Allen Barnes Nominated as Director of Georgia Environmental Protection Division
ATLANTA, GA--(Marketwire - October 26, 2009) - Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue has nominated Allen
Barnes to be the new Director of the Georgia Environmental Protection
Division (EPD). Gov. Perdue has asked the Georgia Board of Natural
Resources to confirm the appointment at its meeting on October 28, 2009.
Barnes is a partner in the Atlanta office of King & Spalding, practicing
environmental law.
Barnes has a distinguished career of public and private service in
environmental management, law and education. From 2002 through 2005, he
served as the Chief of Staff to the United States Environmental Protection
Agency Region 4 Administrator. In that position, he worked closely with
Georgia EPD and the other seven southeastern states' environmental agencies
and EPA headquarters in Washington. He also served as the Interim Director
of the Office of External Affairs at EPA Region 4, working with U.S.
senators, congressmen and their state counterparts. At EPA, he worked on
the most significant environmental issues in the Southeast.
Prior to joining EPA in 2002, Barnes taught environmental policy and law at
Mississippi State University from 1995 to 2002. From 1983 to 1995 in
Pensacola, Fla., he was in private practice, served as a prosecutor for the
State of Florida and as a Special Assistant United States Attorney. He
joined King & Spalding as a partner in the environmental section in 2005.
Barnes earned a J.D. degree from the University of Mississippi and a B.S.
degree from the University of West Florida.
Robert D. Hays, Jr., Chairman of King & Spalding, applauded Barnes'
appointment by Gov. Perdue and noted, "Allen has served as a senior EPA
official, a federal and state prosecutor, a teacher and an environmental
lawyer. In each of these positions he has been a leader who has
demonstrated the ability to listen to competing interests and fashion
solutions that further the public interest in the protection of the
environment and sustainability of the economy."
Hays added, "We are sorry to lose him at King & Spalding, but honored that
Allen has been chosen for this important position. This appointment is
consistent with the long tradition of King & Spalding lawyers who have
performed public service by agreeing to serve in key positions in our state
and federal governments."
About King & Spalding
King & Spalding is an international law firm with more than 800 lawyers in
Abu Dhabi, Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Dubai, Frankfurt, Houston, London,
New York, Paris, Riyadh (affiliated office), San Francisco, Silicon Valley
and Washington, D.C. The firm represents half of the Fortune 100 and,
according to a Corporate Counsel survey in August 2009, ranks fifth in its
total number of representations of those companies. For additional
information, visit www.kslaw.com.
Contact Information: Contact:
King & Spalding
Kimberly Brooks
212-827-4378
kbrooks@kslaw.com