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Former Athlete/Staff: Guillory announces Olympic medalist Hollis Conway as Community Development Dir

Andrew Capps, The Advertiser, Dec. 19, 2019

Former Fair Park star Hollis Conway got a bronze in 1992 and a silver in 1988 Olympics in the high jump.

Former Fair Park star Hollis Conway is No. 6 on The Times’ Top 20 Caddo-Bossier athletes list. (Photo: Margaret Croft/The News-Star)

Hollis Conway, a former Olympic medalist who serves as University of Louisiana at Lafayette Assistant Athletic Director, will be the next director of Community Development for Lafayette’s Consolidated Government, incoming Mayor-President Josh Guillory said Thursday.

Conway is a former Olympic high jumper and serves as UL’s assistant athletic director over diversity, leadership and education. He will take on his new community development director job following Guillory’s inauguration on Jan. 6.

The department has a $5.8 million budget this year and contains 55 employees. It is responsible for handling many of Lafayette’s state and federal grants and primarily deals in housing, human services and arts and culture funding.

Hollis Conway throws out the first pitch as The Louisiana Ragin Cajuns take on Southeastern. Thursday, Feb. 22, 2018.Buy Photo

Hollis Conway throws out the first pitch as The Louisiana Ragin Cajuns take on Southeastern. Thursday, Feb. 22, 2018. (Photo: SCOTT CLAUSE/THE ADVERTISER)

“Hollis brings a wealth of experience, a deep love of community and an endless amount of energy to my administration. His reputation as a go-getter and his ability to inspire and motivate people will be incredibly valuable to achieving the mission of Community Development,” Guillory said in a release Thursday.

“Since returning last year, my love for Lafayette and its people have deepened. I cannot wait to put that affection into action through the great work of Community Development,” Conway said in the release.

More appointments: Josh Guillory hires Broussard development director as new chief for Lafayette government | Guillory appoints Simone Champagne to transition team to review LCG contracts

Conway will replace Lafayette’s current Community Development Director Shaneá Nelson, who took over as director of the department at the appointment of outgoing Mayor-President Joel Robideaux in early 2016.

Hollis Conway won indoor and outdoor national high jump championships for the University of Southwestern Louisiana.

Hollis Conway won indoor and outdoor national high jump championships for the University of Southwestern Louisiana. (Photo: File photo)

Nelson is the daughter of former Lafayette City-Parish Councilman and former Mayor of Scott Purvis Morrison, who was a supporter of Guillory’s opponent in the race for mayor-president this fall Carlee Alm-LaBar.

Last week, it was revealed that Guillory asked Lafayette Police Chief Toby Aguillard to resign or face being fired when Guillory takes office. Aguillard refused to resign and said he will fight any effort by Guillory to terminate him with Lafayette’s Municipal Fire and Police Civil Service Board.

Unlike the directors of other Lafayette departments, the fire chief and police chief are protected by state civil service laws that protect them from being fired without cause, meaning that Aguillard will have grounds to fight his potential dismissal that the majority of other department directors do not have.

Cydra Wingerter, LCG’s chief communications officer under Robideaux and former City-Parish President Joey Durel, will stay on during Guillory’s administration as communications chief. She is currently serving as Robideaux’s interim chief administrative officer.

Guillory announced early after winning the election in November that he would accept resumes for several directors’ positions, including Community Development, which Conway will assume in January, as well as Public Works and Planning and Development.

Guillory has said he plans to divide LCG’s Public Works Department into three separate departments after taking office, though any director-level changes in the structure of LCG’s departments requires the approval of the incoming city and parish councils.

Athletic Network Footnote by Dr. Ed Dugas.
Congratulations to Hollis on this new challenge.
Please click here for the AN profile of Hollis Conway.
Click here for the "On-the-Field" recognitions at the 2019 Track & Field Reunion.

For more photos of the Track & Field Reunions, please click "Ragin’ Cajuns Reunions and Special Events Banner on the right side of the News Box. There are several (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2019) and each has an extensive photo gallery – so please be patient when uploading. Thanks.