For the Louisiana Governors Project, Louisiana Cultural Vistas magazine interviewed past governors about their approaches to the office, from staffing to media, and for their advice to the future governor.
Mike Foster served as Louisiana's governor from 1996 to 2004. He entered politics at 57 years old, after years in the private sector. He ran for state senate, he says, "because my state senator wouldn't answer my phone calls."
He was glad to take his senate staff with him to the governor's office: "I feel sorry for governors that I see go in with people that are green, don't understand the legislature, don't understand the way government works."
As far as the media: "I wasn't hard to get to. Well actually how many governors have had a radio program where they got on the air and took any questions. I mean, we took any questions. "
The Louisiana Governors Project has been holding events about various gubernatorial administrations around the state. More at knowlouisiana.org.