AAPCA Assembles State and Local Air Agencies for 2026 Fall Business Meeting in Raleigh
Association introduces 2027 leadership slate and calls for nominations of 2026 Best Practices in Air Pollution Control
October 1, 2026
Lexington, KY
The Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies (AAPCA) hosted the AAPCA 2026 Fall Business Meeting in Raleigh, North Carolina from September 9 to 11. The Association welcomed more than 125 participants from 26 state and local air agencies; multi-jurisdictional organizations; U.S. EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation (OAR) and regional offices; and other Clean Air Act (CAA) stakeholders.
At the meeting, AAPCA’s Board of Directors, comprised of senior air officials from 21 state environmental agencies, elected 2027 Officers. The Association is pleased to announce the following 2027 Officers:
- President | Cory Chism, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
- Vice President | Michael Kennedy, Kentucky Division for Air Quality
- Secretary/Treasurer | Hether Krause, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
- Past President | Jim Boylan, Georgia Environmental Protection Division
“Convening with key state, local, and federal air quality partners and subject matter experts is critical to our work, because the complexity of today’s air quality challenges requires collaborative partnerships among co-regulators to ensure successful strategies for protecting air quality and public health,” remarked AAPCA President Cory Chism, Director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Office of Air.
Aaron Szabo, Assistant Administrator of U.S. EPA OAR, provided featured remarks on the Administration’s priorities and current work being guided by Pillar 1: Clean Air, Land, and Water for Every American and Pillar 3: Permitting Reform, Cooperative Federalism, and Cross-Agency Partnership of the Agency’s Powering the Great American Comeback Initiative. Participation from U.S. EPA Office of State Air Partnerships (OSAP) encouraged collaboration amongst co-regulators implementing national ambient air quality standards, stationary source permitting, and visibility protection programs.
The agenda included state, local, federal, and nongovernmental organization speakers presenting a range of timely CAA topics, covering air quality standards and planning, permitting, and other technical updates. AAPCA’s 2026 Fall Business Meeting featured an in-depth session on Preparing for Exceptional and Extreme Weather, with presentations from technical experts. Attendees discussed multifaceted issues for CAA implementation, such as challenges associated with processing the backlog of state implementation plans and exceptional events demonstrations.
On September 9, AAPCA opened the call for nominations from public agencies, private entities, and individuals to identify groundbreaking technology, innovative practices, and exemplary operations in the field of air pollution control. Of particular interest are activities that are directly transferrable to the operation of an air pollution control agency. To apply, fill out the nomination form and submit by 11:59 PM Eastern on October 31, 2026. Designated best practices will be invited to present at AAPCA’s 2027 Spring Meeting.
More information for AAPCA’s 2027 Spring Meeting will be available on AAPCA’s website (www.cleanairact.org).
AAPCA Background
The Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies, or AAPCA, is a national, non-profit, consensus-driven organization focused on assisting state and local air quality agencies and personnel with implementation and technical issues associated with the federal Clean Air Act. Created in 2012, AAPCA represents 53 state and local air pollution control agencies, and senior officials from 21 state environmental agencies currently sit on the AAPCA Board of Directors. AAPCA is housed in Lexington, Kentucky as an affiliate of The Council of State Governments. More information about AAPCA can be found on the Association’s website: www.cleanairact.org.
Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies | 1776 Avenue of the States | Lexington, Kentucky 40511
www.cleanairact.org | @AAPCA_States | LinkedIn
Contact: Morgan Dickie, Executive Director (mdickie@csg.org / 859-244-8042)