Kyle Southard is a board member of the Downtown Development Authority (DDA).

Levette Fuller is a candidate for the selection of the DDA Executive Director.

Both Southard and Fuller work for Pinnacle Realty Advisors.

The DDA is a separate political entity and the actions/inaction of DDA Board members are under the purview of the Louisiana Board of Ethics.

The DDA has formed an Executive Director Search Committee composed of three DDA board members and two members of the Downtown Shreveport Development Corporation (DSDC) board of directors.

This Search Committee is to rank the applicants for the Executive Director and also make a recommendation on whether or not to firm a search firm. This report is given to the DDA Board at its meeting this month on April 24. The Board will probably vote upon the recommendations of the Search Committee at this meeting.

It appears that Southard has a conflict of interest in the selection process of the Executive Director. Thus, he should not participate in any vote of the DDA board for the Executive Director position.

Presumably this conflict should also bar Southard from participating in any communications with the search committee and/or the DDA board on the selection of the new Executive Director. This would preclude any comments at the April 24 Board meeting or subsequent meetings that addresses this selection process.