By Pat Culverhouse
Odds of three elected officials from the same area serving on executive boards of their respective statewide organizations at some time might not be considered unusual, but three serving at the same time just might be unique.
Minden Mayor Nick Cox, Minden Chief of Police Jared McIver and Webster Parish Sheriff Jason Parker are all currently executive board members respectively of the Louisiana Municipal Association, the Louisiana Association of Chiefs of Police and the Louisiana Sheriff’s Association.
“We’ve asked a lot of people and this may be the first time ever that three elected officials from the same place are serving at the same time on state organization executive boards,” McIver said. “I think that’s pretty cool. It means a lot to Minden and the parish.”
McIver was recently sworn in as Sergeant-At-Arms during the LACP’s annual conference in Shreveport in July. He will join other board members in advocating on behalf of more than 350 chiefs of police throughout the state.
In his new role, McIver will play a part in helping both large and small law departments find common ground in law enforcement including training, professional development, advocacy and interagency cooperation.
All new ideas and solutions developed through his participation on the executive board can be brought back home, he said.
Cox, currently in his first term as mayor, serves as Dist. A Vice President of the LMA, a district which includes Caddo, Bossier, Webster and DeSoto parishes. He was elected to the board in 2024.
In his role on the executive board, he helps identify common problems facing more than 300 mayors in the state, and work toward solutions which benefit all constituents.
“It’s certainly an honor for me, but I really see it as a win for the city of Minden. Serving on the LMA Executive Board gives our city a stronger voice and the chance to build relationships with leaders from all over Louisiana,” he said. We learn from each other, share ideas and bring those ideas back home. I think that’s something that will benefit Minden for years to come.”
Cox said having three officials in such statewide positions puts Minden in a position of being connected on a statewide level it’s never experienced before.
Parker, first elected to the executive board of the LSA in 2025, is now serving as Secretary Treasurer of the group which represents the 64 sheriffs in the state.
“It’s a privilege to serve the people of Webster Parish and an honor to be on the executive board of the Louisiana Sheriff’s Association. It’s also a great opportunity for our area,” Parker said. “I think by serving on the board Webster Parish has a strong voice in the future of our state. Working with Sheriffs from across the state to share ideas and solutions creates a bond that can only help our parish.”
All three agree that positions on executive boards brings an unusual level of participation in major decisions affecting the local area.
“I think our involvement on these boards can really help the people of Minden and the parish,” McIver said. “The three of us work well together, we cooperate at every level. I think we share ideas that will be beneficial to our organizations and our local people.”
“Everything we do to help on the state level helps on our local level also,” Parker said. “Anything beneficial we do within our organizations also reflects locally. It’s a very good thing for Minden and Webster Parish.”