Louisiana DOTD’s Secretary, Sherri LeBas

Sherri H. LeBas was appointed as Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development in February 2010 by Governor Bobby Jindal. LeBas is responsible for a more than $1.7 billion annual budget and more than 4,200 employees across the state.

During her tenure, Louisiana has invested in major corridor improvement projects across the state and has successfully obligated more than $2 billion in state surplus, federal recovery and emergency relief funds.

LeBas is a professional civil engineer with more than 29 years in state service in Louisiana, working at DOTD, as well as the Division of Administration.

In addition to serving as Secretary, LeBas has held several other high-level positions within the Department: Assistant to the Secretary for Policy, Deputy Secretary, and facilitator on the Change Management Team. She has also served as Project Manager on numerous projects at DOTD, including I-49 North in Shreveport, U.S. 190 in Mandeville, the U.S. 90 interchanges in St. Mary Parish, U.S. 165, Ambassador Caffery widening and extension in Lafayette, and the TIMED program.

Under her leadership, the agency has marked the completion of the new $803 million Interstate 10/Twin Span Bridge ahead of schedule, secured $622 million in funding for I-49 North from the Arkansas line to I-220 in Shreveport, expanded the I-10 and I-12 corridors in the Baton Rouge, Slidell and New Orleans areas with an investment of $429 million, opened the $409 million John James Audubon Bridge in St. Francisville, and completed the $1.2 billion expansion of the Huey P. Long Bridge.

LeBas holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Louisiana State University, graduating in 1985, and has held a professional engineer’s license in both civil and environmental engineering since 1990. She is a member of the Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), President of Southeastern Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (SASHTO), chair of AASHTO Subcommittee on Safety Management, Chi Epsilon, and the American Society of Civil Engineers. Additionally, she is an honorary member of the Louisiana Engineering Society and served as Secretary/Treasurer for the Baton Rouge Chapter.

She has twice received the DOTD Secretary’s Award of Excellence –DOTD’s highest employee award and was inducted into the LSU Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Hall of Distinction in 2011.

LeBas is involved in the local community through her multiple volunteer positions. She is a sustaining member of the Junior League of Baton Rouge, a member of Zeta Tau Alpha, a member of the Catholic High Mother’s Club, and a parishioner of St. Aloysius Catholic Church. LeBas has three sons: Andrew, Patrick and Michael.