Bettina Poirier has served as Staff Director and Chief Counsel for the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee for over 10 years. Poirier was the first woman to hold this position in the Committee's history. She worked for Senator Barbara Boxer (D-California) who was the Chair and later the Ranking Member of the Committee. Senator Boxer retired this year after 4 terms in the Senate and 10 years in the House.

As Staff Director and Chief Counsel, Ms. Poirier managed the Democratic staff on the EPW Committee, and she worked with Members of Congress, the Executive Branch, State and local governments, NGO's and many other stakeholders on environment, energy, and infrastructure issues. The EPW Committee has jurisdiction over a wide variety of subjects, including transportation and water infrastructure, clean air, clean water, drinking water and wildlife protections, federal buildings, toxic chemical safeguards, as well as chemical and nuclear plant safety.

Ms. Poirier also served as a Legislative Assistant to Senator Boxer for environment and agriculture issues from 2001-2002, and as Senior Counsel for Boxer from 2005-2007. She served as Minority Counsel to the House Energy and Commerce Committee under Ranking Member John Dingell (D-MI) from 2003 -2005. She was Deputy Assistant General Counsel for Pollution Control at the U.S. Department of Agriculture from 1992-2001. Poirier began her legal career as an environmental associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom from 1987-1992.

Bettina is a graduate of New York University School of Law, received American Jurisprudence Prizes in Legislation and Evidence and graduated with honors from Barnard College, Columbia University, with a major in Political Science and a minor in English.