LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / November 21, 1999

LAPLACE – The South Louisiana Port Commission is still on track to select a new executive port director at its Dec. 15 meeting, according toCommissioner Brent Tregre, chairman of the search committee.

Five finalists out of 27 applicants were announced to a meeting of the search committee Wednesday. Of that list of 27 applicants, 14 were fromLouisiana ports and 13 were from outside the state.

Among the finalists, four are from Louisiana ports and the fifth is from Texas, Tregre said. He added no further details would be revealed of anyapplicant until they are presented to the commission.

At Wednesday’s meeting, the committee also voted to allow Greg Young of Greg Young and Associates and H. Thomas Parsons of The Humaneering Co.to proceed with background checks, including employment, criminal and credit checks.

Each will cost $150-250 to perform. Without a quorum of the fullcommission to approve the expenditure, the committee voted to allow the expense, on the expectation the full commission would approve on Dec. 15.Tregre said he hopes the committee can interview those applicants who clear the background checks during the first week of December and present a final recommendation to the commission on Dec. 15.”I feel very comfortable that we’re going on legitimate qualifications,” Tregre added.

Whoever is selected will succeed Gary LaGrange, who accepted a port director job in Mississippi last summer. Assistant director Don Hays hasbeen serving as executive director on an interim basis.

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