Jim Taliaferro was elected to be the Shreveport city council member for District C in Nov. election last year. Taliaferro was serving as the Caddo Commission member for District 8 at the time of the council election.
He submitted his resignation from the Commission before taking his oath as a council member.
The Commission will have a special meeting of the Caddo Commission on Jan. 12 at 4:30 p.m. to elect an interim Commissioner for District 8. Commission clerk Jeff Everson advises the interim appointment will serve until this year's fall election. Everson said that due to a timing issue the fall ballot will include an interim District 8 and a permanent District 8 selection.
Resumes were submitted for the position by the following persons who live in District 8: Frank Thaxton IV, Jason Frazier, Grace Ann Blake, Lea Desmarteau, Ronald Cothran. Adele Shafferman sent a letter requesting consideration for the position.
Shafferman is an educator, having taught in Caddo schools for 20 years and in private schools for 3 years. She has three sons, one of which lives in Shreveport and a grandson who attends Caddo Magnet High. Safferman did not send a resume as requested and thus the Commission may not consider her for the vacancy.
Ronald Cochran stated his qualifications as 23 years of military service and 15 years in the private sector in various leadership positions. He has a M.Ed. degree in Mild to Moderate-Intervention Specialists from Wright State University and a M.A. degree in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma at Norman, Okla.
Desmarteau’s resume stated that she has had 23 years’ experience as a business owner, community volunteer and industry experience in the field of sleep management. She previously served on the Shreveport Caddo Metropolitan Planning Commission for 10 years and she has won numerous recognition awards.
She has a B.S. degree in Biology from St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Tx.
Blake is a hair stylist and has been a business owner of Avalon Beauty Salon for 25 years. She
attended both Louisiana Technical College Barber Program and LSUS. She manages a staff of 1-15 and she has won numerous awards in her field.
Frasier is currently employed by Calumet Specialty Products, and he has served as a bi-vocational pastor for the Northwest Louisiana Baptist Association since 2017. Frasier was a Shreveport Police officer from Aug. 2019 through April 2022. He has a B.A. in sociology from LSUS and a M.A. in theological studies from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary in Lynchburg, Va.
Thaxton is a businessman that has operated a lawn and landscape business and Outdoor Motorsports in Bossier City. He currently owns LA Floors. He attended LSU Baton Rouge.
Currently the Commission is composed of six Democrats and five Republicans after Taliaferro’s resignation. The selection of the interim commissioner could change the six-six balance of Democrats and Republicans that has existed on the Commission for many years.