Cathy Stepp

{{Infobox officeholder

|honorific-prefix =

|name = Cathy Stepp

|honorific-suffix =

|image =

|alt =

|order = 8th

|title = Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

|governor = Scott Walker

| term_start = January 3, 2011

| term_end = August 31, 2017

| predecessor = Matthew J. Frank

| successor = Dan Meyer

|state_senate1 = Wisconsin

|district1 = 21st

| term_start1 = January 6, 2003

| term_end1 = January 3, 2007

| predecessor1 = Kimberly Plache

| successor1 = John Lehman

|party = Republican

|birth_name = Catherine L. O'Donnell

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1963|8|17}}

|birth_place = Kenosha, Wisconsin, U.S.

|residence = Branson, Missouri

|spouse = Paul Stepp

|children = 2

}}

Catherine L. "Cathy" Stepp ({{nee}} O'Donnell; born August 17, 1963) is an American government administrator and former Republican politician. She is the city administrator of Branson, Missouri, and previously served as regional administrator (midwest) of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under President Donald Trump. Earlier, she was secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in the cabinet of governor Scott Walker, and served four years in the Wisconsin State Senate, representing Racine County.

Biography

Stepp was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and graduated from Oak Creek High School in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, in 1981.{{Cite report|url= https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/lrb/blue_book/2005_2006 |title=State of Wisconsin 2005–2006 Blue Book |publisher= Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau |year= 2005 |editor-first1= Lawrence S. |editor-last1= Barish |editor-first2= Lynn |editor-last2= Lemanski |isbn= 0-9752820-1-8 |chapter-url= https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/lrb/blue_book/2005_2006/200_biographies.pdf |chapter= Biographies |page= 60 |accessdate= March 7, 2023 }} After marrying, she joined the homebuilding firm of her husband, known as First Stepp Builders, in Racine, Wisconsin, and became co-owner of the company. Through the business community, she rose in prominence in local affairs, and in 2000 she was appointed by Governor Tommy Thompson to the state's Natural Resources Board, which oversees the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120435857/stepp-dnr/ |title= Local voice for the outdoors |newspaper= Racine Journal Times |date= May 19, 2000 |page= 21 |accessdate= March 8, 2023 |via= Newspapers.com }}

In 2002, Stepp successfully challenged Democratic Senator Kimberly Plache for Plache's Racine County-based State Senate seat. From 2003 until 2007, Stepp served as a Republican in the Wisconsin State Senate, representing the 21st Senate district.[http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/dictionary/index.asp?action=view&term_id=1803&search&term=stepp Wisconsin Historical Society, Cathy Stepp] Stepp was only the second Republican to win an election in the Racine County Senate district in the previous 50 years. She announced in 2005 that she would not run for re-election in 2006, saying she wanted to devote more time to her family.{{cite news|url= https://journaltimes.com/news/article_1b1e1b12-2c29-5ca6-8a31-433c98a4bfbb.html |title= Stepp won't seek re-election |newspaper= Racine Journal Times |date= October 4, 2005 |first= Robert |last= Gutsche Jr. |accessdate= March 7, 2023 }} She was succeeded by Democrat John Lehman.{{cite report|url= https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/lrb/blue_book/2007_2008 |title= State of Wisconsin 2007–2008 Blue Book |publisher= Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau |year= 2007 |editor-first1= Lawrence S. |editor-last1= Barish |editor-first2= Lynn |editor-last2= Lemanski |isbn= 978-0-9752820-2-1 |chapter= Biographies |page= [https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/lrb/blue_book/2007_2008/231_sd_21.pdf 60] |accessdate= March 7, 2023 }}

In January 2011, Governor Scott Walker appointed Stepp to be his Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR).[http://www.wqow.com/Global/story.asp?S=13795482 DNR Secretary] During her tenure, Stepp rolled back environmental oversight and regulation.{{Cite news|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-trump-midwest-epa-director-20171219-story.html|title=Trump EPA pick for Chicago office cut enforcement, scrapped climate change information in Wisconsin|last=Hawthorne|first=Michael|work=chicagotribune.com|access-date=2017-12-31|language=en-US}}

In August 2017, it was announced that Stepp would be resigning to become a deputy administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.{{cite news|last1=Bauer|first1=Scott|title=Wisconsin DNR secretary Cathy Stepp leaving agency for EPA job|url=http://www.twincities.com/2017/08/29/wisconsin-dnr-secretary-cathy-stepp-leaving-agency-for-epa-job/|accessdate=2017-09-19 |agency= Associated Press |publisher= TwinCities.com |date= 29 August 2017}} Stepp supported Trump at rallies in Wisconsin, and has questioned the existence of climate change.{{Cite news |url= http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/secretary-cathy-stepp-leaving-dnr-to-join-donald-trump-s/article_c7c96c9f-f6cd-594e-a57d-6c424882df5a.html |title= Secretary Cathy Stepp leaving DNR to join Donald Trump's EPA |last= Verburg |first= Steven |work= Wisconsin State Journal |accessdate=2018-01-24}}

Stepp resigned from the EPA in January 2020, and moved to Missouri, where she worked for a clean water non-profit and an ecological restoration company. She was hired as city administrator of Branson, Missouri, in 2022.{{cite news|url= https://www.bransontrilakesnews.com/news/local/article_bb141c8e-4353-11ed-8c62-4f02ae80254d.html |title= Cathy Stepp hired as Branson City Administrator |first= Jason |last= Wert |date= October 3, 2022 |newspaper= Branson Tri-Lakes News |accessdate= December 31, 2022 }}

Electoral history

=Wisconsin Senate (2002)=

{{Election box begin | title= Wisconsin Senate, 21st District Election, 2002}}

| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| Republican Primary, September 10, 2002{{cite report|url= https://whs.access.preservica.com/uncategorized/IO_ea07ee50-974a-4449-9b09-53ddcd9d2671/ |title= Results of Fall Primary Election - 09/10/2002 |page= 19 |date= September 24, 2002 |accessdate= December 31, 2022 |publisher= Wisconsin State Elections Board |via= Wisconsin Historical Society }}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Republican Party (US)

|candidate = Cathy Stepp

|votes = 5,462

|percentage = 77.17%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Republican Party (US)

|candidate = John W. Knuteson

|votes = 1,613

|percentage = 22.79%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party =

|candidate = Scattering

|votes = 3

|percentage = 0.04%

|change =

}}

{{Election box plurality

|votes = 3,849

|percentage = 54.38%

|change =

}}

{{Election box total

|votes = 7,078

|percentage = 100.0%

|change =

}}

| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| General Election, November 5, 2002{{cite report|url= https://whs.access.preservica.com/uncategorized/IO_ae534b25-9fc6-4986-b261-7c785e581f09/ |title= Results of Fall General Election - 11/05/2002 |publisher= Wisconsin State Elections Board |page= 9 |date= December 2, 2002 |accessdate= December 31, 2022 |via= Wisconsin Historical Society }}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Republican Party (US)

|candidate = Cathy Stepp

|votes = 25,367

|percentage = 50.68%

|change = +6.14%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (US)

|candidate = Kimberly Plache (incumbent)

|votes = 24,594

|percentage = 49.14%