Commencement to be held May 20

The public is invited to attend the 33rd commencement ceremony for LSMSA to be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 20, in Prather Coliseum on the campus of Northwestern State University.

The guest speaker will be Jay Dardenne, Commissioner of the Division of Administration for the state of Louisiana.

Dardenne was appointed as commissioner in January 2016 by Gov. John Bel Edwards. In this capacity, he serves as the state’s chief administrative officer and principal architect of the $25 billion executive budget.

He was elected twice as Louisiana’s lieutenant governor. He previously served four years as Secretary of State, 15 years as a state senator and three years as a Baton Rouge Metro councilman.

As lieutenant governor, he headed the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, which also includes state parks, the state museum system, state library, Office of Cultural Development, the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board and Volunteer Louisiana. The state’s tourism numbers skyrocketed after he took office, setting records each year, the first such increases since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck in 2005.

During his legislative service, he chaired the Senate finance committee and authorized legislation granting motion picture tax credits, which paved the way for the film and television industry to bring productions to the state. He also sponsored legislation streamlining the Department of Economic Development, creating a comprehensive Board of Ethics, establishing the Community and Technical College System and providing funding for coastal erosion. In 2003, he was named National Republican Legislator of the Year.

In 2012, he received the National Public Leadership for the Arts Award from Americans for the Arts and the President’s Award from Louisiana Public Broadcasting. In 2011, he was recognized by the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation for his “dedication to preserving the cultural heritage and historical resources of Louisiana.” He also was honored for his community and public service by the American Association of State Service Commissions, with the inaugural State Leader Award. In 2010, he was named Public Official of the Year by the Louisiana Association of Museums.

He is an active community volunteer, having hosted the Jerry Lewis Telethon for the Muscular Dystrophy Association for more than 30 years.

For more information about LSMSA graduation, contact Shirley Dobson at 318-357-2500 or sdobson@lsmsa.edu