LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / January 28, 2000

LAPLACE – With the beginning of Gov. Foster’s second term in office, threeof his appointments to the South Louisiana Port Commission appear locked in place.

Foster’s present appointees will remain in office, with one exception, according to a spokesman for the governor.

Trey Williams of the governor’s press office said since Foster was elected to another term, any appointment who wishes to serve could continue to do so.

Meanwhile, Honora Gravois of Vacherie, the fourth of Foster’s appointees, announced he would not seek another term, and his nephew, Gregory Gravois, has been mentioned by sources as one of three suggested as a possible replacement.

“I’ve been wanting to get off, with my condition,” Gravois said, referring to the stroke he sustained in 1992.

Gravois said he was told the final list of Foster’s appointees would be known by the April meeting of the commission.

The other Foster appointees on the panel are Brandt Dufrene of First National Bank USA, Louis Joseph of Union Carbide and at-large appointee E.J.Martin of Martin Enterprises.

Meanwhile, parish governments are busy lining up the local appointments to the seven-member panel which governs the Port of South Louisiana.

At present, the commission consists of Gravois and Cart Davis of St. JamesParish, Joseph and Brent Tregre of St. John the Baptist Parish and Dufreneand Joey Murray of St. Charles Parish.Murray, a Destrehan architect, was appointed to a four-year term Jan. 11 toreplace Greg Lier. He was appointed by St. Charles Parish President AlbertLaque.

St. James Parish President Dale Hymel Jr. said Lawrence Jackson, chairmanof the St. James Economic Development Commission, former assistant portdirector Earl White and former Gramercy Mayor Herman Bourgeois are contending for the appointment to replace Davis, who will not be reappointed by Hymel.

Hymel said he would place a nominee with the Parish Council on Feb. 2, withthe vote set for Feb. 16.In addition, St. John Parish President Nickie Monica has declined to name hisplans for the seat now held by Tregre. That announcement will be made atthe Feb. 8 Parish Council meeting.The process of selection to the port commission is: Potential members seek nomination from eight organizations, which forward their nomination to each respective parish president.

The organizations include the Louisiana Farm Bureau, Louisiana AFL-CIO, Southern University River Parishes Alumni Association, River Parishes Chemical Industry Council, Grain Elevator and Processing Society, Greater New Orleans Barge Fleeting Association and New Orleans/Baton Rouge Port Pilots Association.

The parish presidents, in turn, forward a nominee to the parish councils, which chooses one person for each parish on a two-thirds vote.

In addition, the governor selects one person from each parish from nominees submitted to him by the following organizations – River Parishes Chemical Industry Council, Grain Elevator and Processing Society, Greater New Orleans Barge Fleeting Association and New Orleans/Baton Rouge Port Pilots Association.

Also, the governor selects one member at large within the port’s jurisdiction “on the basis of his demonstrated experience in civic leadership and his ability and experience to act effectively for the best interest of the port and the state of Louisiana,” according to state law.

Every appointment is then forwarded to the Louisiana Senate for final confirmation. The terms of all commissioners are to run concurrent withthat of the governor. However, any vacancy in the parish appointments, ifnot filled within 60 days of the vacancy, would be filled by the governor.

The next meeting of the port commission is set Feb. 9 at 6 p.m. at theport’s executive office in LaPlace.

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