Director's Biography

Ben Berthelot, Director of Community Development
Phone: (337) 291-8402
Email: bberthelot@LafayetteLA.gov

Ben Berthelot took over as Director of Community Development on February 22, 2010.

Berthelot began his career in the private sector, working for Lafayette Coca-Cola Bottling, where he started as Business Analyst before being promoted to Youth Market Manager in 2000.

He was appointed Assistant to the City-Parish President by City-Parish President Joey Durel when Durel took office in 2004.

From 2004-2010, Berthelot handled a variety of functions for the President’s office, including some media relations, customer relations, and community affairs, as well as serving as legislative liaison, where he worked closely with the Louisiana Municipal Association and Police Jury Association on matters affecting local governments. Berthelot also handled various projects for the President’s office and served as Durel’s liaison to many committees within Lafayette Consolidated Government. He was tapped to chair the Parks and Recreation Exploratory Committee and oversaw the possibility of removing Parks and Recreation from government control and placing it in the hands of the community.

He is very active in the community and currently serves on numerous boards and commissions, including: United Way of Acadiana-Vice President of Community Impact, Leadership Institute of Acadiana Board of Directors, Faith House Board of Directors, Acadiana Regional Development District Board, and the705, of which he was a founding member and served as the organization’s charter President. He is a past board member of Junior Achievement, the Junior League Advisory Board, and the Juvenile Justice Children & Youth Planning Board. In 2005 he was named one of Chase Bank & The Daily Advertiser’s 20 Under 40.

Berthelot is a graduate of Leadership Lafayette and Council for a Better Louisiana’s (CABL) Leadership Louisiana program, and is a charter member of the Acadiana Regional Board of CABL. He has also coached basketball at Our Lady of Fatima School since 1994.

Berthelot is a graduate of St. Thomas More Catholic High School and the University of Louisiana-Lafayette with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Relations.

He is engaged to Ashley Bertrand, and the two will be married in April.