DOTD secretary will speak at Helping Hearts banquet

Tri-City Helping Hearts Foundation is hosting a benefit gospel banquet at 4 p.m. Saturday, April 30, at the St. Mary Senior Citizens Center located at 4014 Chennault St. in Morgan City. A local citizen will be honored for services to the community. Entertainment will be provided.
The nonprofit organization Tri-City Helping Hearts Foundation was established to serve the citizens of Morgan City, Berwick, Amelia and Patterson. The primary purpose of the founda-tion is to help citizens needing financial assistance with the burial expenses of a loved one. Proceeds from the banquet will help the foundation to fulfill this purpose.
Guest speaker for the banquet will be Dr. Shawn Wilson, Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.
Wilson was appointed to the position in January 2016 by Gov. John Bel Edwards and is now serving his second term. He has more than 15 years of executive service at DOTD, according to the foundation’s news release.
Under his leadership, DOTD has ushered in project finance and project innovations, including Public Private Partnerships and Construction Manager at Risk projects. During his tenure. the DOTD has awarded more than $4.6 billion in construction projects.
Wilson is also vice-chair of the Transportation Research Board executive committee and is president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Louisiana and holds a master’s degree in public administration, as well as a Ph.D. in public policy from the Nelson Mandela School of Public Policy at Southern University.
He and his wife, Rocki, reside in Lafayette.