EPD Director
Jim Norton

Environmental Protection Division Director Jim Norton has two decades of experience working with environmental groups including The Wilderness Society, The Nature Conservancy and 1000 Friends of New Mexico.  Mr. Norton led legislative campaigns to add 2.5 million acres to the National Wilderness Preservation System.  He is the Director of the Environmental Protection Division that includes four Bureaus – Air Quality Bureau, Occupational Health and Safety, Petroleum Storage Tank Bureau and Solid Waste Bureau. 

Prior to joining the staff of the Environment Department, Mr. Norton was a teacher at the Santa Fe Public Schools. He has a BA in Biology and Environmental Studies from Williams College (1978), attended the graduate program at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies (1981), and earned a Teaching Certificate from the University of New Mexico (1997). While not at work he enjoys outdoor activities such as gardening, hiking, camping and river rafting. He is also the founder of the Santa Fe Old-timers Ice Hockey Club and has a wicked slap shot.