Eades likely next head of Ascension group

The election of a new president to head the Ascension Economic Development Corporation doesn’t take place until this afternoon, though J. Michael Eades appears to be the likely next president/CEO of the 3-year-old organization. AEDC board member Dwight Poirrier says the board has plenty of confidence in the search process and members of the search committee, while Eades has the “maturity level and the diverse background “that can really enhance our organization.” Poirrier says former CEO Tommy Kurtz, who left the job in November to lead LED’s business expansion and retention group, did a fabulous job getting AEDC up and running. Bringing in Eades, who has experience in leading business chambers in South Carolina and Virginia, will be like hiring “an experienced quarterback that can take over the reins,” Poirrier says. Eades and Johnny Berthelot, the former mayor of Gonzales who was hired last month as administrative chairman—a liaison between the board and the AEDC itself—will make an effective team, assuming the board selects Eades, Poirrier says. “I think it’s going to be a good situation,” Poirrier says. “This is an exciting time for all of us.”—Steve Clark