Interview With Cordell Haymon: "What I've Learned . . ."

• Jurisdiction: United States
• Publication year: 2022

Interview With Cordell Haymon: "What I've Learned . . ."

Vital Statistics

Age: 69

Position: Sr. Vice President, SGS Petroleum Service Corp.

Born & Raised: in Baton Rouge

Parents: Father—Derryl Haymon, worked 33 years for Exxon, but also developed apartments and founded Petroleum Service Corporation. Mother—Helen Gold Haymon, was a social worker for the EBR Parish Welfare Department and later served as a volunteer at Woman's Hospital for 40 years.

Siblings: Two brothers—Brian and Martin, and two sisters—Rachel and Diane

Spouse: Ava Leavell Haymon, writer/poet/teacher

Children: Daughter—Carroll, family doctor in Seattle; Son—Houston, former professional trumpet player, now Business Development Manager for SGS Petroleum Service Corporation in Houston

Education: Baton Rouge High School, Rice University and LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center

ATB: You and I served on the BRBA Board together for a number of years in the 1980s and 1990s. What are some things you remember about that?

CH: I recall that it was a good time for our Bar Association. We hired our first executive director, Bobbi Zaunbrecher, and she helped us grow membership and programs to become one of the best local bar associations in the country. Bobbi was succeeded by Ann K. Gregorie, and it is good to see that Ann and her staff, together with the present board, continue many of the programs we initiated. Those included the first bar-sponsored lawyer referral service in Louisiana and the first pro bono program in our state, and also the Bench Bar Conference. Unfortunately, this was before the tradition started of the bar president singing at the conference, so I missed my chance for musical fame.

Photography by Pamela Labbe

ATB: What was the best thing about serving on the Baton Rouge Bar Association board?

CH: It was the opportunity to work with some of the finest lawyers in our community (Patterson, Rubin, Greco, Groves, Toups, Marks, Fertitta, Marabella, McKay, Eaton, West, Holthaus, Dampf. Oh yes, and Walters). I think I especially appreciated these relationships because of the fact that I was never part of a law firm.

ATB: What did you enjoy least about being bar president?

CH: Probably it was an issue that arose involving Capital Area Legal Services. I had served as the chair of that board for a number of years before going on the board of the BRBA. We received a complaint that CALSC was not following its own bylaws in the appointment of its board of directors. I had actually drafted those bylaws, and we took the position that BRBA would withdraw all of its appointees from that board unless the bylaws were followed. That left CALSC without a functioning board and caused quite a firestorm...