BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Governor Jeff Landry has announced a leadership change at the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ).

Aurelia Skipwith Giacometto, who has served as secretary of the department, is stepping down to join Earth and Water Law, a law firm based in Washington, D.C.

Giacometto led the modernization of LDEQ’s operations, according to the governor’s office. This included launching a new transparency dashboard and digitizing several internal processes. Landry said she also focused on fiscal discipline, achieving a 2.5% reduction in the department’s FY 2026 budget, amounting to over $5 million in savings.

“I want to sincerely thank Aurelia for her dedicated service to our state and the Department of Environmental Quality,” said Landry. “Aurelia prioritized environmental improvements to our air, land, and water, while also keeping a focus on the jobs and businesses that often suffer from red tape and overregulation. We are grateful for her actions to improve the department and wish her the best in her next endeavor.”

Landry has appointed Courtney Burdette as the new secretary of LDEQ.

“Courtney has played a pivotal role at LDEQ for a decade, and it is exciting to bring her leadership and experience back to the department,” Landry said. “I am confident that Courtney will continue to move the department in a direction that protects our environment while also fighting for Louisiana businesses over bureaucracy.”

About Courtney Burdette

The governor’s office said Burdette brings over 10 years of experience at LDEQ, having joined the agency in 2014 as part of its legal team. She later served as Permits Supervisor, General Counsel in 2020, and most recently, Executive Counsel.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Howard University in Washington, D.C., and earned her Juris Doctorate from LSU.

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