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Jay Dardenne
Jay Dardenne has enjoyed a distinguished blended career as an attorney and public servant. A seasoned practitioner and mediator with varied civil practice, he is the president of Kennon Odom and Dardenne (APLC) in Baton Rouge. He served for eight years as the Commissioner of Administration, the state’s chief operating officer and budget architect. He previously was elected twice as Lieutenant Governor and twice as Secretary of State following fifteen years in the State Senate and three years as a Metro Councilman.
Biography
PROFILE
Mr. Dardenne has mediated nearly 100 cases and negotiated numerous complex matters during his service to the state. He rendered dozens of decisions related to contract disputes and administrative appeals involving governmental entities. As a premier coalition builder, he is routinely sought after for his unique style of constructive problem solving.
Mr. Dardenne clerked for U.S. District Judge Frank J. Polozola (M.D. La.) before entering private practice. Before beginning his political career, he was named the Outstanding Young Lawyer in Louisiana and served as president or chairman of ten local non-profit organizations. He was founder of the Council for a Better Louisiana’s (CABL) Leadership Louisiana Program and was a fellow in the British American Project. He has received dozens of awards for his leadership and has been inducted into five halls of fame including the LSU Hall of Distinction and the Louisiana Political Hall of Fame. He created, wrote and hosted an Emmy-nominated documentary for Louisiana Public Broadcasting entitled Why Louisiana Ain’t Mississippi… or Any place Else.
An attorney and graduate of Louisiana State University and the LSU Law Center, Mr. Dardenne is married to the former Cathy McDonald. They have two grown sons, John and Matthew.
