Ruth Lawson Named Jefferson Chamber President

Ruth Lawson Headshot CropMETAIRIE — The Jefferson Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors has selected Ruth W. Lawson to be the organization’s next president. 

Lawson, a Gretna resident, owns and operates several Smoothie King franchises and currently serves as the executive director of the Jefferson Parish Finance Authority. She has been a senior parish attorney and as chief administrative officer in Jefferson Parish. She was also a corporate attorney and compliance officer for Barriere Construction Company. She has a law degree and marketing degree from Louisiana State University. 

“We received over 100 applications and believe we have the right leader for the future of our business advocacy organization,” said Chamber Board Chairman John LeBlanc of Hibernia Bank in a press release. “Ruth brings a strong acumen to the director’s seat and will serve us well in the halls of local government and the legislature. While Hurricane Ida slowed the process, the organization was committed to a transparent and diligent search under the direction of organizational and management consulting firm SSA Consultants in Baton Rouge.”

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Lawson succeeds Todd Murphy, who has moved back into the financial services sector with an equity partnership in a local office of Raymond James. 

“I am both pleased and proud to rise to the challenge of leading one of the nation’s most recognized Chambers of Commerce,” Lawson said. “I will continue the organization’s tradition of boldly advocating for a more business-friendly environment in our state and holding leaders accountable for their actions. This is an honor, but mostly it is an opportunity for me to make a difference towards advancing our parish in many areas including workforce development, small business retention and growth, and diversifying our economy. I am eager to begin my new assignment.”

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