Mayor’s Office

Mayor Friday Ellis was born in rural Rayville, Louisiana. Friday decided to settle in Monroe and that’s where he met his wife, Ashley. They married in 2001 and like many Americans, their lives were greatly impacted by the tragedy of September 11, 2001. Just two months later, Friday enlisted in the United States Marine Corps to serve his country in its time of need.

After his service, he stepped out on faith and pursued his passion for cigars, opening Governors Cigar and Pipe, a brick-and-mortar retail establishment. But Friday did not stop there; he traveled to Nicaragua, partnered with a well-respected cigar factory, and produced his own line of cigars-the highly sought-after Governor and First Lady. His cigars have been sold to customers around the world.

Mayor Ellis is an advocate of entrepreneurship and business growth. He encourages community and civic development and involvement at local and state levels

• 2019 Free Enterprise Champion by the Louisiana Business and Industry
• 2020 Louisiana Legislative Task Force on Economic Recovery
  charged with developing comprehensive policy, legislative, and regulatory recommendations to immediately re-start the Louisiana economy in response to the COVID-19 crisis
• Board Director to the Louisiana Local Government Environmental Facilities and Community Development Authority
• 2019 graduate of Louisiana Leadership
• 2022 graduate of the Delta Leadership Institute
• Monroe’s Professionals Top 20 Under 40.
• Vanguard Award recipient for efforts toward the empowerment of women and inclusion in northeast Louisiana
• 2022 Participant in the Authentic Leadership Executive Education Course at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University
• 2022  Leadership Award by the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation
• 2023 Harvard Graduate School of Design Mayor’s Institute on City Design
• 2023 Champions Institute, Smart Growth America

Mayor Ellis and First Lady Ashley have three children: Friday III, Asher, and Aurie. All three children attend Monroe City Schools. First Lady Ellis was elected to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, representing 19 parishes in District 5.

Mayor Ellis is a frequent featured speaker for various media outlets focusing on economic development and quality of life, such as Louisiana Association of Business and Industry’s podcast. Most recently, he was invited to participate as a panelist in the Heartland Summit and a session lead for the Louisiana Industry of Development Executives Association economic development conference.