George Alexeeff
George V. Alexeeff, Ph.D., served with distinction as Director of the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment from February 2011 until shortly before his death on June 29, 2015.
Under Dr. Alexeeff’s leadership, OEHHA enhanced its national and international reputation for assessment of the health and environmental effects of hazardous substances. He was most proud of his work to mentor young scientists and inspire them to pursue careers in public service and environmental health.
“George was a devoted scientist and public servant who believed deeply in our mission to protect public health, particularly when it came to the most vulnerable populations in California,” said California Secretary for Environmental Protection Matthew Rodriquez. “Because of George’s leadership, all Californians today enjoy greater health and environmental protections, and OEHHA is well positioned to meet the challenges ahead.”
Dr. Alexeeff was 61 years old. His accomplishments as Director of OEHHA included development of CalEnviroScreen, the nation’s first comprehensive environmental health screening tool, which can be used to help identify California communities that are disproportionately burdened by multiple sources of pollution and most vulnerable to their effects. He also led OEHHA’s efforts to revitalize the CalEPA Children’s Environmental Health Program, adopt the nation’s first public health goal for hexavalent chromium in drinking water, and propose significant reforms to the Proposition 65 warning process.
“George was a unique and extraordinarily talented individual, and a dynamic leader throughout his long tenure at OEHHA,” said OEHHA’s Acting Director, Lauren Zeise. “We will miss him greatly and draw inspiration from him as we continue our work to protect public health and the environment.”
A native of San Francisco and longtime resident of Walnut Creek, Dr. Alexeeff earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Swarthmore College and a Ph.D. in pharmacology and toxicology at UC Davis.
He began his career in state service in 1986 at OEHHA’s predecessor entity in the California Department of Health Services and had worked at OEHHA since its inception in 1991. Dr. Alexeeff was Chief of OEHHA’s Air Toxicology and Epidemiology Section and Deputy Director for Scientific Affairs before he was appointed by Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. as Acting Director in 2011 and Director in 2012. He served as an adjunct professor at UC Davis since 2006.
Dr. Alexeeff won numerous professional awards, including the Carl Moyer Award for Scientific Leadership and Technical Excellence from the Coalition for Clean Air and the Donald G. Crosby Alumni Award from the UC Davis Department of Environmental Toxicology. He also held leadership roles in several professional organizations, including service as President of the Northern California Chapter of the Society of Toxicology and President of the Genetic and Environmental Toxicology Association of Northern California.
In 2015, he co-edited the new book, “Toxicology and Risk Assessment,” which presents cutting-edge research data and methodology for evaluating risks from hazardous substances. He also authored or co-authored more than 70 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals and epidemiological and toxicological health evaluations for more than 100 substances.
Dr. Alexeeff is survived by his wife of almost 40 years, Jean Ackerman; his daughters Stacey and Kathy; and his brothers, Valentin and Andrei.