Steve Campbell

Steve Campbell dedicated his career to brownfields revitalization and serving communities. He had intense passion for supporting underserved communities in New York and beyond. Sadly Steve was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer in November 2024, just after he finished preparing six FY2025 EPA Brownfield Grant applications for communities throughout the east. He passed away on January 31, 2025 after a brief but hard-fought battle with cancer.

Steve grew up in Bradford, NY and graduated from Corning Community College before going to the State University of Brockport. He graduated with a degree in science and later went on to work at the EPA where he learned every word of the code of federal regulations (CFR) handbook. He always said the 18-year-old version of himself would kick his butt for being such a dork, but that experience led to decades of helping clients and communities navigate their environmental challenges.

Steve’s career took him on many journeys, including as an adjunct professor at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), where he discovered many brilliant students who went on to become talented environmental professionals. Teaching was one of Steve’s greatest gifts, and he had immense pride for his RIT students, mentees, and the students he taught through the City of Rochester’s Environmental Job (REJob) Training Program.

In the later stages of his career, he became a very successful grant writer and esteemed project manager for implementing EPA Brownfield Grants. This was one of his greatest professional accomplishments. He loved the opportunity to help revitalize communities and bring hope to towns, villages, and counties. It was more than work for Steve. His sincere investment in the success of his clients also created lifelong friendships. Steve’s legacy in brownfields will be carried forward by his colleagues and his wife, Christine Brennan-Campbell, who are continuing his great work.