Released: January 29, 2010

Commissioner of Insurance Jim Donelon announced today that Lori Joubert Cherry will serve as Deputy Commissioner of Public Affairs where she will manage the Departments public relations activities. Her appointment was effective January 25, 2010.

Cherry is a graduate of Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Studies.
Cherry has worked as a communications, grassroots, and PAC consultant, specializing in strategic planning, implementation, and volunteer coordination for both corporate and non-profit legislative advocacy campaigns. For the past ten years, Cherry served as in-house grassroots manager for Southwest Airlines, where she successfully directed several local, state, and federal grassroots legislative advocacy victories across the U.S. Her team was awarded the prestigious Political Involvement Program Innovation Award in 2001 by the Public Affairs Council and again in 2005 at the Innovate to Motivate National Conference for Political Involvement Professionals by The Showalter Group. With Southwest Airlines she trained leaders in all cities about legislative initiatives in the aviation industry, particularly relating to state, local, and congressional legislation. She oversaw Southwest Airlines annual legislative communications plan which included writing and publishing monthly grassroots publications and aviation oriented updates as well as frequent correspondence to congressional members and staff.

Prior to her work at Southwest Airlines, Cherry directed state and local Republican campaigns in her home state of Louisiana. She also served in 1998 and 1999 as Legislative Aide to then Republican Delegation Leader and current Louisiana Commissioner of Insurance, Jim Donelon.

Cherry is a native of Mandeville, Louisiana. She is married with two young children, living in Ascension Parish.

Former Deputy Commissioner of Public Affairs, Amy David, resigned on January 7, 2010, to spend more time with her family. David had worked in the position for the last ten years.

Commissioner Donelon says he is delighted with the addition of Cherry to the Departments new management team. Cherrys broad experience in public affairs is a compliment to the Department of Insurance and I am looking forward to working with her, once again, on many exciting projects, said Commissioner Donelon.

-30-