A Healthy Breathing Environment For Every Bay Area Resident

Air District Leadership

Updated 9/15/2023

The Air District’s leadership team oversees its operations, supports its mission, and guides its approach to managing and improving air quality in the Bay Area.

The Air District’s leadership team is responsible for the District’s overall functions and activities, including policy development, administration, enforcement, permitting, technology development, planning, grant allocation, and public information.

The Air District takes a progressive approach to regulating air pollution. By adopting reasonable air quality plans and following through with sensible regulations (sensitive to socioeconomic impacts), flexible permitting, helpful compliance assistance, and proactive enforcement, the District has one of the most responsive air programs in the nation.

Philip Fine, Ph.D

Executive Officer/Air Pollution Control Officer

Dr. Philip Fine serves as the Executive Officer/Air Pollution Control Officer for the Air District, one of the preeminent air quality management agencies in the United States. As Executive Officer for the Air District, Dr. Fine is responsible for all agency functions and activities, including policy and rule development, enforcement, permitting, technology development, planning, grant allocation, administration and engagement with communities disproportionately impacted by air pollution to address environmental justice concerns.

Dr. Fine joined the Air District from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, where he served as Principal Deputy Associate Administrator for Policy, a presidentially appointed position. His EPA portfolio included a wide array of cross-agency policy and regulatory matters, including serving as EPA’s Environmental Justice Officer. In this role, he led the Office of Environmental Justice through a period of unprecedented attention, action, and growth, including implementation of President Biden’s Justice40 initiative.

Prior to his term at the U.S. EPA, Dr. Fine served for 15 years at the South Coast Air Quality Management District in Southern California, the last five years in the position of Deputy Executive Officer for the Planning, Rule Development and Area Sources Division. Dr. Fine’s previous responsibilities at South Coast Air Quality Management District included oversight of ambient air monitoring, laboratory services, quality assurance, and source testing.

Before joining the South Coast Air Quality Management District, Dr. Fine was a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. Here he taught courses and conducted extensive research on particulate pollution, air monitoring technologies, and exposure assessment.

Dr. Fine received his Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology in Environmental Science & Engineering, and his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science & Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.

Alexander “Sandy” Crockett

District Counsel

Alexander "Sandy" Crockett serves as the chief attorney for the Air District and manages the agency’s Legal Division. Prior to his appointment as District Counsel in 2022, he served as an assistant district counsel at the Air District for 18 years, representing the agency in high profile cases involving air quality regulations and policy, CEQA, and other environmental litigation.

Prior to joining the Air District, Mr. Crockett practiced environmental law at various Washington DC and San Francisco law firms, where he worked on a diverse set of cases.

Mr. Crockett received a B.A. with Honors in English Literature and Natural Sciences from Cambridge University in England, a Master of Science Degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics, and his JD with High Honors from The George Washington University Law School.

Sharon Landers

Interim Chief Operating Officer

Sharon Landers is serving as the Air District’s Interim Chief Operating Officer.

Over the past 24 years, Ms. Landers has served at the executive management level in a variety of public agencies, including transportation authorities, economic development agencies, and cities. She is a credentialed city manager who has extensive experience in government operations, including sustainability, public engagement, and social equity. She previously served as a special advisor to the New York City Mayor for transportation and air quality and began her career as an environmental lawyer.

Ms. Landers has a B.S. degree in Computer Science and Psychology from the State University of New York with a minor in Education, and a JD from Albany Law School, Union University in New York. She was also selected by the US EPA and Federal Highway Administration to attend the University of Southern California Environmental Management Certificate Program and was selected by the Harvard Kennedy School to participate in its prestigious program for senior executives in state and local government. Ms. Landers has received multiple awards and recognitions for her leadership in government service.

Veronica Eady

Deputy Executive Officer of Equity & Community Programs

Veronica Eady serves as Senior Deputy Executive Officer of Policy & Equity and is the primary internal and external contact for the Air District on environmental justice matters and will be providing leadership of the District’s community engagement, diversity, equity and inclusion program and policy work.

Ms. Eady previously served as the Assistant Executive Officer for Environmental Justice at the California Air Resources Board – where she oversaw their Environmental Justice activities.

Ms. Eady formerly served as the Vice President and Director of Conservation Law Foundation Massachusetts and was the Associate General Counsel and Director of Environmental Justice at New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, a non-profit civil rights law firm in New York City. Ms. Eady has also served as Director of the Environmental Justice and Brownfields Programs for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, where she was the principal author of Massachusetts Environmental Justice Policy. Ms. Eady was also Executive Director of Alternatives for Community and Environment, an environmental justice advocacy organization. She is the former chair of the Environmental Protection Agency’s federal advisory committee for environmental justice, the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council.

Ms. Eady has also held appointments on several faculties, including Europe-Viadriana University in Germany, Tufts University in the Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning, Fordham Law School, and at the Stanford Law School.

Ms. Eady holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Southern California, and a Juris Doctorate from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.

New 9/15/2023

Hyacinth “Hy” Hinojosa

Deputy Executive Officer of Finance and Administration

Hyacinth “Hy” Hinojosa serves as Deputy Executive Officer of Finance and Administration and oversees the operations of the Air District’s Human Resources and Finance and Administration divisions.

Mr. Hinojosa earned his master’s degree in public administration from California State University, Long Beach, and bachelor’s degree in economics from San Diego State University. He has over 25 years of management experience in both federal and local government, most recently as Marin County’s deputy county administrator where he has led the county’s emergency response efforts for COVID-19, as well as wildfires and power shutdowns. He previously worked as senior policy advisor at the U.S. Senate Finance Committee and as assistant regional commissioner at the U.S. Social Security Administration.

Greg Nudd

Deputy Executive Officer of Science and Policy

Greg Nudd serves as a Deputy Air Pollution Control Officer and oversees the public policy programs at the Air District, including the Strategic Rules and Policy Office, the Planning and Climate Protection Division, the Public Health Office, and the Community Protection Office.

Mr. Nudd most recently served as the Rules and Strategic Policy Officer for the Air District. Prior to this appointment, he was the Rule Development Manager for three years. Mr. Nudd previously worked as an environmental engineer at US EPA Region 9 for five years, where he reviewed State Implementation Plans and developed Federal Implementation Plans. Mr. Nudd began his career at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, starting as a permit engineer specializing in combustion sources. He worked at TCEQ for 16 years in a variety of engineering, management, and information technology positions. Mr. Nudd earned Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin where he specialized in Energy Studies. He holds a Professional Engineering license in the State of Texas.

Alan Abbs

Legislative Officer

Alan Abbs serves as the Legislative Officer and oversees state and federal legislative and budget advocacy. Prior to coming to the Air District, Mr. Abbs was the Executive Director of the California Air Pollution Control Officers Association (CAPCOA), supporting Air Pollution Control Officers for California’s 35 air districts in regulatory and legislative matters. Prior to that, he was the Air Pollution Control Officer for the Tehama County Air Pollution Control District, a rural air district in Northern California. Mr. Abbs has also worked as a solid waste landfill manager, a paper mill engineer, and a Surface Warfare Officer in the U.S. Navy.

Mr. Abbs has a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy, and a Master’s of Business Administration from CSU Chico.

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Last Updated: 9/15/2023

Air District Leadership

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