Manisha Patel

Meet the Executive Director (Acting)
Manisha Patel is currently serving as the Acting Executive Director for the Permitting Council. Her permanent role is the Deputy Executive Director of the Permitting Council. She has been leading the development and implementation of federal environmental law and policy for over 25 years, working with public agencies, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and academia. Manisha is known for her expertise and strong track record in addressing complex environmental issues to build critical infrastructure. Before joining the Permitting Council, Ms. Patel was a vice president at WSP, a global engineering services firm, where she led the Environmental Process and Policy Practice Team to deliver major infrastructure projects.

Ms. Patel was among those who led the development and eventual enactment of Title 41 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST-41). Over her career, Ms. Patel has authored or co-authored numerous other federal environmental rules, policies, and guidance documents. Her deep understanding of federal administrative law and agency procedures has supported her unyielding commitment to pioneering innovative and collaborative solutions for improving the federal permitting process.

Ms. Patel’s extensive federal experience includes roles as deputy general counsel at the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and deputy associate director for regulatory policy at CEQ, Ms. Patel also held leadership positions at the Environmental Protection Agency. 

Ms. Patel has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Northwestern University and a Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center. She hails from Lima, Ohio and happily calls St. Louis, Missouri, her home.