Welcome Michael J. Mestayer of New Orleans, Louisiana, the 2026-27 President of the Louisiana Bar Foundation (LBF). Other officers are Vice President Charles C. Bourque, Jr. of Houma; Treasurer, Colleen C. Jarrott of Washington D.C.; and Secretary George D. Ernest, Lafayette. The 2026-27 board was installed at the 40th Anniversary Gala by Louisiana Supreme Court Associate Justice Piper D. Griffin and Justice John Guidry.
LBF is the single statewide funder fully committed to ensuring that our civil justice system is accessible to all. Through grants, we assist women, children, elderly, people with disabilities, newly unemployed, those facing loss of their homes, disaster victims, veterans and military families, and many others by providing services that go to the very heart of the health, safety, and security of many of our citizens and their families.
President Michael J. Mestayer
Mestayer is a solo practitioner in New Orleans, where he handles a broad range of litigation, including admiralty, product liability, and complex civil matters. He received his B.S. from LSU and his J.D. from Tulane University Law School. He is also an adjunct faculty member at Tulane School of Law where he teaches Solo and Small Firm Practice.
Vice President Charles C. Bourque, Jr.
Bourque is a New Orleans native, but currently resides in Houma, where he is a partner in the law firm of St. Martin & Bourque. He graduated from LSU with a degree in accounting and received his Juris Doctorate from Loyola University School of Law in 1990. Prior to entering law school, Bourque served as an officer and helicopter pilot in the United States Army and continued flying helicopters in the Louisiana Army National Guard until he retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2011. He is licensed to practice before all state and federal courts in Louisiana and is an active member of the Terrebonne Parish, New Orleans, Louisiana State, Federal, and American Bar Associations.
Treasurer Colleen C. Jarrott
Colleen C. Jarrott is a Senior Director with Clark Hill Public Strategies. Colleen is based in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office where she represents clients in the oil and gas, natural resources, renewables, transportation, and other industries in a broad spectrum of transactions, contract negotiations, regulatory compliance and defense, and complex commercial litigation. She received her B.A. from The Catholic University of America and her J.D. from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law.
Secretary George D. Ernest, Lafayette
Ernest is a shareholder at Hurlburt, Monrose, and Ernest in Lafayette. His diverse practice focuses on defense casualty litigation. He graduated summa cum laude from Louisiana State University and earned his law degree from Paul M. Hebert Law School where he was on the Louisiana Law Review and was inducted into the Order of the Coif. After completing law school, Ernest clerked for the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and held various leadership positions, including chair of the Lafayette Bar Foundation and president of the Lafayette/Acadiana Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. He is currently the board chair at Acadiana Legal Service Corporation, and he serves on the boards of the Lafayette Bar Foundation and the Lafayette/Acadiana Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. In 2022, he received the Louisiana State Bar Association’s Friend of Pro Bono Award, and in 2026 he received the LBF President’s Award.
New 2026-27 board members as of July 1, 2026: Kristen D. Amond, New Orleans; Larry J. Centola III, New Orleans; Stacy L. Guice, Monroe; and Shayna L. Sonnier, Lake Charles.
Other members of the 2025-26 board of directors as of April 29, 2025 include: Mark. L. Barbre, Baton Rouge; G. Adam Cossey, Monroe; Edmund J. Giering IV of Baton Rouge; Christopher B. Hebert, Baton Rouge; Hon. Marcus L. Hunter, Shreveport; Camille R. Jackson, Alexandria; Jonathan L. Johnson, Lake Charles; Jason A. Matt, Lafayette; Paula E. Miles, Gonzales; Sheri M. Morris, Baton Rouge; Kelly M. Rabalais, Covington; Anthony Staines, Metairie; Hon. Raymond S. Steib, Jr. Gretna; Hon. Karelia R. Stewart, Shreveport; and Brooke C. Tigchelaar, New Orleans.