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2023 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 146
BY REPRESENTATIVE MCKNIGHT
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To commend Michael J. Olivier on the occasion of his retirement from the Committee of
100 for Economic Development.
WHEREAS, Mr. Michael Olivier is a native of St. Mary Parish and has dedicated
more than four decades of his life to service in the field of economic development, devoting
most of his career to encouraging national and international companies to invest in
Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Olivier graduated from Centerville High School in 1968 and
attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where he received a bachelor's degree in
1972 and masters degree in 1974; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Olivier has been married to his wife, Penelope, for forty-five years,
and they have two daughters, Emily Patterson and Mallory Olivier, and two grandchildren,
Gray and Hayes; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Olivier has served with distinction as the chief executive officer of
the Committee of 100 for Economic Development since 2009; he began his career in
economic development as the executive director of the Lafayette Economic Development
Authority and served as the head of the Harrison County Development Commission in
Mississippi for eighteen years; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Olivier returned to Louisiana to serve as the secretary of Louisiana
Economic Development under Governor Kathleen Blanco from 2004 to 2008 and helped
lead the state's business recovery effort following the devastation caused by Hurricanes
Katrina and Rita; in 2005, he led Louisiana Economic Development to achieve the
International Organization for Standardization 9001 certification and the International
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Economic Development Council Accredited Economic Development Organization
designation, both firsts-in-the-nation for a state economic development agency; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Olivier was also named as "One of the Top 10 in the U.S. to Make
a Difference in Economic Development" by Southern Business and Development magazine
and his work led Louisiana to be named "State of the Year" for the first time by Southern
Business and Development magazine; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Olivier was named the 2006 winner of the Lifetime Achievement
Award for Excellence in Economic Development by the International Economic
Development Council; and
WHEREAS, Louisiana Economic Development, during Mr. Olivier's tenure, was
awarded by CORENET Global the 2007 Economic Development Leadership Award in
Strategies and Innovation for the business recovery work accomplished after Hurricanes
Katrina and Rita; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Olivier has been a president of the Southern Economic
Development Council and was a ten-year board member and officer of the American
Economic Development Council; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Olivier was named "Mississippi's Economic Developer of the Year"
in 1999 by Business Week; and in 2002, Southern Business and Development magazine
named him one of the "Top 10 Economic Developers of the Decade"; he also won the
American Economic Development Council's Distinguished Service Award in 1995, 1996
and 1997; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Olivier still serves on the Louisiana Board of International
Commerce and the Restore Louisiana Task Force appointed by Louisiana Governor John Bel
Edwards; additionally, he was named the Eugene Schreiber Award Winner for 2019 by The
World Trade Center of New Orleans in recognition of his many years of international
economic development work; and
WHEREAS, under Mr. Olivier's leadership, the Committee of 100 for Economic
Development worked with the Tax Foundation in 2015 to develop what has become one of
the key frameworks for tax reform in Louisiana, and with the committee he helped lead a
highly-successful and unique partnership with the Council for A Better Louisiana and the
Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana to create the nonpartisan RESET Louisiana
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initiative to inform candidates for the legislature on issues critical to the future of Louisiana;
and
WHEREAS, his jovial personality, love of travel, pursuit of "foodie" adventures, and
commitment to the betterment of Louisiana are known and appreciated by many and he is
most deserving of the highest recognition for his service.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
commend Michael J. Olivier on the occasion of his retirement from the Committee of 100
for Economic Development and does hereby extend sincerest wishes that he continue to
prosper in all of his endeavors.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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