Board of Directors

Mayor Friday Ellis

City of Monroe
Mayor

Mayor Friday Ellis was born in rural Rayville, Louisiana. Friday decided to settle in Monroe and that’s where he met his wife, Ashley. They married in 2001 and like many Americans, their lives were greatly impacted by the tragedy of September 11, 2001. Just two months later, Friday enlisted in the United States Marine Corps to serve his country in its time of need.

After his service, he stepped out on faith and pursued his passion for cigars, opening Governors Cigar and Pipe, a brick-and-mortar retail establishment. But Friday did not stop there; he traveled to Nicaragua, partnered with a well-respected cigar factory, and produced his own line of cigars-the highly sought-after Governor and First Lady. His cigars have been sold to customers around the world.

 

Mayor Ellis is an advocate of entrepreneurship and business growth. He encourages community and civic development and involvement at the local and state levels. In 2019, he was named Louisiana’s Free Enterprise Champion by the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry.

 

In 2020 Mayor Ellis was appointed to the Louisiana Legislative Task Force on Economic Recovery, charged with developing comprehensive policy, legislative, and regulatory recommendations to immediately re-start the Louisiana economy in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

 

Mayor Ellis is a 2019 graduate of Louisiana Leadership, a 2022 graduate of the Delta Regional Authority Leadership Institute, and a recent graduate from the Authentic Leadership Course at the JFK School of Government at Harvard University.

 

Locally, he was recognized as Monroe’s Professionals Top 20 Under 40 and most recently voted as Bayou Life Best Public Official for three consecutive years.  One of his most cherished accomplishments was being awarded the Vanguard Award by the University of Louisiana Monroe Women’s Symposium, for his efforts toward the empowerment of women and inclusion in northeast Louisiana.

 

Mayor Ellis and First Lady Ashley have three children: Friday III, Asher, and Aurie.  All three children attend Monroe City Schools.