Oklahoma Energy and Environment Secretary Jeff Starling will step down Oct. 3, and Governor Kevin Stitt plans to name Deputy Secretary Chris Schinnerer to replace him for the remainder of the governor’s term.
Starling has served as secretary since 2024. The announcement did not specify his next position.
“Jeff has been a valuable member of my team, and I know he’ll continue fighting for Oklahoman and American energy,” Stitt said.
Schinnerer has worked on energy issues in both government and the private sector. He served in the Bush administration before returning to Oklahoma, where he worked for Devon Energy and Lagoon Midstream.
Stitt credited Schinnerer with supporting the oil and gas industry and helping lead Oklahoma’s effort to secure a U.S. Department of Energy grant for a nuclear energy lifecycle campus.
“It is an honor to continue to serve my state in this capacity,” Schinnerer said. “Oklahoma has led the world in energy development for over a century, and we are on the cusp of the next generation of energy innovation.”
