On June 4th of this year Shreveport Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC) Executive Director Alan Clarke advised the Shreveport City Council that he will retire on Dec. 31 of this year. Clarke has worked for the City of Shreveport for 46 years.
The MPC Board must select a replacement for Clarke. The MPC board members are Winzer Andrews (chair), Rachel Jackson (vice chair) Toni Thibeaux (Secretary), Chris Elberson, Bill Robertson, Rose Wilson McCollough, Gabriel Balderas, Fred Moss VI and Harold Sater.
Chairman Andrews gave an update on the replacement process at the MPC Board meeting on Aug. 6. Here are the highlights of his report:
a. Andrews has appointed a Search Committee composed of Moss, Sater, Thibeaux, Elberson and himself;
b. Andrews is the chair of the committee;
c. Thibeaux with the assistance of MPC staff member Kamin Hooks will be the public information person for the committee;
d. The search committee represents a quorum of the board;'
e. The committee has met with the Human Resources Department and the City Attorneys Office for guidance on the search process;
f. All future meetings of this committee will be open to the public;
e. A draft job description will be formulated by the MPC staff and it will be reviewed by the committee with a final job description approved by the committee;
f. It has not been decided if a budget will be needed to effectuate the search process;
g. The new Executive Director will be approved by a majority of the MPC Board.
Needless to say, the search committee should expedite its efforts. If a new Executive Director is not hired effective Jan. 1, 2026, it is likely that Deputy Director Stephen Jean will serve as the interim Executive Director.