EDWIN C. KISIEL
Laguna Beach, California |
City of Laguna Beach
505 Forest Ave.
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Dear City Council:
Nearly 15 years ago, I was a law school graduate in the right place at the right time who landed an incredible opportunity – to use my abilities to serve my country as an attorney in the Air Force. My calling has been formidable: interpret environmental laws and regulations, work alongside with environmental scientists to ensure environmental protection and sustainability efforts while accomplishing the mission, and reviewing facts, evidence, and law to make decisions for military personnel actions and financial claims. I count myself extremely lucky that circumstances blessed me to make a home in this beautiful city we call Laguna Beach. I would love to bring the strengths I’ve honed over my career to serve on the View Restoration or Environmental Sustainability Committee.
What, specifically, can I bring to the City of Laguna Beach in a committee assignment? Civic & community involvement: Public service has been my professional calling over the course of my career, both as an active duty & reserve Air Force attorney as well as in civil service for the Department of Defense. I have provided pro bono legal services to the community for environmental law & land use matters and arbitrate investor claims for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. I have been recognized for award by one of my bar association’s Pro Bono Honor Society. I also volunteer my time to support local artists at the Sawdust Art Festival. Finally, I have served as a member of the Personnel Board for the City of Laguna Beach from June 2023 – June 2025.
Interest in committee service: My interest in committee service stems from my calling to support and give back to my community. My specific interest in serving on the View Restoration Committee is that I have deep experience and gain fulfillment from hearing and making decisions on cases. I am also impressed by Laguna Beach’s approach to view preservation and restoration, which I evaluated in my 2020 law journal article, The War on Trees: How to Diffuse Neighborly Feuds over View Rights. My specific interest in serving on the Environmental Sustainability Committee comes from my extensive experience in handling environmental law matters, drafting major policy recommendations, and engagement with environmental scientists to synthesize their expertise and viewpoints with my own.
Relevant experience: As an Air Force and Department of Defense attorney, I have nearly 15 years of experience in conducting research, engaging with subject matter experts, and preparing recommendations for action and policy across all environmental facets, both terrestrially and in Earth orbit. I have published many peer-reviewed articles in environmental law, including comparative evaluation of Laguna Beach’s view rights process, options to ensure environmental protection of surfing resources, and how to achieve both environmental sustainability and mission accomplishment. During my career, I have been called upon for dozens of cases to sit as an arbitrator or hearing officer, to hear the facts and evidence presented by parties, and make a decision based on legal and regulatory criteria. This experience would serve well on any committee assignment. During my residency in Laguna Beach, I also have built strong professional relationships with City employees in the Community Development and Legal departments.
Thank you very much for your time and consideration of my application for service on the View Restoration or Environmental Sustainability Committee.
Kind regards,
Edwin C. Kisiel, Esq.
Attachment 1
2 3
EDWIN C. KISIEL
Laguna Beach, California |
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Defense Contract Management Agency Carson, CA
Trial Attorney June 2024 – Current
• Litigate 14+ government claims against major defense contractors under Federal Acquisition Regulation and Cost Accounting Standards, ensuring government contractors accountable on price & performance • Collaborate with Cost & Pricing Center for $130 million cost accounting dispute for unallowable financing costs claimed by major contractor for nuclear ballistic missile recapitalization • Advise regional counsel on for regulatory requirements for manufacturing facility carbon emissions offsets and litigation posture for associated major contractor-claimed expenditures U.S. Air Force, Air Force Global Strike Command Great Falls, MT Civil & Environmental Law Attorney (Part-Time Reserve) July 2024 – Current • Provide National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, and National Historic Preservation Act oversight for nuclear ballistic missile recapitalization projects, ensuring 100% regulatory compliance • Partner with natural resources, cultural resources, and environmental science exports to ensure compliance with federal & state environmental requirements and coordination with government contract solicitation and source selection to maintain contractor accountability Carney Mehr Law Newport Beach, CA
Land Use Attorney (Hiring Our Heroes Fellow) March 2024 – June 2024 • Advise 5 developers through California Environmental Quality Act, ministerial and discretionary planning entitlement, and permitting for residential and commercial projects in Laguna Beach • Represented employee whistleblower and partnered with environmental organization to enforce consent decree under Clean Water Act against concentrated animal feeding operation in San Juan Capistrano, protecting Doheny State Beach surfing resource
U.S. Space Force, Space Systems Command El Segundo, CA
Chief, Military Justice and Chief, Space & Operational Law July 2022 – July 2024 • Provide National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, National Historic Preservation Act, and Coastal Zone Management Act recommendations for 20 space launch and infrastructure projects in California, ensuring 100% compliance with no litigation risk • Partner with Coastal Commission, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and stakeholders to resolve federal and commercial spaceport land use issues in the coastal zone, deconflict beach closure requirements under SpaceX commercial launch agreement and creating new National Marine Sanctuary • Negotiate contract documents and software license for six multi-million dollar engineering and technical services contracts, enabling critical cybersecurity enhancements across all operating locations U.S. Air Force, Air Force Global Strike Command Rapid City, SD Deputy Staff Judge Advocate July 2021 – July 2022
• Managed office operations for staff of 15; mentored five attorneys on litigation strategy for discovery, motions, expert witnesses, and trial advocacy for nine federal criminal trials, ensuring felony convictions • Ensured compliance with National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, Clean Air Act, and Clean Water Act for $80 billion aircraft procurement and construction program, mitigating environmental impacts on neighboring housing development with no lawsuits or environmental violations 4 2
U.S. Air Force, Environmental Law & Litigation Directorate San Antonio, TX Deputy Branch Chief, Mission Sustainment & Planning August 2018 – July 2021 • Led a team of six attorneys providing environmental law advice to 100 military bases worldwide • Integrated with government contract and civil engineer teams to advise on 150 major federal construction projects for compliance under California Environmental Quality Act, Coastal Zone Management Act, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, to ensure multi-billion dollar aircraft procurement and space programs are completed with zero litigation risk • Negotiated agreement with California Office of Historic Preservation and two tribal governments for 4,000 acre lease to developer for solar energy, ensuring agreement terms honored throughout construction • Deconflicted land use compatibility under federal and California laws and regulations with wind energy developers to mitigate radar impacts for aircraft and spacecraft safety, ensuring zero in-flight accidents U.S. Air Force, Civil Law & Litigation Directorate El Segundo, CA Litigation Attorney; 40+ hours/week July 2016 – August 2018 • Conducted depositions, managed discovery, filed evidentiary and summary judgment motions, and litigated in court in 50 Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Merit Systems Protection Board, federal court, and California Unemployment Commission with no adverse judgments or money damages • Defended management in mediation and settlement in employment discrimination, wrongful termination, and union negotiated grievance procedure claims, saving agency funds with no monetary settlements • Managed procurement advice on source selection, solicitation, award, and bid protest for overseas security services and equipment procurement to ensure compliance with Federal Acquisition Regulations
EDUCATION
The George Washington University Law School Washington, DC LL.M., with highest honors, in Environmental Law May 2019 Liberty University School of Law Lynchburg, VA
J.D., magna cum laude May 2011
Liberty University Lynchburg, VA
B.S., summa cum laude, in Government May 2008
PUBLICATIONS
Optimizing Strategic Competition in the Climate Change Era, J. Envt’l L. & Litigation (forthcoming) Second Place, 2024 National Security Law Writing Competition Indemnification for Commercial Space Services Vendors, ABA Public Contract L.J. (2024) First Place, 2023 National Security Law Writing Competition Strategic Competition Implications for Commercial Space Operators, Denver J. Int’l L. & Pol’y (2023) First Place, 2022 National Security Law Writing Competition Environmental Law and Strategic Competition: Help or Hindrance?, Nat’l Security L.J. (2022) Surfing on Base, Air Force L. Rev. (2022)
Law as an Instrument to Solve the Orbital Debris Problem, Envt’l L. Rev. (2021) First Place, 2020 National Security Law Writing Competition A Southern California Surfer’s Perspective on Marine Spatial Planning, Villanova Envt’l L.J. (2020) The War on Trees: How to Diffuse Neighborly Feuds over View Rights, J. Envt’l L. & Lit. (2020) Solar Panels in Condominium Communities, LSU J. Energy L. & Resources (2020) Using Indirect Regulation to Reduce Environmental Harm from Farming, Envt’l L. Reporter (2019) 5 3
BAR ADMISSION, PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS, AND APPOINTMENTS Personnel Board Member, City of Laguna Beach June 2023 – June 2025 State Bar of California # 337449 June 2021
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Public Arbitrator # A63399 January 2019 Top Secret/SCI Security Clearance August 2013
District of Columbia Bar # 1009045 August 2012
North Carolina State Bar # 42976 August 2011
INTERESTS
Surfing, skiing, golf, travel, beer brewing, backpacking (completed the John Muir Trail in summer 2018) 6