[StBernard] Chalmette HR manager Tyrone Ben nominated for St. Bernard seat on east bank levee authority

[Westley Annis]

Chalmette HR manager Tyrone Ben nominated for St. Bernard seat on east bank
levee authority

Print Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune By Mark Schleifstein,
NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune 
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on April 03, 2014 at 7:06 PM, updated April 03, 2014 at 7:19 PM

Tyrone Ben, director of human resources at The Guidance Center, a Chalmette
outpatient behavioral health and counseling center, was selected Thursday as
one of two nominees to be forwarded to Gov. Bobby Jindal to fill a seat on
the east bank levee authority, representing St. Bernard Parish.

An independent nominating committee in March re-confirmed its selection of
Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East President Tim Doody as
the other nominee for the seat he now holds, over Jindal's objections.
Jindal has opposed Doody because he oversaw the authority in July when it
agreed to file a wetlands damages lawsuit against 97 oil, gas and energy
companies.

Ben said Thursday that he has not yet decided whether to support or oppose
the lawsuit if he is chosen by Jindal to take Doody's place on the
authority.

"I haven't made a decision because I don't know the facts, other than the
governor is against it," Ben said during a telephone interview after
Thursday's vote.

Ben said he was asked to submit his name to the selection committee by
former St. Bernard Parish President Craig Taffaro, who now directs the state
Hazard Mitigation Office and represents Jindal's Division of Administration
on the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, which oversees coastal
restoration and levee projects in southern Louisiana.

Ben was the head of human resources for the parish during the Taffaro
administration. 

Ben said Taffaro didn't ask his position on the levee authority's damages
lawsuit when asking that he submit his name to the committee.

"I'm hoping to be open-minded, to represent the parish I live in, and
hopefully the best interests of the area," Ben said.

The vote for Ben was 4-2 by the independent committee. In favor of is
nomination were members Robert Travis Scott, of the Public Affairs Research
Council; Jerry Klier, representing the American Society of Civil Engineers;
Norman Jean Mattei of the University of new Orleans; and chairman Jay
LaPeyre. Voting against nominating Ben were Tulane professor Nick Altiero
and Louisiana Engineering Society representative Lee Alexander.

The committee first rejected recommending lawyer and former St. Bernard
Parish Councilman Michael Ginart Jr. by a 4-2 vote with only Altiero and
Alexander supporting Ginart's nomination.

Earlier, the committee concluded that Sean Doody, Tim Doody's brother, was
no longer being considered for the seat. He had requested his name be
withdrawn after the committee voted to renew its nomination of Tim Doody.

The committee also rejected late entry Jerry Trosclair, since several
members of the committee had not had time to check on his references.

The group also concluded that Joseph Oster Jr. of Chalmette, a retired
paralegal and private investigator, was ineligible because he is is a member
of the St. Bernard Board of Election Supervisors, which is considered to be
a public employee position with the parish. 

Oster also serves on the St. Bernard Parish Republican Executive Committee,
and made an unsuccessful run in 2011 for a seat on the Parish Council. In
public comments before the final votes, Oster recommended the committee
nominate Ginart because of his council experience.

The committee also determined that Chad Lauga Jr., president of Local 130 of
the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers was ineligible because
he is registered as a lobbyist with the state Legislature.