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Council honors parish employees, volunteers and highlights local aquaponics training program
Summary
The Jefferson Parish Council recognized employees and volunteers (including the 2025 Employee of the Year and retirements), proclaimed January Blood Donor Awareness Month, and heard an aquaponics training presentation that officials said will expand high-school STEM pathways.
Gretna — At its Dec. 10 meeting the Jefferson Parish Council used the presentations portion of its agenda to honor long-serving employees and volunteers and to spotlight two community initiatives.
Employee and volunteer recognitions
Calum Reynolds, an operator at the Bridge City wastewater treatment plant and Jefferson Parish Schools alumnus, was recognized as the parish’s 2025 Employee of the Year and Joseph Award recipient. Council members and an educator who had taught Reynolds praised his 12 years with the sewage department and his role training other operators.
The council also recognized Mitchell ("Mitch") Theriault for 32 years of service in parish engineering and drainage, citing his leadership on federal drainage, pump-station and mitigation projects. Angela DeGirolamo received a retirement commendation after 33 years of parish service; DeGirolamo delivered remarks thanking colleagues and recounting career milestones.
Blood Donor Awareness Month
Susie Potter of the Blood Center accepted a proclamation (read in the name of Parish President Cynthia Lee Chang) designating January as Blood Donor Awareness Month in Jefferson Parish. Potter described winter months as a time of reduced blood donations and urged residents to donate regularly, saying "a blood donation is truly an altruistic gift that an individual can give to others in need." A family whose child benefited from transfusions shared a brief testimony.
Aquaponics and workforce training
David Etienne, visiting from the Louisiana Chamber of Commerce Foundation, and partners described the Aqua Center of Excellence, an aquaponics facility that trains students in STEM-related skills by combining fish production and hydroponic plant cultivation. Etienne said the center currently grows romaine lettuce — presented as about 8,000 heads per month at the facility — and plans expansion to support high-school science curricula and additional greenhouse production.
Council members encouraged tours and local school partnerships. Jerry Baloney of JEDCO later outlined the Jefferson Edge 2030 economic-development plan and the parish’s emphasis on industry clusters and talent pathways.
What’s next
The council approved the proclamations and recognitions and asked staff to facilitate tours and coordination with local high schools for the aquaponics curriculum.
