The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency is pleased to announce its Board of Directors has selected Christine Cooley to serve as the Agency’s new Executive Director. Cooley will officially begin as Executive Director on July 15, 2022. 

“Christine is the right choice to lead the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency,” said Megan Dunn, Snohomish County Councilmember and Chair of the Agency’s Board of Directors. “We are impressed with her leadership and her vision for making the Puget Sound region a healthy and equitable place to live and breathe."

Cooley previously managed programs for the Pierce Conservation District and more recently for the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department. 

As a Climate Resilience Manager with Pierce Conservation District, Cooley started a FireWise Program that prepared hundreds of homes for wildfires in rural Pierce County. As the Water Quality and Protection Program Manager for the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, she led the Public Health Branch during the Covid-19 emergency response and launched water quality programming that brought over 16,000 septic systems into compliance. 

Cooley also served as Vice-Chair on the Board of Tacoma Public Utilities where she has been an advocate for carbon-free fuels, equitable assistance programs, and setting a matching legislative agenda. Her volunteer efforts earned her the 2020 City of Destiny Award for Environmental Leadership. 

"The Puget Sound region is exceptionally well-positioned to lead on climate justice and the transition to a clean economy. The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency has a legacy of innovating state and national policy for air quality, and I am elated for the opportunity to lead an organization with such a high level of credibility and strategic thinking. I am excited to strengthen the Agency’s existing partnerships and create new ones." 

Cooley is committed to the values of improving equity, the environment, and the economy across her multiple roles. She holds a Master’s of Business Administration with emphasis on Change Management from Pacific Lutheran University and a Bachelor’s of Science from The Ohio State University in Environmental Policy and Management.

Cooley takes over the leadership position from the Agency’s Interim Executive Director, Cynthia Wang.