Catherine J. NewsomeSecretary
Catherine J. Newsome is the First Assistant Secretary of State under Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry. She was appointed to this position in January of 2024, having previously served the Department of State as the State Archivist and Executive Director of the Louisiana State Archives for four and half years. Catherine is an attorney with fifteen years of legal experience in the public and private sectors where she has practice in the areas of public records law, election law, and criminal litigation.
She received her law degree from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University and her undergraduate degree in journalism from Mississippi College. Catherine lives in Baton Rouge with her husband Saul Newsome, who is an international business and national security law attorney, and their three children.
Catherine is active in her church The Chapel on the Campus in Baton Rouge. She enjoys cooking, international cuisine, and exploring the outdoors with her family.