Members

Established in 2013 under Chapter 36 of the Shreveport Code of Ordinances , the primary purpose of the Shreveport Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) is to advise, research, archive, make recommends, and in some cases decisions, in furtherance of the City’s goals of balancing historic preservation and revitalization with new growth and development in accordance with the Shreveport Unified Development Code (Shreveport UDC).

The HPC has five regular members and two alternates. All seven (7) members are volunteers from various backgrounds. By Ordinance, members shall be appointed by the Mayor, subject to confirmation by the City Council, and shall be residents of the City of Shreveport and shall have the interest, knowledge, experience, capability and demonstrated desire to promote historic preservation in the City.  HPC members typically serve for four-year terms and can be re-appointed.

CHAIRMAN

Dr. Gary Joiner

Chairman of the Commission since August 2018 and Member since 2018. Dr. Joiner is the Chair of the Department of History and Social Sciences at LSU in Shreveport. As a small boy visiting Civil War battlefields, he was inspired to learn more about history and, while he did not know what a historian was at that time, he considered that to be his ultimate career goal.

Following graduation from high school, he attended Louisiana Tech University, earning a bachelor’s degree with a double major in history and geography. He earned a master’s degree from the same institution, focusing on military history. He earned his Doctor of Philosophy Degree from St. Martin’s College, Lancaster, England.

Gary is married and lives in Shreveport with his wife, Marilyn. 

Email — gary.joiner@lsus.edu

Number — (318) 347-8407

Secretary

Lane Callaway

Secretary of the Commission since April 2017 and Member since 2013. Mr. Callaway, a native of Shreveport, has a Bachelor’s degree in History from Northwestern State University of Louisiana, a Masters in History from the University of Kansas, and has two business-related degrees from Webster University.

He is a graduate of several military command and staff colleges and has earned numerous military and Department of the Air Force civilian awards and decorations. Mr. Callaway served in the United States Army as an Infantry Officer from 1975-1998, serving in command and staff assignments in the United States, at the Pentagon, and in Germany and Korea. He retired at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel with an Honorable Discharge and currently is the Historian of Eighth Air Force and Joint Global Strike Operations Center at Barksdale AFB.

Mr. Callaway served six years on the Board of Directors, Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation and served as a member of the Façade Grant Committee for Downtown Development Corporation. He is a member in both the National Trust for Historic Preservation and National Alliance of Preservation Commissions. Lane serves as a judge for the Regional Competition for National History Day. Mr. Callaway makes his home in Shreveport.

Email — lanecallaway08@gmail.com

Member

Dr. Cheryl White

Member of the Commission since June 2019. Dr. White is an associate professor of history at Louisiana State University at Shreveport.

Dr. White has authored numerous academic works, including a recent biography of Confederate General and Episcopal Bishop Leonidas Polk, as well as several local histories.

She is a frequent speaker and guest lecturer on topics related to her primary areas of interest, Christian church history and the history of medieval and early-modern Europe.

Email — cheryl.white@lsus.edu

Member

Jazmin Jernigan 

Ms. Jernigan holds the position of Director of Alumni Development at LSU Shreveport and Executive Director of the LSUS Alumni Association.

Ms. Jazmin Jernigan is also the owner of Aesthetic Innovations, LLC, a creative design and consulting firm founded in 2008.

Jernigan received a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art, with a concentration in Graphic Design and went on to earn a Master’s degree in Business Administration, with a strong focus in Marketing—both from Louisiana State University in Shreveport.

Ms. Jernigan is passionate about her craft, contributing to professional networks, and encouraging an entrepreneurial throughout her community. Jazmin Jernigan is a class of 2014, 40 Under 40 honoree, and has also been honored as a Athena Award nominee.

Ms. Jernigan has been a Member of the Commission since June 2019.

Email — jazminjc@aistudios.info

associate MEMBER

Verni Howard, MPA, CNP

Verni Howard is a native of Shreveport, Louisiana and the daughter of the late Rev. and Mrs. C. F. Williams. She is a 1987 graduate of Caddo Magnet High School and furthered her studies at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. After earning a BS in Microbiology (1993) and a MPA (1997), Verni began the Commercial Banking Training program with SunTrust Bank in Atlanta, GA. After more than 18-years of corporate and non-profit banking experience including Regions Bank, Whitney Bank, Hancock Bank and JPMorgan Chase, Verni became the Executive Director of Providence House in December of 2015.

Verni returned to her hometown of Shreveport in 2013 in the role of Senior Vice-President/Relationship Manager of Public and Institutional Banking at JPMorgan Chase. Her love and service to the community was quickly felt. In 2015 she was recognized for her outstanding achievements and was honored with an African American Achievement Award. In 2017 Verni received the Angel Award from Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation and a year later she was a Virginia Shehee Influential Woman Award finalist and Athena Award finalist. Verni is a 2021 recipient of the Shreveport Chamber’s Minority Business Organization’s Non-Profit Professional of the Year and Providence House received recognition as one of the best places to work in Shreveport. She and her team are relentless when it comes to serving and caring for homeless families in northwest Louisiana!

Verni Howard is a Paul Harris Fellow (Shreveport Rotary Club) and a member of Christus Highland’s Quality Committee and Strategic Planning/Finance Committee, City of Shreveport’s Choice Neighborhood Implementation Advisory Group, a trustee of LifeShare, and Board Chairman of Louisiana State University’s Institute for Non-Profit Administration and Research. In August of 2022, Verni was appointed by Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins and confirmed as a Commissioner with the Historic Preservation Commission. She is busy lending her time and talent to ensure that Louisiana leads the charge in changing the landscape for homeless families.

Above all, Verni Howard is committed to God and family!

Verni and her husband Don, have been married for 24-years and together they have the joy of parenting two AMAZING children: Hannah Elizabeth (age 15 ) and Matthew Reed (age 11). She and her family live by the belief that, “We are our brother’s keeper.“

Email - verni@theprovidencehouse.com

associate Member

Mischa Farrell, AIA 

Mischa Farrell is a successful and experienced architect with over three decades of experience in the Architecture industry. She founded the award-winning Shreveport-based firm Mischa Farrell Architect, LLC in 2000 and has been practicing architecture in Louisiana for 25 years following relocation from New Mexico, where she worked for the Internationally renowned firm Antoine Predock Architect. She is NCARB certified and holds architecture licenses in Louisiana and California. Mischa earned her Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Texas at Austin in 1989 with additional architectural studies at the Danish Institute for Study Abroad in Copenhagen. She worked in Boston during her University years with acclaimed architects Machado Silvetti and Associates. Mischa's firm serves a broad range of public and private clients. Her works include Public Libraries, Medical Clinics, University Buildings, Historic Renovations, and adaptive reuse. She is a passionate and vocal public advocate for historic preservation and for sharing the powerful message that good architecture enriches peoples' lives, contributes to the urban whole, and creates positive change and economic development.

Mischa earned her Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Texas at Austin in 1989 with additional architectural studies at the Danish Institute for Study Abroad in Copenhagen. She worked in Boston during her University years with acclaimed architects Machado Silvetti and Associates. Mischa's firm serves a broad range of public and private clients. Her works include Public Libraries, Medical Clinics, University Buildings, Historic Renovations, and adaptive reuse. She is a passionate and vocal public advocate for historic preservation and for sharing the powerful message that good architecture enriches peoples' lives, contributes to the urban whole, and creates positive change and economic development.

Ms. Farrell is currently the 2022 President of The American Institute of Architects Louisiana. She has been an active officer of the AIA at the local and state level for many years. Ms. Farrell is also a member of the Board of Regents for the Louisiana Architecture Foundation. She regularly engages people by giving lectures, conducting tours, producing films about design and history, and creating programs for the public and children to learn about their built environment. She is actively involved in multiple preservation projects in Shreveport.

Email — mischa@mischafarrell.com

Ex-Officio

Adam Bailey

MPC Staff, Community Planning and Design Manager.

Ex-Officio since 2015.

Email — adam.bailey@shreveportla.gov

Number — (318) 673-6480