District 27

January 10, 2000-present

n January 10, 2000, Mount was sworn in as a Louisiana State Senator for District 27. She is a member of the following committees: Education, Vice-Chair, Senate Select Committee on Consumer Affairs, Judiciary B, Health and Welfare, Legislative Audit Advisory Committee, the State Technology Advisory Committee, Joint Legislative Juvenile Justice Commission, Dyslexia Study Committee, School Finance Review Commission, Millennium Port Committee, the Reading Leadership Team, and serves as chairperson of the Louisiana State Interagency Coordinating Council.

MAYOR, CITY OF LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA
July 1, 1993 -December 1999

Willie L. Mount was elected the first woman Mayor of the City of Lake Charles, Louisiana on May 1, 1993. While serving in her second term, which she was unopposed for re-election, she was elected as the first woman State Senator from District 27. A former small business owner, Mount was very active in a variety of civic and community betterment projects.

In keeping with the theme of her administration, "Lake Charles . . . Moving Forward Together," Mount emphasized the importance of community partnerships as well as citizen involvement in government through a variety of advisory committees and task forces. Under her leadership, City operations prioritized a customer service orientation and quality management principles.

Mount's administration focused on economic development, recreation improvements, crime prevention initiatives, lakefront development, and youth issues, among others. The City's resurgence was recognized by Louisiana Life magazine which named Lake Charles the Louisiana City of the Year and the Renaissance Award Winner for Downtown Revitalization. In recognition of the City's efforts toward quality management, Lake Charles was awarded the Southwest Louisiana Quality Award. The City was also recognized by the Louisiana Municipal Association with its Community Achievement Award in 1995, 1996, and 1998. The Louisiana Federation of Garden Clubs named Lake Charles the Statewide Cleanest City in its population category in both 1996 and 1997.

Mount is past president of the Louisiana Conference of Mayors, a past member of the Executive Board of the Louisiana Municipal Association, and a past member of the Executive Board of the Council for a Better Louisiana. On a local level, Mount serves on the McNeese State University Foundation Board, the Christus St. Patrick Board of Counselors, the United Methodist Foundation Investment Committee, Prevent Child Abuse Board, the W.O. Moss Regional Community Advisory Committee, the United Way Advisory Committee, and the Children's Miracle Network Allocation Panel.  She also serves as statewide co-chair with Lt. Governor Blanco of the Louisiana's Promise effort to provide youth of our state with access to the fundamental resources they need for a happy and productive life.

During her term in office, Mount was recognized for her leadership in a number of ways. She was awarded the Distinguished Citizen of the Year award by the Boy Scouts, Public Official of the Year Award by the Msgr. Cramers Knights of Columbus, the Citizen of the Year by the Kiwanis Club of Lake Charles, the Citizen of the Year by the United States Marine Corps League, the Community Service Award of the North Lake Charles Kiwanis Club, the Doretha Combre Award from the NAACP, the McNeese State University Distinguished Alumni Award, and most recently the "Friend of Education in the Legislature Award" from Delta Kappa Gamma Society International.