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LAPLACE — Natalie Robottom’s path to becoming St. John the Baptist Parish’s first African American and female Parish President was far from conventional. For more than 20 years, she was content working as a speech language pathologist, and the world of government was far from her mind.

Robottom moved to St. John in 1982 and worked for the public school system. Her first role was to provide speech services to children. From there, she became an evaluator, and then an administrator overseeing the entire speech program.

Her husband, Hernendez Robottom, and then-Parish President Nickie Monica had been colleagues for 20 years. During a funeral in November 2003, after Monica had been elected to his second term, he invited Robottom to grab a bite to eat and talk. She didn’t realize that conversation would change the course of her life.

“I was really caught off guard when he asked me if I would consider being his chief administrative officer,” Robottom said. “I knew very little about all of what parish government did.”

Robottom brought the proposal to her husband, who was initially doubtful. Not even 30 minutes later, he came down the stairs and said, “I think you’d be good at it.”

Even after making the decision, Robottom planned to return to speech therapy after four years as CAO.

“I took a chance,” Robottom said. “The reason I was selected to do that was because I’ve always been an organized person and somebody who took charge. I’ve been president of the school organizations. I was on the licensing board. I organized tennis tournaments and American Heart Association fundraisers. I was always involved in a lot of things and had done so successfully.”

She approached her new responsibilities with the precision she’d used in every other job. It led to her running for Parish President in 2007 in a grassroots campaign. That year, she lost to Bill Hubbard.

While she did not win the campaign, it wasn’t long before she received a call from Michel Claudet, the parish president in Terrebonne Parish at the time.

 

He told Robottom, “I heard you can leap tall buildings in a single bound.”

A job offer for parish manager was on the table. Robottom left St. John on a Friday and started work in Terrebone Parish on a Monday. Claudet was a great boss who never missed an opportunity to say “thank you”. That made it so much harder when she got a job offer from the governor’s office only weeks later.

“I was tormented,” Robottom said. “The governor’s office wanted to know what was holding me back, and it was the commitment to the Parish President. So they called him.”

Claudet told her that when the governor calls for you, you probably should go. Soon after, she became the Governor’s Director of the Office of Community Programs.

Two years later, news broke that St. John Parish President Bill Hubbard was under investigation and had resigned. Returning to St. John Parish to run for Parish President was a decision Robottom had to think long and hard about. She consulted District Attorney Tom Daley, Sheriff Wayne Jones, and other elected officials before making the decision to run.

It was a quick turnaround with a special election and only a 10-day transition. Robottom was elected May 1, 2010, and she was in office by May 10, 2010. One of her goals as Parish President was to restore faith in government.

“There was a lot of turmoil going on,” Robottom said. “Lots of investigations. Lots of public records requests. As I selected people to work with me, I wanted to make it clear that it is a public service position. It’s very hard to please everyone, and if you think you’re going to do that, you’re going to lose right off. You just have to do what’s right, and that’s what I try to do.”

Robottom had to research every project and investment so she could present the Parish Council with enough information to make good decisions.

She entered the position knowing the importance of emergency preparedness. Hurricane Isaac was one of the biggest challenges during her tenure, but it also paved the way for full funding for the West Shore Lake Pontchartrain Levee Project in 2018.

“To get the full funding in a non-disaster time was unheard of. It was a lot of work and persistence,” Robottom said. “To see that it is underway with an actual timeline for completion is one of my proudest moments.”

Robottom has advocated for other flood resiliency projects, which include improvements along Main Street, Airline Highway and Belle Terre, in addition to shoring up Lake Pontchartrain with GOMESA dollars to protect against erosion.

Other projects Robottom is proud of include development of new infrastructure, such as REGALA Gym, the St. John Community Center, fire stations and a new Parish Government Complex that leaves room for growth.

“We’ve demonstrated an ability to follow the rules and complete the projects as it should be done,” Robottom said. “We’ve been very successful with generating a match from parish funds to allow additional dollars from the state and federal government. There are some really good people I’ve worked with.”

2015-2019 Chief Administrative Officer LaVerne Toombs met Robottom while working for Senator Mary Landrieu.

“I knew about her leadership skills and commitment before I became an employee here,” Toombs said. She described Robottom as extremely committed, loyal, dedicated and a hard worker.

“The most important component of my five years here is the fact that she pushed us to the limit, to areas we never thought we were capable of,” Toombs said. “She was there to support me. She was patient. I’m forever grateful and thankful to her for that because I’ve gained a lot of knowledge. She’s a strong leader, and she’s real.”

The big question everyone is asking is “What’s next for Natalie Robottom?” The truth is, she hasn’t made any decisions yet.

“It would be a waste for me to take my knowledge and experiences home,” Robottom said. “But I also know the toll being president for 10 years has taken on my family. Whatever I choose to do moving forward, I want to make sure it’s not to this level.”

One thing is for sure; She looks forward to spending more time with her granddaughter, who turned 1 this month.