Cafe Sydnie Mae
About us
Sydnie Mae Durand Bio
Our Name Honors Community Leader
Sydnie Mae Durand studied environmental training at the University of Southwestern Louisiana and worked in the Lafayette oil industry for 37 years. She began her career in public service by serving on the St. Martin Parish Police Jury, District 4 for 3 terms, beginning in 1980 through 1992, and was the first female president of the St. Martin Parish Police Jury.
In 1992 she became the first woman elected to serve as a State Representative for District 46, serving until 2008. During the span of the 16 years in which she held her term in office in the Louisiana legislature, Sydnie Mae served as the Chairwoman of the House Health and Welfare Committee, and also served on the House Executive Committee.
She was appointed to serve as a member of the Children, Families & Health Committee of the National Conference of State Legislature's Assembly on State Issues, the Fiscal Affairs & Government Operations Committee of the Southern Legislative Conference, Committee on Tax Structures, Regional Trauma Patient Care Statewide System Task Force, Governor's Commission on Disability Affairs, and the Louisiana Women's Policy and Research Commission. She also served on the boards of Southern Mutual Help Association, Louisiana Interagency Task Force on the Future of Family Medicine, and the Acadiana Area Health Services District, as Chairman.
In 2001 she was the recipient of the AANP Louisiana Award for Excellence for Nurse Practitioner Advocates; 2002, the Fleur De Lis Healthcare Leadership Award; and had received the Friend of Physical Therapy Award, in 2003.