 8 (Mountains and Plains)

Mark Smith

Mark Smith was selected as the Deputy Regional Administrator (DRA) for EPA's Region 8 office located in Denver, Colorado in October 2022.

Mark had previously served as the acting DRA since July 2022, and prior to that, as the Director of the Land, Chemicals and Redevelopment Division since 2019.  Mark previously served as Director of the Air & Waste Management Division, with EPA Region 7, responsible for air quality, RCRA, tanks and chemical risk programs, including enforcement. Mark is a graduate of the SES Candidate Development Program, including an interagency personnel assignment (IPA) to the Leadership Team of the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.  

Mark started his federal career as an intern with EPA progressing to serve in multiple senior leadership roles over his 28-year EPA career, including twice as acting Air & Waste Management Division director and deputy director, eleven years as chief of the Air Permitting & Compliance Branch, as well as several years as the chief of Chemical Risk Information Branch and Storage Tanks and Oil Pollution Branch. Prior to Mark’s management experience, he completed a rotation in EPA Headquarters’ Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. He has an Environmental Studies degree from the University of Kansas.

Mark’s wife is an educator working with special needs kids. They have two children - one is a junior at the University of Missouri KC majoring in Jazz Studies and the other is a freshman this fall at Columbia College in Chicago. Outside of EPA, Mark enjoys live music, sports, and hiking.