HLS 23RS-4093 ORIGINAL
2023 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 146
BY REPRESENTATIVE MCKNIGHT
COMMENDATIONS: Commends Michael J. Olivier on the occasion of his retirement
from the Committee of 100 for Economic Development
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To commend Michael J. Olivier on the occasion of his retirement from the Committee of
3 100 for Economic Development.
4 WHEREAS, Mr. Michael Olivier is a native of St. Mary Parish and has dedicated
5more than four decades of his life to service in the field of economic development, devoting
6most of his career to encouraging national and international companies to invest in
7Louisiana; and
8 WHEREAS, Mr. Olivier graduated from Centerville High School in 1968 and
9attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where he received a bachelor's degree in
101972 and masters degree in 1974; and
11 WHEREAS, Mr. Olivier has been married to his wife, Penelope, for forty-five years,
12and they have two daughters, Emily Patterson and Mallory Olivier, and two grandchildren,
13Gray and Hayes; and
14 WHEREAS, Mr. Olivier has served with distinction as the chief executive officer of
15the Committee of 100 for Economic Development since 2009; he began his career in
16economic development as the executive director of the Lafayette Economic Development
17Authority and served as the head of the Harrison County Development Commission in
18Mississippi for eighteen years; and
19 WHEREAS, Mr. Olivier returned to Louisiana to serve as the secretary of Louisiana
20Economic Development under Governor Kathleen Blanco from 2004 to 2008 and helped
21lead the state's business recovery effort following the devastation caused by Hurricanes
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HCR NO. 146
1Katrina and Rita; in 2005, he led Louisiana Economic Development to achieve the
2International Organization for Standardization 9001 certification and the International
3Economic Development Council Accredited Economic Development Organization
4designation, both firsts-in-the-nation for a state economic development agency; and
5 WHEREAS, Mr. Olivier was also named as "One of the Top 10 in the U.S. to Make
6a Difference in Economic Development" by Southern Business and Development magazine
7and his work led Louisiana to be named "State of the Year" for the first time by Southern
8Business and Development magazine; and
9 WHEREAS, Mr. Olivier was named the 2006 winner of the Lifetime Achievement
10Award for Excellence in Economic Development by the International Economic
11Development Council; and
12 WHEREAS, Louisiana Economic Development, during Mr. Olivier's tenure, was
13awarded by CORENET Global the 2007 Economic Development Leadership Award in
14Strategies and Innovation for the business recovery work accomplished after Hurricanes
15Katrina and Rita; and
16 WHEREAS, Mr. Olivier has been a president of the Southern Economic
17Development Council and was a ten-year board member and officer of the American
18Economic Development Council; and
19 WHEREAS, Mr. Olivier was named "Mississippi's Economic Developer of the Year"
20in 1999 by Business Week; and in 2002, Southern Business and Development magazine
21named him one of the "Top 10 Economic Developers of the Decade"; he also won the
22American Economic Development Council's Distinguished Service Award in 1995, 1996
23and 1997; and
24 WHEREAS, Mr. Olivier still serves on the Louisiana Board of International
25Commerce and the Restore Louisiana Task Force appointed by Louisiana Governor John Bel
26Edwards; additionally, he was named the Eugene Schreiber Award Winner for 2019 by The
27World Trade Center of New Orleans in recognition of his many years of international
28economic development work; and
29 WHEREAS, under Mr. Olivier's leadership, the Committee of 100 for Economic
30Development worked with the Tax Foundation in 2015 to develop what has become one of
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HCR NO. 146
1the key frameworks for tax reform in Louisiana, and with the committee he helped lead a
2highly-successful and unique partnership with the Council for A Better Louisiana and the
3Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana to create the nonpartisan RESET Louisiana
4initiative to inform candidates for the legislature on issues critical to the future of Louisiana;
5and
6 WHEREAS, his jovial personality, love of travel, pursuit of "foodie" adventures, and
7commitment to the betterment of Louisiana are known and appreciated by many and he is
8most deserving of the highest recognition for his service.
9 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
10commend Michael J. Olivier on the occasion of his retirement from the Committee of 100
11for Economic Development and does hereby extend sincerest wishes that he continue to
12prosper in all of his endeavors.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HCR 146 Original 2023 Regular Session McKnight
Commends Michael J. Olivier on the occasion of his retirement from the Committee of 100
for Economic Development.
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