DOVER – Governor-Elect Matt Meyer is continuing to build out his prospective administration, naming seven new prospective cabinet members just this week including two positions that home builders and developers alike will watch closely.
Meyer has named Greg Patterson as his choice for Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) and Shanté Hastings to possibly serve as the Secretary of Transportation. If confirmed by the state Senate, the career government officials will oversee divisions that handle the most time-intensive permitting issues for subdivisions and commercial and industrial properties in the First State.
Patterson has served in DNREC under three governors, with his highest profile positions as chief of staff under current DNREC Secretary Shawn Garvin and then as the Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator. That position was created under the guidance of the White House where Patterson was tasked to manage $2 billion in the state’s share of the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for the past two years.
In that role, Patterson worked to shepherd funds from one of President Joe Biden’s signature legislations across more than 300 programs and funding sources for improvements in clean water access, broadband and transportation.
DNREC is responsible for handling air quality, sewer facility, wetland permits and more – much of what developers must secure before putting a shovel in the ground. The agency has also been under scrutiny in recent years for approvals on projects like the biogas plant proposed in Seaford and the US Wind transmission line in Dagsboro.
“As Delaware faces unprecedented environmental challenges, it’s critical that we have strong, experienced leadership at DNREC,” Governor-elect Matt Meyer said in a prepared statement. “With his proven record of serving the people of Delaware, Greg possesses the skills and dedication required to lead the state into a future where both our environment and economy can thrive together.”
Hastings will also fill the position vacated by current DelDOT Secretary Nicole Majeski who announced she will be departing the position at the end of this month. Hastings had served in DelDOT for 25 years and currently serves as the deputy secretary and chief engineer for the department.
In her current role, she oversees the roll-out of $600 million in capital improvement projects crossing roads, bridges and bike lanes. She also serves as DelDOT’s liaison with the Federal Highway Administration.
Most critically, Hastings, if confirmed, will oversee the department that contracts with hundreds of Delaware construction workers for building and repairing roads. She will also be overseeing a department that conducts traffic studies for major subdivision and commercial construction projects, which can take months to navigate through.
“Shanté knows how to keep people and goods moving safely across Delaware,” Meyer said. “Her institutional knowledge and expertise will be essential as we invest in Delaware’s infrastructure and continue building bikeable and walkable communities.”
In Hasting’s nomination as well as the announcement he will once again nominate Josette Manning as the Secretary of the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, Meyer has signaled he will keep at least two members of Gov. John Carney’s administration. So far, Meyer has tapped a collection of leaders from New Castle County to serve in high profile positions of Secretary of State and Secretary of Finance.
In addition, Meyer has named Delaware Farm Bureau Executive Director and Sussex County farmer Don Clifton for Secretary of Agriculture. Aside from serving as the voice for Delaware’s farming community, Clifton had also served as Delaware’s executive director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency under Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
Meyer also has nominated Matthew Heckles as the Director of the Delaware State Housing Authority, which is responsible for millions of dollars in affordable housing programs, as well as Steven Yeatman as the Secretary of the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families.
