This week marks a new chapter in Lafourche Parish history as on Friday, Parish President Archie Chaisson will formally step out of his role and into a new role working in State Government.
Since his announced resignation, social media has done what social media does: we’ve seen some commenters talking good about what Chaisson has done during his time with others talking bad. Others were just downright foolish and hateful in their tone and rhetoric and were saying things that, frankly, they’d never have the courage to say to anyone’s face, much less to the face of an elected official.
Such is life in the year 2025.
But with the platform I have, I want to shine light and use my weekly allotted 700-800 words of space to not talk about politics, but to tell you about Archie Chaisson the man — the guy who I have encountered and worked with for the past several years.
I want to talk about how EVERY time I have called Archie Chaisson during my career with The Gazette, he answered. If he didn’t, he texted me and immediately set up a call-back time. No matter what. Good news. Bad news. It does not matter. There has never been a politician more easy to get a hold of and more willing to share information with me than Archie Chaisson. And that’s in my entire career, which is now 16 years young. Mr. President, I thank you for that.
Away from the job, I want to talk about the man who reached out to me once during a time when I was having health issues. I was in a battle with some throat issues, which was also causing my anxiety issues to creep back into my life.
Without prompt, without my reaching out to him, Archie Chaisson commented on a social media post indicating my struggles, then texted my cell phone. The message? He told me that he would pray for me and told me that he would be there to talk to me 24 hours a day and 7 days a week if I ever needed a sounding board. Imagine that. The dude in charge of an entire parish during a post-pandemic recovery and in the midst of a post-Ida recovery and he was willing to take time out of his day just to let me know that he had my back when I was struggling. That meant a lot to me then. It means a lot to me to this day.
I want to talk about the man who came through for me professionally any time I have needed a favor — a man who has helped me to rent the Lockport Recreation Center for one event, but who also went above and beyond to welcome Alexis Morris into Lafourche for another event I’ve hosted. With literally 16 hours notice, Archie agreed to come to my event, have a plaque made and commit to an entire presentation to welcome my guest.
When I asked, I fully expected to hear ‘no.’ But he delivered. It meant a lot to Alexis. It meant a lot to the kids who were on hand to meet her.
I want to also use my time to tell you about Archie Chaisson the dad, the guy who I always see at Central Lafourche Youth Basketball Games cheering on his girls.
I have been around youth basketball for decades. There are good basketball parents and there are bad basketball parents. I witnessed a man who never questioned the coach, nor his kid’s playing time, but a man who rooted actively for ALL of the girls on ALL of the teams to do well, understanding that youth sports are a tool of growth and the wins and losses right now do not matter, but the life lessons our kids learn through those youth sports are what’s most important.
Politically, I agreed with a lot of Mr. Chaisson’s work for our parish, but there were some things that I didn’t like. That’s the nature of the beast.
In Baton Rouge, it will be the same. I’m sure there will be both critics and also supporters of the new department he will head.
But too often in politics, we lose track of the PEOPLE who are behind the desk — the PEOPLE who when they’re not making laws are just like us, trying to have ordinary lives making an impact on their friends and family.
Mr. Chaisson, you have proven to me time and time again to be a friend. You have gone above and beyond to help me as a reporter and a person.
And for that, I thank you.
May the Red Stick be as good to you as it was to me many moons ago.
Like you told me, I will relay back to you: If you ever need to hear a friendly voice, I am just a phone call away.