In January 2008, Mitch Landrieu was sworn in for his second term as Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana. 

Landrieu launched the Cultural Economy Initiative to create jobs through culture, arts, music, film, food and other creative industries, helping to establish arts and culture as a viable sector of Louisiana’s economy. He worked to pass “Arts in Education” legislation, designed to put music and arts in every Louisiana public school. In 2006, Americans for the Arts presented Landrieu its inaugural Lieutenant Governors Arts Award for his commitment to the arts.

As the commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, Landrieu manages more than 800 employees and a $165 million budget. He is responsible for rebuilding tourism, the state’s second-largest industry, in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. He brought together industry leaders and national experts to develop “Louisiana Rebirth: Restoring the Soul of America.” As a result, the tourism industry is speaking with one voice and hitting the marks established in this strategic plan. He implemented “Budgeting for Outcomes,” a process to ensure that decisions are based on results benefiting taxpayers and advancing strategic goals.

Landrieu served 16 years in the Louisiana House of Representatives, representing the Broadmoor neighborhood of New Orleans. He previously spent 15 years practicing law, and also taught at Loyola Law School, where he earned his law degree. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Catholic University in Washington.