Director's Biography

Terry Huval is a local Breaux Bridge, Louisiana native who has served as Director of Lafayette Utilities System (LUS) since 1994. LUS is a municipally-owned utility providing electric, water, and wastewater services, either all or in part, to over 60,000 customers and is widely respected for its dependability and competitive rates.

Under Terry's leadership, LUS has been at the forefront of innovation and change in the utilities industry, providing exceptional customer service and rapid response to disasters such as Hurricanes Lili and Rita, while maintaining energy costs at or below the national average.

In 1998, Terry was instrumental in convincing city leaders to build a fiber ring around the city, making Lafayette one of a handful of cities offering high speed broadband technology to businesses and schools, including the University of Louisiana at Lafayette — LUS's largest utility customer and a leading research institution.

Today, Huval is leading an initiative to bring broadband fiber directly into the home. LUS's proposed Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) initiative will offer high-speed cable, Internet and digital phone service to the residents and businesses of Lafayette through the use of fiber optics technology. The project has garnered a ground swell of local support and international attention. Upon completion of its current implementation, Lafayette will distinguish itself as one of the largest cities in the United States to operate a municipally owned FTTH system.

A recognized leader in the utility industry, Terry has served as the 2007-2008 Board Chair of the American Public Power Association (APPA), an organization representing the interests of the nation's over 2000 municipally owned electric utility systems. In 2007, the APPA awarded Huval its James Donavan Award for outstanding individual achievement as a result of Terry's high profile pursuit of important public power issues.

In the course of his career, Huval has testified on behalf of LUS to the Senate Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Subcommittee and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in 2002, 2004 and 2007, and to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in 2005. He also served on the Executive Committee (2005 and 2006) with Consumers United for Rail Equity (CURE).

On a state level, Terry was awarded the Louisiana Engineering Society A.B. Patterson Medal in 2002 for outstanding accomplishments in Engineering Management. In 2004, Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco appointed Terry to the Louisiana Broadband Advisory Council.

Locally, Huval has been active in the United Way since 1995 and served as its Campaign Chair in 2000 and Board Chairman in 2002. He has also served on the board of directors for the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce.

Deeply engaged in the local Cajun culture, Terry is the leader of one of the most established and recognized Cajun bands in the area, the Jambalaya Cajun Band. He has also served as president of a local organization which supports the public school system administered French immersion program. In 2007, Terry was inducted into the Cajun French Music Association Hall of Fame.