Department of Energy and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Tyler Gray today announced the hiring of John C. Shiroda as executive director of the recently formed Natural Resources Trust Authority (NRTA) under the oversight of the state Mineral and Energy Board.
Gray made the announcement during the monthly meeting of the Board, for which the NRTA effectively serves as a subcommittee. The NRTA, authorized by the state Legislature in the 2024 regular session and formalized by the Mineral and Energy Board in October, is designed to bring targeted financial expertise to the State’s interaction with oil and gas operators, particularly in using state-backed financial assurances to address orphaned wells.
Shiroda takes the job after a career in banking and finance in the Baton Rouge area, most recently having served as a senior vice president with Hancock Whitney Bank Corporate Trust since 2015 and having previously been in the banking and finance sector since the mid-1990s.