Baker Mayor Darnell Waites Takes Statewide Leadership Role
Mayor Darnell Waites is putting Baker back at the center of Louisiana’s municipal leadership nearly 60 years after another Baker mayor held the same statewide post.
MONROE — Baker is once again at the center of Louisiana municipal leadership.
Mayor Darnell Waites was installed as president of the Louisiana Municipal Association during the organization’s 89th annual convention in Monroe, succeeding Broussard Mayor Ray Bourque.
The appointment carries historical significance for Baker. The late Mayor Pete Heine served as LMA president in 1967-68, making Waites the second Baker mayor to lead the statewide organization.
The leadership transition came as the LMA celebrated its 100th anniversary, bringing municipal leaders from across Louisiana together to discuss the challenges facing cities and towns, including infrastructure, transportation, economic development and public services.
Waites brings a community-focused perspective to the statewide position. Earlier this year, while discussing Baker’s LYNX microtransit service, he emphasized the importance of connecting residents to opportunity.
“Livability starts with access,” Waites said. “When residents are empowered with mobility options designed with them in mind, they find increased access to opportunity.”
The LYNX program has provided more than 230,000 rides in Baker since its launch in 2022, according to the Capital Area Transit System. The program also received an LMA Community Achievement Award in 2023.
Waites’ presidency gives Baker a prominent voice in statewide discussions about the future of municipal government.
For Baker, the moment represents more than a ceremonial change of leadership. Nearly six decades after Heine held the LMA presidency, Waites now carries the city’s name into another chapter of statewide municipal leadership.
The gavel has changed hands, but Baker’s place at the table remains.
