By ROBIN SHANNON

Staff Reporter

LAPLACE – After nearly a month of interviews with over 100 applicants, President elect Bill Hubbard announced Thursday he has put the finishing touches on his administrative cabinet, naming directors of Human Resources, and Health and Human Services.

Hubbard also said Thursday that he has decided to delay filling director positions in Planning and Zoning and Public Works so that he can review those departments and restructure the operations using his business background and experience in planning and zoning in St. John Parish.

The president-elect said he wants to re-organize the work order system of the Public Works department so that it can deliver faster service to residents, and cut down on the parish’s overtime. He also wants to restructure the department so that public works employees are in jobs that best suit them.

Transition coordinator Buddy Boe said Hubbard would act as director of these departments until a suitable director can be named. He said Hubbard has 20 years of experience in public works and planning and zoning, and the president-elect is looking forward to the opportunity to work with employees at the ground level.

In Thursday’s release, Hubbard said the Department of Human Resources will continue to be led by present director Stacey Cador.

Cador, a West Bank native who holds a masters degree in management, is a certified human resource professional. He will be responsible for overseeing the personnel files of the parish employees, along with monitoring training, documentation, and overtime pay.

“Having someone with Stacey’s knowledge serve as a liaison between the administration and the civil service employees will allow everyone employed by the parish of St. John to work as a team,” said Hubbard. “With Stacey serving as a monitor of the parish’s overtime, it will finally give the administration the ability to cut overtime pay, which totaled nearly $900,000 in 2007.”

For Health and Human Services Director, Hubbard selected Eloise Joseph, a 20-year veteran of the Health and Human Services department. Joseph will take over for current director Raynette Lennix, who is leaving the parish for another job.

“In a department where caring is the number one job description, Eloise definitely fits that requirement,” said Hubbard of Joseph, a community action supervisor.

Hubbard said that when he first set out to build his cabinet, he told the public he would not necessarily clean house, and that promise was kept. Six of the eight positions filled over the past month were filled by present directors.

“The people of St. John voted to give the parish a new driver,” said Hubbard. “I ran on a promise of new leadership and a new direction, and with this team of department heads we will make monumental change that the people of St. John will be able to see, sense, and touch.”