Ann Duplessis, Board Member, American Federation for Children

Ann Davis Duplessis is President of the Louisiana Federation for Children, a project of the American Federation for Children, where she partners with local and national policy leaders and lawmakers to promote and protect access to educational choice options, including the overwhelmingly popular Louisiana Scholarship Program.

Duplessis has more than 35 years in the financial services industry. Currently, she is Senior Vice President of Retail Banking, Marketing & Sales, and Strategic Planning for Liberty Bank and Trust Company. Liberty Bank is a $600+ million retail bank with offices in eight states. Duplessis also oversees the growth and profitability of Liberty Insurance, Inc., a subsidy of Liberty Bank and Trust.

In 2004 Duplessis was elected to the Louisiana Legislature as Senator for District 2, serving New Orleans East, Holy Cross, and the Lower Ninth Ward communities. During her time in office, while serving on the Senate Education Committee, Senator Duplessis fought successfully to expand educational options for Louisiana’s children by authoring and supporting numerous pieces of school choice legislation. Following Hurricane Katrina, Duplessis authored a bill which allowed the state to take over the majority of schools in Orleans Parish, which led to the thriving charter school movement in New Orleans. She also led the effort in the Louisiana Senate to pass HB 1347, that created the Student Scholarships for Educational Excellence Program in New Orleans in 2008. Duplessis was instrumental in passing 57 major laws focused on education reform, early childhood K-12 education, pro-business initiatives, economic development and more.

Duplessis is an unwavering public servant, who currently serves on the board of the American Federation for Children, the Eastern New Orleans Hospital Service District, New Orleans Shelter for Women and Children, the New Orleans Regional Black Chamber of Commerce, and Delgado Foundation Board of Trustees. Previously, she served on the Board of Trustees for Louisiana State University and held the distinction of Chairman of the Board in 2013.

A devoted wife, mother and grandmother, she has been married to Virgil Duplessis. They have three beautiful daughters, Brooks, Lindsey and Heather; and four perfect granddaughters, Camille, Sydney, Brooklyn, and Maleia.