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:

Capital Area Groundwater Conservation District
The mission of the Capital Area Ground Water Conservation District is to provide for the efficient administration, conservation, orderly development, and supplementation of groundwater resources in the parishes of East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Pointe Coupee, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana. The board develops, promotes, and implements management strategies to provide for the conservation, preservation, protection, recharging and prevention of waste of the groundwater resources over which it has jurisdictional authority.

John E. Jennings, of Baton Rouge, was reappointed to the Capital Area Groundwater Conservation District. Mr. Jennings is a geologist supervisor with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and will serve as a representative of the DEQ.

 

Pilotage Fee Commission
The Pilotage Fee Commission exists to establish and fix rates and fees charged by commissioned river pilots working on the Mississippi and Calcasieu rivers in the State of Louisiana.

Edward “Michael” Bopp, of Covington, was appointed to the Pilotage Fee Commission. Capt. Bopp is the president of the Crescent River Port Pilots’ Association and will serve as its representative on the commission.

 

Louisiana Physical Therapy Board
The Louisiana Physical Therapy Board licenses and regulates physical therapists and physical therapist assistants who wish to work in Louisiana. The Board is mandated to interpret the scope of practice for physical therapy, write regulations and discipline licensees who have violated the law.

Julie Ann D. Harris, DPT, of Greenwood, was appointed to the Louisiana Physical Therapy Board. Dr. Harris is a licensed physical therapist with Louisiana State University Health Science Center in Shreveport. As required by state, she was nominated by and will serve as a representative of the Louisiana Physical Therapy Association.

 

State Parks and Recreation Commission
The State Parks and Recreation Commission promotes the goals and objectives of the Office of State Parks, acts in an advisory capacity to the Office and screens qualified projects for federal grants administered by the Office.

Lisa T. Nelson, of St. Martinville, was reappointed to the State Parks and Recreation Commission. Ms. Nelson is a registered nurse with Iberia Medical Center. She was nominated by and will serve as a representative of the Police Jury Association of Louisiana, Inc., as required by statute.

Norman C. Ferachi, of Baton Rouge, was appointed to the State Parks and Recreation Commission. Mr. Ferachi is the president of Norman C. Ferachi and Associates, Inc. As required by statute, he was nominated by and will serve as a representative of the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation (formerly known as the Louisiana Preservation Alliance).

 

Louisiana Agricultural Finance Authority
The Louisiana Agricultural Finance Authority has the power to provide financial assistance to the Louisiana agricultural community. It has financed, constructed and owns most of the office buildings and supporting facilities utilized by the Department of Agriculture.

Calvin P. Viator, Ph.D., of Thibodaux, was reappointed to the Louisiana Agricultural Finance Authority. Dr. Viator is the owner of Calvin Viator, Ph.D., and Associates, LLC. As required by statute, he was nominated by the Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives.

Jeanine L. Herrington, of Clayton, was appointed to the Louisiana Agricultural Finance Authority. Ms. Herrington is the executive vice president and chief administrative officer and lender of Delta Bank. She was nominated by and will serve as a representative of the Louisiana Bankers Association, as required by statute.

 

Louisiana Sentencing Commission
The Louisiana Sentencing Commission serves to develop felony sentencing guidelines that ensure similarly situated offenders are treated similarly and that the penalties imposed are proportionate to the crime committed. Additionally, an examination of the statues and policies related to sentencing is done to relate those provisions and other laws to the use of correctional programming designed to facilitate offender re-entry.

Blair D. Edwards, of Independence, was appointed to the Louisiana Sentencing Commission. Judge Edwards is a juvenile court judge for the 21st Judicial District Court. She will serve as a judge with experience hearing juvenile cases.

 

Sparta Groundwater Conservation District
The guiding purpose and primary objective of the Sparta Ground Water Conservation District Commission is to conserve, protect, restore and maintain the Sparta Formation Aquifer as a continuing source of high quality, potable water for current and future consumers by promoting conservation measures and the development of alternate sources of fresh water, pursuant to the authority and responsibility granted by the State of Louisiana.

Jerry W. Taylor, of Farmerville, was appointed to the Sparta Groundwater Conservation District. Mr. Taylor is the District 3 police juror for Union Parish and will serve as the representative of Union Parish.

 

Louisiana State Board of Dentistry
The mission of the Louisiana State Board of Dentistry is to protect the public by regulating the professions of dentistry and dental hygiene in Louisiana in accordance with the Dental Practice Act.

Carlos M. Suadi, D.D.S., of Baton Rouge, was appointed to the Louisiana State Board of Dentistry. Dr. Suadi is a dentist and the owner of BR Dental Care. As required by statute, he was nominated by and will serve as a representative for the 8th Electoral Division of the Louisiana State Board of Dentistry.