{{Short description|American lawyer}} {{Infobox officeholder | office = Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management | term_start = January 19, 2023 | term_end = January 20, 2025 | successor = TBD | 1blankname = Secretary | 1namedata = Deb Haaland | predecessor = Amanda Lefton | alma_mater = George Washington University<br>American University Washington College of Law | president = Joe Biden | image = Elizabeth Klein.jpg }}
'''Elizabeth Johnson Klein''' is an American lawyer who served as the director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management from 2023 to 2025. She was previously a senior counselor to the United States secretary of the interior with an emphasis was on water policy and climate change resilience.
== Education == Klein earned a bachelor's degree, summa cum laude, in economics at George Washington University. She completed a J.D., summa cum laude, from American University Washington College of Law (WCL). Klein was president of the WCL environmental law society. She is a member of the Order of the Coif.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Director and Staff {{!}} State Impact Center|url=https://www.law.nyu.edu/centers/state-impact/about/director-and-staff|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2021-01-18|website=NYU Law}}</ref>
== Career == Klein first served in the United States Department of the Interior (DOI) in 1999. Under secretaries Ken Salazar and Sally Jewell, Klein served as the DOI associate deputy secretary as well as principal deputy assistant secretary in the Office of Policy, Management and Budget. She was an architect of the Obama administration's work to create a new offshore wind industry and leasing program.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2023-01-10 |title=Elizabeth Klein Named Director of Bureau of Ocean Energy Management |url=https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/elizabeth-klein-named-director-bureau-ocean-energy-management |access-date=2023-08-20 |website=www.doi.gov |language=en}}{{PD-notice}}</ref> Following the election of president Donald Trump in 2016, Klein served as the deputy director of the state energy and environmental impact center at New York University School of Law.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Rein |first=Lisa |date=January 18, 2021 |title=Biden, filling out his government, to name five women as deputy secretaries |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/biden-names-deputy-secretaries/2021/01/17/05172da4-5917-11eb-a976-bad6431e03e2_story.html |access-date=2021-01-18}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Richards |first=Heather |date=2023-04-10 |title=Meet Biden's new offshore energy chief |url=https://www.eenews.net/articles/meet-bidens-new-offshore-energy-chief/ |access-date=2023-08-20 |website=E&E News by POLITICO |language=en-US}}</ref> In this role, she supported state Attorneys General addressing clean energy, climate, and environmental initiatives of regional and national importance.<ref name=":2" />
On January 18, 2021, U.S. president-elect Joe Biden announced Klein as his nominee for United States Deputy Secretary of the Interior.<ref name=":1" /> U.S. senator Lisa Murkowski came out against Klein's nomination citing her opposition to the development of the oil and gas industry in Alaska. Because of this, the Biden administration withdrew Klein's nomination.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lefebvre |first=Ben |date=2021-03-22 |title=White House yanks Interior nominee after Murkowski opposition |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/22/murkowski-oppose-klein-interior-477577 |access-date=2023-08-20 |website=POLITICO |language=en}}</ref> Tommy Beaudreau would later fill the role.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Biden nominates Tommy Beaurdeau |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2021/04/14/biden-picks-energy-lawyer-tommy-beaudreau-interior-departments-no-2-official/}}</ref> On January 20, 2021, Klein rejoined the DOI as a senior counselor to Deb Haaland, the United States secretary of the interior.<ref name=":2" /> Her emphasis was on water policy and climate change resilience.<ref name=":2" /> In this role, she also served as chair of the Indian Water Rights Working Group, which manages, negotiates and implements settlements of water rights claims.<ref name=":2" />
On January 19, 2023, Klein succeeded Amanda Lefton as the director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />
== References == {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Klein, Elizabeth}} Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:21st-century American women lawyers Category:21st-century American lawyers Category:21st-century American women civil servants Category:United States Department of the Interior officials Category:Clinton administration personnel Category:Obama administration personnel Category:Biden administration personnel Category:George Washington University alumni Category:American University Washington College of Law alumni Category:New York University School of Law faculty Category:American environmental lawyers