Marcia Jaudon Hazel Beard (née Fain; September 16, 1930 – December 26, 2022) was an American politician who was the first woman and the first Republican to have served as mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana, since the era of Reconstruction.
[2] Simpkins led in the primary with 31 percent of the ballots cast, but Beard secured the second slot to proceed to the general election.
[6][7] Beard appointed Republican activist Harriet Belchic to the Shreveport Women's Commission and the Riverfront Redevelopment Advisory Committee.
The panel completed Riverfront Park although it was poorly designed and unable to withstand seasonal overflows of the nearby Red River.
In 2007, she received the LSU-S "Distinguished Alumnus Award" when she delivered the commencement address in a ceremony at the CenturyTel Center in Bossier City.