Wheeler Tells EPA Employees, ‘You Can’t Lead Unless You Listen.’"

"Acting Environmental Protection Agency administrator Andrew Wheeler told agency employees Wednesday that he would value their input even as he would seek to advance President Trump’s agenda, saying, “When it comes to leadership, you can’t lead unless you listen.”

“Just like me, you came to EPA to help the environment,” he added at one point.

Speaking before a packed audience in the agency’s ornate Rachel Carson Room — named for the famed  American environmentalist — Wheeler touted his time as a career employee at the EPA and his coal-mining heritage, and he pledged to act differently from his controversial predecessor, Scott Pruitt. He did not mention Pruitt — who resigned Thursday — by name, but he implicitly broke with Trump’s first EPA pick.

“My instinct will be to defend your work, and I will seek the facts from you before reaching conclusions,” he said, noting at one point that when it comes to leadership transitions at the EPA, “I understand how stressful that can be.”"

Brady Dennis and Juliet Eilperin report for the Washington Post July 11, 2018.
 
SEE ALSO:

"EPA's Acting Head Vows To Carry Out Trump's Regulation Cuts" (Reuters)

"New EPA Acting Chief Defends Past Coal Industry Lobbying" (Associated Press)

"‘You Can’t Lead Unless You Listen,’ New E.P.A. Chief Says, Signaling Break From Pruitt
Image" (New York Times)

"Wheeler Promises To "Minimize Stress" In New Era at EPA" (Houston Chronicle)

"Acting EPA Chief Promises ‘Change In Tone,’ New Emphasis On Transparency" (The Hill)

"New EPA Acting Chief Signals More Inclusive Approach" (AP)

"Scott Pruitt’s Replacement To EPA Staff: ‘My Instinct Will Be To Defend Your Work’" (HuffPost)