Vice President
Email Darris

Darris Waren has been involved with the Miss Louisiana Pageant 22 years. He is the past Executive Director and currently serves as Vice President of the Executive Board, the Production Staff, and as Chairman of the Miss America Preparation Committee. Darris is Minister of Worship/Music and Facilities Manager at his home church, Fair Park Baptist Church, in West Monroe, where he also serves as a Deacon. He is a member of the Louisiana Baptist Convention’s Church Site Corporation Board of Directors, the West Monroe/West Ouachita Chamber of Commerce, Ouachita Parish Republican Club, and is a former member of the West Monroe Rotary Club. He is on the production team as Stage Manager for the Twin City Ballet Company in Monroe where he has served for the past 19 years. Darris is a graduate of West Monroe High School and The University of Louisiana at Monroe where he obtained a degree in business management. He is currently a member of Leadership Ouachita for the Monroe Chamber of Commerce. Darris resides in West Monroe with his wife Kayle, and their two daughters, Grace (5 years) and Emma (2 years).
 

Secretary
Email Lue
 

Lue Napper first volunteered with the Miss America System while still at Louisiana Tech University in 1967 working with the Queen Dixie Gem “Peach” Pageant. He became the Executive Director of the pageant in 1972 and held that office until 2007. Lue helped organize the Miss Teen Louisiana Pageant and was on the board serving as Vice President until 2005. He also was on the steering committee of the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen Pageant, and worked on the Miss Ark-La-Miss, Miss Ruston and Miss Sportsman’s Paradise Pageants. Lue works in the field of Real Estate and Investments and has served on the boards of the Ruston Civic Symphony, Ruston Chamber of Commerce, and the Louisiana Peach Festival. He lives in Ruston with his wife Becky and they have one son and daughter-in-law, Lomax and Misty.
 

Treasurer
Email Connie

Connie Smallwood has been active with the Miss Louisiana Organization for the past nine years serving as Treasurer. She is a partner in the CPA firm, Martin, Harrison, & Smallwood, and serves as the treasurer for Northminster Church. Residing in Monroe, Connie has twin daughters, Laura and Leslie. She is a graduate of the University of Louisianan Monroe with a bachelor’s degree in accounting.

Producer
Email Wayne

Wayne Gentry – Producer - has been the Executive Producer for the Miss Louisiana Pageant since 1998 and the producer for the Miss Florida Pageant since 2001. Currently Wayne is the owner of ShowCase Video Productions, the production company of the Cerebral Palsy of Louisiana Telethons, ULM’s Athletic Television Shows, Ouachita Parish High School’s Football Television Show, The Twin City Ballet, and is the south’s leading Dance Revue video producer. In 2004 Wayne began the new televised talent competition, The Louisiana Talent Search.

He is a graduate of the University of Louisiana - Monroe in Communications. Wayne resides in Monroe. His son Richard attends The University of Louisiana - Monroe and is a Producer for Showcase Video. His daughter Kristal, a graduate from the University of Louisiana – Monroe with a BBA in Marketing, is a recruiter for the University.