(Photo by Brian Baiamonte)
Meg Casper
Press Secretary for Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler
Age: 43
“One of the best pieces of advice I ever received resonated with me both professionally and personally. It came from former State Superintendent of Education Cecil Picard, who began his career in education as a teacher and basketball coach. When I was his communications director he told me that in life, there are dribblers and there are shooters. Always be a shooter. As professionals we can all become complacent in our careers, but for those of us that strive to make a difference through our work, it’s important to remember to be bold, take risks and not be afraid to fail. The only opportunities that are missed are the ones we don’t see or are afraid to tackle. In my experience the biggest rewards have always followed taking a risk.”
Professional experience: Casper’s career began in television news in Morgan City, where she covered St. Mary and Assumption parishes and anchored a daily newscast. From there she spent almost decade working for WAFB in Baton Rouge before making the transition into public service. Casper spent seven years as the communications director at the Louisiana Department of Education followed by another four years in higher education as associate commissioner for public affairs for the Louisiana Board of Regents. Casper currently works as press secretary for Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler.
In the news: The national political spotlight shined brightly on Louisiana during its hotly contested congressional elections this past fall. Not only was this cycle the largest in decades in terms of number of candidates seeking office, but it also produced waves of local, national and even international media coverage. The Secretary of State’s Office fielded hundreds of press inquiries during the races and hosted dozens of national and international reporters on election night, including CNN, ABC and the Japanese Broadcasting Network.
