Sheriff-Elect Smith Names Transition Team

COVINGTON, LA – St. Tammany Parish Sheriff-elect Randy Smith has announced the members of his transition team in the lead-up to his inauguration on July 1.

         The eight-member team has been selected to bring different areas of expertise, and will participate in interviews with upper-level Sheriff's Office personnel, Smith’s reps said. The team will submit a report to Smith in the spring to facilitate organizational, policy and personnel decisions by the sheriff-elect once he takes office.

         Members of the Transition Team are Mandeville-area attorney Chadwick Collings, whose commercial and civil practice handles mostly institutional clients, and who serves as chair of the St. Tammany Economic Development District; Leslie Long, a Covington native who has been Director of Finance for St. Tammany Parish Government since 2001; Mandeville lawyer Tommy Discon, whose firm handles a variety of cases; Pastor Lawrence Weathersby of Slidell, a retired Deputy Superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department; Assistant District Attorney Harold Bartholomew, of Covington; Robin Jourdan Smith, of Pearl River, a team member with Watch Systems and an employee of the Sheriff's Office from 1996-2005; retired Wildlife and Fisheries Lt. Col. Charlie Clark, of Abita Springs; and attorney Tara Zeller of Covington, who practices criminal defense.

         "This team brings great diversity to the transition process, and I'm both excited and appreciative about their participation," Smith said.  "I've met with Sheriff Jack Strain at length and am confident his staff will be of great help in coming months."

         Strain has assigned Chief Deputy Fred Oswald to be the agency's liaison with the Transition Team.