2007
Balmes appointed to Air Resources Board
John Balmes, M.D., professor of environmental health science at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health, was appointed to the California Air Resources Board (ARB) by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in December 2007. The board, consisting of 11 members appointed by the governor, is part of the California Environmental Protection Agency. Its mission is to promote and protect public health, welfare and ecological resources through the effective and efficient reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and considering the effects on the economy of the state. The ARB also oversees the activities of 35 local and regional air pollution control districts. Balmes is a pulmonary physician by training, professor of medicine at UCSF, and chief of the Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine at San Francisco General Hospital. He also directs the Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, a joint project of UC Berkeley, UCSF, and UC Davis.
"John Balmes's wide range of expertise will be drawn on frequently by the board," said Dean Stephen Shortell of the UC Berkeley School of Public Health.
Jim Wilgus, president and CEO of the American Lung Association of California, said, "The governor could not have appointed a more qualified and respected individual to this position. Dr. Balmes is committed to achieving cleaner, healthier air for all Californians, and especially for children, the elderly, and the millions of Californians suffering from asthma and other lung diseases. Dr. Balmes has the critical professional background and expertise that will help guide the California Air Resources Board in achieving its mission to promote and protect public health."