Josh Guillory names interim heads of new LCG departments

LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) — Mayor-President Josh Guillory named two veterans to head the Lafayette Consolidated Government’s two newly-created departments for drainage and roads, bridges and traffic.

Those departments were proposed by Guillory and unanimously approved by both Lafayette City and Parish Councils at the Jan. 21 joint meeting.

The new Drainage Department will be overseen by Brian Smith, while the Traffic, Roads & Bridges (TRB) Department will led by Warren Abadie, according to a press release from LCG this afternoon.

Chad Nepveaux will continue to serve as interim director for the newly reorganized Public Works Department, having been appointed earlier this month.

With 25 years of experience in LCG’s Department of Public Works, Smith has served in several capacities, most recently as the drainage superintendent. Abadie is a certified professional engineer with 15 years of experience in Public Works and most recently held the position of city-parish transportation engineer. Nepveaux is also a tenured Public Works employee with 28 years of experience, having served in several divisions of Public Works during this time, specifically as the street superintendent prior to the interim director appointment.

“It was important to elevate the work of drainage maintenance and traffic, roads, and bridge maintenance to the department level to increase accountability and create efficiencies at the ground level,” said Guillory. “I’m grateful to both Councils for their support of the reorganization. These Interim Directors all come from within the ranks of Public Works and are incredibly knowledgeable of the inner workings of their fields. I am confident that these new Interim Directors are the right leaders in the formative stages of their respective departments. This reorganization is the first major step towards focusing more assets on the priorities that affect our great city and parish.”

Citizens can view Guillory’s presentation to the councils.