Mary Jo Bayles has been elected president of the Lake Charles Harbor & Terminal District Board of Commissioners, taking over the leadership role from outgoing President Kevin Guidry.
Guidry passed the gavel to Bayles during the Board’s latest meeting. He will continue serving as a commissioner, providing continuity as Bayles begins her term as president.
Bayles is the second woman to serve as president of the Port Board.
Transportation and Planning Experience
Bayles brings a background in transportation, planning and regional development to the Board leadership role.
Before joining the Port Board, she served as executive director of the DeQuincy Industrial Airport and as city planner for DeQuincy. Those roles gave her direct experience with transportation infrastructure, development planning and the coordination required to support long-term community and economic growth.
Her experience also extends into regional aviation. Bayles has served multiple times as airshow director for the nonprofit Chennault International Airshow, an event that brings together aviation, industry, community organizations and visitors from across the region.
That combination of transportation and planning experience provides a relevant perspective as she takes on a larger leadership role at the Port of Lake Charles.
Guiding a Major Transportation and Trade Hub
The Port Board plays an important role in helping guide the long-term direction of the Port of Lake Charles.
Commissioners oversee a district that connects Southwest Louisiana businesses and industries with domestic and international markets through deepwater marine access, rail, highway and other transportation connections.
The Board’s work touches infrastructure investment, industrial development, property, cargo operations and the long-range planning needed to keep the Port competitive.
Bayles’ background in aviation and municipal planning adds another transportation perspective to that work. While marine transportation remains central to the Port’s mission, modern cargo movement depends on a broader network of infrastructure and connections that move goods between facilities, transportation modes and markets.
A New Chapter in Board Leadership
The transition from Guidry to Bayles represents both a change in leadership and continuity for the Board.
Guidry will remain a commissioner, allowing the Port to retain his experience while Bayles assumes responsibility for leading Board meetings and helping guide the commissioners through the next chapter of the Port’s work.
Bayles’ appointment also marks another milestone for women in leadership at the Port as she becomes only the second woman to serve as Board president.
As the Port continues investing in infrastructure, supporting industrial development and strengthening its role in international commerce, the Board will remain central to shaping the decisions that move that mission forward.
With Bayles now holding the gavel, the Port enters its next chapter of Board leadership with a president whose career has already been closely tied to transportation, planning and Southwest Louisiana.
