Meet the New St. George Council

Gov. Jeff Landry has appointed the five new members of the interim St. George City Council. His selections are Patty Cook and Richie Edmonds as Council members at-large, and Ryan Heck, Max Himmel, and Steve Monachello from the three single-member districts for the Council.

The role of the interim Council members will be to create and establish the foundation of St. George by enacting the city’s ordinances, planning, zoning, and permitting. They will also work on St. George’s Master Plan, which will govern future development in St. George. 

Gov. Landry said, “Each of these folks have been heavily involved with the incorporation effort and are dedicated to ensuring the success of the city of St. George. I am confident in their leadership and am looking forward to the work they will accomplish alongside Mayor Yates and Police Chief Morris.”

Steven Monachello

Steven retired in 2018 from a career in criminal justice with over 40 years of service. He served as a full-time deputy with East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, then continued his career with the Louisiana State Police. After five years with LSP, Steven became a special agent with the Drug Enforcement Agency. He finished his career and retired from the DEA as a group supervisor. After his retirement, he began a second career with the US Department of Homeland Security as a special agent assigned to a FEMA Fraud Task Force. 

Today, he serves as a federal background investigator where he does work with the Department of State and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Steve received his B.S. in criminal justice and MPA from LSU. He and his wife Mary have three daughters, six grandchildren, and one great grandchild. 

Councilman Monachello said, “I’m honored to be selected for this appointment. I’m very excited to play a role in the formation of my new City of St. George. I see the task as starting from ground zero on a previously untraveled road in an effort to move our city forward. I look forward to working in an environment of like-minded individuals where a team effort will be required for all of us to succeed.” 

Ryan Heck

Ryan served as a member of the Metro Council from 2012 to 2016. He is an entrepreneur and an investor in a number of startups. Ryan received his B.S. in construction management and his MBA from LSU. He and his wife Loredana have been married for 17 years and have two children. 

Councilman Heck said, “I’d like to thank Governor Landry for the appointment, and I look forward to getting to work.” 

Max Himmel

Max started Himmel Architectural Door and Hardware Company in 1973. This company is a top five architectural door supplier in the US. He sold the business in 2016 but remains an advisor to the company. Max and his wife Micelle have two sons and a daughter.

Councilman Himmel said, “One of my main goals in the very beginning is we need a better infrastructure of our roads and drainage before we can allow any more subdivisions. This is especially true on Hoo Shoo Too Road, which is 8” too narrow. Tiger Bend is the same along with Elliott Road. I have been out here for 25 years and have not seen any changes in the width of the roads or the intersections. A complete overlay of the roads is needed after the road problems are taken care of. I am very happy to work with anyone and we can all work together.”

Richie Edmonds

Richie is a dedicated business owner and leader in the community. He spends much of his time working to grow his company, Vertical Construction. Richie is also a licensed contractor with the Louisiana State Board of Contractors and a licensed real estate agent. He and his family are active members of Healing Place Church. Richie and his wife Holly have three children.

Councilman at-Large Edmonds said, “I am humbled and honored to be appointed by Gov. Landry as interim Councilman for the City of St. George. It will be my No. 1 goal to serve all of the wonderful residents of St. George and work tirelessly with Mayor Yates, Chief Morris, our new council, and transition team to make the City of St. George the next great American City! What a great day for Louisiana and East Baton Rouge Parish!  St. George is open for business. Let’s get to work!”

Patty Cook

Patty is an active member of the community. She spends time as a substitute teacher at the LSU Lab School. She was previously the office manager for the Louisiana Parent-Teacher Association. Patty received her B.A. in English from LSU. She and her husband Trey have been married for more than 30 years and have two daughters.

Councilwoman at-Large Cook said, “I am honored and humbled to have been chosen to serve on the interim council for St. George. My goal is to help achieve our vision of being a city in which we can be proud to live and raise our children and grandchildren. We need to keep our families here with less crime and a better sense of community.”