James Russell, shown here at the Iberia Homeless Shelter Thursday, was elected as the shelter’s new president.

Longtime board member for the Iberia Homeless Shelter James Russell was elected as the president of the shelter following the death of former president Pierre Schwing Sr.

In his new position, Russell said he is hoping to establish a plan for the shelter and get the board involved more in day-to-day operations in his new position.

“We want to go out and get more involved with some of the things that (Director) Stephen (Etienne) can’t get to,” Russell said.

Russell commended the years of work Schwing had given to the shelter before his death, and commended the former president for giving his “heart and ideas to the shelter.”

“He donated quite a bit of resources, it was his idea in terms of everything,” Russell said.

The Iberia Homeless Shelter is run by a staff of two people. The mission of the shelter is to help people who are despondent and need to get a hand up in terms of opportunities.

“The main motive besides food and housing is to give them a skill or get them employed,” Russell said. “There are some, very few, who do not adhere to the rules and regulations of the housing and once that happens it’s sad to say we can’t do anything for them.”

Russell said he hopes to continue the mission of the shelter and help the board get more personal with the everyday operations that sheltering the homeless involves.

“Stephen has called on me on many occasions to even meet with a client who may have some problems and would not follow the directions,” he said. “I’ve been able to be successful in some cases, I do have a degree in counseling that works well with this operation.”