ANNA MONICA / L’Observateur / October 18, 1999

If it’s for the community good, Greg “Za” Maurin is probably involved.

Most know him through his work with the St. John the Baptist Sheriff’s Office,where Maurin is a lieutenant and also community relations director.If his jobdidn’t keep him involved in the community, his outside activities certainly would.

Maurin’s father was Henry “Foot” Maurin, and his mother is the former Alice Montz Maurin. He has had his nickname since he can remember. He was told heasked plenty questions and his phrase was “what’s zat?” Thus, he became forevermore, “Za.” After his father’s sudden death, while Maurin was studyingpsychology in graduate school, he decided to come home in 1981 to be with family. He got a job with the sheriff’s office doing community relations and hasbeen there since.

Supervising resource officers in the parish Redirection Center and other schools is part of his job. Maurin also supervises all drug prevention programs that thesheriff’s department sponsors and, including DARE, the Robot Program for kid’s issues and the PASSED program for high school students. He also supervises theSenior Citizen Program, TRIAD and SALT, the latter being Seniors and Lawmen Together where senior concerns are pinpointed and addressed.

Part of his job, Maurin says, is serving on community boards, including the United Way for which he makes presentations, the River Parishes Mental Health Center, ARC and Red Cross. If that isn’t enough, he is also on the school board’sBlue Ribbon Committee, a group of business and government people who meet with the school district’s staff to work with school administration. Theseactivities may seem overwhelming to some, but Maurin relishes them and says “my job is to get the sheriff’s department involved in the community.”Involved is a good word to describe the life Maurin leads. His work with thesheriff’s office fits in perfectly with what he likes to do, and he does it all very well with the job overlapping his other interests, such as being president of the sheriff’s employee group called “Crime Fighters.” He also helps put on theannual Andouille Festival race and works with other organizations that want to be involved.

The annual MS Tour for Cure bicycle ride finds Maurin participating each year, and the picture of him running the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics in May each year is familiar to many. With running buddy, JudgeThomas Daley, he works on the Parish Clean and Green Committee where they give trees away and put out barrels for trash collection. They also worked ongetting a grant from the DEQ to help provide litter barrels.

Now 44 years old, Maurin attended Holy Cross and graduated from Riverside Academy. He finished the University of Southwestern Louisiana in 1980 Hisuncle is the area’s beloved Poose Maurin, and the well known Juliette Maquar is his aunt. The former Shelly Smith of Norco is his wife, and her dad is AllenSmith Jr., formerly of Reserve. Their three children are 11-year-old twins,Rachael and Carly, and 7-year-old Alaney.

Family life is important to Maurin, and his family worships together at St. Joanof Arc in LaPlace. He includes his family in as many activities as possible,including those with the Knights of Columbus organization. Road races are partof the athletic Maurin’s life and he does triathlons (swimming, biking and running) two to three times a year and duathons (biking and running) twice a year. Whereas Shelly likes taking the daughters to movies, Za would rather theygo to live theatre. Having his father-in-law’s motor home to use sometimes is adefinite plus, he adds.

In spite of his busy life, Maurin still finds time for more. He has started a newrunning club called “Le Bon Temp” of which he is president. Dale Hymel, St.James Parish president is a member and treasurer of the club, Christine Accardo is secretary and Richard Holmes is vice president. They have plans toinclude family runs and other family activity.

The phone keeps ringing in Maurin’s LaPlace office. He takes every call. He isliving proof that if you want something done, give it to a busy man.

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