Interviewer(s): J. Sell. Houma, LA

Affiliation: University of Arizona

LJ Folse was recommended by Diana Edmonson as the banker with the most extensive experience in the area. She contacted him and got his approval for an interview. I met him at his office and we talked for about three hours the first time; in fact I ran out of tape and had to take notes for the last hour. I later met with him on an informal basis on March 31, when we talked for another four hours. He is very interested in the study, feels it is important, but also is aware it is an immense amount of work.

LJ Folse is a long term banker in Houma. He grew up in Thibodaux and considers himself to be "Cajunized" even though he is of German ancestry. After serving in the Navy in Korea, he completed a degree in personnel management at LSU, and began working for Patterson Industries in 1956. He started work at the Bank of Terrebonne in 1957, and rose up to Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer. In 1986 he was the organizing chairman of the First National Banker's Bank. In 1988, he joined the Premier Bank Group as chief operations officer and stayed with them after their 1995 buyout by Bank One. In 1998, he worked with a group of local investors to create Coastal Commerce Bank to serve the local community. At present, he is Chief Executive Officer of Coastal Commerce.