Heather McTeer Toney

Elected at age 27, Heather McTeer Toney knows what it means to be a public servant. She was the first African-American, first female and the youngest to serve as Mayor of Greenville, Mississippi from 2004-2012. In 2014, she was appointed by President Barack Obama as Regional Administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Southeast Region. Known for her energetic and genuine commitment to people, her work has made her a national figure in the area of public service, environmental justice and community engagement. McTeer Toney is the author of Before the Streetlights Come On: Black America’s Call to Climate Action published by Broadleaf Books April, 2023.

Heather McTeer Toney currently serves as the Executive Director of the Beyond Petrochemicals Campaign where she leads the fight to address petrochemical expansion and protect communities across the United States. Before leading Beyond Petrochemicals, McTeer Toney served as Vice President of Community Engagement at the Environmental Defense Fund and Senior Director at Moms Clean Air Force.

The daughter of a civil rights attorney and a public school teacher, McTeer Toney was born and raised in Greenville, Mississippi. As mayor, she helped the city emerge from significant debt and prioritized sustainable infrastructure, laying the foundation for her career in environmental and climate justice. At EPA, she managed a $500 million budget, oversaw operations across eight southeastern states and six federally recognized tribes, and spearheaded local environmental justice initiatives and clean energy programs while supporting more than 1,000 employees.

McTeer Toney’s leadership extends nationally and internationally. She has served as National Spokeswoman for She Should Run, Past President of the National Conference of Black Mayors, and Past Chair of the EPA Local Government Advisory Committee. She is an expert on environmental and climate justice with SheSource, a publication of the Women’s Media Center and is often called up for advocacy and training diverse officials on equity in leadership, environment and climate. She has presented before audiences large and small, ranging from the stage of the Clinton Foundation Climate Initiative and Futerra Solutes House to Bioneers and the Hearst Eco-Conscious Living Summit to groups in over 15 countries including France, Portugal, Nigeria and Senegal.

McTeer Toney has the honor of being a named fellow at several institutions, notably a 2021 Pritzker Fellow at the University of Chicago, Institute of Politics, an EPIC Fellow at the Energy Policy Institute, University of Chicago, and Elemental Excelerator, a non-profit model for funding climate tech solutions. She serves on several foundation boards and has shared her expertise with audiences around the world.

She has been a featured guest or panelist on The Problem with Jon Stewart, CNN, MSNBC, PBS, Fox News, NPR, The Weather Channel, and Democracy Now! She has written for and been profiled in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Netflix’s Tudum, and contributed to the breakout climate book All We Can Save in 2020. In 2025, Forbes Magazine recognized her as one of the Top Sustainability Leaders. She was also named by Essence as one of the “50 Most Remarkable Women in the World” and has received numerous honors, including the Marie Claire Women on Top Award and the inaugural Rachel’s Network Catalyst Award, celebrating women of color leading on climate. Her favorite title is mom.

McTeer Toney earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Spelman College and her law degree from Tulane University School of Law. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Jack & Jill Inc., and the Mississippi Bar Association, and attends First United Missionary Baptist Church with her family.

Professional Memberships:

Mississippi Bar Association
Magnolia Bar Association
Washington County Bar Association
Young Elected Officials Network

Other Experience:
EPA Local Government Advisory Committee, Past Chair
Past President, National Conference of Black Mayors