Sarah Bittleman has been named EPA’s new senior agricultural counselor following the resignation of Larry Elworth, effective Feb. 25.

She will be leaving USDA where she served as senior adviser to the Secretary for Energy and Environmental Issues. Bittleman previously worked for the Dept. of the Interior, the Senate and the House on a range of policy and strategic development issues involving agriculture, energy, natural resources and climate change. She holds a master of public administration from East Carolina U., a Juris Doctorate from Tulane U. Law School, and a BA in political science from Union College in New York.

Meanwhile, Gina McCarthy, the current assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation, seems to be at the top of the candidate list to succeed Lisa Jackson as EPA administrator.

Previously, McCarthy served as the commissioner of the Connecticut Dept. of Environmental Protection. In her 25 year career, she has worked at both the state and local levels on environmental issues and helped coordinate policies on economic growth, energy, transportation, and the environment. McCarthy received a BA in social anthropology from the U. of Massachusetts at Boston and a joint master of science in environmental health engineering and planning and policy from Tufts U.