Bradley Brings Passion to Her New Role at Clean Fuels Alliance America

Liz McCune

Jun 20, 20223 min read

Updated: Jun 21, 2022

The organization’s new director of environmental science, Veronica Bradley, will provide the scientific foundation to promote policies that encourage use of biobased diesel.

For Veronica Bradley, her environmental work is more than just a job—it’s personal.

“I know that the lake I grew up on in Michigan isn’t the same lake today,” she says. “There’s no more ice fishing because the ice doesn’t get thick enough. I think climate change is a very real thing, and that’s where I see the urgency of the immediate solution in clean fuels.”

As the new director of environmental science for Clean Fuels Alliance America, formerly the National Biodiesel Board, Bradley is uniting her scientific background, legal experience and passion for preserving the environment.

“I have an undergraduate degree that focused on environmental studies, so I learned all of the nature-based sciences that gave me a foundation to understand our issues and the science behind the solutions to our environmental issues,” she says.

Bradley stepped into her new position at Clean Fuels on May 2, and she works out of the Washington, D.C., office.

“We are thrilled to have Veronica join our team,” says Donnell Rehagen, Clean Fuels CEO. “Her expertise in environmental advocacy and passion for her work make Veronica a perfect fit for Clean Fuels Alliance America and a valuable asset for our industry.”

Bradley says she has always had a deep connection with nature and a great interest in protecting it for future generations, including her two young children.

“I have an almost four-year-old and four-month-old, and I want them to be able to see the world as I’ve been able to see it,” she says. “There’s a genuine sense of ‘pack-in, pack-out’ if you’re a hiker—leave the place as good as you found it, if not better.”

As director of environmental science, Bradley will provide the scientific foundation to promote policies that encourage the use of biodiesel, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel.

“One of the things I’ve always been interested in, and I think one of the things that aligns with Clean Fuels, is working in the space of reducing our environmental impact without compromising our quality of life,” she says.

Bradley says this work intrigues her because, while most people want to have a positive impact on the environment, not everyone can make major life changes.

“They have so many other priorities that compete with thinking about what’s the most environmentally beneficial option, and working in the clean-fuels space, you don’t have to change anything,” she says. “You just get the different fuel, and you can carry on with your life. You’re making a better choice. I really like that space of maintaining America’s quality of life while reducing the environmental impact that we have.”

At Clean Fuels, she will develop policy positions and work with program offices to promote the environmental benefits of these fuels. She says that some states have had great success in promoting and incentivizing the use of clean fuels, and these programs can be rolled out across the country to help states and local governments meet their climate commitments.

“As states look to figure out how to reduce their emissions, how to fulfill the commitments that they’ve made, they need these policies because they need the cleaner fuels, the better fuels, to be used in their state,” she says.

Bradley’s Midwestern perspective helps her express the significance of farmers to policymakers in Washington, D.C., and across the country.

“I think that people who live in cities, in particular, are disconnected from their food and the land in some ways,” she says. “The farmers’ importance to support urban life can’t be underscored enough.”

Bradley’s previous experience includes working with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and American Wind Energy Association. Most recently, she served as the director of environmental affairs at Airlines for America, where she worked in environmental advocacy on climate issues, corporate sustainability disclosure and more.

She received her bachelor of arts degree with distinction from the University of Michigan in 2007. She earned her juris doctor magna cum laude from American University Washington College of Law in 2014. She lives in Arlington, Virginia, with her husband and two children.