DeWitt John
Shannon Director of Environmental Studies and Senior Lecturer in Government
Spring 2009
- Energy, Climate, and Air Quality (ES 264)
- Advanced Seminar in Environmental Policy and Politics (ES 395)
| Phone | (207) 725-3968 |
| Title | Thomas F. Shannon Distinguished Lecturer in Environmental Studies |
| Department | ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES |
| Work Location | 207 Adams Hall |
| djohn@bowdoin.edu |
Education:
1992 Ph.D. in Political Science, University of Chicago
1969 M.A. in Political Science, University of Chicago
1965-66 Research student, London School of Economics
1964 B.A. in Economics, magna cum laude, Harvard University
Dewitt John is Director of Environmental Studies. Before coming to Bowdoin, he worked in state governments and in Washington DC. His interests include civic environmentalism, management of federal environmental and natural resource agencies, new approaches to regulation, and community development.
Professional experience
Director, Environmental Studies Program and Lecturer in Government Bowdoin College, since August 2000, full-time since January 2001
Led three broad studies of the Environmental Protection Agency - management, mission, and relationships with states and regulated parties-at the direction of the appropriations committees of Congress. The third study, Environment.gov: Transforming Environmental Protection for the 21st Century, was published in November 2000 and is available online at the National Academy of Public Administration's website.
Directed studies and conferences on the national marine sanctuaries program, local and federal strategies to manage sprawl, and federal economic development and rural development policies.
Aspen Institute
Director, State Policy Program, 1989-92
Developed a program of grantmaking on rural development for the Ford Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
National Governors' Association Policy Studies Director for Economics, Trade, and Agriculture, 1985-89
Managed a staff working on research, technical assistance and demonstrations in economic development, science and technology, transportation and communications, international trade and agriculture.
State of Colorado
Director, Governor's Office of Policy, 1984-85
Assistant to the Director, Colorado Department of Natural Resources, 1979-84
Represented the state in dealings with federal land management and energy development agencies during the energy boom and bust.
Acting Director, Colorado Division of Mines, 1982-84
Legis 50, The Center for Legislative Improvement, 1977-78
Developed and managed technical assistance projects for state legislatures
Denver Research Institute, 1974-77
Managed applied research and management projects on Indian child welfare, management of human service systems, and telecommunications.
Massachusetts Office of Human Services, 1971-73 Planned and managed new community-based services for alcoholics and for developmentally-disabled people.
Instructor of Economics, Miles College, Birmingham, Alabama, 1964-65
PUBLICATIONS
Books
Civic Environmentalism: Alternatives to Regulation in States and Communities, CQ Press, 1994.
A Brighter Future for Rural America? Strategies for Communities and States (with Sandra Batie and Kim Norris), National Governors' Association, 1988.
Shifting Responsibilities: Federalism in Economic Development, National Governors' Association, 1987.
Indian Workers Associations in Britain, Oxford University Press, London, 1969.
Book Chapters
"Community-Based Environmental Protection: How Federal and State Agencies Can Encourage Civic Environmentalism", (with Marian Mlay) in Ken Sexton et al., Better Environmental Decisions: Strategies for Governments, Businesses, and Communities, Island Press, 1998.
"Remapping Federalism: The Rediscovery of Civic Governance in the United States" (with Alexis Halley and R. Scott Fosler), in Jong S. Jun and Deil S. Wright, Globalization and Decentralization: Institutional Contexts, Policy Issues, and Intergovernmental Relations in Japan and the United States, Georgetown University Press, 1996.
"A Road Map for Reform without Rollback" in William Reilly, Environment Strategy America 1996-97: Charting a New Course, Campden Publishing, London, U.K., 1996.
"Economic Incentives for Managing Waste in King County, Washington", in The Environment Goes to Market, National Academy for Public Administration and Georgetown University Press, 1995.
"Free Markets, States' Rights, and Federal Coal," in Public Lands and the U.S. Economy: Balancing Conservation and Development, ed. George Johnston and Peter Emerson, Westview Press, 1984.
Recent Articles
"A Path to Peace", The Environmental Forum, May-June, 2001.
"Good Cops and Bad Cops on the Environment", Boston Review, October-November 1999.
"Resolving the Paradox of Environmental Protection", Issues in Science and Technology, Summer, 1998 (with Jonathan Howes and Rick Minard).
"Mobilizing Civic Infrastructure: Foundation-Supported Job Generation", (with Robert Giloth), National Civic Review, Summer-Fall, 1995.
"The Four Myths of Environmental Protection", Governing, February, 1994.
"What Will New Governance Mean for the Federal Government?" with Donald F. Kettl, Barbara Dyer, and Bob Lovan, Public Administration Review, 54:2, March-April, 1994.
Selected Reports
National Academy of Public Administration Environment.gov: Transforming Environmental Protection for the 21st Century, 2000.
Building Stronger Communities and Regions: Can the Federal Government Help? 2000.
Solving the Paradox of Environmental Protection: EPA and States Focus on Results, 1997.
Protecting a Profitable Paradise: The National Ocean Service Leads Multi-Agency Planning in the Florida Keys, 1996.
Sailing into the Port Complex of Los Angeles and Long Beach: Marine Governance from a Captain's Perspective, 1996. A Path to Smarter Economic Development: Reassessing the Federal Role, 1996.
The Resilient Partnership: An Assessment of the Intergovernmental Mode of the Appalachian Regional Commission, 1996.
Building Civic Infrastructure for Jobs Creation, 1995.
Setting Priorities, Getting Results: A New Direction for the Environmental Protection Agency, 1995.
Other
Agriculture and Water Quality: An Introduction to Issues Facing Governors, National Governors' Association, 1989. New Alliances for Rural America: Report of the Task Force on Rural Development, National Governors' Association, 1988.
Staffing in State Legislatures: History, Status and Issues, Legis 50, 1979.
Indian Child Welfare: A State-of-the-Field Study, Denver Research Institute, 1976.
Legal and Jurisdictional Problems in the Delivery of SRS Services on Indian Reservations, Denver Research Institute, 1975.
What Did We Learn From Services Integration? Project Search, 1975.
Personal
Trustee, Maine Audubon
Board Member, Friends of Merrymeeting Bay
Fellow, National Academy of Public Administration
Member, Science Advisory Panel to the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, created by Congress in 2001.
Married with a son studying chemistry and a daughter working as a geologist.
Enjoy biking, canoeing, cross-country skiing, running, hiking, and cooking.
Traveled in India and Southeast Asia, 1970-71, writing about rural development and politics. Visited India again for a month in 1998, meeting with environmental activists, businesspeople, and old friends.
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