Eugenie "Ann" Wise Boulet
April 2, 2008Getting fit for the beach; good books to take along
April 4, 2008
The second time around proved to be a charm for Lafourche Parish’s Crystal Chiasson. The Lafourche Parish Council confirmed her appointment last week as parish administrator, making her the fourth of seven directors to be hired.
In March, the council essentially fired Parish President Charlotte Randolph’s nine department chiefs.
With a deadline looming to appoint three directors – Finance, Public Works and Community
Service heads – the parish council approved Chiasson’s appointment by a 6-2 vote. Councilmen Joe Fertitta and Philip Gouaux voted against the measure.
Chiasson previously served for 14 months as an executive assistant to former parish administrator Cullen Curole. Since his departure, Chiasson had stepped up to assist Randolph in running the parish government.
Chiasson, a native of Assumption Parish, is a 1984 graduate of Nicholls State University with a degree in office administration.
“I feel that I possess the qualities of a parish administrator,” she said. “I started out working for lawyers and engineers. Working with architects and engineers from Thibodaux, I have assisted with various projects in Lafourche Parish. I’ve dealt with architects as they go through the different design and construction phases. Those are some of the things a parish administration should be able understand. Since I worked in the field, I can understand the processes and this will be a benefit to the parish.”
Chiasson’s first job is to streamline the parish government, ensuring that all the departments work effectively and efficiently.
“We need to work as a team to keep Lafourche Parish moving forward,” she said.
As the second in command, Chiasson oversees government policy and procedures, and communicates potential agenda items to the parish council and other department heads.
At next Tuesday’s council meeting, the council will vote on a director for the Communication Service Department.
Unfortunately, the parish Finance and Public Works director slots are still up for grabs. Randolph believes that the lack of interest revolves around stability.
“I feel that the major concern applicants are having is the stability of the position,” she said. “People have realized that within two weeks, if the council is not happy with [the employee’s] performance, [the employee] can be terminated. A person with steady employment isn’t going to risk being unemployed.”
However, the parish president said the workers in both departments have increased their work productivity by 150 percent.
“This seamless transition has taken a lot out of everybody,” she said. “But I applaud the staff for stepping up when it’s needed the most. Everyone is willing to take on more responsibility to help.”
