Gov. Edwards Announces Boards and Commissions Appointments

Today, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced his appointments to several Louisiana boards and commissions.  

Louisiana Cybersecurity Commission

The Louisiana Cybersecurity Commission’s mission is to advance the State’s cyber ecosystem and position Louisiana as a national leader and preferred location for cyber business, education and research. The 15 member Commission is to identify, prioritize, and mitigate Louisiana’s cyber risk, promote cybersecurity awareness and promoting action including legislative, administrative and regulatory for the security of all Louisiana’s cyber ecosystem and ultimately the enhancement of cybersecurity in Louisiana.

Sarah O. Allen of Baton Rouge has been reappointed to the Louisiana Cybersecurity Commission. Allen is the director of government affairs for Cox Communications.

R. Kyle Ardoin of Baton Rouge has been reappointed to the Louisiana Cybersecurity Commission. Ardoin is the Louisiana Secretary of State.

William E. Bradley III of Choudrant has been reappointed to the Louisiana Cybersecurity Commission. Bradley is the senior vice president of Cyber Engineering and Technology Services at CenturyLink.

Col. Lamar Davis of Port Allen has been appointed to the Louisiana Cybersecurity Commission. Col. Davis is the Louisiana State Police Superintendent.

Leslie K. “Les” Guice Ph.D., P.E. of Ruston has been reappointed to the Louisiana Cybersecurity Commission. Guice is the president of Louisiana Tech University.

Richard “Dickie” Howze of Baton Rouge has been reappointed to the Louisiana Cybersecurity Commission. Howze is the chief administration officer for the Division of Administration.

Ramesh Kolluru Ph.D. of Lafayette has been reappointed to the Louisiana Cybersecurity Commission. Kolluru is the vice president for research, innovation, and economic development for the University of Louisiana Lafayette.

Jeffrey B. Landry of Baton Rouge has been appointed to the Louisiana Cybersecurity Commission. Landry is the vice president of political affairs for the Louisiana Chemical Association.

Jeffrey A. Moulton of Baton Rouge has been reappointed to the Louisiana Cybersecurity Commission. Moulton is the president of Stephenson Technologies Corporation.

Don Pierson Jr. of Baton Rouge has been appointed to the Louisiana Cybersecurity Commission. Pierson is the Louisiana Economic Development Secretary.

Brahmananda Y. Reddy Ph.D. of Ruston has been reappointed to the Louisiana Cybersecurity Commission. Reddy is a professor of computer science at Grambling State University.

Craig C. Spohn of Benton has been reappointed to the Louisiana Cybersecurity Council. Spohn is the executive director of the Cyber Innovation Center and will serve as chairman.

Brig. Gen. Keith Waddell of Lake Charles has been reappointed to the Louisiana Cybersecurity Commission. Brig. Gen. Waddell is the Adjutant General of Louisiana.

Col. James B. Waskom of Abbeville has been reappointed to the Louisiana Cybersecurity Commission. Col. Waskom is the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Director.

Sonya T. Wiley-Gremillion of Pineville has been reappointed to the Louisiana Cybersecurity Commission. Wiley-Gremillion is the executive director at Rapides Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.

Laura E. Wilt of New Orleans has been reappointed to the Louisiana Cybersecurity Commission. Wilt is the chief information officer at Ochsner.

Patient’s Compensation Fund Oversight Board

The Patient’s Compensation Fund is an off-budget unit of the state which is 100 percent self-funded and not pooled in the general fund. The Fund was created in 1975 to provide an affordable and guaranteed medical malpractice coverage system for the private healthcare providers in the state. It basically plays the role of an “excess insurer” of private healthcare providers. The law allows a provider to have financial responsibility for the first $100,000 of exposure per claim whether through insurance or security deposit and enroll in the Fund for the excess coverage and be under an umbrella of the cap on damages. The vast majority of health care providers are enrolled in the Patient’s Compensation Fund and pay surcharges for the coverage and protection provided. The Patient’s Compensation Fund provides protection for the healthcare system, keeping costs down, and providing a guaranteed pool of funds to pay those citizens injured from medical malpractice of private health care providers.

Gregory L. Waddell of Baton Rouge has been reappointed to the Patient’s Compensation Fund Oversight Board. Waddell is the vice president of governmental and regulatory affairs at the Louisiana Hospital Association and will serve as a representative of the class of health care providers contributing the second percentage of the fund’s aggregate surcharge.

Capital Area Groundwater Conservation District

The Capital Area Ground Water Conservation District’s mission is to provide for the efficient administration, conservation, orderly development, and supplementation of groundwater resources in the parishes of East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Pointe Coupee, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana. The board develops, promotes, and implements management strategies to provide for the conservation, preservation, protection, recharging, and prevention of waste of the groundwater resources over which it has jurisdictional authority.

Paul L. Davidson III of Clinton has been appointed to the Capital Area Groundwater Conservation District. Davidson is the executive director of the Black Bear Conservation Coalition and will represent East Feliciana Parish. 

State as a Model Employer Task Force

The State as a Model Employer Task Force’s mission is to enhance the diversity of the public workforce, lead the business community, and highlight the State’s position as a leader in the protection of civil rights for individuals living with disabilities.

Quintillis K. Lawrence of Baton Rouge has been appointed to the State as a Model Employer Task Force. Lawrence is a human resources attorney for the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.