Heather McTeer Toney facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Heather McTeer Toney
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| Mayor of Greenville, Mississippi | |
| In office 2004–2011 |
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| Preceded by | Paul Artman Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Chuck Jordan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Greenville, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Dexter Toney |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Spelman College (BA) Tulane University (JD) |
Heather McTeer Toney is an American leader who works in politics and helps protect our environment. She is also a lawyer. In 2014, President Barack Obama chose her to be a leader for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the Southeast. Before that, from 2004 to 2011, she was the mayor of Greenville, Mississippi. She was the first woman and the first African American person to be mayor there.
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Early Life and Education
Heather McTeer Toney was born and grew up in Greenville, Mississippi. Her father, Victor McTeer, was a lawyer who worked for civil rights. Her mother, Mercidees "Dee Dee" McTeer, was a public school teacher.
Victor McTeer was one of the first African Americans to attend Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College). After becoming a lawyer in 1972, he returned to Mississippi to practice law.
After high school, Heather went to Spelman College. She studied sociology and earned a bachelor's degree. She also joined the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.
Later, she attended Tulane University Law School. There, she earned her law degree, which is called a Juris Doctor.
Her Career Journey
Before becoming a politician, Heather McTeer Toney worked as a lawyer. She mainly helped people with cases about unfair treatment at work and medical mistakes.
Mayor of Greenville
In 2004, Heather McTeer Toney made history in Greenville. She became the first woman, the first African American, and the youngest person to serve as mayor. She won the election by a large number of votes.
Greenville is in an area called the Mississippi Delta. Many people there live in poverty. As mayor, Heather helped the city solve its money problems. She also focused on protecting the local water supply. She was once the president of the National Conference of Black Mayors.
She decided not to run for mayor again in 2011. Instead, she ran for a seat in the U.S. Congress. Chuck Jordan became the new mayor after her.
Working with the EPA
In 2009, the head of the EPA, Lisa P. Jackson, asked Heather Toney to lead a special committee. This committee advised the EPA on local government issues. Jackson was impressed by Heather's work to stop water pollution in Greenville.
In 2014, President Obama chose Heather to be a Regional Administrator for the EPA. She was in charge of Region 4, which includes eight states: Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. This region also includes six Native American tribal nations.
Fighting for Environmental Justice
After leaving the EPA in 2017, Heather McTeer Toney started working on something called environmental justice. This means making sure that everyone, no matter their background, has a right to a clean and healthy environment.
She is now a national leader for Moms Clean Air Force. This group works to fight air pollution. In 2019, she wrote an article for The New York Times. In it, she explained that fighting climate change and protecting the environment is also about fairness for all people. She believes that the main environmental groups sometimes don't pay enough attention to the concerns of communities of color.
Personal Life
Heather McTeer Toney is married to Dexter Toney. They have three children together.
