Gov. Rick Snyder taps DNR Director Keith Creagh to guide DEQ through leadership transition

Gov. Rick Snyder taps DNR Director Keith Creagh to guide DEQ through leadership transition

Bill Moritz will fill role as interim DNR director

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Michigan Department of Natural Resources Director Keith Creagh will serve as interim director for the Department of Environmental Quality effective Jan. 4, Gov. Rick Snyder announced today.

Creagh will guide the DEQ through its leadership transition period, following the resignation of former director Dan Wyant. Dr. Bill Moritz will serve as interim director at the DNR.

“Keith has an unparalleled passion for Michigan’s environment, working closely with the DEQ during his years with both the DNR and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development,” Snyder said. “I am confident his knowledge and experience will help ensure a seamless transition while we work to identify a long-term director for the DEQ.”

Creagh has served as DNR director since July 2012 and was previously director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, where he built an extensive resume in environmental and human health safety issues, including involvement in pesticide enforcement, ensuring the proper disposal of chemicals and cancelling some that posed a danger to human health.

Creagh has worked closely on many environmental and public health issues with the Environmental Protection Agency, Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Department of Agriculture. He served as director of industry affairs for Lansing-based Neogen Corp., which provides food and animal safety solutions to the agri-food industry. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Michigan Technological University.



Moritz is the natural resources deputy at the DNR, previously serving as chief and assistant chief of the wildlife division and as a deer research specialist. He also was executive director for Safari Club international and the Safari Club International Foundation. Moritz earned a doctorate in zoology from Southern Illinois University, a master’s degree in fish and wildlife management from Montana State University and a bachelor’s degree in fisheries and wildlife biology from Iowa State University.

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