BATON ROUGE – On Friday, Governor Bobby Jindal announced appointments to the Louisiana Commission on Marriage and Family.  Jindal ran and was elected as a social conservative and a number of his appointments appear to reflect that political agenda. 

The Louisiana Commission on Marriage and Family is an entity within the executive department that serves to propose programs, policies, incentives and curriculum regarding marriage and family by collecting and analyzing data on the social and personal effects of marriage and child-bearing within the state of Louisiana.

According to the statute, the commission is comprised of a maximum of twenty-nine members including the governor, the secretary of the Department of Social Services, the secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals, the director of the Louisiana Workforce Commission, the commissioner of higher education, the superintendent of the Department of Education, the executive director of the Children’s Cabinet, the executive director of the Office of Women’s Policy, the director of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or their designees. The remaining twenty members are gubernatorial appointments, including the following:

·         Two members of the Louisiana State Senate selected from nominations submitted by the president of the Senate;

·         Two members of the House of Representatives selected from nominations submitted by the speaker of the House of Representatives;

·         A representative of the Louisiana Women’s Policy and Research Commission;

·         A member of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education;

·         A member representing the interests and concerns of two-parent families;

·         A member representing the interests and concerns of single-parent families; and

·         Twelve members who have significant academic and/or professional expertise in one or more of the following areas:

o       Marriage education and/or marriage skills training;

o       Marriage, family and/or juvenile counseling and/or mediation;

o       Education;

o       Law;

o       Public health;

o       Sociology, social science, and/or social work; and

o       Community programs and/or assistance.

Appointments to the Louisiana Commission on Marriage and Family:

Tim Barfield, of Baton Rouge, is the director of the Louisiana Workforce Commission. Barfield will serve as an ex-officio member, as required by statute.

Sen. Sharon Broome, of Baton Rouge, is a member of the Louisiana State Senate representing the 15^th District and will serve as chair of the commission. Broome was nominated by the president of the Senate, as required by statute.

Dr. Sally Clausen, of Baton Rouge, is the commissioner of higher education. Clausen will serve as an ex-officio member, as required by statute.

Sen. A.G. Crowe, of Slidell, is a member of the Louisiana State Senate representing the 76^th District. Crowe was nominated by the president of the Senate, as required by statute.

Penny Dastugue, of Mandeville, is a member of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. Dastuge will serve as a representative of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, as required by statute.

Heather Doss, of Lafayette, is the COO of Flex Med Medical Staffing & Training, a healthcare staffing company. Doss will serve as an individual with expertise in public health, as required by statute.

Wayne DuBose, of Minden, is a minister at First Baptist Church in Minden. DuBose will serve as an individual with expertise in marriage, family and juvenile counseling and mediation, as required by statute.

Rep. Brett Geyman, of Lake Charles, is a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives representing the 35^th District. Geyman was nominated by the speaker of the House of Representatives, as required by statute.

Rep. Frank Hoffman, of West Monroe, is a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives representing the 15^th District. Hoffman was nominated by the speaker of the House of Representatives, as required by statute.

Mike Johnson, of Shreveport, is the senior legal counsel for Alliance Defense Fund, a family advocacy organization, and is a member of the American Bar Association. Johnson will serve as an individual with expertise in the legal field, as required by statute.

Daniel Kirk, of Broussard, is the program manager of the Governor’s Program on Abstinence. Kirk will serve as the governor’s designee, as required by statute.

Jerri LeDoux, of Deridder, is a homeschooling mother. LeDoux will represent the interests and concerns of two-parent families, as required by statute.

Alan Levine, of Baton Rouge, is the secretary of the Department of Health Hospitals. Levine will serve as an ex-officio member, as required by statute.

Fred Lowery, of Bossier City, is the senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Bossier City. Lowery will serve as an individual with expertise in marriage education, as required by statute.     

Gene Mills, of Sunshine, is the executive director of Louisiana Family Forum, a family advocacy organization. Mills will serve as an individual with expertise in community programs and assistance, as required by statute.

Dr. Alison Neustrom, of Baton Rouge, is the assistant secretary for the Office of Family Support. Neustrom will serve as the secretary of the Department of Social Services’ designee, as required by statute. 

Paul Pastorek, of River Ridge, is the superintendent of the Department of Education. Pastorek will serve as an ex-officio member, as required by statute.

Tony Perkins, of Baton Rouge, is the president of Family Research Council, a family advocacy organization.. Perkins will serve as an individual with expertise in community programs and assistance, as required by statute.

Dino Rizzo, of Baton Rouge, is the pastor of Healing Place Church in Baton Rouge. Rizzo will serve as an individual with expertise in marriage, family and juvenile counseling and mediation, as required by statute.

Katherine Spaht, of Baton Rouge, is a retired LSU Law Center law professor. Spaht will serve as an individual with expertise in education, as required by statute.

Dorothy Wallis, of Baton Rouge, is the president of Caring to Love Ministries, a family advocacy organization, and radio host to the show Love Radio which broadcasts throughout Louisiana and online. Wallis will serve as an individual with expertise in marriage education, as required by statute.     

Janie Wise, of Alexandria, is the Missions and Ministry Strategist for the Louisiana Baptist Convention’s Women’s Ministry. Wise will serve as a representative of the Louisiana Women’s Policy and Research Commission, as required by statute. 

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