Girard Melancon, Ph.D.

Dr. Girard J. Melancon brings more than 25 years of progressive experience in workforce development to his role as Director of Strategic Partnerships at Louisiana FUEL, a National Science Foundation-funded initiative housed at Louisiana State University. He is also the President and Founder of Durango Works Corp, an independent consultancy focused on advancing workforce solutions in energy and advanced manufacturing.

Dr. Melancon was recently appointed to the 21st Century Energy Workforce Advisory Board (EWAB), where he advises the U.S. Department of Energy on national strategies to build and sustain a skilled energy workforce that meets the evolving demands of the country’s energy system.

Previously, Dr. Melancon served a decade-long tenure as Vice Chancellor for Workforce Solutions at Baton Rouge Community College (BRCC). There, he led transformative partnerships with employers and community stakeholders that positioned BRCC’s workforce programs among the most recognized in the nation.

One of Dr. Melancon’s most notable achievements was the redesign of the North Baton Rouge Industrial Training Initiative (NBRITI). Under his leadership, the program was nationally recognized by the National Skills Coalition as one of the top three workforce development models in the U.S. in 2018. In 2019, he was honored with the NSC Skill Champion Award for his pioneering work.

Throughout his career, Dr. Melancon and his teams have provided career-aligned training to over 100,000 individuals, equipping them with the skills needed to enter high-demand sectors including energy, petrochemical, transportation, healthcare, construction, and manufacturing.