LMR_August2018
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Inside the LMA<br />
Director’s Viewpoint<br />
THE FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT<br />
BY JOHN GALLAGHER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR<br />
Many thanks to everyone who attended the 81st Annual<br />
Convention in Lake Charles. If you are reading this, there<br />
is a good chance that you were in that number, as we<br />
had over 1,500 attendees, making this convention one<br />
of the largest gatherings in recent years. My sincere<br />
gratitude to Lake Charles Mayor Nicholas Hunter for<br />
hosting the event, and to the mayors and staffs of<br />
DeQuincy, Iowa, Sulphur, Vinton, and Westlake for cohosting.<br />
Without all of them, this convention could not<br />
have been the great success that it was. Over the course<br />
of the week, we heard from Governor John Bel Edwards,<br />
Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser, Secretary of State<br />
Kyle Ardoin, and Treasurer John Schroder. A very special<br />
thanks to Pineville Mayor Clarence Fields, Councilman<br />
Nathan Martin, and Chief of Staff Rich Dupree for hosting<br />
a fantastic prayer breakfast, complete with over 1,000<br />
attendees, which featured the incredible singing talent<br />
of Ben Waites and an inspirational message by two-time<br />
Olympic medalist and Shreveport native Hollis Conway.<br />
The convention culminated with the installment of<br />
Rayville Mayor Harry Lewis as the Louisiana Municipal<br />
Association President for 2018-2019. Congratulations<br />
to Mayor Lewis and the new LMA officers who will lead<br />
the association through the next year: Mayor Jimmy<br />
Williams of Sibley, First Vice President, and Grosse Tete<br />
Mayor Michael Chauffe, Second Vice President. The LMA<br />
staff and I are very excited to work with President Lewis<br />
and the entire 2018-19 LMA Executive Board to move<br />
the LMA forward this next year. I want to also express<br />
my deep appreciation to our outgoing President, Mayor<br />
Lawrence Henagan of DeQuincy, for his leadership on<br />
behalf of the association, and for his advice and counsel<br />
to me as Executive Director. We look forward to his<br />
Calendar of Events<br />
AUGUST<br />
14 BOAL Training. 2015 IBC Exterior Wall and<br />
Opening Protection (0.3 CEU) and 2015 IBC<br />
and IRC Safety Glazing Provisions (0.3 CEU).<br />
Training is from 9:00 – 4:30 p.m. in the firstfloor<br />
rooms of the LMA office building, 700 N.<br />
10 th St., Baton Rouge, LA 70802<br />
15 LMGA Executive Committee Meeting starts at<br />
10:00 a.m. in the first-floor rooms of the LMA<br />
office building, 700 N. 10 th St., Baton Rouge,<br />
LA 70802<br />
continued service on the LMA<br />
Executive Board as the Immediate<br />
Past President.<br />
During the annual business meeting,<br />
I outlined several initiatives that<br />
the LMA staff has planned for 2018-19. We will be<br />
working with the LMA Building Committee to develop<br />
a master plan for the future development of the LMA<br />
campus, as the area around our offices is undergoing a<br />
construction boom. Next, the LMA staff will begin the<br />
development of a business continuity plan to ensure the<br />
operation of the LMA should the offices be affected by<br />
a natural or manmade disaster, a reality that has been<br />
experienced by another state municipal league. Our<br />
goal is to continue to service our membership without<br />
interruption. We will also update our marketing and<br />
promotional materials, as well as focus on our social<br />
media initiatives to improve our membership outreach.<br />
Further, we will work with state partners to provide more<br />
educational and training opportunities, including for<br />
mayors courts and human resource specialists. Lastly,<br />
we will continue to promote and grow the Louisiana<br />
Municipal Clerks Association’s clerk training assistance<br />
program for municipalities with new clerks who would<br />
benefit from mentorship.<br />
Proving that there is no rest for the weary, the LMA staff<br />
is already working with Monroe Mayor Jamie Mayo and<br />
his staff to plan for the 82nd Annual LMA Convention,<br />
which will be held on August 1-3 at the Monroe Civic<br />
Center. You will soon be receiving an electronic survey<br />
regarding the recent convention and I encourage you to<br />
please give us feedback, whether positive or negative.<br />
We need this information as we strive to bring you a<br />
convention that will meet your needs and expectations,<br />
while continuing to provide you with the service that is<br />
expected from the LMA.<br />
As always, if you are ever in Baton Rouge, please stop by<br />
the LMA offices to say hello. We always enjoy seeing our<br />
municipal officials, and our office is your office.<br />
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<strong>LMR</strong> | August 2018 Page 3
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