Ann Duplessis

In addition to being a freshman as Louisiana State Senator for District 2, Democrat Ann D. Duplessis has spent over 21 years in the financial services and banking industry beginning as a part-time teller into a leadership role as Senior Vice President of Retail Banking, responsible for marketing and sales for a $300 million dollar community bank. She is also the former owner of Hair and Body Corner Day Spa and Solutions Consulting Services, which specialized in working with small and emerging businesses and entrepreneurs on business and financial planning, feasibility studies, loan packaging and business plan preparation.

Professional, Civic, and Business Affiliations

Concerned with the quality of life for her community, Senator Duplessis has worked on various civic, community, political and professional boards including, The New Orleans Urban Banker Association, Financial Women International New Orleans Group, Urban League of Greater New Orleans, National Council of Negro Women, WYES Television Advisory Board, Partners in Education, New Orleans Multicultural Tourism Network, and the Regional Loan Committee. Senator Duplessis also served as Chairwoman of the Board for the New Orleans Regional Business Park and Vice Chair of the Downtown Development District of New Orleans. Currently, she sits on the following boards: the State of Louisiana Small Business Development Center Network Advisory Board, City of New Orleans Economic Development Advisory Committee, Methodist Hospital Advisory Board, Termite Task Force, Working Uninsured Task Force, Healthcare Workforce/Economic Development Task Force, Total Community Action and the Children’s Bureau of New Orleans.

Senator Duplessis has been married for 20 years to New Orleans Police Sergeant, Virgil Duplessis. They have three children, Brooks, Lindsey and Heather.Sen. Ann Duplessis, D-New Orleans, filed a bill to give legislators a higher annual salary and increase the amount they are paid per day when they are in session.

Major Undertakings

Duplessis called for legislators’ annual pay to be increased nearly $60,000 per year.cite web |url=http://www.2theadvocate.com/opinion/25651944.html |title=2theadvocate.com | Opinion | Political Horizons for July 20, 2008—Baton Rouge, LA |author= WILL SENTELL|authorlink= |coauthors= |date= 2008-07-20|format= |work= |publisher= |pages= |language= |archiveurl= http://www.webcitation.org/5aAjNvX7x|archivedate= 2008-08-18|quote= |accessdate=2008-08-18] The speaker of the House and the president of the Senate, who each earn $32,000 a year, would be paid $80,000. The speaker pro tempore of the House and the president pro tempore of the Senate would have their salaries increased from $24,500 to $75,000.

Also, lawmakers currently are allowed a monthly expense allowance of $500. Duplessis wanted that raised to $1,500 for members of the House and $3,000 for members of the Senate.

Duplessis argued that lawmakers put in long hours and deserved to be compensated better.

Many in the public don’t like the idea of more money for Louisiana lawmakers. Almost 70 percent of voters to a CityBusiness poll say a raise was not needed.Fact|date=August 2008

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