After months of researching and interviewing some very well qualified candidates, incoming sheriff Mark Garber selected former Lafayette resident Catherine Asevedo Fontenot to serve as Warden of the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center.
“Anyone who has spent more than five minutes with Cathy can see why she is regarded as one of the foremost corrections experts in the state of Louisiana.” said Sheriff Garber.
“I am very pleased the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office was able to attract such a highly qualified candidate and am excited about the energy and positive impact Cathy will have on our correctional center”
Fontenot left her job as a special assistant at the Louisiana Department of Justice to join the ranks of the sheriff’s office.
“I want to thank Sheriff Garber for giving me the opportunity to return to Lafayette, the community that inspired me to serve others,” said Cathy Fontenot.
“I am excited to join his team and look forward to working alongside the dedicated men and women of the LPSO. Corrections is the follow thru of law enforcement. People fix people. The jail is a place of intervention, a time out, a turning point in the lives of those who have caused harm or worse. The Lafayette Parish Correctional Center, with its numerous accreditation awards, is recognized nationally for its innovation and excellence. Keeping the jail staffed with those motivated to make profound differences in the lives of others is key to building future success stories throughout our community.”
Prior to her employment with the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office, Fontenot spent 22 years working with the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections.
During that time she rose to the position of Assistant Warden at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola.
She has a degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Southwestern Louisiana where she studied under then professor Mike Neustrom. She also has a Masters in Criminology from Grambling State University.
In addition to her extensive corrections experience and education, Cathy also served as the President of the North American Association of Wardens and Superintendents and the President of the Louisiana Correctional Association.
She is also a fellow with The British American Project, a transatlantic think tank of professionals who have achieved distinction in their chosen fields and received the Charles E. Dunbar, Jr Career Civil Service Award in 2014.
Fontenot began her employment with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office on March 28, 2016.