LAPLACE – St. John the Baptist Parish Councilman Jobe’ Boucvalt announced that he will be a candidate for the office of Parish President. The primary election is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 4, with a runoff on Saturday, Nov. 15, if necessary.

In announcing his candidacy, Boucvalt said, “St. John Parish needs a parish president who will bring a fresh vision of the future along with a solid work effort and a commitment to our community.”

Boucvalt, 51, is a Democrat. He has served as chairman of the parish council as well as vice-chairman and was a member of the finance committee. He is a former member of the St. John Sewerage and Water Board and the St. John Parish Planning and Zoning Commission.

Boucvalt has been employed 25 years with Marathon/Ashland. He is trained in emergency fire prevention plans, handling hazardous materials and solid waste, oil spills and incident investigations. He also worked with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on wetlands issues.

“I sincerely believe that I have the experience needed to meet the problems and challenges that face our community,” he said.

Boucvalt is a past president of the LaPlace Lions Club. He has served as a volunteer Little League baseball and football coach for 16 years. He is a veteran of the Naval Air Reserves.

Married 30 years to the former Anne Fulton, Boucvalt is the father of six children and has one grandchild. He is a member of St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church.

“I can be a parish president who will put an end to the political bickering and in-fighting that has plagued our community for much too long,” Boucvalt said.

“I will bring our people togethe so that we can work toward making St. John the Baptist Parish the truly great place that we all know it can be.”