AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — The acting commissioner of Maine’s Department of Environmental Protection is being tapped to head the agency on a permanent basis.

Gov. Paul LePage announced Friday that he has nominated Pattie Aho (AH’ hoe) to the post. The Maine Senate is expected to vote on the nomination Sept. 27.

Aho has been serving as acting commissioner since June, when she replaced previous acting commissioner Jim Brooks, who left for a job at Verso Paper Corp.

LePage’s original choice to head the DEP, Darryl Brown, resigned in April amid questions about his role as head of a land management consulting firm.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.