Jay Dardenne to deliver Manship School鈥檚 commencement address on May 13
05/02/2016
Louisiana Commissioner of Administration and Manship School alum Jay Dardenne will
deliver the commencement address at the Manship School of Mass Communication spring
commencement ceremony on Friday, May 13 at 11 a.m. in the Maddox Field House. Friends,
family and members of the public are invited to attend.
Dardenne was appointed Commissioner of the Division of Administration in January 2016 by Gov. John Bel Edwards. In this capacity, he serves as the state鈥檚 chief administrative officer and principal architect of the $25 billion executive budget.
Dardenne was elected twice as Louisiana鈥檚 Lieutenant Governor, beginning November 2010. He previously served four years as Secretary of State, 15 years as a State Senator and three years as a Baton Rouge Metro Councilman.
As Lieutenant Governor, he headed the Department of Culture Recreation and Tourism, which also includes State Parks, the Louisiana State Museum System, the State Library, the Office of Cultural Development, the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board and Volunteer Louisiana. Louisiana鈥檚 tourism numbers skyrocketed after he took office, setting records each year, the first such increases since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck in 2005.
During his legislative service, he chaired the Senate Finance Committee and authorized legislation granting motion picture tax credits, which paved the way for the film and television industry to bring productions to the state. He also sponsored legislation streamlining the Department of Economic Development, creating a comprehensive Board of Ethics, establishing the Community and Technical College System and providing funding for coastal erosion. In 2003, he was named National Republican Legislator of the Year.
In 2012, he received the National Public Leadership for the Arts Award from Americans for the Arts and the President鈥檚 Award from Louisiana Public Broadcasting. In 2011, he was recognized by the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation for his 鈥渄edication to preserving the cultural heritage and historical resources of Louisiana.鈥� He also was honored for his community and public service by the American Association of State Service Commissions with the inaugural State Leader Award. In 2010, he was named Public Official of the Year by the Louisiana Association of Museums.
He is an active community volunteer, having hosted the Jerry Lewis Telethon for the Muscular Dystrophy Association for more than 30 years.
Dardenne conducts many special presentations about Louisiana, including Why Louisiana Ain鈥檛 Mississippi, a lively and colorful look at Louisiana鈥檚 culture, history, music, literature and politics.
He is an attorney and graduate of Baton Rouge High School, 海角社区 Manship School of Mass Communication and the 海角社区 Law Center. He is a member of the Baton Rouge High School Hall of Fame and the Manship School of Mass Communication Hall of Fame. He is married to the former Cathy McDonald, and they have two grown sons, John and Matthew.鈥�