Alisa Harris

Alisa Harris is the Special Deputy Secretary for External Affairs at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. As Special Deputy Secretary, Ms. Harris serves as a liaison between the agency and outside stakeholders whose interests are directly related to or impacted by the agency's mission. Ms. Harris oversees special projects that have department-wide significance, including projects that cross program lines. Ms. Harris has more than 20 years of experience in the environmental field through various public and private sector roles in communications, policy development and permit management. Prior to her appointment as Special Deputy Secretary, Ms. Harris served as the Environmental Policy Manager for Exelon Generation and was responsible for establishing and maintaining relationships with environmental and transportation regulators, as well as providing guidance on environmental regulations and policies. Preceding her time at Exelon, Ms. Harris served as the Regulatory and Community Affairs Manager for Waste Management of Eastern Pennsylvania. Before transitioning to the private sector, Ms. Harris worked for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection serving as the Director of the Office of Environmental Advocacy. Utilizing her environmental policy, communication, and mediation skills, she developed a multi-stakeholder environmental justice work group. In addition, Ms. Harris has served as the Executive Assistant to the Deputy Secretary for Water Management and Regional Community Relations Manager. Ms. Harris holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from James Madison University. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Shalom House of Harrisburg, a non-profit homeless shelter service provider, for women and their children.