December 6, 2023
Governor-elect Jeff Landry Announces Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Revenue, Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Alcohol and Tobacco Control
Lafayette, La– Today, Governor-elect Jeff Landry announced appointments to the Louisiana Department of Revenue, Veterans Affairs, and Alcohol and Tobacco Control.
“I am happy to make these announcements today, and I look forward to working with these highly qualified individuals,” said Governor-elect Jeff Landry. “I have confidence that their experience, knowledge, and leadership will greatly benefit our state.”
“I am honored to have the confidence of the Governor-elect and to continue serving the people of Louisiana. We will be ready on Day 1 to address the challenges facing our state,” said Richard Nelson.
“I am humbled and honored to have been selected by Governor-elect Landry to serve as the next Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs. Having recently served as a judge advocate for over 20 years on active duty, living in nine states, an overseas assignment to Germany, and deploying in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, it is an understatement to say that it has been wonderful to be back home. My experiences outside of Louisiana have provided me with a unique perspective in understanding and assessing the challenges that Louisiana’s veterans and military communities regularly face. I am forever grateful to Secretary Ardoin for providing me a “soft landing” back home as his General Counsel, and I can’t wait to serve the Governor, our veterans, and the great people of Louisiana,” said Colonel Charlton Meginley.
“I am honored Governor-elect Jeff Landry has asked me to continue to work with the men and women of the Department of Alcohol and Tobacco Control. I am committed to maintaining the highest level of integrity of Louisiana’s alcoholic beverage, tobacco, and CBD industries, and I look forward to continuing to serve the great people of this state,” said Ernest Legier.
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Richard Nelson-Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Revenue:
Richard grew up in Mandeville, Louisiana. He earned a degree in Biological Engineering from LSU before attending LSU Law School. After graduating from law school, he was selected for the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State and moved to Washington. He served all over the world for seven years as a State Department Officer and diplomat, protecting American embassies overseas from terrorism and espionage. Just months before their next overseas assignment, Richard had the opportunity to move his family home to Mandeville. He was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives in 2019 where he focused on improving Louisiana’s tax competitiveness and elementary school literacy. Richard is an engineer, attorney, and runs his own consulting firm. He and his family attend Christ Episcopal Church in Covington. Richard is committed to improving the opportunity for his three sons, Michael, 9, Arthur, 7, and Jack, 4, and for all the citizens of this great state.
Jarrod Coniglio–Under-Secretary of the Department of Revenue:
Jarrod Coniglio has over 30+ years of experience that includes senior-level oversight of the Louisiana Department of Health’s Medicaid Program Integrity section and executive-level oversight of the entire State of Louisiana’s Department of Revenue and its day-to-day operations. He led direction over the prevention, detection and recovery of Medicaid fraud, and abuse of providers and ineligible recipients. Jarrod currently resides in Walker, Louisiana.
James Lee-Legislative Liaison of the Department of Revenue:
James Lee was raised in Metairie, Louisiana. He is a graduate of Archbishop Rummel and Louisiana State University. He is the former Campaign Manager for Richard Nelson for Governor. He joined Americans for Prosperity – Louisiana in 2014, and eventually served as Deputy State Director and State Director. He advocated for state and federal tax reform to simplify the tax code, lower rates, and eliminate burdensome taxes.
Colonel Charlton Meginley-Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs:
Colonel Meginley served over 20 years on active duty as a Judge Advocate for the Air Force, retiring as an Appellate Military Judge on the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals. He currently serves as the General Counsel for the Department of State, Office of R. Kyle Ardoin, Colonel Meginley is originally from Alexandria, and received an undergraduate degree from the University of Louisiana Monroe and his law degree from the Louisiana State University Law Center.
Ernest Legier, Jr.–Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Alcohol and Tobacco:
Ernest Legier, Jr. is an experienced attorney and executive with thirty years of experience leading projects and organizations. He has worked for Louisiana Alcohol and Tobacco Control for the last eight years, including serving as Commissioner the last three years. He is the currently serving as president of the National Conference of State Liquor Administrators (NCSLA). An honorably discharged veteran of the Louisiana National Guard, he earned a B.A. in Political Science from the University of New Orleans (1992), a J.D. from Loyola University New Orleans (1995), and an MBA from the University of New Orleans in 2020. Mr. Legier is active in his community and serves on the board for several organizations. He has been married for 30 years to the Honorable Kelly M. Legier and has 3 adult sons, Trey, Jonathan and Nicholas.