JACKSON, Miss. – Gary Rikard was named the new executive director of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) by Governor Phil Bryant Wednesday afternoon. Rikard is 44-years-old and is a resident of Olive Branch. He was previously an attorney for the department back in the 90s and had also worked there as an environmental engineer.
Rikard replaces Trudy Fisher who said she was going to work for the private sector shortly after MDEQ was questioned about blacked out public records in Hinds County Chancery Court that totaled to nearly $6 million in spending.
