Terry Huval, director of Louisiana-based Lafayette Utilities System and LUS Fiber, on July 18 announced that he is retiring.
In the announcement of his retirement Huval said, “There’s no better time than right now. Fiber is at the height of its success, and LUS is an industry leader in reliability and customer service. While it’s never easy to say goodbye, I’m confident in the strength of these companies, and more importantly, the strength of the people left to continue this good work.”
Lafayette Mayor-President Joel Robideaux praised Huval’s career, saying that Huval “has been an expert and steady hand at the helm of the utility system and helped blaze the trail for the telecommunications system that has earned global acclaim.”
Under Huval’s leadership, LUS has been at the forefront of innovation and change in the utility industry, all while maintaining competitive rates and delivering the highest reliability in Louisiana, a July 19 news release from the Lafayette Consolidated Government noted.
The news release singled out the establishment of LUS Fiber as Huval’s “true legacy” for the citizens of Lafayette.
Starting in 2005, Huval fought to establish the LUS Fiber telecommunications system. “In only its ninth year of operation, LUS Fiber has garnered considerable market share and profitability. LUS Fiber continues to expand and spur economic development, growing its footprint beyond Lafayette city limit and launching affordable 10 Gig residential services this summer,” the news release noted.
Huval served four Lafayette Mayor-Presidents and his tenure as utilities director is the longest in the history of LUS.
Robideaux told the Lafayette Daily Examiner newspaper that Bernhard Capital Partners Management, which is based in Baton Rouge, La., is studying the electric division of LUS, with the purpose of either purchasing or managing and operating the system. Robideaux also said that other electric utility companies, including investor-owned Entergy, have expressed an interest in the electric division.
