Veteran energy industry association executive Erik Milito has been named the new president of the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) . He assume his new role effective Nov. 1.

“Erik is a strong leader and an effective communicator, qualities that make him a great fit for NOIA President and will serve our membership well. I am confident in his ability to inspire the NOIA membership and convey to the public the important role that offshore energy plays in America and beyond,” said NOIA Chairman Richard Clark.

Erik Milito

Milito has extensive experience in implementing strategic outreach and public relations platforms for high profile issues on behalf of the energy industry. He is a seasoned spokesperson and lobbyist, testifying before Congress on key energy issues on numerous occasions.

“It is a privilege for me to have the opportunity to become part of such a great organization and industry.  Day after day, the men and women of America’s offshore oil, natural gas and wind industries produce the energy that drives our economy and lifts society, and I couldn’t be prouder to join the NOIA team,” said Milito.

Milito comes to NOIA from the American Petroleum Institute (API), where he served for the past 17 years, most recently as vice president, upstream and industry operations, covering regulatory, legislative, and technical matters related to U.S. oil and natural gas exploration and production. He previously served as managing counsel at API, covering a wide range of legal issues. From 2000 to 2002, Milito served as a career attorney in the Solicitor’s Office of the U.S. Department of the Interior. He also served in the U.S. Army as a judge advocate from 1995 to 2000, and in the U.S. Army Reserve from 2000-2004. Milito holds a juris doctor from Marquette University Law School, and a bachelor's of business administration from the University of Notre Dame. He and his wife Beth have four children, Will, Helen, Evie, and Jake and live in Alexandria, VA.

Former NOIA President Randall Luthi served for nearly a decade before departing in July to be the chief energy advisor to the governor of Wyoming, Mark Gordon.  “I applaud the NOIA executive committee for selecting Erik as my successor.  Being president of NOIA is a fantastic job. I have no doubt that Erik will excel at representing the best interests of the NOIA membership and the offshore energy industry,” said Luthi.