BATON ROUGE — Friday, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced his appointments to several Louisiana boards and commissions.
Sparta Groundwater Conservation District
The guiding purpose and primary objective of the Sparta Ground Water Conservation District Commission is to conserve, protect, restore, and maintain the Sparta Formation Aquifer as a continuing source of high quality, potable water for current and future consumers by promoting conservation measures and the development of alternate sources of fresh water, pursuant to the authority and responsibility granted by the State of Louisiana.
Mayor Reggie G. Skains of Downsville has been reappointed to the Sparta Groundwater Conservation District. Skains is the mayor of the village of Downsville. He will serve as an agricultural user member.
Department of Economic Development
Louisiana Economic Development is responsible for strengthening the state’s business environment and creating a more vibrant Louisiana economy by cultivating jobs and economic opportunities for the people of Louisiana through nine integrated economic development strategies.
Brenda C. Guess of Baton Rouge has been appointed to the Department of Economic Development. Guess will serve as the assistant secretary for the Louisiana Department of Economic Development.
Department of Revenue
The mission of the Department of revenue is to fairly and efficiently collect tax revenue to fund public services; to regulate charitable gaming and the sale of alcoholic beverages and tobacco; and to support state agencies in the collection of overdue debts.
Kevin Richard of New Orleans has been appointed to the Department of Revenue. Richard will serve as the secretary of the Department of Revenue.
Department of Environmental Quality
The Department of Environmental Quality provides service to the people of Louisiana through comprehensive environmental protection in order to promote and protect health, safety, and welfare.
Celena J. Cage of Jackson has been appointed to the Department of Environmental Quality. Cage will serve as the assistant secretary of the Office of Environmental Compliance for the Department of Environmental Quality.
Bliss M. Higgins of Baton Rouge has been appointed to the Department of Environmental Quality. Higgins will serve as the assistant secretary for the Office of Environmental Services for the Department of Environmental Quality.
Oilfield Site Restoration Commission
The Louisiana Oilfield Site Restoration Program was created in 1993 within the Department of Natural Resources to address the growing problem of unrestored orphaned oilfield sites across the State. Orphan wells are abandoned oil and gas wells for which no viable responsible party can be located, or such party has failed to maintain the wellsite in accordance with State rules and regulations. The specific focus of the Oilfield Site Restoration Program is to properly plug and abandon orphan wells and to restore sites to approximate pre-wellsite conditions suitable for redevelopment.
Barney J. Callahan of Thibodaux has been reappointed to the Oilfield Site Restoration Commission. Callahan is retired from Shell Pipeline LLC. He will represent the Louisiana division of the Sierra Club, Louisiana Wildlife Federation, and the Louisiana division of the Audubon Society.
Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
The Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (GCPFS) plays a vital role in the promotion of physical activity and wellness throughout the state of Louisiana. The mandated function of the Council is to protect, promote and improve the physical fitness of the residents of the State. GCPFS is comprised of fifteen representatives from across the state appointed by the governor and are representative of physicians, pediatricians, coaches, Physical therapists, athletic trainers, athletes, educators, and such persons or professions interested in the physical fitness of the citizens of Louisiana. The Council’s vision is that the state and its communities embrace and support a culture that promotes physical activity and physical and health education.
Thomas N. Rivers of Noble has been appointed to the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Rivers is a bus driver for the Sabine Parish School Board.
Parish Boards of Election Supervisors
The purpose of the board in each parish is to oversee and supervise all elections within the parish to ensure the safety and accuracy of the democratic process. The Board of Election Supervisors oversees the preparation and conducting of each election in the parish. Each parish’s board is composed of the parish’s registrar of voters, the parish’s clerk of court, the chairman of the parish executive committee of each recognized political party, and one member appointed by the governor.
Donald R. Wilson of Jena has been appointed to the LaSalle Board of Election Supervisors. Wilson is an attorney with Wilson & Wilson Law Firm. He will serve as election supervisor of LaSalle Parish.
Workers’ Compensation Advisory Council
LWCC provides competitive workers’ compensation insurance to Louisiana employers, helps prevent on-the-job injury and illness, and gives injured workers the best opportunity to return to work.
Bryan L. Fontenot of Baton Rouge has been appointed to the Workers’ Compensation Advisory Council. Fontenot is a business insurance producer for McGriff Insurance Services. He will serve as a representative of self-insured industries in Louisiana.
Louisiana State Board of Nursing
The Louisiana State Board of Nursing is responsible for safeguarding the life and health of Louisiana residents through the regulation of persons practicing or offering to practice as a registered nurse. The board also establishes minimum curriculum requirements and approves nursing schools.
Denise O. Bottcher of Baton Rouge has been appointed to the Louisiana State Board of Nursing. Bottcher is the director of AARP Louisiana. She will serve as a consumer member.
Chenier Plain Coastal Restoration and Protection Authority
The Chenier Plain CRPA is a political subdivision of the State of Louisiana, and through its board of commissioners, is organized with the primary duty to establish, construct, operate, or maintain flood control works as they relate to hurricane protection, tidewater flooding, saltwater intrusion, and conservation, and a secondary duty to establish flood control, adequate drainage relating to tidal or riverine flooding, and water resources development including but not limited to construction of reservoirs, diversion canals, gravity and pump drainage systems, erosion control measures, and marsh management, and is authorized to enter into contracts and agreements.
Sarah M. Judson of Lake Charles has been appointed to the Chenier Plain Coastal Restoration and Protection Authority. Judson is the president of Community Foundation Southwest Louisiana. She was nominated by the Police Jury of Calcasieu Parish.
Louisiana Economic Development Corporation
The mission of the Louisiana Economic Development Corporation is to review and administer financial assistance programs, including Small Business Loans, Micro Loans, Contract Loans, Venture Capital Matches, Minority Venture Capital Matches, Venture Capital Co-Investments, Louisiana Seed Capital Investment, BIDCO Investment, Specialty BIDCO Investment and the Economic Development Award Program.
Stephen P. David Jr. of Baton Rouge has been reappointed to the Louisiana Economic Development Corporation. David is a regional retail manager for Hancock Whitney. He will represent the Louisiana Workforce Investment Council.
Norisha K. Glover of Baton Rouge has been reappointed to the Economic Development Corporation. Glover is the owner of NRK Construction. She will represent women’s business interests.
Louis S. Reine of Baton Rouge has been reappointed to the Louisiana Economic Development Corporation. Reine is the president of the Louisiana AFL-CIO. He will represent the Louisiana Chapter of the AFL-CIO.
Calcote H. “Cal” Simpson of Baton Rouge has been reappointed to the Louisiana Economic Development Corporation. Simpson is a branch manager for Blue Bell Creameries. He will represent the Louisiana Retailer’s Association.
Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission
The Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission was created within the Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism. The Commission looks after the destroyer the USS Kidd and other property acquired for use as a permanent public Naval and Marine Corps Memorial.
Joe Nathan Jenkins of Baker has been reappointed to the Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission. Jenkins is an ISC manager for Baker Tilly. He will serve at-large.
Larry A. Muenzler of Baton Rouge has been reappointed to the Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission. Muenzler is the vice president of Unistar Alumina Ltd. He will serve at-large.
Karen K. St. Cyr. of St. Francisville has been reappointed to the Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission. St. Cyr is a retired marketing and public relations professional. She will serve at-large.
John B. Wells. of Slidell has been reappointed to the Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission. Wells is a self-employed attorney for the Law Offices of John B. Wells. He will serve at-large.
Louisiana Sickle Cell Commission
The Louisiana Sickle Cell Commission’s mission is to improve the delivery of sickle cell services to affected people in all parishes of Louisiana by promulgating guidelines for uniformity in the delivery of services, submitting budget recommendations to the legislature and Governor, and preparing and publishing an annual report on sickle cell treatment and services in the State of Louisiana.
Torris J. Johnson of LaPlace has been appointed to the Louisiana Sickle Cell Commission. Johnson is a community health worker supervisor for the Louisiana Department of Health. He will serve as a person diagnosed with sickle cell disease.
Broadband for Everyone in Louisiana Commission
The State of Louisiana’s Broadband for Everyone in Louisiana (BEL) Commission will serve as lead facilitator and collaborate with all sectors to successfully complete this plan, embracing all communities to encourage broadband adoption and availability and use of all technologies that can deploy, operate, and maintain high levels of broadband service. The delivery of resources and programs to unserved and underserved areas of the state will have a customer centric approach that should be open and transparent, complement regional priorities
Monique B. Boulet is the CEO of the Acadiana Planning Commission. She will serve as the chair and an at-large business executive.
Louisiana Board for Hearing Aid Dealers
The Louisiana Board for Hearing Aid Dealers’ mission is to provide for examination and licensing of persons who test hearing while engaged in the selling and fitting of hearing aids, to provide for the regulation of and selling and fitting of hearings to the public, and to provide penalties for punishment for violations of Act 1968, No. 302.
Jason S. Shevchuk of Downsville has been appointed to the Louisiana Board for Hearing Aid Dealers. Shevchuk is a hearing instrument specialist for Audible Hearing Center. He was nominated by the Louisiana Society of Hearing Aid Specialists and will represent Hearing Aid Dealer District III.