By LEONARD GRAY Staff Reporter

LAPLACE – As time ticked away on Joseph Accardo’s contract as executive director of the Port of South Louisiana, the port commission Thursday morning to unanimously extend his contract to May 1.

The commission’s attorney, Joel Chaisson, said the step was necessary, as Accardo’s current contract was due to expire at midnight.

The extension also allows the new port commission to consider Accardo’s contract, as Kathleen Blanco, who becomes governor, could make several new appointments to the commission.

The South Louisiana Port Commission is governed by a board of commissioners, three of whom are appointed by local parish governments, three of whom are appointed by the governor to represent each of the River Parishes and one at-large member from the River Parishes, also appointed by the governor.

Accardo was first selected for the job in February 2000, moving up from being Director of Governmental Affairs for the Port. He currently earns $121,000 per year.

The motion to extend the contract was made by St. John commissioner Bill Hubbard and seconded by St. Charles Commissioner Sheila Bonnette.

Accardo succeeded former assistant director Don Hays, who had been filling in since the departure of Gary LaGrange in the summer of 1999. LaGrange is now director of the Port of New Orleans.

A native of Hester in St. James Parish, Accardo earned his law degree in 1965 and practiced law until March 1997 as a partner in Accardo, Edrington and Golden.

He was also a state representative for the area, from 1972 through 1996, when he chose not to run for re-election and was succeeded by Bobby Faucheux, the current office-holder.

Accardo became General Counsel and Director of Governmental Affairs in 1997, after having served as legal counsel for the Port since 1990.