Mayor-elect Sharon Weston Broome tapped a diverse group of 41 experts, community leaders and politicians today to lead 21 transition committees that will issue policy recommendations for areas like public safety, race relations and flood recovery.
Broome’s team also urged the public to apply for jobs in the administration, and said citizen volunteers who will work on the transition committees will be announced next week. The groups will report back to Broome at the end of January with recommendations.
Darryl Gissel, the independent mayoral candidate who endorsed Broome after the primary election, earned a spot co-chairing the Office of Community Development Committee. State Rep. Ted James will co-chair the Public Safety Committee with former congressman and U.S. Attorney Don Cazayoux, tackling the oft-cited “community policing” goal and preparing for the issuance of a U.S. Department of Justice report on the police killing of Alton Sterling last summer, among other things.
Broome said none of the committee co-chairs will be offered posts in her administration after she is inaugurated on Jan. 2.
James, who was deeply involved in the demonstrations following Sterling’s death, said he plans to work with law enforcement leaders to develop a police reform package palatable to law enforcement and the public. East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff Sid Gautreaux has said he is coordinating with other law enforcement agencies to best handle expected protests when the DOJ report is released, likely sometime in January.
“From the front lines (of protests), I saw things I didn’t like from protesters, and I saw things I didn’t like from law enforcement,” James said, adding he will look to other cities for best practices. “This summer and this year has been difficult. …This is the time to come together.”
Business Report Publisher Rolfe McCollister was named co-chair of the Economic Development and Enterprise Committee, alongside Southern University College of Business Dean Donald Andrews. Curtis Heroman, chief innovation officer for Business Report’s parent company, Louisiana Business Inc., will co-chair the Information Services Committee with Sonia Perez, president of AT&T Louisiana.
Mary Olive Pierson, a lawyer who challenged the St. George breakaway movement, will co-chair the Metropolitan Organization Committee, and consultant Perry Franklin and Bryan Jones, a strategic planning leader with a civil engineering firm, will lead the Flood Recovery Committee.
The first set of committees, called Operational Review Committees, will interview department heads and staffers in city-parish government, evaluating what is working and what is not. The second group of committees, called Community Input Transition Teams, will operate more broadly, gathering feedback from the public and developing “best-practices” for policy.
Southern University Political Science Professor Albert Samuels will co-chair the Race Relations Committee in an attempt to set the stage for how Broome will accomplish her goal to unify the parish and heal racial divisions.
“Baton Rouge really has a tremendous potential. We could be the next great city in the South,” Samuels said. “But it’s hard to do that if half the city is neglected.”
Applicants for jobs in Broome’s administration can submit resumes at www.brtransition.com.
Volunteer requests for the committees can be sent to info@brtransition.com. Below is the full list of committees and co-chairs.
Operational Review Committees:
- Finance: Jacqui Vines-Wyatt, Dr. Jim Llorens
- Public works: Justin Haydell, Matthew Butler
- Public safety: Rep. Ted James, Don Cazayoux
- Office of Community Development: Darryl Gissel, Brian LaFleur
- Human Development & Services: Johnny Anderson, Pat LeDuff
- Homeland security: Retired Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, Paul Rainwater
- Information services: Curtis Heroman, Sonia Perez
- Purchasing: Monique Spalding, Ronald L. Smith
- Internal organization: Christel Slaughter, Dennis Blunt
Community Input Transition Teams:
- Arts, culture and leisure: Fairleigh Jackson, Walter “Geno” McLaughlin
- Flood recovery: Perry Franklin, Bryan Jones
- Infrastructure, transportation and mobility: Scott Kirkpatrick, Ann Trappey
- Economic development and enterprise: Rolfe McCollister, Donald Andrews
- North Baton Rouge revitalization: Cleve Dunn, Jr.; Elizabeth “Boo” Thomas
- Healthcare, social services and mental health: Alma Stewart, Dr. Stephen Kelley
- Housing and land use: Candace Parker, Keith Cunningham
- Metropolitan organization: Mary Olive Pierson, Domoine Rutledge
- The millennial agenda: Courtney Scott, Matt Adams
- Women’s issues: Rachel Hebert, Tawahna Harris
- Race relations: Dr. Albert Samuels
- Education: Sherry Brock, Dr. Biola Bagayoko
—Sam Karlin
