Sanders to nominate Khoury secretary of Department of Energy and Environment

Governor-elect picks Energy and Environment chief counsel to lead department

Arkansas Gov.-elect Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Shane Khoury, the chief counsel for the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment, are shown in these file photos. Sanders announced Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022 that she intends to nominate Khoury as the department's secretary. (Left, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Stephen Swofford; right, courtesy photo)
Arkansas Gov.-elect Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Shane Khoury, the chief counsel for the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment, are shown in these file photos. Sanders announced Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022 that she intends to nominate Khoury as the department's secretary. (Left, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Stephen Swofford; right, courtesy photo)

Governor-elect Sarah Huckabee Sanders plans to nominate state Department of Energy and Environment Chief Counsel Shane Khoury as the department's secretary, Sanders announced Wednesday.

The department's current secretary is Becky Keogh.

The Republican governor-elect also has revealed whom she plans to nominate for secretaries for the state Department of Public Safety, the state Department of Agriculture and the state Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. She plans to hold a news conference this afternoon to disclose another Cabinet secretary appointment. The state currently has 15 executive branch departments headed by secretaries.

Khoury has more than 18 years of service in state government, according to Sanders' news release.

"Shane's years of experience with state energy and environment policy will be an asset as we ensure our energy industry can continue to invest and diversify while preserving the Natural State's outdoor beauty," she said in the news release.

"A reliable, growing energy sector will expand our economy, creating opportunity for every Arkansan, and I'm confident that together, we will unleash Arkansas energy," Sanders said.

In addition to serving as chief counsel for the state Department of Energy and Environment, Khoury serves as hearing officer for the Oil and Gas Commission, according to Sanders' news release. He also served as a policy adviser to then-Gov. Mike Huckabee for regulatory affairs and has experience in private practice.

In the news release, Khoury said, "As Secretary of Energy and Environment, I will work with Governor-elect Sanders to foster the growth of our energy sector and provide reliable, affordable energy to all Arkansans while responsibly protecting our clean air, water, and land.

"It's an honor to have her confidence to lead this department as we invest in energy and environment to make our state one of the best places to live, work, and raise a family."

Khoury received his law degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law, and his bachelor's degree in political science from Arkansas State University, according to Sanders' news release.

The Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment includes the Division of Environmental Quality, the Pollution Control and Ecology Commission, the Oil & Gas Commission, the Geological Survey and the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Board.

Sanders spokesman Judd Deere said Wednesday that Khoury's salary as the department's secretary will be determined later.

Khoury's current salary is $136,738 a year as chief counsel at the state Department of Energy and Environment, according to the Arkansas Transparency website. The website shows that Keogh's salary is $154,305 a year as the department's secretary.

Keogh could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon through a spokesperson for the department.

She has served as the secretary of the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment since July 2019 under Gov. Asa Hutchinson. She was appointed by Hutchinson as the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality director in 2015. She also served as the department's deputy director from 1996-2006 and on the Arkansas Geological Commission from 2006–2009.

Keogh is a sister of Arkansas State Supreme Court Justice Barbara Webb. Barbara Webb is the wife of former state Republican Party Chairman Doyle Webb, a former state senator and a former aide to the late Lt. Gov. Win Rockefeller.

Last week, Sanders said she plans to reappoint Arkansas Department of Agriculture Secretary Wes Ward, who has served in the post since March 2015.

She previously announced her intent to nominate Arkansas State Police Captain Mike Hagar as secretary of the state Department of Public Safety and as director of the Arkansas State Police, and her intent to appoint Mike Mills as secretary of the state Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism.

Sanders also said current Department of Public Safety Secretary A.J. Gary has agreed to continue as director of the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management. Gary currently serves in both roles. Arkansas State Police Director Col. Bill Bryant plans to retire Dec. 31, according to a department spokesman.

Mills is the founder and owner of Buffalo Outdoor Center in Ponca, which was Arkansas' first log cabin resort. From 1982 to 1986 he served as Arkansas' director of tourism, where he started Partners in Tourism. The departing state Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism secretary is Stacy Hurst.

Sanders will be sworn in as governor Jan. 10, succeeding the term-limited Hutchinson. Hutchinson has served as governor since 2015. Sanders is the daughter of former Gov. Mike Huckabee and a former White House press secretary for President Trump.

In another Sanders-related development Wednesday, Chris Caldwell of Little Rock, who managed Sanders' successful gubernatorial campaign, announced the creation of Caldwell Consulting, a full-service lobbying, government relations and political consulting firm.

Caldwell serves as senior adviser to Sanders' 2026 re-election campaign for governor and as an adviser to Sanders' gubernatorial transition team. He managed U.S. Sen. John Boozman's 2016 re-election campaign, and served as federal co-chairman of the Delta Regional Authority under President Trump and on Boozman's staff for nearly a decade. He also worked on Huckabee's 2008 presidential campaign.

"I am proud to launch Caldwell Consulting -- a voice for commonsense policies that will move Arkansas forward," Caldwell said in his news release. "My time leading two successful statewide campaigns and working in government service at the national level has fully equipped me for this new venture, and we are ready to hit the ground running in 2023."


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