New Iberia’s new Mayor Pro Tem, Ricky Gonsoulin, has immersed himself into almost every aspect of the Iberia community, as an officer or active member of: The Iberia Chamber of Commerce, New Iberia Kiwanis, New Iberia 4-H Club, President of Iberia Parish Farm Bureau, the American Sugarcane League, Iberia Parish Council, Iberia Industrial Foundation and Evangeline Little League Park, and as lector and Eucharistic minister of St. Peter’s Catholic Church. When this sixth-generation sugar cane farmer, and owner of Gonsoulin Farms, says he will never turn his back on Iberia Parish, you’re inclined to believe it.

You’ve been quoted as saying that a farmer is really just a problem solver. What has farming taught you? Hard work and dedication are part of anything if you want to be successful at it. It’s more than getting up and going to work. The amount that you put into farming directly reflects the outcome that you see from the fruits of your farm. It’s the same with community service when you put efforts into community development, quality of life, infrastructure…

How do you hope to keep the youths in New Iberia when they graduate? Jobs, jobs, jobs.

We need to diversify, to think outside of the box and create jobs for people. That means selling our community. Our sales tax revenue dropped very little during COVID because our residents shopped local. We owe it to them to make any improvements to make it better for them by bringing in new businesses. All three of my kids are contributing to the local economy; my daughter is a nurse here and my sons are farmers. And I’m happy they decided to stay here.

Which projects on the Master Plan have begun? The downtown master plan is great for visitors and residents; downtown is definitely an asset. We need to figure a solution to keep our kids here with softball, soccer and other sports to maintain their quality of life locally. We need to create a tax revenue to maintain the city of New Iberia. The city is missing average and middle-class homes for young families, so I’d like to see residential areas developed for them to create roof tops in the city. We have a $20 million bond this year to improve roads. When the master plan is complete, New Iberia will be a figure in Acadiana, where even more people will want to visit, reside and work.

What aspect of the Mayor Pro Tem position has surprised you? The phone calls I’m getting from residents with great ideas – and I’m listening to them!

The Thing About Ricky

Favorite TV show: “ Yellowstone”

Favorite way to unwind: Work out at the gym, run, read

Playlist in the tractor: 80’s, Zydeco

Favorite Getaway: Destin, Florida