By Brooke Justus, Public Affairs Liaison
On Jan. 3, 2020, Kevin Bromberg, longtime assistant chief counsel for environmental policy, retired from the Office of Advocacy. Bromberg began his career with Advocacy in 1979 under Milton Stewart, the first chief counsel for Advocacy. Throughout his tenure, Kevin reviewed federal regulations and legislation on environmental issues on behalf of small business. He was involved in the drafting of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement and Fairness (SBREFA) Act of 1996, which strengthened Advocacy’s role as an independent voice for small business in the federal government. SBREFA amended the RFA, which requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to convene a small business advocacy review (SBAR) panel for most proposed rules unless the agency can certify that the rule will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. Bromberg was instrumental in developing the procedures for implementation of EPA panels under SBREFA and has represented Advocacy in over 30 SBREFA panels. He has also authored three petitions for regulatory relief to EPA, all of which were granted by the agency.
Bromberg left Advocacy for a brief period in the early 1990s to represent small business trade associations in regulatory matters dealing with the EPA, serving as counsel for the Small Business Coalition for a Responsible Toxic Release Inventory and as executive director of the Industry Coalition for a Workable Clean Air Program. In a variety of different positions, Bromberg dedicated his professional life to establishing responsible environmental policy for small business.
He reflected on his career with Advocacy stating, “I started in Advocacy under the first chief counsel, Milton Stewart in late 1979, and worked under all seven Advocacy chief counsels throughout my 40-year career with the office. I have seen the office grow in ability and importance through Republican and Democratic administrations and expect Advocacy to continue to prosper.”
Bromberg’s work over the past four decades is sincerely appreciated by the Office of Advocacy and the small businesses he represented. In his retirement, he plans to continue to attend Environmental Roundtables and work with Advocacy on some issues. All the best Kevin!
Brooke Justus is Advocacy’s Public Affairs Liaison. She can be reached at brooke.justus@sba.gov.