Sandy Stavnes
EPA Region 8 Liaison to RIHEL
Deputy Assistant Regional Administrator – Office of Ecosystems Protection and Remediation
US Environmental Protection Agency Region 8
Term ends: 12-31-20
Sandy Stavnes has 20 years of experience with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Region 8. She has worked in regulatory and enforcement programs throughout her EPA career, managing staff performing surface and ground water regulatory and enforcement activities for the past eight years.
She currently serves as Deputy Assistant Regional Administrator for the Office of Ecosystems Protection and Remediation, an office of approximately 150 employees performing emergency response, superfund remediation, NEPA and water regulatory activities. Prior to management Sandy spent 10 years with the EPA as team leader and technical staff working on petroleum remediation of underground storage tank releases with specific focus on Indian country issues.
Prior to her EPA experience, Sandy worked in the private sector as an exploration geophysicist with the oil industry for nearly a decade in Alaska, California and North Dakota. Sandy has a Bachelor’s Degree in Geology from the University of Illinois and two Master’s Degrees: University of Kansas in Geophysics and University of Colorado in Environmental Science and Engineering.
Sandy was a 2008 graduate of the Advanced Leadership Training program with the Regional Institute of Health and Environmental Leadership (RIHEL). She currently chairs the EPA RIHEL network comprised of former and current EPA RIHEL fellows.
On a personal note Sandy enjoys the desert and mountains. She is an avid hiker, cross country skier and pet owners currently with 2 horses, 2 cats, 1 dog and 2 goats.