State taps Wrightsville Beach man to head Division of Water Quality

A Wrightsville Beach resident has been tapped to be the new director of the N.C. Division of Water Quality (DWQ). Charles “Chuck” Wakild, currently the division’s deputy director, will begin his duties on January 1.  He replaces Coleen H. Sullins, who is retiring from the post December 31.

DWQ, part of the N.C. Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR) is responsible for all aspects of water quality protection, including rules development, standards setting, monitoring, planning, permitting and compliance activities.

Wakild held a variety of leadership positions within DENR from 1971-1990, including deputy director of air, water and groundwater programs and chief of the department’s Water Quality Section. Following a stint in the private sector, when he worked at Federal Paperboard Company and Progress Energy, he returned to the division in 2006. He has served as DWQ’s deputy director since 2007.

“Chuck has a breadth of experience that will serve him well in this very challenging position,” said Dee Freeman, secretary of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources. “He understands the importance of protecting the state’s water quality, while also having knowledge of the practical concerns of business and industry in the regulated community.”

Wakild, a native of Michigan, has a master’s in business administration from the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, a master’s degree in environmental engineering from the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Public Health, and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Michigan State University.