Ellen Roy Herzfelder

Childhood and education She was born in Newton, Massachusetts and lives in Cohasset.

Career Herzfelder co-founded the family-owned International Energy Company, an electricity company.

In 2002, Herzfelder was appointed as the Secretary of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs for Governor Mitt Romney. Her resignation came after a family company, Intercontinental Energy Corporation, was listed as owing $1 Million in taxes.

Politics

Department of Conservation and Recreation In 2004, Herzfelder merged the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) and the Department of Environmental Management (DEM) to form the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), the DCR manages all of the state's park areas. The 254 MDC and 354 DEM properties were merged to save money. The merger was thought to save roughly $5 Million, at the cost of laying off 100 of the 2,000 workers.

Wind farm

Herzfelder approved the initial plans for an offshore wind power plant in Nantucket Sound. The plan would involve building 130 turbines. She required Cape Wind Associates, the developer, to move eight of the ten turbines 12 square miles effectively placing all turbines out of state waters. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were responsible for the review of the project, the draft environmental impact statement was insufficient according to the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of the Interior, and others.

Oil spill In April 2003, 98,000 gallons of industrial fuel oil was spilled in Buzzards Bay in the Bouchard Oil Spill. In response Herzfelder and the state passed the Oil Spill Act. The main requirement was for vessel to use local tug escorts. Herzfelder's actions were supported by many. The plan aimed to manage and "zone" the ocean, to avoid exploitation.