New DEP Division of Air Quality director appointed

West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection Cabinet Secretary Randy Huffman has appointed William “Fred” Durham director of the Division of Air Quality (DAQ), effective July 1. Durham, who has been with the division since 1992, has been serving as acting director since Feb. 28, when the former director retired.

“I am extremely pleased Fred agreed to accept this role on a permanent basis,” said Huffman. “I knew he’d be a good fit when I first asked him to be the acting director, and he has proven me right. His knowledge and experience make him the ideal choice.”

Durham holds a Bachelor of Science degree in physics, graduating with honors from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He also successfully completed the Penn State Executive Program: Management Program for Natural Resource Managers, as well as West Virginia University’s DEP Supervisors Development Certificate Program. He has more than 29 years of management experience, including 17 in air quality management.

Durham served concurrently as the DAQ’s deputy director and assistant director of planning for the past five years. The planning section is responsible for developing revisions to the State Implementation Plan (SIP) for achieving and maintaining air quality standards, compiling emissions inventories, developing regulations and performing air quality modeling.

Durham has also served as the principal liaison for Transportation Air Quality Planning with the West Virginia Department of Transportation, the Federal Highways Administration and various metropolitan transportation planning organizations throughout the state.

Prior to joining DAQ, Durham worked in a high-technology segment of the petroleum industry where he accumulated more than 10 years of experience in various operational and technical management positions. The Charleston resident has guest lectured at Marshall University Graduate College, Glenville State College and West Virginia State University.