Shane E. Khoury was appointed by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders to serve as the cabinet secretary of the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment.
Secretary Khoury is responsible for the oversight and direction of the Department of Energy and Environment, which includes the Oil & Gas Commission, Office of the State Geologist, Liquefied Petroleum Gas Board, Division of Environmental Quality, and Pollution Control and Ecology Commission.
Prior to his appointment, Secretary Khoury served as chief counsel for the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment. As chief counsel, Secretary Khoury handled legal and policy matters and managed legislative affairs. He has served in Arkansas state government almost 20 years, much of that time with the Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission.
Secretary Khoury has been an active member of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC), serving as the governor’s associate representative and on the IOGCC Steering Committee. He also serves as a governor’s alternate member on the Southern States Energy Board. Secretary Khoury has participated as a member of the National Council for Electricity Policy and as a chair of the Arkansas State Employee Grievance Appeal Panel/Arkansas State Employee Grievance Review Committee.
He previously served as a policy advisor for regulatory affairs to Governor Mike Huckabee and he has experience in private practice.
After graduating high school in Jonesboro, Secretary Khoury received his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Arkansas State University and his juris doctorate from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law.
He and his wife, Kimberly, have two children, Elijah and Hope. They are active in their church and also enjoy going to the lake, playing sports, and spending time with family and friends.
Kesia Morrison leads the Office of Chief Counsel (OCC), which includes the Legal Division and Legislative Affairs. As Chief Legal Counsel, Morrison oversees all legal and policy matters for E&E; supervises all attorneys, administrative law judges, and support staff within the OCC; manages legislative affairs for E&E; and serves as a liaison to the Office of the Governor for E&E.
The Office of Operations, led by Lauren Ballard, is comprised of Administrative Services (including records, fiscal, compliance, fleet, and facilities), Communications, Human Resources, and Information Technology.
If you are reporting a spill, leak, geohazard event, release of petroleum products, hazardous materials, or gases that requires an immediate emergency response, please call the:
Arkansas Division of Emergency Management
800-322-4012
Then contact the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment:
E&E Emergency Management
501-682-0716
If after hours, please leave a message. Your call will be returned.