By Monique Roth
L’Observateur

LAPLACE — Laverne Saulny, a former regional manager for U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, has been hired by St. John the Baptist Parish President Natalie Robottom as a special assistant and assigned to the Department of Economic Development.

Saulny will serve as acting director in the absence of Torri Buckles, who is on extended medical leave.

“We are extremely fortunate to attract someone with Ms. Saulny’s experience and qualifications and we look forward to capitalizing on her experience with government and small businesses to assist the department,” Robottom said.

Saulny’s 20-year career includes work in grantsmanship, presentation and public speaking, program development and implementation and event planning and coordination.

Saulny is the founder of “Write for You,” a consulting firm that provided management and development consulting to non-profit organizations and corporations. While operating “Write for You,” Saulny authored two books, “Tips on Successful Grant Writing” and “Steps on How to Run a Profitable Home-based Business.”

Saulny holds a degree in forensic psychology from Louisiana State University Shreveport and was an Institute of Politics Fellow of Loyola University.