Aurelia Skipwith Giacometto joins Earth & Water Law as a distinguished leader in environmental regulation and policy, bringing over 20 years of experience in agriculture, wildlife conservation, and energy development.
Most recently, she served as the 14th Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ), where she led improvements in environmental permitting, including under the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act in one of the most industrialized states in the U.S.
Aurelia’s career began as a biologist at Monsanto (now Bayer Corporation), where she recognized the critical need for robust legal frameworks to support agricultural innovations. This insight prompted her to pursue a Juris Doctorate. Following her legal education, she joined Alltech as Assistant Corporate Counsel, where she played a pivotal role in guiding the company’s products through the regulatory process.
In 2017, Aurelia served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for U.S. Fish and Wildlife and Parks at the Department of the Interior and in 2019, she was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In her role, Aurelia implemented the Trump Administration’s policies under the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Aurelia’s leadership is characterized by her commitment to revolutionizing operational protocols in alignment with these critical laws.
