"Responsibility for results - not excuses"

 LCA has proudly  established the “Responsibility for Results – Not Excuses” award. This award was created to honor Mr. Richard L. Stalder, who spent the last 16 years of a 30 year correctional career as Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections. 

Secretary Stalder started his career as a correctional officer in 1971 and has served as Superintendent and Warden of juvenile and adult facilities, as well as other management roles, before being appointed as Secretary in 1992 by former Governor Edwin W. Edwards. He was reappointed to the position in 1996 by Governor Mike Foster and then again by Governor Kathleen Blanco in 2004. Mr. Stalder has also served as the President of the American Correctional Association and as the President of the Association of State Correctional Administrators. He is nationally recognized as an authority on prisons.

When he was at the helm of Louisiana’s prison system, he had a saying that he shared with his Executive Team: “Responsibility for Results – Not Excuses.” He believed staff should take ownership in their day to day jobs and to be accountable for operations and outcomes. Mr. Stalder also implemented the use of standardized performance reporting for evaluating operational and program outcomes. It was during the review of these reports that he held the bar high for his team and expected that they would be able to discuss the results of performance measures without excuse, but with ownership and responsibility for results.

It is in this spirit and in recognition of this approach that the Louisiana Correctional Association honors members who are dedicated corrections professionals who take ownership in their work and make no excuses through the LCA Richard L. Stalder Responsibility for Results – Not Excuses Award.

The recipients of this prestigious award will be announced during the annual LCA membership luncheon held in conjunction with the annual conference. 

Past Winners:

2015 - Gerald Lebo

2016 - Genie Powers

2017 - Angela Whittaker

2018 - Wayne Millus

2019 - Darryl Campbell

2022 - Secretary James M. Le Blanc

2023 - Derek Ellis & Cortrell Davis

2024 - Dusty Bickham