Biography provided by participant
Kovacs has provided the overall direction, strategy, and management for the Environment, Technology & Regulatory Affairs Division since he took the vice president post in 1998. That division focuses on multidimensional, national campaigns on energy legislation, environmental rulemakings, telecommunications reform, emerging technologies, and the application of sound science to the federal regulatory process among others.
Kovacs has pioneered the use of cybercasting for Chamber events, recruited and assembled the first science team to work in tandem with policy staff to ensure that federal regulations are based on sound science, formed and chaired the Chamber's Technology Coordinating Group, and helped develop numerous national coalitions in the areas of environment, energy, regulatory affairs, and technology.
Before joining the Chamber, Kovacs was director of worldwide legal affairs for Sunshine Makers, which manufactures nontoxic cleaning products. Previously, he held the position of partner in several Washington, D.C., law firms where his practice focused on environmental law. His government service includes a stint as chief counsel and staff director for the House Subcommittee on Transportation and Commerce. During his tenure as chief counsel, Kovacs was the primary counsel on the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, which governs solid and hazardous waste, and the Rail Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act, which reorganized the bankrupt Penn Central Railroad into Conrail.
Kovacs has a law degree from the Ohio State University College of Law and a Bachelor's degree from the University of Scranton.
