WINNFIELD, La. — Members and guests of the Kiwanis Club of Winnfield gathered for a presentation by Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Mike Francis (District 4). While Winn Parish lies outside Commissioner Francis’s regulatory district (District 4), he traveled to Winnfield to speak as a personal favor to his long-time childhood friend, Dr. Bill Gaddis.

North Louisiana Roots & Local Stories

Introduced by host Dr. Bill Gaddis, Commissioner Francis shared stories of growing up together in nearby Jena, Louisiana. The two recalled attending Sunday school together and being baptized on the same day at First Baptist Church in Jena. Francis joked that during their baptism as young boys, he managed to “muddy the water a whole lot more than Bill did.”

Francis also recalled playing football for the Jena Giants high school team. He shared a lighthearted memory of coming to Winnfield for one of their final season games, where the Winnfield team put on a tough performance against a Jena squad that had been whittled down to very few players by that point in the year.

Reflecting on his college years, Francis drew laughs describing his early realization that he simply wasn’t “college material” at the time. After trying college for a brief spell, he decided to pack up his bags around Thanksgiving and head straight into the workforce. Years later, however, when sent to a specialized engineering school in Houston, Francis applied himself night and day, rising from a score of 27 on his first test to finishing at the top of his class as a drilling fluids engineer.

From Roughneck to Entrepreneur

At age 17, Francis hitchhiked to Morgan City to land his first job on an offshore drilling rig, sparking a lifelong career in the oilfield. At age 30, he founded Francis Drilling Fluids, Ltd. in Crowley, starting out as the sole driver of a single truck. Through hard work and strategic expansion, FDF grew into one of the largest drilling fluid supply companies on the Gulf Coast, eventually employing nearly 500 workers with a fleet of over 200 trucks and four airplanes.

In addition to his business ventures, Francis served six years as Chairman of the Republican Party of Louisiana during the 1990s. First elected to the Louisiana Public Service Commission in 2016, he now applies his decades of private-sector business experience to overseeing electric, gas, water, and intrastate transportation utilities across his district.

Utility Discussion & Guests in Attendance

During the meeting, Commissioner Francis discussed current energy issues facing Louisiana, including grid capacity demands from expanding AI data centers, the potential for integrating local timber biomass into power generation, and balancing necessary infrastructure repairs with long-term rate stability for consumers.

Commissioner Francis was joined by his Chief of Staff, Eric Duplechain (retired Captain with the Louisiana State Police), as well as Murphy Chestnut, Regional Director & Advisor to U.S. Senator John Kennedy. Additional attendees in the room included John E. Atkins (candidate for PSC District 5), Shonna S. Moss (Executive Director of the Louisiana Political Museum & Hall of Fame), former Winnfield Mayor George Moss, Chief of Police Johnny Ray Carpenter, Winn Parish Sheriff Josh McAllister, Mayor Gerald Hamms, local librarian Priscilla Massey, and Victoria Guy representing the Winn Parish Enterprise.

Upcoming Kiwanis Pancake Supper

The Kiwanis Club of Winnfield reminds the community to mark their calendars for the annual Kiwanis Pancake Supper:

* Date: September 24

* Time: 5:00 PM

* Location: Presbyterian Church

Community members are invited to enjoy a pancake dinner, with proceeds directly supporting local youth projects and civic initiatives throughout Winn Parish.

Pictured at the recent Kiwanis Club of Winnfield meeting are (left to right): Eric Duplechain, Chief of Staff for PSC Commissioner Francis; Ethel Howell, Kiwanis Club of Winnfield; Murphy Chestnut, Regional Director & Advisor to U.S. Senator John Kennedy; Chief of Police Johnny Ray Carpenter; Public Service Commissioner Mike Francis, shown in the center alongside his high school friend and meeting host, Dr. Bill Gaddis of the Kiwanis Club of Winnfield; Mayor Gerald Hamms of Winnfield; Winn Parish Sheriff Josh McAllister; and John E. Atkins, candidate for PSC District 5.