Overview

Shawn M. LaTourette was born and raised in New Jersey. He graduated magna cum laude from Rutgers University and earned his Juris Doctor summa cum laude from Rutgers Law School, where he served as class salutatorian and received multiple environmental and governance awards. He published scholarship on environmental law, natural resource damage, and climate issues during his law school tenure.

LaTourette built a legal career spanning more than two decades, beginning with work defending victims of toxic exposure. He organized and advocated for vulnerable New Jersey communities whose drinking water was contaminated by petrochemicals, litigating high-stakes lawsuits involving environmental, energy, and public health concerns. He served as a trusted adviser to government agencies, community organizations, nonprofit groups, and industry leaders on environmental law and policy matters.

In 2018, LaTourette joined the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection as chief legal and regulatory policy adviser to Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe. He was elevated to DEP Chief of Staff in 2019 and to Deputy Commissioner in 2020, where he was responsible for running the department's operations while formulating policy and regulatory reforms. He served as Acting Commissioner from January 16, 2021, until his formal appointment as Commissioner by Governor Philip D. Murphy on June 14, 2021. He stepped down from the position in January 2026. Since August 2023, he has served as an adjunct professor of law at Rutgers Law School-Camden, teaching courses on Environmental Justice and Climate Change Law and Policy.

Political Career

Commissioner of Environmental Protection, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (2021–2026); appointed by Governor Philip D. Murphy; sworn in June 14, 2021; served until January 2026

Acting Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (January 16, 2021–June 14, 2021)

Deputy Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (2020–2021)

Chief of Staff, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (2019–2020)

Chief Legal and Regulatory Policy Adviser, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (2018–2019)

Board of Directors, Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) (2021–2026)

Key Policy Areas

Environmental justice and equity

Climate change mitigation and adaptation

Clean energy deployment and renewable energy

Water infrastructure enhancement

Brownfields redevelopment and community renewal

Natural resource conservation and restoration

Greenhouse gas emissions reduction

Notable Actions / Initiatives

Named ROI-NJ's top environmental influencer for 2025, recognized for steering environmental policy and consensus-building among competing priorities

Developed and led DEP initiatives prioritizing environmental justice while facilitating climate change resilience, renewable energy deployment, and water infrastructure enhancement

Served as New Jersey's representative on the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) Board of Directors, overseeing multi-state carbon dioxide budget trading program

Facilitated policy and regulatory reforms advancing Governor Murphy's environmental, climate change, and clean energy priorities

Served as consensus builder achieving balance among economic development, infrastructure development, and environmental protection priorities

Education

B.A., Rutgers University (magna cum laude)

J.D., Rutgers Law School (summa cum laude, salutatorian)

Personal

Birth date: Not publicly available

Residence: New Jersey