Mayor Bloomberg tapped trusted deputy Carter Strickland Jr. to replace Cas Holloway as the new head of the Department of Environmental Protection.

The position was vacant after Bloomberg recently appointed Holloway to replace Stephen Goldsmith as deputy mayor.

Strickland has two decades of experience in environmental policy and law. He most recently served as deputy commissioner for sustainability.

James Gennaro, chairman of the City Council’s Committee on Environmental Protection, lauded the appointment, saying Strickland is a “nationally known and universally respected” leader in the environmental field.