Jonathan Nwagbaraocha
Jonathan Nwagbaraocha
Jonathan Nwagbaraocha is an environmental lawyer, focusing on sustainability, environment, and compliance. He works for Xerox as a Compliance Leader and Counsel of Environment, Health, Safety, and Sustainability. and Sustainability.
Nwagbaraocha, J. GLOBAL POLLUTANT REPORTING: COMPLEXITY AND COMPLIANCE IMPLICATIONS FOR MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS. Edited by, 207.
Patel, U., Grace, A., Nwagbaraocha, J., & Steinzor, R. 2005. Keeping Pace II: Cleaning Up Maryland’s Air Prepared for Senator Brian Frosh.
Nwagbaraocha, J. 2016.. 25th Fall Conference: Invitation to Learn, Dialogue, and Network. Trends, 48, 21.
Nwagbaraocha, J. O. 2019. Evolution of an Educator: From Nigerian Student to American College Administrator. FriesenPress.
Jonathan Nwagbaraocha grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, where he graduated from Calvert Hall College High School in 1998. Nwagbaraocha began to care about the environment at a young age. Exposure to media such as Captain Planet “sparked an interest in understanding how I could protect the environment” (Nwagbaraocha, 2024). In middle school, Nwagbaraocha joined several environmental and green groups.
Nwagbaraocha then attended Duke University, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Policy and Science in 2002. In college, he began exploring potential environmental and environmental justice careers. Immediately after his undergraduate career, Nwagbaraocha began a joint law and public policy grad program. He received his J.D. and Environmental Law Certificate from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law in 2005 and a Master of Public Policy in Environmental Policy from the University of Maryland School of Public Policy in 2006. A highlight of law school for Nwagbaraocha was participating in an environmental law clinic, where he worked on various projects, allowing him to collaborate and engage stakeholders.
After completing his graduate degrees in 2006, Nwagbaraocha began working as a Law Clerk for Judge Vicki Ballou-Watts. He supported research and opinions on civil and criminal cases in this role. In 2007, he became a Family Advocate Attorney with the Green & Healthy Homes initiative, exploring his passion for the environment. He worked in Baltimore City Court to advocate that landlords perform adequate lead testing and abatement. He also worked on legislation to improve lead poisoning prevention.
In 2009, Nwagbaraocha became Program Manager of Monitory Services and EHS Regulatory Consultant for Enhesa, Inc. He managed the international distribution of environmental, health, and safety regulatory developments. He also researched environmental, health, and safety laws and conducted compliance audits.
From 2014 to 2018, Nwagbaraocha was the Environmental Affairs manager for Xerox. He worked on environmental health and safety developments and implemented sustainability measures for the company’s operations. Since 2017, he has served as the Compliance Leader for Xerox, ensuring the company follows laws and internal policies. In 2018, he became Counsel- Environment, Health, Safety & Sustainability, providing legal advice on supply chain and enterprise governance operations.
When the COVID pandemic began, Nwagbaraocha began to work at Xerox Healthcare LLC as Lead Regulatory Counsel to help navigate applicable law related to the manufacture of ventilators, masks, and hand sanitizer through explaining regulatory requirements and compliance strategies. When asked about this work, Nwagbaraocha states, “It was really meaningful to play a role in producing critical products at that time.” In 2021, Nwagbaraocha became Chief Compliance Officer for Xerox Healthcare, LLC. He ensured Xerox Healthcare’s adherence to standards of conduct by creating educational programs, report mechanisms, and related corrective procedures.
Nwagbaraocha consistently gives back to his community and supports students of all ages. Since 2016, he has been a Pillars of Hope Team Member in Rochester, working with elementary and middle school students to share career paths, provide guidance, and support their education. From 2016 to 2018, he was President of the Rochester Chapter of YP NeXus.
Nwagbaoach is active in the American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources. He has held several vice chair positions, Membership and Diversity Officer, and since 2013 as Chair-Elect.
When Nwagbaraocha was in his undergraduate career at Duke University, he received mentorship from Marie Lynn Miranda and in law school from Rena Steinzor and Robert Percival. Since law school, an important mentor to Nwagbaraocha is Ben Wilson.
Nwagbaraocha, for the past three years, has been participating in the American Bar Association’s Section on Environment, Energy, and Resource (SEER) Bridge program. This program pairs 2L/3L law students with an environmental policy practitioner. Nwagbaraocha states, “This has given me an opportunity to learn from law students and share my experiences” (2024).
Wary of sounding like a fortune cookie, Nwagbaraocha shares, “Your career is a marathon, not a sprint. Along the way, make genuine connections with the people you meet and, as you consider opportunities that may be presented to you, think about how those opportunities align with your areas of interest.”
Jonathan Nwagbaraocha. (2024). Linkedin.com. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jnwagbaraocha/details/experience/
Jonathan Nwagbaraocha. (2023). Celesq.com. https://www.celesq.com/presenter/jonathan-nwagbaraocha
Survey and interviews conducted by Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Sustainability Initiative staff. 2022-2023. Yale University-School of the Environment. New Haven, Connecticut.
LinkedIn, 2024