BATON ROUGE - Louisiana has a new civil service director to lead the human resources agency that oversees hiring and firing practices and pay rates for thousands of state workers. 

Byron Decoteau Jr., who has been working as interim director since September, was chosen unanimously Thursday by the Civil Service Commission. Five of the commission's seven members were present for the vote.

Decoteau has more than 15 years of human resources experience.

He took over after the exit earlier this year of Shannon Templet, who was hired by the state House of Representatives as its human resources director. Templet was civil service director for six years. 

The department says Decoteau will be paid $140,046 a year for the job, the same salary he's received as interim director.