Ed Messina
Director of EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP)
Ed is currently the Director of EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), and previously served as the Deputy Office Director for Programs. OPP, in collaboration with its many stakeholders, regulates the manufacture and use of all pesticides in the United States – including insecticides, herbicides, rodenticides, disinfectants, sanitizers, and more – and establishes maximum levels for pesticide residues in food, thereby safeguarding the nation’s food supply.
Prior to that Ed was the Director of EPA’s Monitoring, Assistance, and Media Programs Division, within the Office of Compliance, in charge of EPA’s inspection policies; the Acting Associate Director of EPA’s Air Enforcement Division, where he helped manage complex air litigation; and a branch chief for both Air and Waste enforcement programs. Ed started his legal career in Chicago where he litigated and negotiated several environmental matters as an Associate Regional Counsel for EPA Region 5. While in Chicago, Ed completed a rotation as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois where he conducted trials in federal district court and presented oral arguments before the United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit. Ed has both a JD and a Master of Studies in Environmental Law from Vermont Law School and a BA from Brandeis University.