Preston Castille is the District 8 member of the Louisiana Board of Elementary & Secondary Education (BESE). Elected in 2019 and re-elected in 2023, his district includes 14 parishes. He has chaired several committees and served as board vice president.

Mr. Castille is also president and CEO at Helix Community Schools, a network of Pre-K-14 schools in south Louisiana that has a strong emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Mathematics (STEAM). In Baton Rouge, the Helix network includes Helix Mentorship & Maritime Academy, Helix Aviation Academy, and Helix Legal Academy. In 2023, Helix acquired Cristo Rey/Franciscan High School and adopted Cristo Rey’s national corporate work study program. Helix recently launched Helix College & Career Academy to help students earn college credits and industry-based credentials beyond the 12th grade.

In Opelousas, Helix and the St. Landry Parish School Board have partnered to open two new schools. Newly constructed, Helix AI & Medical Academy opened this year with nearly 500 students. Helix plans to begin construction on Helix Agriculture & Energy Academy in 2026. In Baker, Helix and the Baker School System have partnered to expand and redesign Baker High School and Park Ridge Achievement Academy. They have become Helix FinTech & Performing Arts Academies.

Mr. Castille was an adjunct law professor at LSU Law School for eight years and taught at Southern University Law Center for 22 years. He is general counsel and a trustee for the SU System Foundation and previously served as national president for the SU Alumni Federation.

The Louisiana Supreme Court appointed him Judge Pro Tempore in 2009, and he presided over hundreds of trials and hearings. He served as president of the Baton Rouge Bar Association in 2011, held leadership roles with the American and Louisiana State Bar Associations, and served on the Louisiana Law Institute. Mr. Castille retired as a partner and Executive Committee member of the Taylor Porter law firm in 2020, after 25 years of practice with the firm.

Mr. Castille is a member of the board of directors of JD Bank and JD Bancshares. JD Bancshares is the bank holding company of JD Bank, a Louisiana state-chartered bank headquartered in Jennings, Louisiana. 

Mr. Castille earned a Bachelor of Science in economics from Southern University and a Juris Doctor from Tulane Law School. He graduated valedictorian of Plaisance High School in St. Landry Parish and was captain of the marching band. He is a life-long learner and has a great appreciation for science and the arts.