Joey Durel

Lafayette Businessman Joey Durel is in his third term as Lafayette City/Parish President, and is certainly no stranger to the Lafayette Community, having graduated from UL-Lafayette in 1975 with a degree in Business Administration. His 27+ years of business experience, as well as his entrepreneurial spirit, have led him into several business ventures, as well as being named Chairman of the Board of the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce. He is also a graduate of Leadership Lafayette Class X and Leadership Louisiana.

Since taking office in January of 2004, his administration has been busy making good on a campaign promise to “change the culture of government” by improving the efficiency of local government through technology, streamlining jobs, practicing accountability, and reducing attorney billable hours, which has already yielded hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings. Durel was also instrumental in spearheading a Fiber to the Premises Initiative, which was approved by the voters of Lafayette by a 62 to 38% margin, authorizing the Lafayette Utilities System to move the project forward, and putting Lafayette on the map in what has been called a “victory for America.” He is currently the Vice Chairman of the Policy Makers Council of the American Public Power Authority.

Durel has embraced and promoted technology, culture, and the arts, and Lafayette was named one of the “Top 10 Cities in the South for the Creative Class” because of the forward thinking and cultural diversity that sets it apart. In addition to the creative class ranking, during the fall of 2007, Lafayette was ranked 24th in the Milken Institute Best Cities Index, a jump of 119 spots from the previous year.

He has made it a priority to have an open and accessible administration, meeting with anyone, anywhere, along with hosting a weekly call-in radio show “Lafayette Live with Joey Durel” to discuss various issues in the community and answer questions about what is happening within Lafayette Consolidated Government.

Durel has been working with members of the Lafayette Parish legislative delegation to ensure that Lafayette receives its fair share back from the State for infrastructure improvements. In his role as President of the Louisiana Conference of Mayors, he has been urging state officials to allow local governments to “better control their own destiny.”

Durel was first elected in November of 2003, and in October of 2007 he was unopposed for his second term as Lafayette City-Parish President.