Dan Borne’: president of the Louisiana Chemical Association

Mr. Borne’ graduated from Thibodaux High School salutatorian and attended Nicholls where he was student body President and Mr. Nicholls and inducted to NSU Hall of Fame.

He attended LSU to work on his Masters in Mass Communications. Dan became the news anchorman for Channel 9.  Later, he worked on the staff of two senior U.S. senators, Allen Ellender, and Russell Long. 

Dan joined the Edwin Edwards administration as the governor’s chief assistant and executive secretary. He has served as Chairman of the Board of Baton Rouge General Hospital and General Health System, President of the Louisiana Arts and Science Center, and President of the Louisiana Council on Economic Education.

For the past 22 years, he has served as President of the Louisiana Chemical Association. Dan is an adjunct professor at L.S.U. and  he is also President of the Louisiana Chemical Industry Alliance, a group of over 500 businesses. 

He is a member of the board of directors of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation. Dan is the public address announcer in L.S.U.’s Tiger Stadium and also the courtside announcer in the P-Mac for basketball games.

Mr. Borne’ began by saying that we are in the Renaissance in manufacturing industries which will benefit our State tremendously.  He further stated that God did not give us mountains like in Colorado or the white beaches of Florida but He gave us dead dinosaurs, Jurassic Park of minerals, oil, natural gas, and the incredible Mississippi River that provides commerce and brings Louisiana to the world and the world to Louisiana.

Over the last five years, the availability of natural gas  has changed the manufacturing industry in the State, because now natural gas is plentiful and relatively inexpensive.      

This has and will result in billions of  dollars in investments along the river in several parishes and will reverberate into all the river parishes and those bordering the river parishes.  It will create good jobs  especially for young people who receive technical, manufacturing, and business degrees. He further added that  “Renaissance of Manufacturing” is coming and it is because of natural gas and shell gas drilling in North Louisiana and Texas.

As an adjunct instructor at LSU, one of the questions Mr. Borne’ is often asked  is “how did you get the job as PA announcer at LSU?”  He explains the reason was that he asked for it. The message of the story was “Don’t ever be afraid to ask.”  If at anytime there is ambiguity in life as to what we are suppose to be doing on the job, with the family, or at church or volunteer activities, ask what is the next thing that needs to be done and how can one help to do it.

Dan said that another life lesson is the power of one person. He further added that the power of knowing one’s role and playing it well and  understanding what the role is in an organization is important. A good friend of his went for an audition and did not get the role he wanted but got a smaller role  He asked for another role but was told that there were no small roles but there were small actors. Dan tells the students who are entering into an organization to understand their roles and the part they are suppose to play and not to be intimidated by people who have bigger roles because in the grand scheme of things there are no small parts/roles in any organization.