02 February 2024 Final

LOUISIANA ASSOCIATION OF MUNICIPAL
SECRETARIES AND ASSISTANTS
LAMSA Conference!
Pack 21visits Pineville Mayor Rich Dupree’s office in city hall.
facility is slated for development on the same twenty-acre
piece of property, representing a $30M investment.
“While it did encompass taking down buildings, doing some
asbestos and other mitigation work, now you’ve got brand
new, multimillion-dollar construction taking its place.”
Reflecting on Pineville’s long partnership with LaMATS, Mayor
Dupree offered some advice for other local government
leaders, especially those new to office.
“I had the experience of working under and learning from
Mayor Clarence Fields for two decades, a chance to learn
from someone who served on the LaMATS Board and taught
me a lot,” he said. “But oftentimes, a new mayor comes in
with so many challenges, so many things that he or she may
need to fix, and really, you don’t know what you don’t know.”
“Take the opportunity to listen to what LaMATS can do for
you,” advised Dupree. “They can shorten obstacles from
a procurement standpoint, acquire equipment or other
things you might need, or help you liquidate things you
don’t know what to do with. LaMATS figures out the best
way to do that,” he said. “That takes stress off a new mayor.
A lot of people will say they want to help, but there aren’t
many groups I’ve encountered with the same sincerity
and ability to
deliver on what
they promised.”
Thank you, Mayor
Dupree! LaMATS
is proud to be a
part of Pineville’s
growth, and we’re
with you every
step of the way!
by Cliff
Palmer
LaMATS Executive
Director
Palmer leads the Louisiana Municipal
Advisory and Technical Services Bureau
(LaMATS) - a subsidiary of LMA. He can
be reached at cpalmer@lamats.net.
The Louisiana Association
of Municipal Secretaries and
Assistants (LAMSA) will hold
their 34th Annual Spring
Conference March 20 – 22,
at Margaritaville Resort &
Casino in Bossier
City. Activities
will commence
on Wednesday
with a tour of
the Bossier Strip,
Mardi Gras Museum,
911 memorial,
and historical
musical spots. Bring
your camera for some unique
photo opportunities! On
Thursday, LAMSA President
Constance Barbin will call
sessions to order, and the
Honorable Mayor of Bossier
City, Thomas Chandler, will
welcome participants. Classes
will begin with a session
on Effective Communication
by Richard Williams, followed
by an interactive work session
on How Well do You
Know Excel.
The Annual Business meeting
will be held at the lunch
hour, honoring those achieving
their designation as Certified
Municipal Assistants.
There will also be an election
of new officers, specifically
three Directors At Large.
After lunch, we will hear from
Tracy Melancon, LMA Director
of Technology and GOSEP
regarding the latest cybersecurity
issues we face. After
a short break, we will hear
from Donna Frazier, Caddo
Parish Attorney, who will give
us the latest updates on employment
law and Human
Resource policies. Ending
the day, the membership will
have round table discussions
where they can talk with their
counterparts about specific
topics they are facing in the
workplace. It is always great
to hear from your peers and
receive valuable information
to bring back to your municipality.
On Friday, we will begin with
our mayor’s panel, and after
evaluations and certificates,
we will hear from an exciting
motivational speaker, Marco
French, 2022 LA. Principal
of the Year, Disney Educator
winner, and recipient of the
National Milken Educator
Award.
Early bird registration is due
March 1, but participants
may continue to send in registrations
by mail or credit
card. For more information,
call President Constance
Barbin at 225-642-9600,
Kristine Scherer at 504-259-
1068, or email lamsa@currently.com.
By Kristine Scherer
LAMSA Conference
Coordinator
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LMR | FEBRUARY 2024