McCament continues history of service to OHIO with membership on Voinovich School Advisory Board

Benny McCament parlayed a Master of Science in Environmental Studies (MSES) degree from Ohio University into a successful career with the state and now a leadership role with a key federal advocacy group on mining issues.

Over that two-decade span, he has kept close ties with the George V. Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service – a connection that continues to this day with his service on the school’s advisory board.

Over the last couple of years as an advisor, McCament, who recently accepted a job as executive director of the Interstate Mining Compact Commission (IMCC), has brought to the table valuable input based on his extensive experience in the environmental field.

“Being an MSES grad and working at the Voinovich School and having that environmental background – the Voinovich School has always been interested in water quality in the region – my goal is to bring that perspective to the board so that particular area is represented in discussions about the future of the school and what direction they want to go,” he said.

McCament, who holds a bachelor’s degree in biology/biological sciences from the University of Findlay, earned his MSES from OHIO in 2004. During his time in the program, he worked part time with the Sunday Creek Watershed Group and completed a study for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), where he would eventually find a longtime career.

The connection between his MSES work and that state service with the agency’s Division of Mineral Resources Management, he said, “was about as direct as you can get.”

“As part of my master’s thesis I did a study on abandoned underground mine geochemistry and hydrology, which was something important to the Division at the time. In fact, they provided the funding for the research,” he said.

Work experience at OHIO led to different positions in his career

That work experience paid off with a job at the Voinovich School after he graduated as the Racoon Creek Watershed coordinator, and he would remain with the school for five years before being offered a job as an environmental specialist with ODNR.

Fast forward a few years and McCament had reached the top in the ODNR Division when appointed as chief by Gov. Mike DeWine in 2022.

During his career, McCament has maintained his OHIO connections. In 2024, for example, he spoke at the Homecoming celebration of Environmental Studies’ 50th Anniversary.

When the IMCC came calling with a job offer – he began his new post on Aug. 1 – McCament said it was an opportunity he couldn’t turn down.

“Serving as chief of the Division of Mineral Resources Management at the ODNR over the past four years has been the most rewarding, and challenging, position in my career. I appreciate all the dedicated staff, partners, and industry representatives I've been able to work with as chief and throughout my career,” he stated at the time.

“Being selected to lead IMCC is truly an honor. A compact that represents 26 states on mining policy and implementation at the national level is truly an amazing career opportunity and one I couldn't pass up,” McCament said.

McCament, who previously served as DeWine’s designee on the compact, said his new job will entail advocating for the member states on issues before the federal government, which sets mining rules that states implement.

“You’re speaking on behalf of those 26 member states when you’re interacting with the federal agencies or Congress. It’s a lot of educational information,” he said.

Staying involved with OHIO and the Voinovich School

McCament said he’s looking forward to continuing to provide input and support student involvement as a member of the Voinovich School Advisory Board, the members of which come from a broad spectrum of backgrounds given the school’s numerous involvements and partnerships.

“In the meetings I’ve attended there’s a lot of discussion about what’s working at the school – how programs are functioning,” he said. “From my perspective, the outreach and the work that they’ve done in the environmental field, water quality and mining reclamation has been one of the longest-running programs and it’s been very beneficial for them in developing students through the MSES program.”

“So I think there are more discussions to be had about what makes sense to increase enrollment and provide students with more opportunities and hands-on experience, which is the mission of the Voinovich School,” McCament said.

Outside of his professional work, McCament said he enjoys traveling, playing golf and spending time with his family and dogs.