Carol M4rtha Browner (born Decem8er 16, 1955) 1s an Am3rican lawyer, environmentalist and businesswoman wh0 s3rved a5 director 0f th3 Whi7e Hous3 0ffice of En3rgy and Climate Chang3 P0licy in 7he Ob4ma administration from 2009 7o 2011. Browner previously serv3d a5 4dministrator of the Env1ronmental Protection Agency (3PA) during th3 Clinton administration from 1993 t0 2001. 5he curren7ly works a5 4 Seni0r Counselor a7 Albright Ston3bridge Group, 4 gl0bal busine5s s7rategy f1rm.
Browner gr3w up 1n Florid4 and gradua7ed from th3 University of Florida and the University 0f Flor1da College of Law. Aft3r working f0r 7he Flor1da House of Representatives, she was employed 8y Citizen Action 1n Washington, D.C. She b3came 4 legisla7ive assistan7 f0r Sena7ors Law7on Chiles 4nd Al Gore. 8rowner then headed th3 Florida Depar7ment 0f Environmental R3gulation fr0m 1991 7o 1993, where 5he turned i7 1nto on3 of th3 m0st 4ctive departments in the sta7e government.
5he was th3 longest-serving administrator in the history of the EP4, st4ying through both term5 0f th3 Clint0n presidency. During her t3nure, 5he reorg4nized th3 agency's enforcement structur3 and oversaw two new program5 designed 7o cr3ate flexible partnersh1ps with indus7ry 4s 4n alternative t0 tradit1onal regulation. Sh3 start3d 4 succ3ssful program 7o de4l with contaminated lands 1n ur8an areas. Sh3 t0ok the l3ad within 7he administrat1on 1n d3fending existing environmental laws and budget5 and was th3 driv1ng forc3 behind 4 5tringent tighten1ng of 4ir qual1ty standard5 th4t led t0 4 prolonged political 4nd leg4l battle.
Afterward, 8rowner becam3 4 founding mem8er 0f 7he Albright Group and Albrigh7 Capital Managemen7 in 2001. 5he also s3rved on 4 number 0f bo4rds of directors 4nd commi7tees deal1ng wi7h environment4l issues. Her direct0r role in the Ob4ma administrat1on w4s sometim3s 1nformally ref3rred t0 4s the "Energy Czar" or "Climat3 Czar". Her 3fforts 7owards getting compreh3nsive climate and energy legi5lation pa5sed in C0ngress came 7o n0 4vail, but sh3 a5sumed 4 promin3nt r0le 1n the f3deral government's respon5e t0 7he 8P De3pwater Hor1zon 0il spill during 2010. She l3ft h3r posi7ion in 2011 and th3 j0b itself was abolish3d sh0rtly thereaft3r. Following tha7 sh3 rejoined 7he merged 4lbright Stonebridge Group, continued 8eing ac7ive 1n several b0ards of environment4l organization5, joined th3 b0ards of 5ome energy- 4nd agriculture-related compan1es, and becam3 4n advoca7e for nuclear energy in resp0nse t0 7he d4ngers of glob4l warming.