I was born and raised in Plaquemine, Louisiana. Except for short periods while in college and law school, I lived in Plaquemine and plan to move back to Iberville Parish if I ever retire. I was Salutatorian of my graduation class at St. John High School in 1975 and immediately began working for a local law firm. Later, I decided to go to LSU (part-time at first and then full-time) and earned a degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting. In August, 1984, I started law school at Southern University Law Center and earned a Juris Doctorate in May, 1987. I took and passed the bar exam in July, 1987 and in January, the following year, I opened my law practice on Meriam Street in Plaquemine. In 2000, I went back to LSU and earned a Master’s in Public Administration (Summa Cum Laude).
In April, 1993, I was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives for District 60 which encompassed parts of four parishes. I served there until January, 2000. During that time, I was selected by the Speaker of the House to serve as Chairman of the Oversight Committee on Transportation, Vice Chairman of the Administration of Criminal Justice Committee, Ways and Means (Taxing), and Agriculture Committees.
I have been asked to serve in leadership positions on the Board of Directors of the Battered Women’s Program, Beacon House Adoption Services, Inc., the Louisiana Government Finance Officers Association, the Iberville Parish Council on Substance Abuse, the 18th Judicial District Bar Association, the Louisiana State Bar Association House of Delegates, and the Judicial Council of the Louisiana Supreme Court.
In 2011, I closed my law practice and began working full time as the Chief Financial Officer for the City of Port Allen. I retired in June, 2022. Just for fun now, I work for the Iberville Parish School Board as the Chief Financial Officer managing almost 950 employees and a budget in excess of 128 million dollars.
Always remember that you cannot be everything to everybody, but you can be everything to SOMEBODY. Being humble with a positive attitude helps make even unpleasant situations tolerable.