UPPER LAFAYETTE ON THE MOVE... Letter from the President: Mr. Adrian Baudoin A few weeks ago on the afternoon of Friday, May 6th, a distinguished group of physicians, academics, public officials and other interested parties gathered at LITE to hear a significant announcement for Lafayette. Dr. Larry Hollier, Chancellor of LSU Health Sciences Center, revealed the Medical School’s plan to open a unique three year primary care physician training program here in Lafayette. Dr. Hollier credited a deep collaboration with Dr. Joseph Savoie, President of UL, as one of the critical factors to making the medical school a possibility.
Upcoming Events Presentation on Opportunity Machine May 25, 2011, 11:30am-1:00pm McDonald’s of Acadiana HQ 106 Oak Way Lane July Membership Meeting July 20, 2011, 11:30am-1:00pm Guest Speaker: Billy Nungesser, Plaquemines Parish President
Mr. Adrian Baudoin Acadiana Computer Systems
ACS was proud to help host the event. As a member of ULEDF and the contracted physician billing service provider for LSU physicians throughout South Louisiana, we are excited about the new school’s potential to mitigate the predicted physician shortage in years to come. UMC fills a critical need for medical services in the Acadiana area and will expand its role as a training ground for medical school students. This is all great news for Lafayette and UL.
A little closer to home, my family recently took a step towards a healthier lifestyle while supporting local farmers by joining a CSA, City Farm, located on Gloria Switch Road in Upper Lafayette. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and they enable a farmer to grow fresh produce with confidence, knowing that families support the farm. In return, families receive the freshest produce possible and establish a close connection to their food source. There are many benefits to supporting CSAs and our local farmers markets, not the least of which is healthy eating. We are looking forward to our third box of assorted delicious fresh produce to arrive this weekend, and I would encourage you to support our local farmers too.
May 2011 Membership Meeting
ULEDF Board of Directors & Staff Adrian Baudoin, President Beau Phares, V. President Todd Citron, Sec/Treas. Dr. Ross Judice, Past Pres. Amos Batiste Don Dupuis Cherie Hebert Ed Krampe Andre Moreau Dwight Prudhomme Dwight “Bo” Ramsay
Tom Cox, Dr. Joby John, Gregg Gothreaux and Bob Miller.
Thanks to our wonderful presenters: Tom Cox, Gregg Gothreaux, Dr. Joby John, and Bob Miller, as well as Rabbi Barry Weinstein, and our host, Ed Krampe and staff. We enjoyed a beautiful opening prayer, delicious food and a great array of talent, which exposed us to endless possibilities for our local “wildcatters” who are up and coming in Acadiana business circles. It is wonderful to know that “if you’re willing to create,” LEDA and The Opportunity Machine are willing to assist and direct you to the appropriate resources. We also learned that Lafayette has the rare attribute of having the same mindset on business and it’s potential impact on the community, which is enabling entrepreneurship in our community. The Opportunity Machine will make Acadiana stand out nationwide as a resource for helping businesses stay in business, as well as expand their wings into new endeavors. For more information about what is possible and to get more in-depth detail about the Opportunity Machine, please see www.opportunitymachine.org
Rabbi Barry Weinstein, Joey Durel and Rob Guidry.
Herbert Schilling Monty Warren Deborah Young Jan Swift, Director Shot of the crowd at May Membership Meeting.
Volume 31, Page 1
June 2011
www.upperlafayette.com
UPPER LAFAYETTE ON THE MOVE... New Member Spotlight: Oakbourne Country Club Welcome to Upper Lafayette’s newest member, Oakbourne Country Club, located at 3700 East Simcoe Street. Founded in 1955, Oakbourne offers an 18 hole golf course, tennis courts, clubhouse, swimming pool, and a full service food and beverage operation under the stewardship of new executive chef, Chris Wadsworth. Chef Chris Wadsworth, most recently from Nottaway Plantation, started in March and is currently renovating the kitchen to help Oakbourne bring the caliber of food to the next level. The chef is a native of Lafayette and is happy to be back home and cooking up new and familiar cuisine. The club is renowned for being the home course for PGA Champions & Ryder Cup Players, Jay & Lionel Hebert. Oakbourne is fortunate to have Tom Stewart as Club Manager bringing outstanding service and hospitality to the club’s rich tradition. Oakbourne Country Club has been under the new management of Tom Stewart, Tom Stewart, General Manager CCM (Certified Club Management) for the past six months. Tom says that he has been “thoroughly enjoying my new life in Lafayette…great people, open and friendly and the food here is incredible.” Tom was briefly in the high end senior living industry before rejoining the club business at Oakbourne. Prior to that he was President and General Manager at Prestonwood Country Club in Cary, NC for 18 years. Tom was born in San Jose, Costa Rica and is the son of a U.S. diplomat, meaning that he grew up mostly overseas. He spent high school in Copenhagen, Denmark and graduated from The College of William and Mary in 1989 with a B.A. in International Relations. He has two sons, Alec, 15 and Ryan, 13 with his wife Julie. Golf Digest Magazine currently rates Oakbourne’s golf course fourth best in the state of Louisiana. It is a par 72, 6,898-yard course, offering rolling hills, mature oak trees and breathtakingly beautiful views from every tee. The course is managed under the extremely capable leadership of Head Golf Professional Cliff Wagner. A popular site for league tennis, Oakbourne hosts the Crawfish Classic Tennis Tournament in April, which routinely draws 600 participants from neighboring states. Oakbourne’s tennis facility features 11-lighted Rubico tennis courts and 2-lighted hard surface courts. Visitors can relax on the comfortable deck with a view of the courts that includes a scenic overlook of the Vermillion River. Tennis pro, Paul Griffith, is a 20 year veteran at Oakbourne and is well known in local circles as the “go to” pro! Oakbourne’s expansive pool is open from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. Certified lifeguards staff the pool, which offers an excellent atmosphere for sunning, swimming and relaxing with friends. It’s a great place to host parties or just relax after a tough day on the golf course! Check out Oakbourne’s website at www.oakbournecc.com. Chef Chris has a fun blog where he posts updates often and shares the special of the day and other tidbits about the delicious offerings. For membership information, call Tina at (337) 235-6426.
July 2011 Membership Meeting Please join us for what will be a great meeting at Oakbourne Country Club, our newest member! Billy Nungesser, Plaquemines Parish President, will be our guest speaker. Billy is probably best known for being the face of “gulf oil spill anger” and the voice of thousands of coastal residents following the BP oil disaster last year. Billy Nungesser will be speaking about the current state of our coastal restoration. Please RSVP to lindsey@ upperlafayette.com or any questions please call (337) 278-0408. Tickets are $25 each. We hope to see you Billy Nungesser pictured with Gov. Bobby Jindal. there! Billy Nungesser (center) getting a first hand view of the oil spill damage.
Volume 31, Page 2
June 2011
www.upperlafayette.com
UPPER LAFAYETTE ON THE MOVE... Member Spotlight: Honda of Lafayette Honda of Lafayette, located at 1708 N. University Ave. at the I-10 exit, is the premier Honda Powerhouse Dealer in the area. Offering a full line of Honda products including ATVs, onroad motorcycles and scooters, off-road motorcycles, and personal watercraft, the dealership is a fun and colorful place to get lost in your dreams of freedom! From hunters looking for a new four-wheeler for the camp, to weekend “warriors” who enjoy fun treks and weekend getaways on their motorcycles, Honda of Lafayette aims to please! Check out its website at www.hondaoflafayette.com for a listing of inventory and incredible testimonials of satisfied customers, or call (337) 205-7126 for information about the dealership. Mike Roberts, owner of Honda of Lafayette, began working at the Honda dealership in 1972 and became an entrepreneur at a young age, purchasing an ownership interest in 1977 and Mike Roberts and Jan Swift Feb. 2010 upon becoming full owner in 2005. While Mike is successful in sales and business, his personal delivery of crape myrtle trees. integrity and commitment to improving Upper Lafayette has endeared him to our foundation. In ULEDF’s drive to improve the business climate at the I-10/University Ave. Exit, Mike was the inspirational force behind organizing, storing and nurturing 400 crape myrtle trees donated by Apache Corporation for planting along the interstate. Moreover, Stone Energy Corporation volunteers who planted the trees were personally supervised and driven safely back and forth from the hectic interstate median to the Honda dealership by Mike. Jan Swift, ULEDF’s director, describes Mike’s generosity of spirit and service, stating, “Whenever we asked for help from Mike, he had already anticipated the need and gave 200% more! Mike exemplifies good stewardship and the community is a better place because he cares so deeply.” Thanks to Mike Roberts and Honda of Lafayette for being members and supportive of Upper Lafayette!
Lafayette Education Foundation (LEF) Enjoys Successful Reprom 2011 LEF enjoys a great reputation as a foundation, which not only promotes and supports excellence in education, but also has volunteers who are good looking and know how to have a good time! Each year, LEF raises well needed funds by hosting “ReProm,” whereby local community leaders campaign to be named king and queen by garnering votes and monetary pledges which go to underwrite the mission of LEF. Many of the companies supporting Upper Lafayette had a presence at the ReProm this year; as for the best looking in the crowd, we will let the pictures speak for themselves. I do not know about you, but it looks like ReProm is the place to be! Congratulations to our own Cherie Hebert/BBR Creative, Queen of Reprom 2011 for getting the most votes and pledges and LEF for a wonderfully successful event! Also seen in the crowd are Madonna Warnken/Stone Energy and Robbie Bush/Associated Travel Group, otherwise known as John and Yoko, as well as Atmos Energy’s Trey Hill. Please check out LEF’s website at lefoundation.org for more information about the foundation’s mission. To donate or become involved, contact Becky Credeur at (337) 234-3229 or becky@lefoundation.org.
King Blaine Comeaux and Queen Cherie Hebert (BBR Creative) Madonna Warnken (Stone Energy) and Robbie Bush (Associated Travel Group)
Trey Hill (Atmos Energy) and friends.
Volume 31, Page 3
June 2011
www.upperlafayette.com
UPPER LAFAYETTE ON THE MOVE... June Community Events
1st
7:30PM Upper Lafayette, On The Move! TV Show Acadiana Open Channel Cox 16 & LUS 4 (AOC2)
15th
5th
1PM-4PM Lil’ Pookie & The Zydeco Sensations Vermilionville Performance Center, Lafayette
16th
7th
6PM-8PM ECGC Business Continuation Seminar 644 Washington Street, Breaux Bridge 10AM Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center Ribbon Cutting Ceremony 4801 Ambassador Caffery Pkwy; RSVP (337) 289-4634
11th
12th
10AM-5PM Creole Culture Day Vermilionville Performance Center, Lafayette
14th
6:30-8:30PM In Your Own Backyard Monthly Series Vermilionville Performance Center, Lafayette
7:30PM Upper Lafayette, On The Move! TV Show Acadiana Open Channel Cox 16 & LUS 4 (AOC2) 9:30AM Carencro Water Treatment Plant Ribbon Cutting Ceremony 4125 Andre St, Carencro; RSVP cityclerk@carencro.org
19th
1-4PM Brandon Moreau and Pain Perdu Band Vermilionville Performance Center, Lafayette
22nd
5:30-6:30PM ECGC Women’s Business Center Health Reforming Small Business Seminar 110 Travis Street, Suite 104
29th
1-4PM Sheryl Cormier & Cajun Sound Band Vermilionville Performance Center, Lafayette
Upper Lafayette Economic Development Foundation is an association of proactive individuals and business leaders, joined together to be a catalyst for change. The Foundation’s mission is to enhance and direct the positive, planned growth of Upper Lafayette, focusing on the quality of life, while participating in the overall development of the Greater Lafayette Metropolitan Area. Contact Lindsey at lindsey@upperlafayette.com for more information.
Special Thanks to Upper Lafayette Economic Development Foundation Members! PLATINUM Acadian Ambulance Service Acadiana Computer Systems, Inc. Acadiana Rubber & Gasket Aries Marine Corporation ASH/Badger Oil Company Home Furniture Hub City Ford, Inc. IberiaBank McDonald’s of Acadiana MidSouth Bank Our Lady of Lourdes Republic National Distributing Company Schilling Distributing Company The Southwest Group Whitney Bank
SILVER Accel Protection & Technologies Allstates Building Systems American Safety & Industrial Supply Aspen Clinic BBR Creative Edward Jones/Bob Crist Master Builders & Specialties Mello Joy Coffee Company Oakbourne Country Club Steven Santillo, APLC Stone Energy Corporation Stirling Properties Terry J. Rogers, LTD Walters Funeral Home BRONZE Acadiana C.A.R.E.S. Acadian Hills Country Club Associated Travel Group Jean Breaux, Jr. & Associates Alan Broussard David Courville–Architect Crawdaddy’s On-Site Catering
GOLD Atmos Energy Fenstermaker & Associates Home Bank Honda of Lafayette Opelousas General Health System VALOR Commercial Real Estate
BRONZE CONT’D Derek Development Corp, LLC Joey Durel ECGC Women’s Business Center House of Faith Church Lafayette Convention & Visitors Bureau Lafayette Community Health Care Clinic Lee Verret/State Farm Insurance Agency Lynn Guidry–Architect Lowry’s Printing and Copying Flo Meadows Melancon I-49 Storage Center Northwood United Methodist Church Petroleum Club of Lafayette Pope John Paul II Academy Richard Leblanc/Leblanc’s Auto Wholesale Ron J. Gaubert Realtors Ken Simeral SLEMCO Buddy Webb/Rayne State Bank Sylvan Learning Center
Volume 31, Page 4
June 2011
www.upperlafayette.com