Ms. Wilcher brings a unique background and experience to benefit the firm’s clients on environmental issues, having served as the nation’s senior regulatory official for water programs at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from 1989 to 1993 and as Secretary of Kentucky’s Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet from 2003 to 2006 and having represented municipal, utility, individual, corporate and not-for profit clients in a variety of strategic, regulatory, legislative and litigation matters. Her environmental law practice focuses on developing and implementing solutions to complex environmental public policy, regulatory, enforcement and other legal issues, utilizing her understanding of the inner workings of federal and state government agencies. Ms. Wilcher’s clients have included Fortune 100 companies, water and wastewater utilities, municipalities, corporate start-ups, individuals, not-for-profit groups and national professional associations (such as the National Association of Clean Water Agencies). She is a professionally trained facilitator, experienced in negotiated rulemaking and has served as a federal court-appointed mediator. In 1989, Ms. Wilcher was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be the Assistant Administrator for Water at EPA. While at the helm of the Office, the agency developed EPA’s Combined Sewer Overflow Policy and promulgated new regulations addressing storm water, drinking water, biosolids (sewage sludge) and water quality standards for toxics. Ms. Wilcher was instrumental in launching EPA’s watershed protection approach and Clean Water Act section 319 nonpoint source grant program. She also led EPA’s involvement in the Exxon Valdez oil spill litigation negotiations. From 1993 to 2002, Ms. Wilcher was a partner in the Washington, D.C. offices of two large, international law firms. When she returned to Kentucky in 2002, Ms. Wilcher was a partner at the firm until she began her state government service. Returning to the firm in 2006, Ms. Wilcher continues to provide clients with broad-based perspectives to resolve environmental issues in Kentucky and throughout the country. Following her appointment in 2003 as the Secretary of Kentucky’s Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet, Ms. Wilcher developed the organizational architecture for administering the programs and personnel of three former cabinets as one. During her tenure, Ms. Wilcher worked on issues as diverse as mine safety legislation and enforcement, air and water quality issues, broadband deployment, insurance and banking regulations, occupational safety and health initiatives, recycling, wildland arson, new regulations for Kentucky horse racing and the regulation of professional boxing and wrestling in the state, among other things. She served as the Co-chair of the Governor’s Energy Policy Task Force and was a member of a number of boards and commissions, including the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority (ex officio), the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority, and the Kentucky State Board on Electric Generation and Transmission Siting. Ms. Wilcher teaches and speaks frequently at conferences, seminars, and universities, including presentations at Vanderbilt Law School, Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs, the Annual Conference on Environmental Law of the American Bar Association’s Section of Environment, Energy and Resources Law, the Kentucky Bar Association Annual Convention and the International Conference on Water and the Environment. Ms. Wilcher teaches environmental law courses at Vermont Law School during the summers and owns and operates Scuffle Hill Farm in Alvaton, KY. |
