THIBODAUX, La. (WGNO) — While making an appearance at Nicholls State University Wednesday, Governor Jeff Landry announced four new appointments within the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.
Former Terrebonne Parish President Gordy Dove will serve as chairman of the agency.
“I am honored to be appointed by Governor Landry as Chairman of CPRA—entrusted with Louisiana’s wetlands, bayous, coastline, marshes, barrier islands, levees, floodgates, etc.,” Dove said.
Dove was an elected state representative from 2004 to 2016 and served as chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources and the Environment. Additionally, he served on the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority in the House of Representatives.
Glenn Ledet, Jr. will serve as CPRA’s executive director.
Ledet currently serves as the lead and vice president on water resources and the coastal market sector at Neel-Schaffer, Inc.
“Together, we’ll shape resilient solutions, fostering environmental sustainability across the coast of our wonderful state,” said Ledet.
Tony Alford will serve as chairman of the governor’s advisory commission.
Alford brings 35 years of insurance experience and is a founder of the Alford & Associates Insurance Services LLC. Over the past 20 years, he has served as president of the Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District.
After thanking Landry, Alford said, “I look forward to rebuilding Louisiana’s coast as we have done and continue to do here at home.”
Ben Bienvenu will serve as the commissioner of conservation.
For more than 30 years, Bienvenu has worked on offshore platforms and rigs as a drilling supervisor.
“I am looking forward to working with Governor Landry’s administration by balancing conservation of our state’s precious natural resources with long term economic value creation for our communities, people, and industry partners,” Bienvenu said.
Dustin Davidson will serve as chief of staff for the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources.
Davidson’s latest job venture was at the Waterways Council Inc. where he helped deliver funding to large-scale infrastructure projects, working with Congress and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
“Throughout history, Louisiana has maintained a critical role in producing, refining, and exporting energy throughout the nation and the world while also hosting a diverse coastal ecosystem that makes the Florida Everglades look like a roadside petting zoo,” Davidson said.
Nicholls State University Professor of Honor Studies Gary LaFleur said he is pleased with the CPRA appointments but would like Landry to also address student advancement.
“We’re happy to have someone from Terrebonne Parish, leading the CPRA,” LaFleur said. “That’s good for Terrebonne and Lafourche [parishes]. So, if I had a question asked, it would have been, ‘What’s your plan to support universities to send students up the chain of command to be in those agencies. That’s what we want to do.”
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