Administration
Carl H. Stages, Jr. Executive Director
Carl H. Stages, Jr. was born in Franklin, Louisiana on April 24, 1959 to Carl and Claire Swafford Stages. He graduated from Jeanerette Senior High School in 1977 and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Louisiana State University in 1981.
Carl has served in a number of positions in Louisiana Government: Legislative Assistant (1979); staff member, Acadiana Delegation (1980); Executive Assistant to the Secretary of State (1981-84); Executive Assistant to the Governor (1984-1988) and Undersecretary of State (1988).
From June, 1989-October, 2003, Carl was Executive Director of the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank. In 2002, the Food Bank received the Hunger’s Hope Award for “Excellence in Food Rescue”. This national recognition was bestowed by America’s Second Harvest and is the highest honor granted in this category of hunger relief activities.
Since January, 2004, Carl has been serving as Executive Director of the BREC Foundation. The mission of the BREC Foundation is to support the Recreation and Park Commission in its efforts to enhance the quality of life for all citizens of East Baton Rouge Parish through the conservation and preservation of green spaces, recreational programs and park facilities.
Carl has served as Chairman of the East Baton Rouge Parish Board of the Emergency Food and Shelter program; Chairman of the East Feliciana Parish Emergency Food and Shelter program; Chairman of the United Way Executive Directors Council; President of the Baton Rouge Chapter of the Association of Fund Raising Professionals; President of the Baker InterClub Council; Grand Knight of Knights of Columbus Council 4085; President of the Baker Chamber of Commerce; Treasurer of the Baton Rouge Chapter of the Public Relations Association of Louisiana; Governor’s Representative to the Louisiana Centseptiquinary Commission; Governor’s Representative to the Louisiana Film and Video Commission; Governor’s Representative to the Louisiana Interagency Council for the Homeless; Sixth Congressional District representative to the Louisiana Homeless Trust Fund Advisory Commission; and member of the Board of Directors of the Baton Rouge Economic and Agricultural Development Alliance. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Baton Rouge, the Louisiana Recreation and Park Association and the National Recreation and Park Association and is a Provisional Park and Recreation Professional.
The following honors have been presented to Carl:
- Top 40 Under 40 by the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report (1994)
- Member, Leadership Greater Baton Rouge (1995)
- Outstanding Young Man, Baton Rouge Jaycees (1997)
- Outstanding Young Man Louisiana Jaycees (1998)
- Senior Practitioner, Southern Public Relations Federation (1998)
- Practitioner of the Year, Baton Rouge chapter of the Public Relations Association of Louisiana (1999)
- Grand Marshal of the Spanish Town Parade (2000)
- Marketer of the Year, Sales and Marketing Executives (2001)
- Barton Fellow (Excellence in Non Profit management), Baton Rouge Area Foundation (2002)
- Father of the Year, The Baker Observer (2003)
- Outstanding Citizen of the Year, Baker InterClub Council (2004)