After serving 12 years on the St. Charles Parish Council, Terry Authement has announced he’s running for parish president.
“My most important goal is to continue making our parish the great place it is now and into the future for my family and yours,” Authement said. “That means seeing to it that we continue to build on our flood protection-drainage systems, and all parish government services and responsibilities that have and will continue to provide the quality life everyone is accustomed to in St. Charles Parish.”
If elected, the Republican candidate said he also wants to work on building a strong bond with Washington, D.C., and state representatives to seek much needed funds for flood and draining protection projects.
He praised the parish’s grants department as doing “a remarkable job of acquiring funds” and an effort that he wants to continue toward positioning the parish for much needed funding from outside sources.
Although parish officials have said federal dollars for this work is unlikely at this time, Authement maintained more can be done.
“We can and will work with other surrounding communities to build on the fact that we are a part of the region and if we are flooded the effects of that disaster can and will have an economic impact on the rest of the region,” he said. “For this reason, we need the help and commitment from our regional partners to further encourage federal funding for this much needed flood protection.”
Being responsive to constituents is why he was elected three times to the council, Authement said.
“Over the course of that span, I was involved in many aspects of parish government, from helping and communicating with constituents, to approving and negotiating for various contracts dealing with our tax dollars,” he said. “That is of utmost importance to me – to spend our money wisely and efficiently.”
The former councilman said he considers bringing people together to accomplish goals one of his major achievements in office.
Authement outlined how he secured a USDA Rural Development grant that provided sewer service in the Boutte area and resolved open drainage and odor problems; worked with Texaco to donate land to enlarge Des Allemands recreational facilities, and he successfully negotiated with the parish School Board to get the Paradis Elementary School property for a library and then worked with the council and residents to build the facility.
Having retired from Monsanto management in 2007, he said would bring his knowledge from successfully managing people and large projects for 33 years.
“My career in industry has given me proof on how important a role industry and business has in the success of our parish,” he said. “An important goal for me will be to continue assuring the relationship that our parish, industry and business share will be maintained and strengthened wherever and whenever possible.”
His management experience will help lend to a constructive environment in government, Authement said.
“While I believe my successes were not only the work of myself but many others as is the case with our parish, one of my strong skills is the recognition of others efforts and working through steps necessary to learn what we did really well and what maybe we didn’t do so well to develop an environment for learning and improving ourselves and the services we perform,” he said.
Authement said his commitment to serving as parish president also comes from his personal life.
A resident of St. Charles Parish, he has been married to Josie Puglise Authement for 43 years. They have a daughter, Ashley Joyce and her husband, John, and five grandchildren.“All of which I want nothing more for than a wonderful place for my family and yours to grow and live,” he said of their future in the parish. “I can’t think of a better reason to have a strong commitment to do the very best job I can at being your parish president.”
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