Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon has appointed Nancy Vehr interim director of the state Department of Environmental Quality following the retirement of longtime Director Todd Parfitt.
Vehr, who has served as DEQ deputy director since May 2025, assumed the interim position Oct. 2. Before becoming deputy director, she led the agency’s Air Quality Division for nearly a decade.
Parfitt retired Oct. 1 after 32 years with DEQ, including 14 years as director. He began his career with the department in 1992 and was appointed director in 2012.
Vehr has experience in law, environmental regulation and health care.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Creighton University and worked as a nurse for 15 years before returning to school and earning a law degree from the University of Wyoming College of Law.
Vehr subsequently spent more than a decade with the Wyoming Attorney General’s Office and several years in private practice before joining DEQ.
As Air Quality Division administrator, Vehr oversaw programs involving air pollution permitting, monitoring and regulatory compliance. Amber Potts succeeded her as administrator in August 2025 after Vehr’s promotion to deputy director.
Vehr has also served as president of the Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies and the 15-member Western States Air Resources Council. She serves as co-chair of the Western Regional Air Partnership.
Photo courtesy of the State of Wyoming
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