LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY | Secretary Roger W. Gingles
A DEPARTMENT OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
MAILING ADDRESS:
P.O. Box 4301
Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4301
PHYSICAL ADDRESS:
LDEQ Headquarters – Galvez Building
602 North Fifth Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
Phone: (225) 219-3953
Fax: (225) 219-3971
Email: officesec@la.gov
Secretary
Roger W. Gingles
Roger Gingles is a native of Stanley, La., near Shreveport. His mother was a registered nurse, and her career choice was a deep influence on Gingles’ education and career paths. Prior to working at LDEQ, Gingles was a sanitarian with the Louisiana Department of Health for three and a half years, so his career encompasses more than 30 years in the health and environmental protection field. Gingles holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Louisiana State University Shreveport and a Master of Science in public health from Tulane.
In his first tour at LDEQ, Gingles worked at the agency 27 years. He left retirement in 2017 to become Assistant Secretary for the newly created Office of Environmental Assessment. On April 1, 2023, Gov. John Bel Edwards named Gingles to oversee LDEQ through the end of the governor’s second term.
Chief of Staff
Jonathan McFarland
McFarland, who joined LDEQ in 2001, is a licensed Louisiana Professional Engineer with a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental engineering from Louisiana State University. McFarland had been in the position of administrator for the Water Planning and Assessment Division in the Office of Environmental Assessment. He has been appointed to be the LDEQ Chief of Staff, a position on the executive staff that provides advice and information to the secretary and coordinates executive staff activities.
Deputy Secretary
Denise Bennett
Bennett previously worked at LDEQ as an air permit writer from October 2003 to August 2006. She returns to the agency after 10 years as an industry consultant working with agricultural and petrochemical companies. Bennet has extensive experience in environmental regulatory affairs, compliance and permitting. Bennett holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Howard University in Washington and an MBA from LSU. She is a native of Arnaudville, LA.
As the managerial branch of the Department, the Office of the Secretary facilitates achievement of environmental improvements by coordinating the other program offices' work to reduce quantity and toxicity of emissions, representing the Department when dealing with external agencies, providing legal counsel to the Department, communicating effectively with the public, and by promoting initiatives that serve a broad environmental mandate.