Baton Rouge - Today, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced his appointments to several Louisiana boards and commissions.

Gov. Edwards announced appointments to the following boards and commissions:

Louisiana Highway Safety Commission
The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission is responsible for developing and administering the state's traffic safety program by cooperating with the federal government and other entities for the purpose of highway safety; preparing highway safety plans; studying, evaluating, and preparing statistics regarding motor vehicle crashes, injuries, and deaths; and obtaining federal funds for use within the state for highway safety purposes.

Jeffrey D. McKneely, of Amite, was reappointed to the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission. Mr. McKneely is the director of finance for Tangipahoa Parish Government. He will serve as an at-large member on the commission.

Mark S. Oxley, of Denham Springs, was reappointed to the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission. Mr. Oxley is a former officer with the Louisiana State Police. He currently works as a consultant. Mr. Oxley will represent the 6th Congressional District.

Russell C. Haman, of Lake Charles, was reappointed to the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission. Mr. Haman is the chief administrative officer for the Calcasieu Parish District Attorney’s Office. He will serve as an at-large member on the commission.

James T. Dickerson, of Plaquemine, was reappointed to the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission. Prior to retiring in 2011, Mr. Dickerson worked with the Highway Safety Grant Program. He will serve as an at-large member on the commission.

Reggie G. Skains, of Downsville, was reappointed to the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission. Mr. Skains is the mayor of the Village of Downsville. He will serve as an at-large member on the commission.

Dustin W. Reynolds, of Dubberly, was appointed to the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission. Mr. Reynolds is a major for the Criminal Division for Administration and Supervision in the Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office. He will serve as an at-large member on the commission.

Rodney G. Arbuckle, of Stonewall, was reappointed to the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission. Mr. Arbuckle is the sheriff of DeSoto Parish. Sheriff Arbuckle will serve as an at-large member on the commission.

Jim Craft, of Lafayette, was reappointed to the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission. Mr. Craft is the executive director of the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice. He will serve as an at-large member on the commission.

 

Red River Waterway Commission
The Red River Waterway Commission was created for the purpose of establishing, operating, and maintaining the Red River Waterway, a navigable waterway system, extending from the vicinity of the confluence of Red River with Old River and the Atchafalaya River northwestward in the Red River Valley to the state boundary.

James Douglas Brown, of Bossier City, was reappointed to the Red River Waterway Commission. Mr. Brown is the president of James M. Brown Real Estate and James M. Brown Builder. He will serve as an at-large member on the commission.

 

Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission
The Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission, created within the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, has control over the destroyer USS KIDD and other property acquired for use as a permanent public Naval and Marine Corps Memorial.

Michael D. Vicari, of Walker, was appointed to the Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission. Mr. Vicari is an investigator for the East Baton Rouge District Attorney’s Office.

 

Louisiana Emergency Response Commission
The Louisiana Emergency Response Commission (LERC) coordinates and supervises implementation of the federal hazardous materials Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act within Louisiana. The LERC develops, coordinates, and leads the state emergency management program, enabling effective preparation for, response to, and recovery from emergencies and disasters in order to save lives, reduce human suffering and minimize property loss.

Joel M. “Joey” Dugas, of Napoleonville, was appointed to the Louisiana Emergency Response Commission. Mr. Dugas is the emergency services and security leader for the Dow Chemical Company. He will serve as an at-large member on the commission.

Guy M. Bonin, of New Iberia, was appointed to the Louisiana Emergency Response Commission. Mr. Bonin is the fire chief for the Iberia Parish Fire District. He will serve as an at-large member on the commission.

 

Louisiana Educational Television Authority
The Louisiana Educational Television Authority serves to promote the use of educational television and technology in the state of Louisiana to further the education and cultural enrichments of its citizens.

Nathalie N. “Nikki” Godfrey, of Baton Rouge, was appointed to the Louisiana Educational Television Authority. Ms. Godfrey is the assistant commissioner for public affairs for the Board of Regents. She will represent the Board of Regents.

Julie T. Cherry, of Baton Rouge, was reappointed to the Louisiana Educational Television Authority. Ms. Cherry is the secretary and treasurer for the Louisiana AFL-CIO. She will represent the Louisiana AFL-CIO.

 

Louisiana D.A.R.E. Advisory Board
The Louisiana D.A.R.E Advisory Board is charged with developing, promoting, monitoring and evaluating the DARE program throughout the state. The board serves as an advisory body to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice in this respect.

Allison B. Hull, of Denham Springs, was appointed to the Louisiana D.A.R.E. Advisory Board. Ms. Hull is a teacher for Livingston Parish Public Schools. She will serve the board as a teacher representing a Louisiana elementary or middle school.

Sandy M. Huval, of Lafayette, was appointed to the Louisiana D.A.R.E Advisory Board. Ms. Huval is the principal for Rene Rost Middle School in Kaplan. She will serve the board as a Louisiana public school principal.

 

Capital Area Human Services District
The Capital Area Human Services District directs the operation and management of community based programs and services relative to public health, mental health, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse services for the parishes of Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Pointe Coupee, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana.

Dana Carpenter, Ph.D., of Baker, was reappointed to the Capital Area Human Services District. Dr. Carpenter is a dean and director of outreach at Southern University. He will represent East Baton Rouge Parish and serve as a representative of developmental disabilities.

 

Pontchartrain Levee District
The purpose of the Pontchartrain Levee District is to operate, maintain and protect the federal levee system(s), specifically authorized and constructed flood control and hurricane risk reduction projects. The district’s function is to ensure the Mississippi River Levee and Hurricane Protection Levee structural integrities are not compromised in any way so that they will function as constructed and designed by the federal government when necessary to prevent or mitigate flood damages throughout the six east bank parishes of this district.

Senecca D. Boudreaux, of Gramercy, was appointed to the Pontchartrain Levee District. Ms. Boudreaux is an educational diagnostician for the St. James Parish School Board. She will represent St. James Parish. As required by statute, Ms. Boudreaux was nominated by a legislator representing St. James Parish.