Taylor Barras has experience in banking. He has experience in the state legislature, where he serves as speaker of the house. And now he can claim two occasions where he served as a grand marshal.

“I was the grand marshal for the Royalty Parade for the Sugar Cane Festival, I don’t even remember what year that was,” he said. “I’m not sure if it requires any experience but yes, I’ve done it before.”

Barras served as the grand marshal for this year’s Bayou Mardi Gras Association Parade Saturday night and had a few minutes before the parade to answer questions.

You will be leaving the legislature at the end of this year. What do you plan to do then?

“I’ll stay in New Iberia. In the off season, when we are not in session, I have still attended to my duties with IberiaBank, so I will go back to that full time. Even when we are in session, they can reach me by phone or email or fax when they need to.”

You still have a fax machine?

“Well, yeah, but we don’t use it as much as we used to.”

What is the biggest thing you will take away from your legislative experience?

“The most valuable part of being speaker was getting to know people and get them to work together across the state. We have 105 members in our body, representing every district statewide an I have had the opportunity to learn from all of them, through good and bad. We’ve been through floods, hurricanes, dealing with opioids, crime, you name it. It’s been an incredible experience for me.”

What will you miss least about being in office?

“I can’t say there is anything I disliked about it. There were frustrating moments when you are trying to work on an issue and there is no real communication. Taxes, opioid abuse, abortion, they are all very sensitive and emotional topics. It can create a lot of tension. It can create a lot of stressful moments.”