SLS 19RS-582 ORIGINAL
2019 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 70
BY SENATOR BOUDREAUX
COMMENDATIONS. Commends Lena Fontenot Charles upon her induction into the St.
Landry Parish Democratic Party Hall of Fame.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To commend and congratulate Lena Fontenot Charles upon her induction into the St. Landry
3 Parish Democratic Party Hall of Fame.
4 WHEREAS, Lena F. Charles is a graduate of Holy Ghost Catholic High School and
5 a native of Opelousas, Louisiana; and
6 WHEREAS, her passion, work, and service in the community involves helping
7 people and working toward raising the quality of lives, while addressing changing systems
8 and structures, that creates a critical option for the poor and marginalized; and
9 WHEREAS, as a project manager, in 2009, Ms. Charles retired from BellSouth after
10 thirty-seven and a half years in which she was responsible for all new projects and managed
11 all network system enhancements and other subordinate managers; and
12 WHEREAS, Ms. Charles graduated from TH Harris Technical College in Business
13 Administration, and as a Certificated Facilitator of Effective Black Parenting, she held
14 classes for ten years; and
15 WHEREAS, for fifteen years, Ms. Charles served as president of the Southern
16 Development Foundation (SDF), a local nonprofit organization that focuses on improving
17 the lives and economic development in the community, having worked on such projects as:
18 the Original Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Music Festival, the Haitian Projects Orphanage,
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SLS 19RS-582 ORIGINAL
1 Primary and Secondary School, University and Small Micro-Loan Services in Haiti, in
2 community financial services providing local micro-loans to the marginalized, and as
3 national chairperson of BUST (Black Unity and Spiritual Togetherness); and
4 WHEREAS, for an additional ten years she served as a board member of SDF and
5 as director of cultural affairs; and
6 WHEREAS, Ms. Charles served as an organizer and activist with the City of
7 Opelousas Economic Development Community; and
8 WHEREAS, she served as President of "Re-Building Together with Christmas in
9 April", an elderly housing program in St. Landry Parish; and
10 WHEREAS, she served as chairperson of the Diocese of Lafayette Campaign
11 Against Poverty, working on such projects as the Diocese of Lafayette Advisory Board of
12 Justice and Peace, co-hosted a local TV show on AOC Lafayette, and as a Holy Ghost
13 Pastoral Council member and workshop facilitator on Evangelization and Social Justice
14 Doctrine; and
15 WHEREAS, Ms. Charles served as the City of Lafayette Goodwill Ambassador
16 being appointed by Mayors Comeau and Dural and on several other boards such as the Child
17 and Youth Services Board, St. Landry Parish Economic Development Board, and as chair
18 of the Opelousas Downtown Development District; and
19 WHEREAS, the St. Landry Democratic Parish Executive Committee annually names
20 persons of high ethical and moral character who have promoted the principles of
21 constitutional equality, personal liberty, economic opportunity, and government and fiscal
22 responsibility whose impact has positively influenced the entire parish and the state; and
23 WHEREAS, the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, who is then considered to
24 be a member of the St. Landry Democratic Party Hall of Fame, is also a person who
25 recognizes and respects the diversity of all Americans and promotes the common unity of
26 all, leading the political party and displaying strong leadership throughout their career; and
27 WHEREAS, Lena F. Charles has demonstrated a devotion to all of these principles
28 of the St. Landry Democratic Party with a lifetime of efforts championing these principles
29 that are so essential to the ideas of American democracy; and
30 WHEREAS, during the Lifetime Achievement Banquet, held on March 26, 2019,
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SLS 19RS-582 ORIGINAL
1 Lena F. Charles was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
2 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
3 does hereby commend and congratulate Lena Fontenot Charles upon her induction into the
4 St. Landry Parish Democratic Party Hall of Fame.
5 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
6 Lena Fontenot Charles.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Ann S. Brown.
DIGEST
SR 70 Original 2019 Regular Session Boudreaux
Commends Lena Fontenot Charles upon her induction into the St. Landry Parish Democratic
Party Hall of Fame.
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