A Proven Leader with Conservative Values
During Justin’s tenure on the School Board, he worked closely with his fellow board members and district leaders on a strategic financing plan for growth that anticipated capacity needs. As a result, LPSS built or began construction on six completely new schools, with additions and expansions for a dozen more, allowing the eventual elimination of 75% of the parish’s portable buildings by the time the new Lafayette High School opens – all without any new taxes. He also spearheaded the effort to create LafayetteCheckbook.com, an online tool for taxpayers and the general public to view every dollar the school system spends, the first of its kind in Louisiana.
A Trusted Expert and Innovative Problem-Solver
Justin, 45, is Vice-President, Manager of Enterprise Data Integration for First Horizon Bank and has made a career of solving critical problems leveraging technology and data. He spent time living in Washington, DC working for a Department of Defense contractor, developing the software behind the military’s Smart ID cards, and worked for a major manufacturer on the lower Mississippi River, using data to manage multimodal shipment of product.
Most of his career has been spent with financial institutions, most notably IberiaBank, where he worked for 12 years prior to the bank’s merger with First Horizon.
Dedicated to Our Community and its Future
Justin met his wife, Marie DesOrmeaux, while studying at USL, and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Information Systems with a Minor in Mathematics. He is a first degree Knight of Columbus, and was honored as one of Acadiana’s Top 20 Under 40 in 2015.
The Centannis live in Lafayette and have three children whom they proudly enrolled in Lafayette’s French Immersion Program during their elementary school years. They are parishioners of the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist.
Meet Justin
Justin Centanni is running for Lafayette Parish Assessor in the October 14, 2023 election. Centanni, a Republican, has spent more than two decades as a Data Architect and Analyst for federal government contractors and financial institutions and is currently serving his second term representing District 6 on the school board. During his time on the board, he served as President in 2019, and has worked to bring transparency, fiscal responsibility and accountability to the school system and to taxpayers. He hopes to continue that work as Assessor.
