Interior Department Welcomes New Biden-Harris Appointees, Announces Steve Feldgus as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management

WASHINGTON — The Department of the Interior today announced new Biden-Harris administration appointees who will join the agency to help create jobs in the clean energy economy, steward America’s public lands and waters, pursue environmental justice and honor our nation-to-nation relationship with Tribes.  

The Department also announced that Steve Feldgus has been named Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management. Steve has been serving as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management and succeeds Laura Daniel-Davis, who was designated as Acting Deputy Secretary of the Interior on October 31, 2023.

“Whether it’s advancing clean energy projects on America’s public lands and waters, helping to lead the Interagency Working Group on mining reform, or addressing legacy pollution, Steve has played a key role as the Interior Department works to implement President Biden’s ambitious and historic agenda. He has been an indispensable voice at the Department, and we look forward to his continued leadership,” said Chief of Staff Rachael Taylor.

“Over the last three years, the Interior Department has made tremendous progress in protecting our public lands, cleaning up legacy pollution, and spurring a clean energy economy. I am grateful for the opportunity to continue carrying out President Biden’s and Secretary Haaland’s goals for our public lands and ensuring that future generations have healthy and resilient landscapes,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Steve Feldgus.  

Before serving as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management, Steve served for seven years on the House Natural Resources Committee, including as Deputy Staff Director under Chair Raúl M. Grijalva and Staff Director for the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources. During the Obama administration, Steve worked at the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement and the Bureau of Land Management. Before that, Steve spent an additional eight years working on energy, mining, and transportation policy for Congress. Raised in Philadelphia, Steve has a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Wisconsin—Madison.

The Department today also welcomed two new Biden-Harris administration appointees.

“We are thrilled to welcome new members to the Interior Department’s team who will play crucial roles as we continue to implement President Biden’s Investing in America agenda,” said Chief of Staff Taylor. “These leaders will ensure that the Department is meeting its mission and reaching communities that have been historically left behind.”

The new appointees are:  

Sharon Buccino, Principal Deputy Director, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
 
Sharon joins the Interior Department from Wyoming, where she has been teaching as an adjunct professor at the University of Wyoming's College of Law and served on the City of Laramie's Planning Commission. On the Commission, Sharon focused on housing, growth management, and economic development, and was selected as the Wyoming Planning Commissioner of the Year for 2023. Sharon has over 30 years of experience practicing administrative, environmental, and energy law. She is originally from Lakeland, Florida, where she grew up surrounded by cattle, orange groves, and phosphate mines. She has two adult daughters and currently lives with her husband in Laramie.

Hadeel Shadid, Special Assistant to the Senior Counselor

Hadeel Shadid most recently served as a Scribe Ambassador at Suburban Hospital. Previously, she worked as a consultant and research analyst, focusing on life science, healthcare, and health policy projects and research. Hadeel holds a Master of Science in biomedical science policy and advocacy from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Science from George Washington University with a major in biology and a double minor in chemistry and psychology.  

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