SLS 23RS-2648 ORIGINAL
2023 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 172
BY SENATOR FOIL
COMMENDATIONS. Commends Michael J. Oliver of Baton Rouge on the occasion of his
retirement from the Committee of 100 for Economic Development.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To commend Michael J. Oliver of Baton Rouge on the occasion of his retirement from the
3 Committee of 100 for Economic Development.
4 WHEREAS, Michael Oliver is a native of St. Mary Parish and has dedicated more
5 than four decades of his life to service in the field of economic development, devoting most
6 of his career to encouraging national and international companies to invest in Louisiana; and
7 WHEREAS, Michael graduated from Centerville High School in 1968, earned his
8 undergraduate degree at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette (ULL) in 1972, and
9 completed his master's degree at ULL in 1974; and
10 WHEREAS, he began his career in economic development as the Executive Director
11 of the Lafayette Economic Development Authority and then served as the head of the
12 Harrison County Development Commission in Mississippi for eighteen years; and
13 WHEREAS, Michael was the recipient of the American Economic Development
14 Council's Distinguished Service Award in 1995, 1996, and 1997; and
15 WHEREAS, Businessweek named Michael "Mississippi's Economic Developer of
16 the Year" in 1999, and in 2002, Southern Business and Development magazine named him
17 one of the "Top 10 Economic Developers of the Decade"; and
18 WHEREAS, Michael returned to Louisiana to serve as Secretary of the Louisiana
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SLS 23RS-2648 ORIGINAL
1 Economic Development Department under Governor Kathleen Blanco from 2004 to 2008,
2 helping lead the state's business recovery effort following the devastation caused by
3 hurricanes Katrina and Rita; and
4 WHEREAS, in 2005, Michael led the Louisiana Economic Development Department
5 to achieve International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001 certification and
6 International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Accredited Economic Development
7 Organization designation, both "firsts in the nation" for a state economic development
8 agency; and
9 WHEREAS, Michael was named the 2006 winner of the Lifetime Achievement
10 Award for Excellence in Economic Development by the International Economic
11 Development Council; and
12 WHEREAS, in 2007, Michael was named by Southern Business and Development
13 magazine as one of the "Top 10 in the U.S. to Make a Difference in Economic
14 Development" and his work led Louisiana to be named the magazine's "State of the Year"
15 for the first time; and
16 WHEREAS, during Michael's tenure, the Louisiana Economic Development
17 Department was awarded the 2007 Economic Development Leadership Award in Strategies
18 and Innovation by CORENET Global for the business recovery work accomplished after
19 hurricanes Katrina and Rita; and
20 WHEREAS, Michael has served as past president of the Southern Economic
21 Development Council and as a ten-year board member and officer of the American
22 Economic Development Council; and
23 WHEREAS, with the Committee of 100 for Economic Development, Michael
24 spearheaded a highly-successful and unique partnership with the Council for a Better
25 Louisiana and the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana to create the nonpartisan
26 RESET Louisiana initiative to inform candidates for the Legislature on issues critical to the
27 future of Louisiana, and worked with the Tax Foundation in 2015 to develop what has
28 become one of the key frameworks for tax reform in Louisiana; and
29 WHEREAS, since 2019, Michael has served with distinction as the Chief Executive
30 Officer of the Committee of 100 for Economic Development and he was named the Eugene
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SLS 23RS-2648 ORIGINAL
1 Schreiber Award winner for 2019 by the World Trade Center of New Orleans in recognition
2 of his many years of international economic development work; and
3 WHEREAS, Michael currently serves on the Louisiana Board of International
4 Commerce and the Restore Louisiana Task Force, appointed by Louisiana Governor John
5 Bel Edwards; and
6 WHEREAS, Michael has been married for forty-five years to his wife, Penelope, and
7 they have two daughters, Emily Patterson (spouse, Adam) and Mallory Oliver, and two
8 grandchildren, Gray, age fifteen, and Hayes, age thirteen; and
9 WHEREAS, his jovial personality, love of travel, pursuit of "foodie" adventures, and
10 commitment to the betterment of Louisiana are known and appreciated by many.
11 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
12 does hereby commend Michael J. Oliver on the occasion of his retirement from the
13 Committee of 100 for Economic Development and does hereby extend sincerest wishes for
14 continued success as he begins a new and productive phase in his life.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Kathy Liberty.
DIGEST
SR 172 Original 2023 Regular Session Foil
Commends Michael J. Oliver on the occasion of his retirement from the Committee of 100
for Economic Development.
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