To say that the man named to lead the state’s beleaguered Department of Environmental Protection has an all-American political resume would be no exaggeration.

David Littell, who has been nominated to replace Dawn Gallagher who resigned amid controversy, graduated from Princeton and Harvard Law School, served in the Navy Reserve and has more than a decade of experience in environmental law. In 2003, he became DEP’s deputy commissioner.

He’s likely to need every day’s worth of experience to navigate the tricky waters of the Androscoggin River, the Legislature’s Natural Resources Committee, a dispirited state agency, influential industries and a highly organized environmental community.

When talking to the Sun Journal for a profile in today’s paper, Littell sounded a theme of science-guided environmental policy. That’s a great place to begin.

But notably, he also talked about restoring the credibility of DEP, which has been racked by politicization, insider deals and questionable leadership. Littell has been forthcoming in discussing the agency’s troubles, an important step in addressing the problems and moving forward.

Littell has been described to us by one insider as a lawyer’s lawyer and a good manager, someone whom the staff really respects. The job he faces will be tough. Morale is in the gutter, and he’ll have to move quickly to repair the damage that’s already been done.

To be successful, he’ll need to live up to the high praise he’s received.

An organization’s conduct is often determined by the tone of its leadership. So far, Littell has set a tone that could help DEP to heal and to focus on its core responsibility: protecting the state’s environment.

Credibility, integrity, good science – that’s what we expect from the DEP. Littell says the right things; the state needs him to deliver.