THE LOUISIANA STADIUM AND EXPOSITION DISTRICT
The Louisiana Stadium & Exposition District is a political subdivision created under Louisiana law. The LSED has ownership of and jurisdictional authority over the John A. Alario Center, the Caesars Superdome, the Smoothie King Center, the Saints Training Facility, TPC Louisiana and the Shrine on Airline. The LSED provides oversight concerning these facilities through a 7 member Board of Commissioners appointed by the Governor. Board members have no set term length, and may serve for as long as the governor determines that their participation and actions align with the best interest of the LSED.
OUR BOARD
Kyle France, Chairman
Kyle graduated from DeLaSalle High School and LSU where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. He then earned a Master of Education in Administration and Supervision from University of Holy Cross. Kyle serves as President of Kehoe-France, Inc. which owns and operates Kehoe-France School and Kehoe-France Northshore.
Kyle currently serves as Chair, Board of Trustees of University of Holy Cross, New Orleans; Board of Directors of the National Independent Private Schools Association; Member, New Orleans Sugar Bowl, New Orleans; Advisory Board, The New Orleans Advocate newspaper; Treasurer, Children’s Hospital, New Orleans; Board of Trustees of University Medical Center (UMC), New Orleans; Recipient of the Role Model of the Year awarded by the Young Leadership Council. Kyle is past president of and former Board Member of the Board of Governors for Magnolia School for Special Students; former Board Member of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of New Orleans; former Chair of the Greater New Orleans Expressway Commission (Causeway).
Wells Watson, Board of Commissioners
Wells T. Watson is the managing partner of Baggett, McCall, Burgess, Watson & Gaughan Law Firm in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1987 and Tulane Law School in 1990. Upon graduation, he served as a Law Clerk for Chief Judge Frederick Heebe in the Eastern District of Louisiana.
He began working with Baggett McCall in 1991 and has been recognized prominently in the legal field. He has been named among US News Best Lawyers and has received the highest rating from Martindale Hubbell.
He previously served on the Louisiana State Racing Commission and on the Executive Committee of the Louisiana Association for Justice. He is a co-founder of App-ly Yourself, which has provided non-profit tutorial services for underserved children. He has been an active volunteer basketball coach and currently serves as a non-faculty assistant high school basketball coach.
Henry Baptiste, Board of Commissioners
Henry Baptiste currently serves as the Treasurer of the Southern University Foundation Board and is an unyielding Southern University Jaguar fan and co-owner/operator of the legendary Chicken Shack Restaurant. In addition to that he was the voice of Southern University Football Radio from 1972-2014. His career began as the first Black reporter/cameraman with WBRZ TV in 1971. Baptiste was recognized by WBRZ TV/NBC in 1972 for his outstanding coverage of a news event.
Casey Robin, Board of Commissioners
Casey J. Robin of Mandeville, Louisiana is currently a commercial lines insurance producer for Emery & James, Ltd., a privately owned independent insurance agency that specializes in property and casualty. The majority of his clientele is located within the New Orleans metro area and consists of architects and engineers, artisan contractors, and hospitality companies.
Mr. Robin previously served on Louisiana's Tobacco Settlement Financing Corporation Board. He earned a Finance Degree from the University of Notre Dame where he played varsity football from 1997-2001. He is a three-year Monogram Award Winner for football at the University of Notre Dame and served on the leadership council for football in 2001.
Hilary Landry, Board of Commissioners
Hilary Landry, an attorney in private practice, is a Lafayette, Louisiana native. She obtained her B.A. from the University of Mississippi and returned to New Orleans to attend Loyola University School of Law where she served as managing editor of one of the school’s journal publications. She graduated in 2000 and spent her first year of practice clerking in Orleans Parish Civil District for the Honorable Roland L. Belsome.
Landry has been in private practice for the last 15 years, focusing on commercial and domestic litigation. She spent 4 years as a Felony Prosecutor for the Jefferson Parish District Attorney's office, and now focuses on her general civil and domestic mediation practice. She currently serves as the Charity Direct for the Crescent City Classic, having raised over a million dollars for local charities since the inception of the program.
John Alario, Board of Commissioners
A native of Westwego, John Alario is a tax consultant and owns and operates John Alario Income Tax Service.
John has been a strong leader for the State of Louisiana and the Greater New Orleans area his entire life. He was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives for nine consecutive terms and the Louisiana Senate for three consecutive terms. Recognizing his unique ability to lead, his peers in the House of Representatives chose him to be the Speaker of the House for two terms, as did his colleagues in the Senate, who also chose him to serve as the President of the Senate for two terms. He is only the fourth in the nation to hold the top leadership post in both the House and the Senate, and the ONLY legislator in Louisiana to serve multiple terms as Speaker of the House AND President of the Senate.
He was the longest-serving member of the Louisiana Legislature when he retired in January of 2020, and he remains active in the community.
Glen Smith, Board of Commissioners
Glen D. Smith, known as an industry and community leader for over 30 years, has devoted his time to serving a myriad of companies and organizations that rely on his acute business skills and concern for the residents of the River Parishes.
After being appointed to the Board of Directors for the Louisiana Airport Authority,
Smith became Chairman under four governors, and also served as Chairman of the St. John the Baptist Parish, Economic Development Committee and Board member of the River Regions Chamber. Recognized in Who's Who of New Orleans and Who's Who of American Businesses, Smith is known for his ability to build partnerships in order to bring benefit to the State of Louisiana and the River Parishes.
Smith is a 32nd Degree Mason, a thirty-year member of the Jerusalem Temple Shrine, a Patron of the Democratic Party, and was a Torchbearer for the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Games. A champion for senior citizens, law enforcement and disadvantaged children, Smith hosts and sponsors multiple events annually to benefit underprivileged children and families in the River Parishes, all done through the company's G. Smith Motorsports division.
Smith serves as a member of The Committee of 100 for Economic Development, Inc., and was recognized in 2013 by City Business as one of the top 50 financial professionals in the region. In 2016, he was named as a New Orleans Kingfish for his philanthropic efforts.