Cherie' Kay LaRocca, Ph.D. - ChairPerson

Cherie' Kay LaRocca earned her Doctorate of Education from the University of New Orleans. She has over 13 years of experience working in higher education and currently works in Academic Affairs at Delgado Community College. She was appointed to the Commission in July of 2020 to serve a five year term.

Chris Clement - Vice-ChairPerson

Mr. Clement was appointed to the Commission in June of 2023 for a 5 year term. He was nominated by the University of New Orleans. He earned his MBA from UNO in 1980. He has been a commercial glazing contractor for over 40 years.

Frank Young - Commissioner

Frank retired  after 27 years with the New Orleans Police Department, where he attained the rank of District Commander.   He is currently the Chief of Police for the Tulane University Police Department.   A graduate of Rummel High School and the University of New Orleans, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Frank has two children in high school (Mt. Carmel and Jesuit). 

Monica Pierre - Commissioner

Monica Pierre is a three-time Suncoast Regional Emmy® award-winner, producer, speaker, and talk show host. Her most recent Emmy® was awarded for her role as co-executive producer of the documentary Battlegrounds: The Lost Community of Fazendeville.

Currently, Pierre serves as an Assistant Professor of Practice in the Department of Mass Communication at Xavier University, where she teaches the next generation of multimedia storytellers through courses in podcasting, broadcast announcing, writing, and storytelling.

Further extending her passion for narrative crafting, Pierre founded The Story Maker Academy. Through this six-month program, she teaches leaders and entrepreneurs how to discover, develop, and deliver compelling stories for influence, impact, and inspiration.

Joel MacClellan, Ph.D. - Commissioner

Joel MacClellan is a philosophy professor and director of the Environment Program at Loyola University New Orleans. Dr. MacClellan’s area of expertise is ethics. He is a member of Loyola’s Institutional Review Board (for research involving human subjects) and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (for research involving animal subjects) and has experience in clinical medical ethics. He also served as a United States Peace Corps Volunteer in sustainable human development, environmental conservation, and cross-cultural understanding. Dr. MacClellan was appointed to the commission in October 2024.