LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / February 2, 2000

NEW SARPY – St. John Parish’s former utilities director Sammy Accardorebounded after the defeat of Pat McTopy in the St. John parish president’srace to land a new job in St. Charles Parish.Parish President Albert Laque recently hired Accardo as assistant superintendent of public works, a non-classified, appointed position, where he will supervise parish roadway improvement projects.

Accardo, 59, was on the team to elect McTopy as parish president in St.

John Parish. But McTopy was edged out in the first primary and, as of Jan.10 at 12:01 p.m., Accardo was out of his eight-year job as the parish’sutilities director.

The native of Hester and resident of LaPlace since the late 1960s was asked by both Nickie Monica and Carl Baloney (runoff candidates) to stay on, in an interim basis, for at least 90 days.

But, Accardo said, “The window of opportunity was there,” and when the Nov. 20 election results came out he flooded parishes in south Louisiana withhis resume.

Prior to going into government service Accardo grew up in St. James Parish,served in the U.S. Navy and was in private business for several years,including real estate and his own oil company distributorship.

A few years before becoming utilities director in St. John Parish Accardoserved on the parish’s sewer and water boards, including as chairman. WhenArnold Labat won election to the parish’s top post in 1991 he tapped Accardo as his new Utilities Director.

He had just sold his oil company and, as he put it, was looking for a job.

“In 1991, Labat came to my house, sat down and offered me the job,” Accardo said. “It was a challenge for me, but Mr. Labat was a good boss towork for.”As utilities director Accardo was in charge of waterworks and sewerage systems, a double-duty job which often kept him up all night. Now, in St.Charles Parish, he’s an assistant director of public works, under newly- appointed director Steven Fall, in charge of parish road improvements.

While in St. John Parish Accardo instituted and carried out manyimprovements to both sewer and water systems, including renovations on all the parish’s water towers and improved access to the Ruddock wells.

“I’m proud of my eight years as director,” he said. “I had a lot of good peoplearound me.”However, after the election results came out, Accardo knew he needed a job, and not simply an interim position. “I was at a crossroad. It was a familydecision, not a political one,” he said.

So when his position officially ended with the end of Labat’s term in office, as Accardo put it, “At 12:01, I was out the door, in my vehicle and looking for a job.” On Jan. 18, he began in St. Charles Parish.St. Charles Parish was the first one he sent a resume to and the first parishto call back for an interview. He sat down with Albert Laque’s transitionteam and snagged the job. “I had the qualifications and experience,” Accardosaid.

“It’s different,” he continued. “And I will do my job with as much ingenuityand knowledge as I have.”He’ll need it, too, with such thorny projects as the Ormond road raising project at Airline Highway, already running late and snarled with unmarked utility lines and encumbered by a shopping center construction project and the ongoing Airline Highway road overlay project.

Accardo and his wife, Cookie, still live in St. John Parish and have no plans torelocate to St. Charles. Only department heads have to relocate, heexplained.

“I’m the new kid on the block,” Accardo concluded. “but with experience.”

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