• Member-at-Large, RGGI, Inc. Board of Directors
• Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

Shawn LaTourette was sworn in as Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) on June 14, 2021.

Throughout a career shaping law and policy, Shawn has served in executive roles and as a trusted advisor of c-suite leaders—advising governments, Fortune 500 corporations and significant investors, as well as community and non-profit organizations, across a variety of projects and policy issues, in addition to litigating high-stakes lawsuits in the environmental, energy and infrastructure space.

Regarded as a consensus builder adept at achieving balance among competing priorities, Shawn’s diverse background—in protecting vulnerable communities, facilitating the development of infrastructure and public works, managing business risk, promoting conservationist policies, and advocating for equity—has made him a leading force in policy, program and project development, especially those at the complex juncture of economic development, energy, and environmental protection.

A leader in his community and advocate for equality, Shawn was elected to serve as Chair of the New Jersey State Bar Association's LGBTQ Rights Section, completing his term in 2020, and remaining a member of its Executive Board while also supporting other LGBTQ+ organizations and causes. Shawn became an attorney after a decade in management, paralegal, and community organizing roles often involving environmental issues, starting his career in environmental protection by helping victims of toxic exposure and communities impacted by contaminated drinking water to organize and protect their rights to a clean environment. An avid hiker, doting dad to twin girls, and devoted mentor, Shawn is a life-long New Jerseyan and dual graduate of Rutgers University and Law School, where he graduated summa cum laude and earned commendations for his scholarly writings on environmental, climate, and energy issues.