John A. Hughes

John A. Hughes was confirmed as Delaware’s eighth Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) on October 10, 2002. 

Prior to his appointment as DNREC Secretary, Hughes served for nearly two decades as Director of DNREC’s Division of Soil & Water Conservation. As Director, he worked closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the design and construction of the Sand Bypass Facility at the Indian River Inlet, which attracted national and international attention for its innovation, simplicity and effectiveness.

Before becoming Division Director, Hughes managed the state’s dredging program for 12 years. He owned his own dredging company before coming to work for the state in 1970. Hughes also worked as a zookeeper at the National Zoo in Washington, DC. He received a B.A. in English from Georgetown University in 1963.

A Rehoboth native, Hughes has also served as a Commissioner and then three-term Mayor of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware’s largest coastal resort community.