Ernie Broussard has 42 years of professional experience in government, urban policy, capital Project/Program management, land use administration, state and federal program administration, and a host of planning and economic development initiatives. He has an advanced degree in Planning and Urban Design from the University of Southwest Louisiana, currently ULL, and went on to secure certification in Land Use Administration from the Pepperdine University School of Law. He is a graduate of the Economic Development Institute through the University of Oklahoma, where he received the prestigious Robert B. Cassell National Award for Leadership and Academic Excellence.
Ernie is an AICP (American Institute of Certified Planners) with the American Planning Association, as well as, a CEcD (Certified Economic and Community Developer) through the International Economic Development Council. He has been awarded the Distinguished Leadership Award, as well as, being named Planner of the Year on three separate occasions, even as recently at 2011. He has also qualified as an expert witness before congress on three occasions and multiple court litigation.
He also has three national awards for outstanding plans and economic strategies for the Comprehensive Zoning Law and Urban Design for the City of Lake Charles, “A New Vision- An Economic Strategy for Downtown Economic Development”, as well as, the Adaptive Reuse Plan for the Chennault International Airport Authority. Ernie has also been a recipient of numerous national and regional awards for leadership, professional excellence, and sustained meritorious contributions throughout his professional career.
Ernie was employed by the Cameron Parish Police Jury as the Executive Director of the Planning & Development Agency, where a long-term planning and economic development initiative is ongoing for the parish. This initiative achieved both short and long-term sustainable objectives in order to make Cameron Parish a planned livable community since the devastation from Hurricane Rita. Ernie was recognized by the Office of Community Development for the State of Louisiana and the Bush School of Public Policy at Texas ATM for the Cameron Redevelopment Plan as Best Practice, outstanding contributions to coastal recovery and incorporated redevelopment initiatives for resiliency for recovering communities. He has also served as a board member for the Road Home Program, the Louisiana Land Trust Authority and the Louisiana National Guard Foundation.
Ernie is currently the Business Development Manager for Hunt, Guillot, and Associates (HGA) Lake Charles office; a multi-disciplined full-service engineering group that has national and international notoriety in engineering design, pipeline services, project and program management, as well as its own staffing business unit for professional
placements. The immersion of the HGA brand into southwest Louisiana with specific industrial targets as LNG, oil and gas, petrochemical, materials handling, specialty chemicals, C&G, and other specific disciplines where the marketing objectives for this corporation. Ernie’s core responsibilities for HGA include, but are not limited to, developing strategic alliances and business opportunities in Louisiana and Texas.
Ernie sits on the Louisiana Energy Export Association (LEEA), currently serving as treasurer, as well as, Vice-Chair of the Louisiana National Guard Foundation. Being very active in the SWLA Business Alliance/Chamber, Ernie serves on the 2019 Executive Committee, chairs the Business Development and Diversity committee and sits as a functioning board member on the Lake Charles I-10 Bridge Taskforce.
Ernie is also currently president of the Colt Group a professional planning and economic development and policy analysis agency that renders strategic solutions to both industry, municipal, and private sector interests. His current clientele includes ProfastTelcom, Frontier Hospitals, Global Management Enterprise, Industrial Logistics, Town of Iowa, just to name a few.
Ernie is married to the former Phyllis Marie Craven and has two children, Brandon Ernest and Megan Nicole. He is a personal advocate of Louisiana Bred Quarter horses and enjoys competing in American Cutting Horse events. He is an admirer of Louisiana history, Western heritage, and prides himself on being a sports fisherman, avid hunter, and as a former athlete, still enjoys competitive sports whenever his recurrent ailments permit.