Ex-VPHS star running for Mayor-President of E. Baton Rouge Parish

Ville Platte High alum Greg LaFleur announced Wednesday his candidacy for Mayor-President of East Baton Rouge Parish.
LaFleur, who is the son of Gervis and Lena Mae LaFleur, is seeking to fill the seat being left behind by outgoing Baton Rouge Mayor-President Kip Holden, who after 12 years in office is looking to unseat Cedric Richmond in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The 57-year-old LaFleur released the following statement on his website www.greglafleur.com.
“For nearly 40 years, East Baton Rouge Parish has been my home. It’s where I received an athletic scholarship to play football at LSU. After graduating, I was fortunate to be a third round pick of the NFL Draft by the Philadelphia ​Eagles. Yet I came home to Baton Rouge every off season and worked to improve the education of our youth. That’s because Baton Rouge is more than my home, it’s where my heart is.
“So after much thought, reflection and prayer, I’ve decided it’s time to give something back to the place that has given so much to me. I’m announcing today that I’ll be a candidate for Mayor-President of East Baton Rouge Parish this fall.
“I’ll be a Mayor-President for all the citizens of our Parish. I’ll put forward a game plan so that East Baton Rouge Parish can reach its full potential. I’ll continue our progress in economic development. And I’ll tackle the challenges our community continues to face: reducing traffic, strengthening public safety and improving our public services across the parish.
“While we’re just getting started putting together a campaign effort, I’m looking forward to talking to the voters of the Parish over the coming months and sharing my hopes, my dreams and my vision for a better Baton Rouge. God bless.”
LaFleur was a football star at Ville Platte High School before going to LSU on a football scholarship where he was a three-year letterman (1977, 1979, 1980). LaFleur was selected in the third round of the 1981 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles and had a career as a tight end that lasted six years for three different teams.
After his playing career ended, LaFleur served as Marketing and Promotions Coordinator for the LSU Athletic Department and then Associated Athletic Director for the Tigers. He would go on to serve as Athletic Director at Southern University and Texas State University among others.
LaFleur now is a business management consultant who specializes in market research, community outreach and communications.
The general election for the race will be on November 8, 2016.