| 
We encourage you to take time to meet some of the Faces of LASERS. Public employees are instrumental in the function of state government. Their roles are varied; social workers striving to help at-risk children, nurses managing hospice programs, agricultural inspectors guaranteeing the safety of locally grown produce, enforcement agents patrolling our waterways to ensure safe boating practices, and a plethora of others. A distinctive LASERS member will be featured each quarter.
Roland Babin
Engineering Technician 7,
District 3, Lafayette
Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development
Career longevity is a goal most of us hope to achieve in our lifetime. Roland J. Babin is a man who has far surpassed the average tenure of employment. Babin has the distinction of being the LASERS member with the longest amount of service still actively employed. He has worked for the Department of Transportation & Development (DOTD) for 60 years, and at the age of 79 is still going strong. Babin is affectionately known among co-workers as the “Energizer Bunny.” He serves as a District Maintenance Specialist and oversees District 3 DOTD crews in an eight parish area.
Babin and his crew work with heavy equipment on projects such as asphalt and drainage. Even though his work is supervisory, he likes to be busy and will jump on a broom, rake, roller, or other piece of equipment to help. Babin has been known to take the place of his flag ladies to give them a break. He is proud to say that the projects they work on are making a difference in the state. Babin explained, “Road repairs are very important. We receive $500,000 to $600,000 in capital outlay and find the worst roads and fix them to last for a few years. I have a wonderful crew of men and they are cross-trained to do each job. We work with our own employees, not contractors. Our crew is just as good as the contractors and complete the work at a very, very, very low cost. We are doing very well with each dollar. I really love what I’m doing!”
Read the full story.
| | 
|
