UPPER LAFAYETTE ON THE MOVE... Letter from Executive Director: Jan Swift
Upcoming Events March Membership Meeting Petroleum Club March 21, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Fourth Annual Crawfish Boil Teurlings Catholic High School April 19, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
2012 has certainly gotten off to a great start for our foundation. I would like to take this opportunity to express gratitude to our members and Board of Directors for all you do to sustain Upper Lafayette’s mission to be a catalyst for growth and positive change. Talking about doing something positive is one thing; our members and Board represent the cream of the crop of “doers,” who show up, take action, and look ahead to meeting the needs of our community. It is an honor to be associated with such a great group of talented individuals. On the heels of our highly successful January 2012 Success Stories Event and looking ahead to a year filled with great programming, I can truly say that Upper Lafayette “is on the move!” Please invite friends, family and colleagues to our meetings so that the passion and excitement of Upper Lafayette may be shared and our membership may grow. At our March 21 luncheon meeting, we will honor Marcelle Citron, a beautiful woman of grace and humility who has made Acadiana a much better place in which to live. This spring, we look forward to partnering with Teurlings Catholic High School in hosting our Fourth Annual Crawfish Boil on April 19 at 6:00 p.m. at the school to showcase the incredible progress made on their new football stadium. A lot of fun, a lot of networking opportunities, and meaningful events are our foundation’s way of expressing our appreciation to you, our supporters. Special thanks to Pixelbrush Studios for Upper Lafayette’s newly redesigned website which was launched in late 2011. Their dedication and patience with me as we have worked through my continued questions are greatly appreciated. Our foundation is also indebted to BBR Creative for its development of our new membership brochure which is beautiful, and may I say, well done! Cherie Hebert, Lauren Ducote and BBR’s design team put in many hours, days and months in pulling together the right feel which captures the essence of Upper Lafayette Parish and our foundation’s work. Lastly, we are fortunate to have hired Brian Bille of Kinetic Marketing who is engineering Upper Lafayette’s transition to a more visible presence on Facebook and in utilizing MailChimp for our broadcast emails. Utilization of talented professionals has certainly enhanced our foundation’s presence in the greater community. May this year be wonderful for you, your family and your business.
March 21, 2012 Luncheon to Honor Marcelle Citron, Philanthropist of the Year
ULEDF Board of Directors & Staff
Adrian Baudoin, President Cherie Hebert, V. President Amos Batiste, Secretary Todd Citron, Treasurer Don Dupuis Ed Krampe Donna Landry Beau Phares Dwight Prudhomme Dwight “Bo” Ramsay Herbert Schilling Jerry Vascocu Monty Warren David Welch Jan Swift, Director
Marcelle Fortier Citron, Vice President and co-owner of Hub City Ford, will be the recipient of our Second Annual Philanthropist of the Year. The selection of Marcelle as our honoree was an easy choice. Helping ensure that people’s basic needs are met has been the defining characteristic of Marcelle’s adult life. Much of the humanitarian work done by non-profit organizations in Lafayette is taken for granted today, but can you imagine our community with no FoodNet, no Faith House, and no Project RX? Without Marcelle, these enduring programs may never have gotten off the ground.
Marcelle Citron and Todd Citron
Our March meeting will also focus on Upper Lafayette residential real estate, and we will welcome Bill Bacque, Van Eaton & Romero, and Jim Keaty, Keaty Real Estate, to discuss the market. Please join us as we honor Marcelle on Wednesday, March 21, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Petroleum Club. Tickets are $35 each or a reserved table for eight for $250.00. You may register online at www.upperlafayette.com under our Events section or mail payment to ULEDF, P. O. Box 53107, Lafayette LA 70505. As we honor Marcelle, let’s also draw inspiration for our own lives, that we may make a difference in others’ lives in the way that we are particularly called upon.
Marcelle Citron with Edsel B. Ford II
Volume 38, Page 2
January 2012
www.upperlafayette.com
UPPER LAFAYETTE ON THE MOVE... Upper Lafayette Welcomes 2012 Board of Directors Kicking off the New Year, Upper Lafayette was proud to welcome Louis Perret, Lafayette Parish Clerk of Court, to administer the oath of office to our 2012 Board of Directors at our January 2012 meeting. It just gets better every year! Our officers for this year are Adrian Baudoin (Acadiana Computer Systems) – President; Cherie Hebert (BBR Creative) – Vice President; Amos Batiste (National EMS Academy/ Acadian Companies) – Secretary; and Todd Citron (Hub City Ford) – Treasurer. Upper Lafayette’s newest board members are: Donna Landry (Our Lady of Lourdes), Jerry Vascocu (IberiaBank), and David Welch (Stone Energy). Returning board members include Beau Phares (MidSouth Bank), Dwight Prudhomme (Republic National Distributing Co.), and Monty Warren (Beau Box Commercial Real Estate). Our Advisory (and founding) Board members are Don Dupuis (Acadiana Computer Systems), Ed Krampe (McDonald’s of Acadiana), Bo Ramsay (Aries Marine), and Herbert Schilling (Schilling Distributing). Please visit our website at www.upperlafayette.com to see bios on each individual. Thanks to all of our directors for volunteering their time and resources to ensure Upper Lafayette’s continued success!
Adrian Baudoin, Pres.
Donna Landry
Cherie Hebert, V Pres.
Beau Phares
Don Dupuis
Amos Batiste, Secretary
Dwight Prudhomme
Ed Krampe
Jerry Vascocu
Todd Citron, Treasurer
Monty Warren
Dwight “Bo” Ramsay
David Welch
Herbert Schilling
Volume 38, Page 2
January 2012
www.upperlafayette.com
UPPER LAFAYETTE ON THE MOVE... Our Second Annual Upper Lafayette Success Stories Event Our Second Annual Upper Lafayette Success Stories event, held on January 18, 2012, attracted 150 attendees at the Holiday Inn, 2032 NE Evangeline Thruway. Staying true to our mission of being a catalyst for positive growth and change, we were thrilled to welcome Darla Montgomery of TV 10 and Mike Mitchell of Fox 15 News who covered the outstanding success stories of our honorees, McDonald’s Guilbeau Family of Acadiana and Prejean’s Restaurant! The food, guests, ambience and service by the Holiday Inn staff were all exceptional. The generosity of our sponsor, The Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco Free Living, ensured a wonderful event! Special thanks to Donna Landry, Our Lady of Lourdes, for leading our opening prayer, and Sean Trcalek of Delta Media for his moving rendition of the National Anthem. Ed Krampe and Family
Exciting news of new business development energized the crowd. Examples such as Houston Platings & Coatings announcing a $9 million dollar investment in Scott, Halliburton’s $65 million dollar expansion on Pont Des Mouton Road, and Hub City Ford’s recent investment of approximately $10 million in its gorgeous, redesigned facility were highlighted as examples of the true story of Upper Lafayette.
Darla Montgomery interviewing Gregg Gothreaux
All four Upper Lafayette mayors were in attendance: Lafayette City-Parish President Joey Durel, City of Carencro Mayor Glenn Brasseux, City of Duson Mayor Johnny Thibodeaux, and City of Scott Purvis Morrison mingled in the crowd to the delight of our guests. We welcomed Lafayette Parish Clerk of Court Louis Perret who administered the Oath of Office to our outstanding 2012 Board of Directors, and also were joined by State Representative Vincent Pierre and State Senator Elbert Guillory. Chad Leger and Carlos Stout, Chiefs of Police of Scott and Carencro, respectively, were also in the crowd. The Holiday Inn was definitely the place to be!
Gregg Gothreaux, CEO and President of LEDA, was our emcee for the second year in a row and did a great job of presenting the compelling stories of McDonald’s of Acadiana and Prejean’s. Thanks to Gregg for shining the light on the continuing opportunities for success in Upper Lafayette! Congratulations to both 2012 Upper Lafayette Success Award recipients McDonald’s of Acadiana and Prejean’s Restaurant! This award ceremony will be held in January of each New Year as a celebration of the outstanding achievements of individuals and businesses in Upper Lafayette. Johnny Thibodeaux, Gregg Gothreaux, David Welch and Joey Durel
Kelley Anderson and Jan Swift
Chief Carlos Stout, State Rep. Vincent Pierre and Bryan Tabor
Volume 38, Page 2
January 2012
www.upperlafayette.com
UPPER LAFAYETTE ON THE MOVE... Coach Dale Brown Visits Northside High with Inspirational Words Former LSU basketball coach Dale Brown made a special appearance January 25, 2012 at Northside High to about 900 Northside High School students, faculty and guests. In Acadiana to promote his new book, “Getting Over the Four Hurdles of Life,” Brown gave a compelling presentation on overcoming life’s obstacles which we all encounter. Drawing upon examples from his own life, and those of other famous people including Shaquille O’Neal, a protégé of Brown, Pete Maravich, Steven Spielberg and Albert Einstein, Brown spoke movingly of four ways we hold ourselves back from success, happiness and peace. As a graphic reminder of how hard these hurdles can be to overcome, he had four chairs placed on the gym floor, resembling track hurdles that you would have to jump over. The first hurdle is “I can’t” or others telling you, “You can’t.” By letting others define who we “are,” we miss out on the myriad of opportunities life presents to us. The second hurdle is past failures and fear of failure. Brown spoke of how we can take failure, learn from our mistakes, and become greater than we ever imagined, giving the example of Steven Spielberg who could not even get into film-making school on his first several tries.
Coach Dale Brown
A “handicap” such as poverty, death of a loved one, and addictions was the third hurdle many of us face. Brown spoke of his own youth, never knowing his father, and spent living on welfare as a troublemaker at his high school. Obviously, this is one man who overcame his own handicaps. He stressed the importance of getting an education to set yourself free from hurdles you may face.
The fourth hurdle is “lack of self-knowledge.” Real selfconfidence and true success in what really matters in life comes from quiet reflection on who we are, and what our strengths and limitations are. The true life story of Pete Maravich overcoming a troubled life by accepting God as his Creator was shared as an example of how fame and money can never bring the happiness that faith can. You have the ability to choose how you will live your life. The students loved Brown’s story of Shaquille O’Neal, overcoming the hurdle of being too tall and clumsy to make his basketball team when he was 13 years old. Brown met him in Germany while traveling on a good will tour. They became friends and Brown sent Shaquille a weight-training program to follow. Even with this help, the young Shaquille was cut from the basketball team. Brown shared his words to the young boy with the audience, “If you always sincerely try to do your best and never give up, then God will take care of the rest.” Of course, we all know the rest of the story… Northside is an underperforming school located in Upper Lafayette Parish which is the focus of a turnaround effort led by our new superintendent of schools, Dr. Pat Cooper. Our foundation was especially honored to be included in this event at which the school district purchased a copy of Brown’s book for each student, faculty member and worker. Jan Swift was included in the presentation by Trent Angers of Acadian House Publishing, the organizer of the event and publisher of Brown’s book, and was joined by Pat Williams, President of 100 Black Men.
Volume 38, Page 3
January 2012
www.upperlafayette.com
UPPER LAFAYETTE ON THE MOVE... Louisiana Platings & Coatings to Open in Scott Mayor Purvis Morrison and the City of Scott hosted a well attended press conference on January 12, 2012, welcoming Louisiana Platings & Coatings (LP&C), a division of Houston Platings & Coatings to town! Plans for the $9 million dollar facility to be located on Apollo Road were unveiled, with plans to employ approximately 120 people. Governor Bobby JIndal excitedly shared the public-private partnership and efforts which made the new facility possible. LEDA and the area legislative delegation worked hand in hand with the City of Scott and its officials to ensure an easy start-up for LP&C. David Colligan of LEDA was the project manager who worked with the company in acquiring the property for the site from Governor Jindal announces opening the Richard Chappuis family. The governor stressed in his talk that the new Halliburton facility in Upper Lafayette put our entire community on the radar of LP&C, which serves manufacturers with a broad array of custom plating and coating applications for the oilfield community and other industries. A full array of their services may be viewed at www.louisianaplating.com. Gov. Jindal, Bill Howard and Purvis Morrison
The highlight of the conference was when Mayor Purvis Morrison announced, “Scott is open for business!” Morrision’s enthusiasm and ability to draw a crowd of supporters was evident as he spoke of the many accomplishments Scott has enjoyed and will continue to pursue. He generously shared the floor with other officials such as Lafayette Parish President Joey Durel, and LEDA President Gregg Gothreaux reminisced about founding the Scott Business Association with Purvis more than 25 years ago. LP&C President Bill Howard spoke of the company’s anticipation of being an active part of the community and was warmly received by the crowd. Congratulations to Mayor Morrison and the City of Scott, one of Upper Lafayette’s newest members! Let’s get down to business. And Purvis, thank you for your vision of a great today and a better tomorrow.
Special Thanks to Upper Lafayette Economic Development Foundation Members! PLATINUM Acadian Ambulance Service Acadiana Computer Systems, Inc. Aries Marine Corporation ASH/Badger Oil Company Delta Media Home Furniture Hub City Ford, Inc. IberiaBank Lafayette General Medical Center McDonald’s of Acadiana MidSouth Bank Our Lady of Lourdes Republic National Distributing Company Schilling Distributing Company The Southwest Group Whitney Bank GOLD Acadiana Rubber & Gasket Atmos Energy Beau Box Commercial Real Estate Fenstermaker & Associates Home Bank Honda of Lafayette Opelousas General Health System
SILVER Ace Plumbing, Inc. Allstates Building Systems Aspen Clinic BBR Creative Edward Jones/Bob Crist Master Builders & Specialties Mello Joy Coffee Company Oakbourne Country Club Prejean’s Restaurant Steven Santillo, APLC Shelf Energy, LLC Stone Energy Corporation Stirling Properties Tobacco Free Living Walters Funeral Home BRONZE Acadiana C.A.R.E.S. Advancial Associated Travel Group Jean Breaux, Jr. & Associates City of Carencro David Courville–Architect Crawdaddy’s On-Site Catering
BRONZE CONT’D Derek Development Corp, LLC Joey Durel ECGC Women’s Business Center 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 Petroleum Club of Lafayette Pope John Paul II Academy Richard Leblanc/Leblanc’s Auto Wholesale Ron J. Gaubert Realtors W. W. Rucks III Ken Simeral City of Scott SLEMCO Buddy Webb/Rayne State Bank Sylvan Learning Center
Volume 38, Page 4
January 2012
www.upperlafayette.com