State Rep. Joel Robideaux, who defeated Lafayette Consolidated Government Chief Administrative Officer Dee Stanley in the Oct. 24 primary to replace term-limited City-Parish President Joey Durel, says former state Sen. Mike Michot will lead his transition team. Michot, Robideaux’s longtime friend and confidant, is senior director of state affairs for The Picard Group, a lobbying and governmental affairs entity.
Attorney Corey Meaux, a junior associate at The Picard Group who worked for the Acadiana Legislative Delegation from July 2013 to June of this year, according to his LinkedIn profile, is serving as transition coordinator.
“I’m pleased to name my transition team to help me assess the current state of LCG in detail and determine my personnel and initial priorities,” Robideaux wrote in a Wednesday Facebook post. He said 28 others were appointed to serve on various transition team committees:
Chris Arsement, Bob Austin, Mark Becnel, Marcus Brown, Marcus Bruno, Tom Carroll, John Chappuis, Camille Claiborne, Dewitt David, Lowell Duhon, Rob Eddy, Dane Escott, Paul Escott, Andre Fruge, Roy Frusha, Francis Green, Juno Guedry, Mike Guidroz, Joanie Hill, Pastor Ken Lazard, Tommy Maggio, Robert Mahtook, Mandi Mitchell, Herbert Schilling, James Simmons, Jan Swift, Gobb Williams and Shawn Wilson.
Committee/work group breakdowns are as follows: Hill, Chappuis and Brown, Arts, Culture & Tourism; Fruge and Mitchell, Boards & Commissions; Lazard, Bruno and Swift, Community Development & Housing; P. Escott and Mahtook, Contracts; Arsement, Maggio and Duhon, Finance, Budget and CAO; Simmons and Schilling, Parks & Recreation; Claiborne and Eddy, Personnel; Austin, Guidroz and David, Planning & Zoning; Williams, Green and Frusha, Public Safety; Wilson and Carroll, Public Works; and D. Escott, Becnel and Guedry, Utilities.
There are no committee chairs, as all committees are functioning as work groups, Michot tells The IND. “All will be aided by Corey Meaux and assisted by me as needed. All will ultimately report to Joel,” he says.
Only Carroll and Bruno have experience with Lafayette Consolidated Government. Carroll, who served as public works director for a decade and had a total of 22 years of local government experience, retired in May 2014. Bruno was head of LCG’s Criminal Justice Support Services but left after his position was eliminated in a 2009 restructuring.
Michot says the committees’ reports will be provided to Robideaux, and a final version will be assembled into a priorities/action plan for him and his cabinet. Once that work is complete, the plan will be released publicly. “There will be no dissemination [of information] until the team completes its work in full,” he adds.
The transition leadership is in the process of setting up a website that will have more information for those interested in submitting résumés and having input in the process, according to Michot.
Robideaux told The Advocate Michot and The Picard Group will not be awarded any Lafayette Consolidated Government contracts during his administration because of Michot’s role during the transition. The firm does not currently hold any contracts with LCG.