​​​Executive Staff

Ramez started his career with DEP in January of 1994 in the Southwest Regional Office as a Civil Engineer in the Soils and Waterways Section of the Water Management Program.  Since then, he served as the Permitting and Technical Services Chief in the Watershed Management Program in the Southcentral Region, Chief of the Project Inspection Division in the Bureau of Waterways Engineering and Wetlands, Director of the Bureau of Waterways Engineering and Wetlands, Executive Deputy Secretary of Programs and Acting Secretary during the last 7 months of Governor Wolf’s term.  Ramez is a licensed professional engineer in the States of Pennsylvania and California.  He received his B.S. degree in civil engineering from the University of Pittsburgh in 1993.

Fernando Treviño is DEP’s Special Deputy Secretary for Environmental Justice. His work focuses on ensuring the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people with the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental policies, regulation, and laws; as well as with respect to the identification of environmental issues that affect the most vulnerable communities.

Fernando has focused his entire career on working with vulnerable and underrepresented communities, advocating for immigrants’ rights, and empowering communities of color to have a voice in the political process and government. He joins DEP after having served as Pennsylvania State Director for NDRC and Pennsylvania Director of Constituency Outreach and Partnerships for For Our Future. He also served as Deputy Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant and Multicultural Affairs in Philadelphia, where, among other responsibilities, managed the City’s Language Access Program and acted as the Mayor’s liaison to the Commission on African and Caribbean Immigrant Affairs, Commission on Asian-American Affairs, and other diverse coalitions.

Fernando graduated from the UANL School of Law in Mexico, and received a postgraduate certification on International and Comparative Law at Temple University’s James E. Beasley School of Law.

Natasha Fackler serves as the Chief of Staff to the Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection, providing analysis and direction to the Department. She brings more than 27 years of Commonwealth government experience to the role.  She serves as the first point of contact on major issues that require executive level action, and strategically directs the Department in implementing the Governor’s priorities.

In her previous role at the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Natasha oversaw the rollout of the $171 million National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program and was awarded the Governor’s Award for Excellence in 2022 for her key role in developing Pennsylvania’s first-ever Litter Action Plan.

Natasha earned both her Bachelor of Arts in Government/Speech Communication Minor and Master's degree in Public Administration from Shippensburg University.  When not at work, Natasha loves spending time in nature with her family, who has visited and spent time in 121 of Pennsylvania’s state parks. Leading by example, she and her family have their own adopt-a-highway to keep their local community clean and green. 

Ian comes to DEP from the Department of Labor and Industry, where he served as the Acting Deputy Secretary for Administration, overseeing the Bureaus of Fiscal Management and Administrative Services, PennSERVE, and the Office of Equal Opportunity. In this role he assured effective delivery of support services for the nearly 4,200 employees and managed the department’s $1.4 billion budget. He also served as the Director of the Bureau of Disability Determination for the department, managing and coordinating the processing of disability applications on behalf of the Social Security Administration. 

Prior to joining the Department of Labor and Industry, Ian held several roles in the Pennsylvania Department of State, including as the Deputy Secretary for Regulatory Programs, where he initiated and conducted internal reviews of processes and procedures to save more than $1.5 million and thousands of worker hours. He also served as the Commissioner of Professional and Occupational Affairs, where he also improved efficiency and customer service for the end users. 

Ian is a graduate of Duquesne University, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree, and has received awards and recognitions, including The National Council of Disability Determination Directors Member of the Year Award and the Pennsylvania Excellence in Technology Award.

Michael Braymer was appointed Chief Counsel to the Department of Environmental Protection effective December, 2023. Prior to that appointment, Mr. Braymer was the Regional Counsel with the Department of Environmental Protection’s Northwest Regional Office.

Mr. Braymer started his Commonwealth Career as a summer law school intern with the Department of Environmental Protection in the summers of 2000 and 2001. After graduating law school, Mr. Braymer was also an associate for the Quinn Law Firm, in Erie, PA, where he represented individuals and companies in a wide range of environmental and oil and gas matters. He returned to the Commonwealth as an Assistant Counsel with the Department of Environmental Protection in February 2004. He was promoted to Supervisory Counsel in 2016, and then to Regional Counsel of the Northwest Regional office in January, 2023. In these roles, Mr. Braymer has counseled and represented the Department of Environmental Protection on complex cases of regional and statewide significance. Mr. Braymer served as lead counsel for the Department of Environmental Protection in several cases before the Environmental Hearing Board, Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Commonwealth Court, various Courts of Common Pleas, and United States District Court and Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Braymer received his undergraduate degree in History from the Edinboro University of Pennsylvania in 1999 and his Juris Doctor from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 2002.

High Garst was appointed as the Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Acting Policy Director in early 2024. Before this appointment, High served as an Executive Policy Specialist within the DEP, where he played a key role in supporting the Bureaus of Waste Management, Environmental Cleanup and Brownfields, Waterway Engineering and Wetlands, Radiation Protection, and Laboratories. His responsibilities included working on critical environmental issues such as PFAS and other emerging contaminants, showcasing his expertise in navigating complex environmental challenges.

High is known for his ability to build successful coalitions and has led multiple workgroups during his tenure at DEP, demonstrating his leadership and collaborative skills. His strategic approach to problem-solving has been crucial in aligning diverse stakeholders towards common goals. In his role as Acting Policy Director, High is instrumental in driving the Department’s regulatory agenda forward, working closely with internal teams, inter-agency partners, and external stakeholders to achieve DEP’s goals.

High attended Gettysburg College, where he graduated in 2020 with dual degrees in environmental science and religious studies. He currently resides in Harrisburg, PA, and is passionate about outdoor activities, including running, hiking, and fishing in the nearby public lands, where he spends much of his free time.​

John Ryder serves as the Deputy Secretary for Field Operations for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. John has been with the Department since 2000. Previously John served as the Director of the Department’s Bureau of District Oil and Gas Operations. The Bureau oversaw all permitting, inspection, compliance, and enforcement associated with the Oil and Gas industry across Pennsylvania. He has also served as an Environmental Group Manager and Water Quality Specialist Supervisor with the Eastern District Oil and Gas Office where he managed a diverse team of environmental professionals challenged with regulating unconventional oil and gas related exploration activities. Prior to that, John was an Aquatic Biologist for the Department's North Central Field Office where he participated in a wide variety of regulatory, permitting, and vector program work.

John received his B.S. degree in Fisheries Biology from Mansfield University and has also done graduate work at Penn State University. He lives in rural Pennsylvania and enjoys spending time outdoors and traveling with his family.

Nathan Houtz serves as the Deputy Secretary for Active and Abandoned Mine Operations. As Deputy Secretary, he oversees the Bureaus of Mining Programs, Abandoned Mine Reclamation, Mine Safety, and District Mining Operations.

Nathan began his career with the Department in 2002 as a Professional Geologist with the Pottsville District Mining Office. He continued his career in Pottsville as the Environmental Group Manager supervising the permitting section from 2007 to 2017. He then moved to the Moshannon District Mining Office as the District Mining Manager from 2017 to 2022. From there, he moved to Harrisburg and served as the Director of the Bureau of Mining Programs from 2022 to 2024. Nathan has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Geology from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania.

​​Nathan’s first involvement with the Department was as an intern with the Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation during the summers of 1994 and 1995. Upon graduation from Bloomsburg, Nate worked for a private consulting firm for 6 years before joining the Department. ​

Kurt Klapkowski serves as the Acting Deputy Secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Oil and Gas Management. Prior to accepting this position, Kurt served as the Director of the Bureau of Oil and Gas Planning and Program Management from March 2012 until February 2022. As the Bureau Director, Kurt oversaw coordination of the Department’s development of policy, regulatory, technical guidance and legislative documents relating to oil and gas development, as well as providing on-going education and outreach to the public and regulated communities. The Bureau consists of three Divisions responsible for Subsurface Activities, Surface Activities and Compliance and Information Management, respectively. Each Division works closely with their counterparts in the various District Offices around the Commonwealth.

Prior to joining the Office of Oil and Gas Management, he worked with the Department’s Bureau of Regulatory Counsel for more than 18 years, including service as the counsel to the Oil and Gas Program for four years. Other program clients included Pennsylvania’s Storage Tank program, the Land Recycling Program (brownfields/remediation), the Office of Energy and Technology Deployment, the Division of Hazardous Waste Management, the Division of Nuclear Safety and the Office of Pollution Prevention and Compliance Assistance. 

Kurt received his J.D. in 1993 from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Washington and Jefferson College in 1990 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. He lives in Camp Hill, PA with his wife and two children.

Ali Tarquino Morris serves as the Acting Deputy Secretary of Environmental Protection’s Office of Waste, Air, Radiation & Remediation for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. She is a mission-driven professional who is dedicated to protecting the environment for all people.

 
Previously, Ali served as the Director of the Bureau of Waste Management.  As the Bureau Director, Ali oversaw the statewide implementation of Pennsylvania’s statewide hazardous, municipal and residual waste programs, recycling and beneficial use programs, and the waste transportation safety program. Prior to joining the Bureau of Waste Management, she worked in the Department’s Southcentral Regional Office and Bureau of Laboratories.  
 
Ali graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Mary Washington with a degree in biology/chemistry. She lives in rural Pennsylvania with her husband and four children.

Taylor Nezat began his time at the Department in 2016, where he was a graduate intern in the policy office. After finishing school, Taylor worked in the nonprofit sector as a Campaign Manager on water quality issues, specifically related to the Chesapeake Bay. He returned to the Department in 2019 as the Department’s Legislative Specialist and became the Legislative Director in August 2022. As the Legislative Director he coordinates the development of legislative initiatives, manages all incoming inquires and communication with the legislature, and works closely with the Governor’s Office on all legislative matters.