Kim Shelley’s career has focused on Utah’s environmental priorities. As the Executive Director of the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), she leads with a vision of improving the health and quality of life of Utah residents through the administration of state and federal laws that protect Utah’s air, land and water.

An engineer by training, Shelley has held various leadership roles within DEQ, most recently as the department’s deputy director. She was the assistant director of the Division of Water Quality and manager of the Surface Water Discharge Program, where she oversaw the permitting of complex wastewater projects. She was also previously appointed by former Gov. Gary Herbert to represent the state on the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum and Advisory Council. Before she joined the Division of Water Quality, she worked in the Division of Environmental Response and Remediation’s underground storage tank program. In addition to her public sector experience, Shelley has worked in private industry as a research and development engineer.

Shelley was raised in Salt Lake City and is a graduate of the University of Utah with a bachelor’s degree in Metallurgical Engineering. She is married to Jeff Vandel and they have two children: Madeline and Benjamin.