PRESS RELEASE DETAIL
For release: IMMEDIATELY
Release Date: 10/12/2017
Mayor-President Broome officially announces Darryl Gissel as CAO
BATON ROUGE, La. — Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome today officially announced Darryl Gissel as the City-Parish’s chief administrative officer during a morning press conference in City Hall. Gissel will begin supervising day-to-day operations next week.
“I am sure the person I chose (Gissel) shares the same commitment, passion and drive I have to move our parish forward together,” Mayor-President Broome said. “While we were opponents on the mayoral campaign trail, we came together to work for Baton Rouge. He has been a consistent supporter during my term. This is a great example of what can be accomplished in this parish when people from different backgrounds and starkly different political environments can work together.”
The mayor-president reiterated that her administration, which now includes Gissel, will continue to focus on a number of priorities, including job creation, business development and public safety in all neighborhoods.
While not a key chairperson of Mayor-President Broome’s overall transition team, Gissel did serve on one of the subcommittees, offering suggestions and canvassing the public for input about the Office of Community Development.
Darryl Gissel has an extensive background in business, most recently as owner of Oak Real Estate LLC. He also worked with the Westminster Corporation in New Orleans and Chicago.
Gissel is also extremely involved in the community, credited widely with revitalizing the Spanish Town area in Baton Rouge, working with neighbors to combat crime blight. He currently serves as a board member of the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation and the Spanish Town Civic Association. He has also served as chairman of the River Road African-American Museum, Louisiana State Museum Board, Baton Rouge Area Foundation Neighborhood Initiatives Committee, and the Governor’s Commission on Domestic Abuse.
Gissel holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Louisiana State University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of New Orleans. He also participated in the Institute of Comparative Political and Economic Systems at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
During today’s press conference, Mayor-President Broome praised the work of outgoing interim CAO James Llorens, who has been in the position since late April.
“Dr. Llorens has been a friend, a confidant and the ultimate public servant for Baton Rouge,” she said. “He did this not for loyalty to me but for a deep loyalty to public service and to this community.”
Mayor-President Broome said Llorens will aid in Gissel’s transition to the CAO position and brief him on current projects.