Reed Wilson doesn’t disagree with those who tell him he has the best job in state government.
He enjoyed serving as secretary of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
He said he will “really miss” the role Monday when he takes office as secretary of the state Department of Environmental Quality, a position appointed by Gov. Josh Stein.
“But I think now is a time of important opportunities and challenges for public health and environmental protection, and moving to DEQ allowed me to get back to some of my roots,” he said in a recent phone interview.
His environmental career is legendary, spanning a quarter of a century. He has been an environmental advocate, national political director of the Sierra Club, held three different titles during his nearly eight-year tenure at the EPA under the Clinton administration, and public affairs adviser to national environmental organizations.
Outside of work, he is a husband and father of two adult children. He claimed that he was the least musically talented person in his family. His brother played French horn with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra for more than 30 years.
Wilson loved everything from classical to bluegrass to rock.
Also, he likes to do laundry.
“I don’t trust other people not to shrink something,” he said.
Wilson and his wife left the nation’s capital for Raleigh about 22 years ago and were lured by a job he said his wife was skeptical he could get.
Wilson said she doesn’t think the North Carolina Conservation Trust would be interested in out-of-state applicants. He applied anyway.
He subsequently led the statewide nonprofit organization as executive director for 14 years. The organization’s budget has nearly doubled during this period and its success in educating young people about conservation has become a national standard.
Wilson has been with the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) since 2017, initially serving as the department’s principal deputy secretary. In 2020, he was appointed secretary.
Today, he was happy to call Raleigh home. Sure, he misses the friends he made in Washington, D.C., but not life on the Beltway.
He’s glad that William B. Umstead State Park is only a 15-minute drive from his home.
There was a special place near the Company Mill Trail where Wilson often went when he needed to think about something or make a big life decision.
Sometimes he went there without thinking about it, breathing in the tranquility of the sound of water cascading over boulders and rock slabs in the creek that ran through the park.
“It’s a very quiet place for me to just sort of work out. It’s perfect for sitting and watching the water in the creek flow over some very small waterfalls,” Wilson said.
He calls himself a hiking enthusiast. Nature is his refuge.
He indulges in both whenever he gets the chance, which ties in nicely with his position as secretary of the DNCR, as it provides him with the opportunity to go hiking when he visits a park or preserve on business.
He knows the areas he will visit as DEQ secretary will be different. He looks forward to visiting as many of the department’s coastal protected areas as possible.
“I do think one of the things I would like to do is get out more and get out of Raleigh and see how DEQ efforts are going across the state, especially with all the challenges associated with Hurricane Helene,” Wilson said. “I wanted to see firsthand these challenges that DEQ faces.”
Hurricane Helene made landfall in Great Bend, Florida, on September 26, 2024, and moved north through western North Carolina, devasting communities and killing more than 100 people in that state alone.
When Wilson visited parts of western North Carolina last fall with former Gov. Roy Cooper, he didn’t see the areas hardest hit by the hurricane.
“But I do have a clear awareness of the huge challenges ahead and the incredible work that people in these communities are doing,” he said. “There are still piles of debris in affected areas. There are water quality issues in lakes and streams. There are still challenges with water and drinking water structures, so DEQ will be doing a lot of work to help Western North Carolina communities recover from Hurricane Helene. I think it’s important It’s about seeing this work and understanding it so that, back in Raleigh, we can do whatever it takes to effectively help these communities. One thing I’ve learned over and over again is that if you actually go out there and see it. And you’ll understand a problem better by talking to the people involved.
He knows efforts related to water quality issues won’t be isolated to storm-damaged areas of the state.
Tens of thousands of North Carolina residents living in everything from unincorporated rural communities to cities and towns, including those in the Cape Fear region, have been grappling with their drinking water sources being contaminated by PFAS and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Contamination with fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
PFAS are compounds used in the manufacture of consumer products ranging from food packaging to waterproof clothing.
While these chemicals are being studied for their possible effects on human health (the number ranges from 12,000 to more than 15,000), some of them have been linked to cardiovascular disease, weakened immune function, various cancers, and reduced liver and kidney function.
Wilson emphasized that the vast amount of information he said only began to trickle in when he took on his new role.
“I still have a lot to research on this issue right now so I can speak from a deeper knowledge base,” he said. “That being said, these are dangerous chemicals that are deposited in the environment. The EPA sets drinking water standards for them that local water companies must meet to protect their customers.
The National Environmental Management Commission appears to be moving forward with setting health standards for PFAS in groundwater, but only for three of the eight compounds recommended by DEQ.
The council’s proposals faced strong public opposition as residents demanded greater protection of drinking water sources.
“I know there is debate about the best next steps to protect people from these chemicals, but I hope that we can bring together different perspectives to find an equitable way to protect people from these permanent chemicals,” Wilson said. Chemical damage.
He already had an outline in his mind of how he would spend the first month. He will hold meetings with staff, briefings, work with members of the North Carolina Senate on the state confirmation process and ensure he understands the complexities of the major decisions that will need to be made early in his tenure at DEQ.
Looking back, Wilson said he is proud of the significant expansion of state park lands, trails and other outdoor recreation access in the state park system during his tenure.
The department continues its efforts to update older exhibits at historical museums, historic sites, and other facilities that share history, expand its online content, and ensure that these exhibits include additional perspectives.
He is particularly proud of the Duel Dinosaurs exhibit at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh. If you haven’t seen it yet, you have to go and see it, he said.
What is the one thing he will miss most about being a DNCR secretary? Introducing the bands that perform at the state’s major music festivals sponsored by DNCR.
“Let’s put it this way, introducing The Avett Brothers at MerleFest three years ago was a big highlight,” Wilson said. “It won’t happen again. But I’m excited about (DEQ’s) mission to protect public health by protecting air quality, water quality, our lands and soils, which is also important in strengthening our state’s economy. Crucial.