In October 2001, President Bush appointed Jimm Palmer Regional Administrator for Region 4 of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, which covers Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida.

A Mississippi native, Jimmy holds a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from Mississippi State University and a Juris Doctorate degree, with honors, from the University of Mississippi.

He is a Registered Professional Engineer and Licensed Attorney in Mississippi.

Jimmy served for more than 25 years in several capacities in the environmental field with the State of Mississippi, including the Attorney General's Office, the Governor's Office, and, for more than 12 years, under three successive Governors, as Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. He then re-entered private law practice before being appointed EPA Regional Administrator.