Biz New Orleans June 2024

WITH THIS YEAR’S RECORD-SETTING ENROLLMENT, NORTHSHORE TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE IS STRUGGLING TO MEET DEMAND.

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NORTHSHORE TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE CHANCELLOR DR. JIM CARLSON, ED. D.

A turnkey, project-based commercial furniture solutions company, Southern Interior Solutions

Affordability

Dat Title in Mid-City is a locally owned convenience that helps neighbors avoid the

Benjamin

Found Treasure

A quiet little golf community with a big history, Money Hill is writing its next chapter after receiving the largest zoning approval in the history of St. Tammany Parish.

at the Seams

In

Cool Growth

Summer is officially here, which means my thoughts start drifting to the north.

I’m over on the Northshore regularly since my parents live in Mandeville, but in the summer, those visits typically become a bit more frequent.

First, there’s the fact that the Northshore is typically a few degrees cooler — a small difference but any difference at all becomes welcome — and second, one of my favorite ways to get through the summer is to go kayaking on the Bogue Falaya River through Canoe and Trail Adventures. Even at the end of July and beginning of August, jumping in that river is refreshing and enjoyable enough to get my teenager off a screen and into nature. It also makes for the perfect ladies outing with my two best friends when we just want to get away from the chaos and spend some quality time together.

Continuing the water fun, the Northshore is also home to multiple splash pads — a favorite of my toddler, as well as a mom who deeply appreciates not having to worry about her drowning. Our favorites have been the one in Abita Springs — which sits right on the trailhead, adjacent to Abita Brewery (yay easy lunch option) — and a brand-new splash pad that just opened April 1 in Madisonville Park as part of a makeover that also includes a giant tugboatthemed playground. The renovations were half covered by a federal grant ($350,000) which the town matched.

I have to say, it made me jealous. I’d really love to see at least one good splash pad in Orleans Parish. I think the new one in Madisonville is the

seventh free splash pad on the Northshore… Just throwing that out into the universe.

And speaking of summer water fun, in our Why Didn’t I Think of That? feature this month, Ashley McLellan checks out a national chain called Goldfish Swim School that opened early April in Covington as part of a 58,000-square-foot project that includes a giant indoor play area called Urban Air Indoor Adventure Park. I was able to take a few teens to the ribbon cutting to try it out and they rated it two thumbs up.

Of course the Northshore is growing by more than just splash pads. In this, our fourth annual Northshore issue, we share two big stories of growth; the fact that Northshore Technical Community College is enjoying its highest enrollment numbers in its almost 100-year history, and the details behind the well-kept secret of Money Hill and how it’s on the way to big changes after receiving the largest zoning approval in St. Tammany Parish history. Interestingly, both stories feature a big Bogalusa connection.

Stay cool and safe this summer and thanks for reading!

KIMBERLEY SINGLETARY

Editor Kimberley@BizNewOrleans.com

Publisher Todd Matherne

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Contributors Amy Bakay, Chris Masingill, Ashley McLellan, Misty Milioto, Chris Price, Damian Simoneaux, Poppy Tooker, Keith Twitchell

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R&R Incoming

This month starts my summer rest and relaxation. As I have written before, the last week of June is the annual Matherne family vacation — a special week my parents stated over 20 years ago. The entire family tries to come together for a week to gather outside of the holidays and spend quality time together. I say “tries to get together” because as all my parents’ grandchildren start to have children of their own, planning time to get away is proving more difficult. However, it is still a special time for me to be with my parents and brothers’ families.

Speaking of special times, this month two of our staff members will graduate from leadership programs. Meggie Schmidt will complete Leadership Jefferson and Kim Singletary will finish the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute. I am so proud of them and thank them for taking the time to participate in these programs. If you are looking for excellent leadership programs, check these out for the 2025 class.

Between hopefully also getting some time to rest this month, here are some great events I recommend trying to fit into your schedule. Always a favorite of our staff is the Power Up Women’s Leadership Conference at the Convention Center, where the New Orleans Chamber hosts a full day of inspiring speakers

and incredible networking. If you want to attend, you must act fast — the event is Thursday, June 6.

Toward the end of the month, you could network with the Jefferson Chamber on two great events. The monthly Prosper Jefferson — a collaboration between JEDCO and the Jefferson Chamber — is June 26 at the JEDCO Conference Center. The topic this month is Artificial Intelligence 101.

The annual Black and Gold Gala for the Jefferson Chamber will be held June 28 at Jefferson Performing Arts Center. This year’s location was moved from the Ochsner Sports Performance Center as they enhance the facility and the Saints heads to California for training camp.

Whatever you do to kick off your summer, I encourage you to plan some R&R and fit in some business networking.

TODD MATHERNE CEO and Publisher Renaissance Publishing

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KATE HENRY

MEGHAN SCHMITT

ABBY PALOPOLI

IN THE BIZ

12 SPORTS

10

DINING

Toups

14

ENTREPRENEUR

Opportunities relating to climate change were a major theme during the 2024 New Orleans Entrepreneur Wee

Where Have You Gone, Joe DiMaggio? Major League Baseball needs a new TV deal to remain relevant.

Meatery’s daily “Family Meal” for employees has led to a change in the restaurant’s business model

POPPY TOOKER has spent her life devoted to the cultural essence that food brings to Louisiana, a topic she explores weekly on her NPR-affiliated radio show, Louisiana Eats! From farmers markets to the homes and restaurants where our culinary traditions are revered and renewed, Poppy lends the voice of an insider to interested readers everywhere.

We’re All Family Here

Toups Meatery’s daily “family meal” for employees has led to a change in the restaurant’s business model.

BY POPPY TOOKER

Amanda Toups is many things: a wife, mother of two and restaurateur. Her husband, Isaac Toups, is the talented chef behind their Mid-City restaurant, Toups Meatery. Over the restaurant’s 12-year history, the pair have successfully partnered both in business and in life.

As for every restaurant owner, the pandemic brought previously unimagined problems and situations into their lives. When the mandatory shutdown occurred, they were faced with laying off much of the staff. Although the restaurant would not be open, they made it clear everyone would still be welcome for “family meal,” the 3 p.m. staff feeding that had always been part of their restaurant’s culture.

“Immediately, people came to me, asking, ‘My roommate was laid off, too. Can I bring them to family meal too?’” Amanda remembered. What began as a meal for 30, quickly became 60, then 90 when other hospitality industry workers joined. At one point, they were handing out 500 meals daily.

Luckily, Chef Jose Andres of World Central Kitchen selected Toups Meatery to be his organization’s first feeding partner in New Orleans. Soon, the Meatery was being paid to prepare meals for military veterans and unhoused people.

“That money allowed us to be able to continue our family meal effort throughout the pandemic,” she said. “Over an 18-month period, the Toups crew delivered over 100,000 meals into the community.

“When the world began to return to normal, we thought, ‘We did it. It’s over,’” Amanda said, “But it’s not.” News of Gov. Jeff Landry’s refusal of over $70 million in federal aid funding for the state’s Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer Program deeply disturbed the Toupses.

The first big lesson Amanda remembers learning during the pandemic was exactly how food insecure New Orleans is.

“It only took five days for people to have nothing to eat,” she said. “When the summer feeding issue came up, we thought, ‘We’ve done it before. We know how to do it. Maybe we can help.’ Everything changed in the last four years,” Amanda reflected. “Philanthropy is part of our business model now.”

Burned into Amanda’s mother’s heart is the memory of tears they both shed back in March 2020, when Isaac carried food out to a car driven by laid-off Ritz-Carlton employees with small children in the backseat.

“They looked just like our little ones at home,” she said. “But this

time it’s different. The hands are still out, but they’re small hands. These are hungry kids.”

Also different this time is outreach. The 2020 Toups family meal program focused on the hospitality industry. How would they reach families in need now?

Close to Easter, the Toups reached out through their well-developed social media channels. Amanda began an assessment asking, “Are you food insecure? Tell me what you need — hot meals, cold meals, groceries? How many of you are there?”

Moving the conversation from the public forum, she shared her personal contact information to facilitate privacy.

As before, charitable giving came from partners of all size. From $5 Venmo donations to deliveries from Hubig’s Pies and Second Harvest Food Bank, the Toups crowd-sourced Easter dinner for 1,500 people, including nearly 700 children.

“It was so emotional for us all, but I have a big belief in humanity right now,” Amanda said. “So many gave of their time and resources to make it happen.”

Thankfully, state lawmakers pushed forward with efforts to fund the Summer EBT program, which means our most vulnerable will be fed. Toups’ efforts, however, are still moving ahead. The restaurant has even formed a 501(c)3 entity to make donations tax deductible.

“We still have a business to run,” said Amanda. “We’re going to sacrifice our happy hour, closing between lunch and dinner service to transform Toups once again into a community center.”

On-site voter registration is also planned.

Catch Poppy Tooker on her radio show, “Louisiana Eats!” Saturdays at 3 p.m. and Mondays at 8 p.m. on WWNO 89.9 FM.

“A lack of voters in recent elections got us here,” she said. “We’re going to get a lot of things done all at once now.”

**Donations may be made @toupsmeatery on Cashapp and Venmo or at their Mid-City restaurant. T

Where Have You Gone, Joe DiMaggio?

Major League Baseball needs a new TV deal to remain relevant.

BY CHRIS PRICE

One of my enduring memories of coming of age in the late ’80s and ’90s was rushing home after school or summer activities to tune into WGN-TV and be transported to the friendly confines of Wrigley Field to catch the Chicago Cubs in action. Thanks to cable television, baseball fans could always count on WGN to see the Cubs. A channel away on Cox, TBS had the Atlanta Braves. On many spring and summer days, baseball fans could count on a doubleheader nearly every day, with the Cubs in the afternoon and the Braves at 7:05 p.m. It was bliss.

Although the Cubs had a few seasons of success in those days, they were still affectionately known as loveable losers. Bobby Cox hadn’t quite turned the Braves into the machine they became in the middle and late ’90s, when they won their division 10 years in a row. It

and public relations principal. When he’s not writing, he’s avid about music, the outdoors, and Saints, Ole Miss and Chelsea football.

didn’t matter that the “home” teams weren’t consistently at the top of the rankings.

The game — especially with Harry Carey calling Cubs games and hanging out of the press box to sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” — was entertaining enough so that fans may not have been concerned about the outcome. A good time was going to be had.

On Saturday mornings, “This Week In Baseball” caught fans up on the action across the Major Leagues before a midday game aired on national television. This allowed fans to not only see teams at the top of the standings, but, since the Cubs and Braves are National League teams, the American League, including the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox could be seen.

If a game wasn’t on, ESPN aired reruns of home-run derbies from the 1960s, which helped young fans connect to the history of the game and allowed older fans a sense of nostalgia watching yesterday’s heroes.

These memories came back in a rush on a recent Saturday. After mowing the yard, I wanted to relax midday by taking in a ball game. Unfortunately, there wasn’t one to be found. European soccer, check. Spring league semipro football, check. Not quite top-flight auto racing, check. Golf, check. Baseball, no.

Baseball used to be touted as the “national pastime.” I don’t know that anyone could legitimately make that claim today.

Sure, diehard baseball fans will recommend subscribing to MLB.TV or going to a local establishment that screens games if one wants to see a game, but that’s not helping to grow the game or make it interesting to future generations.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the notorious 1994 Major League Baseball strike, and in many ways, pro baseball has not been the same since. The game seemed to rebound in the late ’90s, specifically, in the summer of 1998 when Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa captured the nation’s attention as they took aim at Roger Maris’ single season home run record. Both topped the record of 61 home runs, with Sosa hitting 66 home runs and McGwire setting a new

record of 70. Barry Bonds surpassed McGwire three seasons later in 2001 with 73 homers.

Baseball executives were happy to see interest in the game rise while records fell, but they weren’t too interested in how it was happening. In those days, baseball didn’t test players for performance enhancing drugs. Players adopted an attitude that “It’s not cheating if you don’t get caught.” Many players soon packed on muscle and looked more like professional wrestlers than traditional ball players. Baseball purists and traditionalists balked at the outcome. Records that had stood for decades were falling or in danger of falling seemingly annually.

Soon, players suspected of using performance enhancers — even those who saved the game in the summer of ’98 — became persona non grata. Since then, players of that era are viewed with suspicion. The biggest names of the ’90s and early 2000s were and still are marginalized.

While there have been amazing players in the last two decades, the game lost its luster. In a 2021 Washington Post poll, 34% of American adults said football is their favorite sport to watch. Baseball and basketball tied for second with 11%. For those under 30, 24% preferred football, 17% like basketball, 10% prefer soccer, and just 7% listed baseball as their favorite. If more anecdotal evidence is needed, last year’s World Series had the lowest television viewership on record.

Professional baseball suffered a self-inflicted wound three decades ago that is still impacting the game today. If the game is going to endure and continue to capture the imagination of Americans, Major League Baseball needs to do a better job of getting itself in front of current and potential fans. Streaming is great, but baseball needs more entry points for people to discover today’s games and the players who make the magic happen. A new TV deal with broader access to the game is desperately needed to revive interest and remain relevant in today’s sports/media landscape.T

CHRIS PRICE is an award-winning journalist

KEITH TWITCHELL spent 16 years running his own business before becoming president of the Committee for a Better New Orleans. He has observed, supported and participated in entrepreneurial ventures at the street, neighborhood, nonprofit, micro- and macro-business levels.

Entrepreneurism is Blowing in the Wind

Opportunities relating to climate change were a major theme during the 2024 New Orleans Entrepreneur Week.

BY KEITH TWITCHELL

Entrepreneurial opportunities relating to climate change were a major theme during the 2024 New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (NOEW). Louisiana is both a state of high risk from climate change, and of high opportunity in terms of addressing it. Louisiana is also an energy state, and as we finally make the turn toward renewable energies, many entrepreneurial doors are wide open.

One NOEW panel in particular focused on this potential. Titled “The Climate for Climate Tech in the Gulf of Mexico,” it was moderated by Beaux Jones of The Water Institute, and featured panelists Christy Swann from RCOAST, Alex Kolker of LUMCON, and SeaAhead’s Donna Hazard.

Kolker established the context early on.

“We are on the front lines of climate change here in the Gulf,” he observed. “There are opportunities across the board, from reducing emissions to affordable energy.”

“We need hardware, software, biological solutions, chemical solutions,” added Hazard. “And

we need to consider the impacts and roles of other industries, like shipping or seafood.”

Renewable energy sources are perhaps the most obvious arena of opportunity. Early-state wind energy projects are getting under way, and these facilities will require much of the same expertise and support as oil wells. Louisiana’s existing infrastructure and experience is a real asset moving forward; several state companies have already been involved in wind projects on the East Coast.

Kolker pointed out that “green” energy opportunities go well beyond wind. “It’s very sunny here. We have moving water, with the river and tides. Between sun, wind and water, we have a lot of potential for renewable energy in the Gulf.”

Kolker also highlighted another important but perhaps less obvious opportunity areas.

“The Gulf has some of the highest emissions in the country,” he noted, “and we could be looking at emissions as a waste or inefficiency. Discharged chemicals are not going into another product. Heat being emitted could have many uses. Greenhouse gases could be going into something productive. From an entrepreneurial standpoint, can you save a company

money by reducing inefficiency, or finding uses for these emissions?”

The panelists were clear-eyed about the challenges as well. The problems are large scale and complex, and many of the solutions will have multiple aspects. This requires collaboration across various sectors, and a good deal of investment within each of those sectors, including government.

Jones posed the question directly: “How do we fund the process, not just the product?”

“One big problem is having everyday people pay for climate tech growth,” Swann responded. “How do you convince individuals to pay for this? You have to show people that their taxpayer dollars will save them in the longer term on energy costs and insurance rates.”

Hazard of SeaAhead, whose mission is to provide support infrastructure and access to funding in blue energy and infrastructure, explained the private sector perspective.

“As investors, we are looking for companies that can generate returns while also having a positive impact on our environment and our communities. We bring not just capital, but also a network of partners and resources. But this is new technology, new markets, new entrepreneurs, all of which increases risk.”

The rewards, however, could be substantial. First and foremost is repelling the existential threat of climate change to most of the Gulf Coast, but ours is certainly not the only region in peril.

“Remember that climate change is a global thing, and people all over the world are waiting for solutions,” said Kolker. “The market for what we develop here goes way beyond the Gulf of Mexico.”

Swann concurred, citing the increased emphasis and investment in these technologies that is already under way as reasons to be optimistic about the future.

“We are poised to become the resilience and climate tech hub of the world,” she concluded. T

PERSPECTIVES

Think again.

PERSPECTIVES TECH

You’re Never Too Small to Fail

Think your business would never attract a cybercriminal? Think again.

BY DREW HAWKINS

TFrom data breaches to ransomware attacks, the landscape of cyber threats is ever evolving, demanding proactive measures and resilient strategies to safeguard sensitive information and maintain operational continuity.

To help business owners navigate that landscape, Biz spoke to a few local experts about some of the best ways to understand and mitigate those challenges.

To grasp the cybersecurity challenges confronting businesses, we first need to understand the nature of the threats. Darrin Piotrowski, CEO of Courant, said one of the biggest challenges is the lack of buy-in from both employees and business owners. Many small and medium-sized businesses erroneously believe they are too insignificant to be targeted by cybercriminals. However, trends

DREW HAWKINS is a writer and journalist in New Orleans. He’s the health equity reporter in the Gulf States Newsroom, a collaboration among public radio stations in Louisiana (WWNO and WRKF), Alabama (WBHM) and Mississippi (MPB-Mississippi Public Broadcasting) and NPR. He’s also the producer and host of Micro, a LitHub podcast for short but powerful writing.

indicate the opposite: Smaller businesses are often prime targets.

“Most of the threats we see are now at the identity level — think email, not on the endpoint — think antivirus,” Piotrowski said. “All trends show that small businesses are the most likely target of cybercriminals because they’re low-hanging fruit and less likely to invest in the tools necessary to offer protection. Police involvement is also less likely on smaller incidents. A cybercriminal organization does not want to draw attention to themselves by attacking Fortune 500 companies.”

Ransomware poses a significant threat as well. That’s where cybercriminals breach systems, encrypt data, and extort money from businesses. Phishing — a tactic involving the sending of malicious messages that appear legitimate — remains a pervasive threat. Social engineering, insider threats and email compromises further compound the cybersecurity landscape, highlighting the multifaceted nature of the challenges businesses face.

As far as best practices, Piotrowski said that end-user training helps employees better understand and recognize malicious emails. He advises businesses to forward emails they are unsure of to their IT provider. “This has been very helpful with our clients, and it makes the end-user more aware and conscientious of strange emails,” Piotrowski said.

It’s also important to make sure that multifactor authentication is being used on every account that requires a username and password. That includes Instagram and Facebook accounts.

And whatever you do, do not use the same password more than once.

Piotrowski also advises businesses to take care in answering cyber insurance questionnaires and work with their IT provider to make sure they have the correct answers. Also keep in mind that vendors may require a company have certain protections in place.

“We have seen cases where the client doesn’t have the correct cyber protections in place and their vendor will request said protections in order to do business with them,” Piotrowski said.

Ralph R. Russo, director of information tech programs at Tulane University School of Professional Advancement, echoed Piotrowski’s threat concerns about ransomware and phishing, and added social engineering and insider threats to the list.

Social engineering refers to manipulating people into taking actions that allow them to compromise security — so giving out information to an email that seems safe. Insider threats involve employees who have legitimate access and use it to steal or leak a company’s data.

Russo warns against the inadvertent disclosure of personal information on social media platforms, which can be exploited by cybercriminals to orchestrate targeted attacks. He urges individuals to exercise caution and refrain from sharing sensitive details that could compromise their security.

Chief among Russo’s best practices are using multi-factor authentication, keeping software updated, and never clicking a link in an email.

DID YOU KNOW? Cyberattacks

cost the world an estimated $8 trillion USD in 2023, with that number expected to rise to $9.5 trillion in 2024. The losses for an average attack are about $4.45 million.

“Use a password manager to keep track of and create your passwords,” Piotrowski said. “I use one, and I can tell you that I don’t even know the passwords to the sites and applications that I use on a daily basis.”

“Even if it appears to come from someone or a company you know,” Russo said. “Go to the site that the email is purportedly linking to by typing into your address bar or googling the company and selecting the ‘official page,’ and then login there.”

Both Russo and Piotrowski also recommend that companies receive periodic outside assessments of their cybersecurity in order to stay on top of a landscape that is changing on a near-daily basis. T

PERSPECTIVES

REAL ESTATE + CONSTRUCTION

DID YOU KNOW? In the Institute for Business and Home Standards’ (IBHS) 2024 Rating the States report, which evaluates building code implementation, enforcement and contractor licensing in the 18 states affected most by hurricanes, Louisiana was ranked in the top five out of 100 cities — its highest ranking to-date.

AFFORDABILITY STRUGGLES EXTEND TO THE NORTHSHORE

A look at who’s fighting for change

BY DREW HAWKINS

Louisiana’s allure lies in its unique blend of natural beauty, cultural diversity and economic opportunities. The state’s rich, natural bounty is why Louisiana is known as the “sportsman’s paradise.”

But it’s getting harder and harder to live here. Dramatic and sudden increases in housing costs — largely due to increases in property insurance — have affected both homeowners and renters. Across the state, there is a shortage of rental homes and affordable housing for low-income residents.

Many residents are what’s known as “cost-burdened,” defined as spending more than half their income on housing. Severely cost-burdened households are also more likely to sacrifice other necessities like healthy food, healthcare and education. They are more likely to experience

unstable housing conditions and face eviction. It’s a problem felt throughout the state.

“Like most of Louisiana, none of the parishes on the Northshore have rentals that are affordable (to workers) making $7.25 an hour — Louisiana’s minimum wage,” said Andreanecia Morris, president of HousingLOUISIANA, a statewide network of housing advocates whose primary goal is to ensure that all Louisiana’s housing needs are met. “In St. Tammany Parish, someone needs to make over $20 an hour to afford an apartment. This means that workers at restaurants, grocery stores and other essential jobs can’t easily find and sustain housing.”

Advocates like Morris and organizations like HousingLOUISIANA and Habitat for Humanity are working with low-income residents on the Northshore, but it’s not enough. The average rental unit price in St. Tammany Parish has increased by more than 19.3% since 2020. More affordable housing is needed, along with more support from officials.

“Residents on the Northshore have set priorities to address the specific needs for the various communities, but policymakers and elected officials struggle to secure and align resources that can have the necessary impact,” Morris said. “For example, officials in Hammond are currently fighting to stop the creation of transitional housing for the homeless.”

Morris said homeownership costs on the Northshore also place first-time homeownership out of reach without help from groups like Habitat for Humanity to help subsidize the costs.

Problems are compounded for those trying to rebuild their lives following incarceration — which includes many on the Northshore. A disproportionate percentage of the state prison population hails from only five parishes — Caddo, East Baton Rouge, Jefferson, Orleans and St. Tammany. Together they account for 85% of state inmates.

“Once those incarcerated individuals have completed their prison terms, they should be able to return to their families and home communities,” Morris said. “The lack of transitional housing and even traditional rental housing means those Northshore residents will have a tough time finding housing and all the things safe decent housing helps one secure.”

Kentrell Jones, executive director of East St. Tammany Habitat for Humanity, said low-income communities are impacted the most from a lack of diverse housing stock that includes affordable options near major employment centers.

“With a lack of public transportation in many of the Northshore communities, many low-in-

“

The average rental unit price in St. Tammany Parish has increased by more than 19.3% since 2020.

”

Income, or AMI. The organization is working to address affordable homeownership by developing affordable single detached homes; however, Jones said there must also be a focus on multifamily housing.

Efforts that aid in affordability include incentives or requirements for new development tied to density increases and parallel investments to preserve and increase affordability in affected neighborhoods, ideally in advance of rezoning. That can include investments in housing trust funds to help nonprofits build dedicated affordable housing, land acquisition assistance, down payment assistance and rental vouchers.

When it comes to aiding current homeowners struggling with insurance costs, new legislation could require some relief be given to those that make efforts to reduce risk.

Both East St. Tammany Habitat for Humanity and HousingLOUISIANA support SB484, legislation introduced on April 2, that, if passed, will require insurance companies to provide 20%-30% discounts on premiums or reduced insurance rates for homeowners who install a fortified roof.

“Homeowners deserve clarity when undertaking this significant property upgrade,” said Morris. “They should not have to hope that they receive an insurance discount for fortifying their roofs; it should be required. With homeowners facing extreme difficulty accessing insurance to protect their homes, it’s imperative to provide support to help them maintain their insurance and incentivize those homeowners taking steps to mitigate the impact that storms could have on their homes.”

Louisiana’s Fortify Homes Program can make a significant impact on Louisiana’s current home insurance crisis by providing grants to help offset the cost of a fortified roof, but the program has currently allocated all its funding. Future funding remains uncertain.

East St. Tammany Habitat for Humanity is currently working to retrofit as many homes with a fortified roof as possible. To date, East St. Tammany Habitat for Humanity has completed more than 20 homes and has five additional homes under construction.

come residents must travel farther distances to work. When you add the proportion of the household income that now must go toward high rental cost and transportation, low-income families have less money for other necessities.”

East St. Tammany Habitat for Humanity’s goal is to provide affordable homeownership opportunities for low-income families with incomes between 30%-80% of the Area Median

For Jones, it’s important for people to understand that solving the housing problem on the Northshore doesn’t happen overnight or with one action or program.

“It requires a comprehensive housing strategy that includes diverse housing options,” she said. “That includes single-family detached and attached housing, multifamily housing, and shelter for the unhoused.” T

SIMONEAUX is the safety services manager at LWCC. He may be reached via phone at (225) 924-7788.

People, Property and Papers

The “Three Ps” of worker’s comp hurricane preparation

BY DAMIAN SIMONEAUX, LWCC SAFETY SERVICES MANAGER

Hurricanes and Louisiana seemingly go hand-in-hand. As a business owner or leader, you understand that it isn’t always a question of if a hurricane will strike, but when. As the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season approaches, LWCC offers steps you can take to prepare and protect your business and employees — especially through the lens of your workers’ comp policy. With thoughtful planning, and remembering the “Three Ps” — people, property, and papers — you can be confident that you are fully prepared, even in the event of the unforeseen.

PEOPLE

• Will you remain open for business? Depending on the severity of the storm, your workers could be confronted with high levels of danger. If you are facing a significant weather threat, the best way to prevent inju-

ries and avoid workers’ compensation claims is to close for the day.

• Will anyone remain behind? If any employees must remain onsite during the weather event, ensure they have proper supplies and equipment (e.g., drinkable water, nonperishable food, medical supplies, flashlights, etc.). However, no employee should stay behind if an official evacuation order is in place.

• How will you pay employees? Processing electronic payments following a hurricane may not be possible for some time. Have cash on hand to pay employees and contractors and take care of any necessary purchases.

• Will workers be doing jobs outside their usual scope of work? A natural disaster can present an all-hands-on-deck situation that could require workers to step into roles outside their own. In some cases, this may mean taking additional safety precautions. Ensure that your employees have the appropriate personal protection equipment and training.

• Will you be able to address injuries? While first aid should always be a consideration, it is crucial during a severe weather event. Have a protocol in place to address work-related injuries quickly and safely. Teach employees how to administer first aid, quickly obtain additional treatment and follow the appropriate steps for a workers’ compensation claim.

• Do you have an evacuation plan? While you will most likely have a heads-up that bad weather is approaching, it is also possible for a storm to carry a much greater impact than anticipated. In these instances, everyone should clearly understand how to exit the building and reach safety. Of course, evacuation may not always be the best option. If there is active flooding or hazardous levels of rain and wind while employees are still in the building, the safest course of action could be to remain in place until it blows over. In this case, it is important to confirm that your workers’ compensation plan covers sheltering in place for natural disasters.

PROPERTY

While your people may be able to leave the vicinity of a storm, your property certainly

cannot. Protect your place of business as best you can by taking care of the following before closing or evacuating if possible:

• Repair and fill above-ground tanks with fresh water.

• Fill fuel tanks of generators, fire pumps and all company-owned vehicles.

• Remove as many goods as possible from the floor or ship them out of the facility.

• Shut off the natural gas supply to minimize fire risk.

• If possible, disconnect the main electrical feeds to the facility to prevent a potential fire caused by short-circuiting of damaged equipment.

PAPERS

The time immediately following a disaster is when you will need much of your business documentation the most. It is also when it will likely be most difficult to access. Address any concerns beforehand by ensuring you’ll have ready access to all essential documents.‍

• Ideally, you should have digital copies of your business records, with cloud-based access. This will ensure that your information is retrievable from anywhere. Having ready access to your business records can help you restore operations quickly or continue operations remotely.

• If digital records are not an option, protect physical copies as best possible. Use a stormproof container that protects against water and fire. Keep this container elevated to avoid high water situations, and store additional copies of your documents in a separate location.

• Any documents that may be needed for insurance or audit purposes are of particular importance. Depending on your policy expiration, you may be subject to a policy audit to determine the final premium. Maintaining timely records in an easily accessible method eliminates potential headaches and ensures records will be available, even if a natural disaster has just occurred.

While we all hope for a calm hurricane season this year, taking steps now to prepare can bring peace of mind should a storm threaten. T

DAMIAN

PERSPECTIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

CHRIS MASINGILL is the chief executive officer of St. Tammany Corporation, the economic development organization of the parish. He may be reached at cmasingill@sttammanycorp.org.

Playing to Win

The Northshore is in the midst of a business development

industry landscape. We proactively pursue product development in both land and site, and workforce and talent assets to establish St. Tammany as a destination of choice for businesses. We tackle cross-cutting issues that are barriers to business growth and advance and protect quality of life through dynamic economic development initiatives.

evolution.

BY CHRIS MASINGILL

Almost six years ago, in July 2018, I became the chief executive officer at St. Tammany Corporation. In that time, we have realigned the priority focus areas for the local economic development organization in St. Tammany and reimagined economic development on the Northshore.

St. Tammany Corporation anchors economic development on the Northshore through collaboration with partners and stakeholders both in St. Tammany and across the region. Our team works diligently to diversify the business and

In the past year, St. Tammany Corporation has announced four projects in the corporate headquarters, cold storage and manufacturing sectors representing over $73.3 million in capital investment and 530 jobs in St. Tammany.

We are investing in talent development through hosting fellows for both the inaugural International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Equity in Economic Development Fellowship and the inaugural Economic Recovery Corps Fellowship programs.

Our efforts in creating, leading and supporting two collaborative initiatives — the Workforce Roundtable and Northshore Healthscape — were honored with programmatic awards at the 2023 IEDC annual conference.

We continued our partnership with The Idea Village through the implementation of two IDEAinstitute Northshore cohorts and held the inaugural NSpire Startup Slam where Alana Scott, founder of Kinkz, took home the grand prize package valued at over $60,000.

Following a rigorous application and review process, St. Tammany Corporation was officially recognized as an Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO) by IEDC.

We concluded the implementation of St. Tammany’s first economic development strategic plan, THRIVE2023, in February and are in the midst of the planning and development process of our second five-year economic development strategic plan. This new strategic plan will be presented for adoption in the third quarter and will chart our efforts for businesses, families and talent on the Northshore through 2029.

Economic development in Louisiana is expe-

riencing a similar season of evolution and is poised to see a transformation that the state has not had in decades. The Northshore’s own secretary Susan Bonnett Bourgeois is at the helm of Louisiana Economic Development and ready to put Louisiana on the map, in the game and, playing to win. When he announced her appointment, Gov. Jeff Landry was direct, specific and clear in his objective to position Louisiana to win, and Secretary Bourgeois is ready to do just that. The secretary leads through a “yes, and” mentality and is keen to showcase the “multi-generational, hardworking, committed Louisiana workforce.”

Efforts are underway within the department, in the Legislature and in statewide collaboratives to modernize how economic development is facilitated at the state level to ensure Louisiana has a seat at the table and is strategically positioned to effectively tell its story through understanding and sharing our advantages. All these efforts are anchored in the principle of positioning Louisiana to compete and win. This includes ensuring every Louisiana citizen can advance their wage earnings. Business development can be harnessed to both optimize Louisiana’s legacy industries to lead in the future, as they have in the past, and to grow and innovate the Louisiana business and economic ecosystems to impact the world. The desire to move at the speed of business, remove bureaucratic barriers, retain top talent and implement initiatives and programs and measure their impact beyond a four-year political cycle will position the state for success that will positively impact an entire generation.

A thriving St. Tammany requires a growing, vibrant Louisiana. St. Tammany Corporation is committed to working alongside our economic development partners to maximize the opportunities to showcase Louisiana’s dynamic and treasured assets to be the destination of choice for talent, industry, business investment and economic mobility. T

New Labor Law Changes Are Here

Is your company prepared?

BY AMY B. BAKAY, SHRM-SCP

New changes to labor laws not only impact a business’s employees and bottom line, but also pose additional administrative burdens on an organization. Below is an outline of the key aspects of new regulations likely to affect your business and insights on how to navigate them effectively to ensure compliance and minimize disruptions to your operations.

NEW FLSA SALARY THRESHOLD

Employees making less than $58,656 may now be eligible for overtime.

The U.S. Department of Labor has increased the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA’s) annual salary-level threshold from $35,568 to $58,656 as of Jan. 1, 2025, for white-collar exemptions to overtime requirements. Effective July 1, 2024, the salary threshold will increase to $43,888. Employees making less than the salary-level threshold, such as hourly workers, can be eligible for overtime if they work enough hours.

AMY

B. BAKAY, SHRM-SCP is the founder/ CEO of HR NOLA. She may be reached via email at AmyBakay@HRNOLA.com.

Employers are now faced with the decision of whether to increase the salaries of employees who previously fell above the overtime threshold under the old standard but now fall below it under the new standard, thereby maintaining their exempt status. Alternatively, employers may opt not to raise these employees’ salaries, which would entail paying overtime when they work beyond 40 hours per workweek. Adjustments to schedules may be necessary for employees whose salaries remain below the new threshold to mitigate overtime expenses. Clear communication is crucial when transitioning formerly exempt employees to nonexempt status, ensuring they understand the reasons behind the change. Also, employers should ensure legally compliant time-keeping systems are in place and supervisors are trained on how to manage schedules for overtime implications.

LOUISIANA BECOMES THE 28TH PERMITLESS CARRY STATE

This update goes into effect on July 4, 2024. Starting July 4, it will be legal for most people in Louisiana to carry a concealed firearm without a permit. After Louisiana’s recent enactment of permitless carry legislation, employers face the challenge of adjusting to a new landscape where individuals aged 18 and above can legally carry concealed handguns without a permit. Effective July 4, this law mandates that employers must grasp the intricacies of the legislation and devise careful strategies to maintain workplace security while upholding legal compliance. Read more at hrnola.com.

BAN ON NON-COMPETE AGREEMENTS

News on protecting company secrets and keeping top talent.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued the Non-Compete Clause Rule on April 23, calling for a comprehensive ban on non-compete agreements nationwide. The FTC concluded that non-competes are an “unfair method of competition and therefore a violation of Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commis-

sion Act.” The FTC estimates that 18% of U.S. workers, or 30 million people, are covered by non-compete agreements.

What can employers do without a non-compete agreement? Strengthen your non-solicitation and confidentiality agreements and uphold them rigorously. Clearly communicate their terms and implications during signing and upon employee departure to ensure compliance. Implement additional restrictive covenants, such as agreements prohibiting employees from soliciting clients or colleagues.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION RELEASES FINAL TITLE IX REGULATIONS

This provides vital protections against sex discrimination.

For over half a century, Title IX has been instrumental in advancing access to education for students nationwide. This commitment has led the U.S. Department of Education to unveil its Final Rule under Title IX, aimed at preventing sex-based discrimination in education programs or activities that receive federal financial support. These regulations prioritize educational equity and opportunity for students nationwide, fostering accountability, fairness, and empowerment for students and families alike.

What does this mean for organizations that must comply with Title IX? The rule clarifies the steps a school must take to protect students, employees and applicants from discrimination based on pregnancy or related conditions. And the rule protects against discrimination based on sex stereotypes, sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics.

Schools must respond promptly to all complaints of sex discrimination with a fair, transparent and reliable process that includes trained, unbiased decisionmakers to evaluate all relevant and not otherwise impermissible evidence. Finally, schools are required to communicate their nondiscrimination policies and procedures to all students, employees and other participants in their education programs so that students and families understand their rights. T

IN A TIME WHEN COLLEGES NATIONWIDE ARE STRUGGLING TO FILL SPOTS, NORTHSHORE TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE IS ENJOYING ITS HIGHEST ENROLLMENT IN HISTORY. CHANCELLOR DR. JIM CARLSON, ED.D , SHARES HOW THE FIVE-CAMPUS SYSTEM IS MEETING WORKFORCE DEMANDS AND THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IT FACES FOR THE FUTURE.

BY

AT THE

KEITH TWITCHELL PORTRAITS BY EDMUND D. FOUNTAIN

NATIONWIDE, higher education has been in trouble for some time. Fueled by a mix of rising tuition and a declining birth rate, total college enrollment in the U.S. has been in decline since 2010. By 2021, enrollment had declined 14.6% overall. Two-year public colleges nationwide saw significantly larger losses — with enrollment declining by 38% between 2010 and 2021 according to BestColleges.com.

Here in Louisiana, however, Northshore Technical Community College (NTCC) is bucking that trend in a big way. At a time when many institutions of higher learning are struggling to maintain enrollment – the five-campus community college system — with locations in Lacombe, Greensburg, Walker, Hammond and Bogalusa — is operating at nearly full capacity and seeking to expand its facilities. In fact, the 2023-24 school year has brought the community college system its largest enrollment numbers in its almost 100-year history, serving close to 6,000 students.

Two additional specialty locations — at Southeastern Louisiana University’s Hammond campus and the B.B. Rayburn Correctional Center in Angie — reach even more area residents.

Across the system, approximately two dozen technical and health science programs, three associate of arts transfer degrees, and a wide variety of certifications are offered. From automotive technology to information technology, from EMT to culinary arts, the list is diverse and comprehensive.

Last fall, Dr. Jim Carlson was named NTCC’s new chancellor. Carlson first joined NTCC in 2014 and has 25 years of experience in the junior and community college realm. His approach to leading the college is a combination of continuing what is working well, while seeking new opportunities to serve NTCC’s constituencies. Recently, he spoke with Biz New Orleans on his way to participate in the annual Community College Day at the Louisiana State Legislature.

NTCC started with one campus in Bogalusa in 1930. Tell us about that origin, and the growth that has led to five campuses in five parishes.

The Bogalusa campus was the original trade school in Louisiana, and it started as a giving campaign with the local lumber company in Bogalusa. They raised a little over $8,000, and decided to build a trade school to prepare people to work in the lumber company, along with the soon-tobe-built paper mill.

Fast forward many years, Louisiana had what we called the Louisiana technical colleges. We didn’t have a community college on the Northshore. We had technical colleges in Bogalusa, Hammond and Greensburg.

In 2011, the legislators did a study to determine if the Northshore was being served properly in higher education. The study ultimately said no, so the legislators created Northshore Technical College, where they combined the Bogalusa, Hammond and Greensburg campuses in 2011. A year later, in 2012, they came back and decided to make it Northshore Technical Community College and add the two new campuses in Lacombe and Walker, which would allow us to provide instruction on the academic side.

We became a full, comprehensive community college as of 2012. That was our new focus, our new mission that we set. We did not build the Lacombe campus until 2016, then Livingston was opened in 2018. That was the final of the expansion projects. Once we were able to stop building, stop expansion, and focus on becoming a fully comprehensive community college, that allowed us in 2020 to become accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) — the regional accreditation for the Southeast.

Your current enrollment is the largest ever. Does this reflect annual growth, or is something else driving this?

Certainly, having access in St. Tammany Parish and Livingston Parish has helped spur our growth. With the new campuses since 2016, we’ve been able to grow each year, but another part of that is we’ve expanded our dual enrollment with the high schools, which has also been a big part of why our overall total hit the all-time high of 5,800 students last fall.

NTCC is the largest provider of dual enrollment programs for high school students among all the technical colleges in Louisiana. What are the benefits of this? I think it’s twofold: There are a lot of benefits for a community college to provide access to the local high school students to begin exploring some opportunities beyond high school. The other part of it is it allows students to begin weeding out things they don’t want to do before it begins costing mega-money.

Our high school student tuition is covered by the school boards, so let’s say you are interested in welding — it’s a great time to figure out whether it’s for you before you have to pay for tuition post-high school. You can begin seeing what you like as well as what you don’t like, which ultimately will hopefully cut down on costs post high school.

The other thing is that our high school students are usually making decisions based off their own personal environment, what their parents do, what their parents’ friends do. Having exposure to different things really helps open people’s eyes at a younger age so they can begin seeing what they might want to do for their careers.

Tell us more about your main campus in Lacombe that spans 12.6 acres of a 41-acre plot of land along Highway 434.

The St. Tammany Advanced Campus is part of a larger St. Tammany project. The Weyerhaeuser Company owns the land, the development area where we are located. St. Tammany high schools have a plot of land there for future expansion. We have the Northshore Technical Community College, and then parish government owns some land out there, which in the bigger picture will be providing some additional opportunities for collaboration amongst the community college, the high schools and the parish.

We’ve got two buildings out there right now. We’ve got our STEM [science, technology, engineering, math] building, where we focus on STEM-related programs, as well as our transfer degrees, which are the Associate of Arts, Associate of Science and Associate of General Studies degrees. Those are for people who want to go on to the university route. Then we have the Advanced Technology Center, the ATC, which is next door, and that is where we do a lot of our training programs such as HVAC, welding, electrical, in addition to health sciences, nursing, medical assisting. We also have drafting and design and much more.

Do you anticipate expanding any further soon?

Yes, our goal is to have another building for Northshore to be able to expand into new program opportunities. We’re going to launch a new program in the fall, in advanced manufacturing, and our hope is to grow into a new building somewhere down the road. That is our focus, to continue to grow the footprint in St. Tammany Parish.

Do different campuses have different specialties?

Yes. Every location has nursing and welding — our primary two staples at every location — but certain campuses do have some specialties. Our Greensburg campus is the only one that offers culinary arts, as well as what they call veterinary technician, which is kind of like a nurse for pets and farm animals. Bogalusa is the only place where we offer diesel technology, which is a big opportunity for people. St. Tammany is the only place where we have RN nursing right now, though we plan to expand that in the future to the left side of our service area.

What are the most in-demand specialties right now?

Certainly nursing, welding, HVAC, IT (information technology), are probably our bigger ones. Our transfer degrees are some of our faster-growing opportunities for people, because we didn’t have them before. That’s for people to get their freshman level, general education

courses out of the way before they go to LSU or Southeastern, or wherever they choose to enroll.

You launched the Northshore’s first RN associate degree last fall. What led to this, and do you have any partnerships with local healthcare providers or institutions? It led basically from industry demand. The need for more trained nurses was a huge thing when COVID was going on, and that helped spur us toward where we are today. The plan was already in place prior to COVID, it just sort of exaggerated the need for more RN nurses.

We have very strong partnerships with our local healthcare systems such as St. Tammany Health Center, North Oaks Health Systems, as well as Ochsner, Slidell Memorial, pretty much all the major healthcare providers. We have Franciscan, FMOL hospitals, which are both on the west side as well as up to Bogalusa. We’ve been working with them for years.

We do a lot of customized training for our health systems. The St. Tammany health system in Covington has stepped up and has provided the training space for the RN program, which is at the St. Tammany Academic Center in Covington. That’s where all our RN students go to school.

At our Hammond campus, we couldn’t serve another person there if we wanted to because we’re out of space. It’s an aging building that’s been around since the ’70s. Both the Livingston Parish and Lacombe campuses are almost completely full as well.

Let’s talk about this fall’s upcoming launch of your first associate degree in advanced manufacturing. Where is the demand coming from for this?

The demand has really been coming on for six years now. In 2018, we began a partnership with GNO, Inc., Delgado Community College and Nunez Community College where we do what we call a Mechatronics apprenticeship program. In addition, we had companies that would host apprentices for a two-year period, and those apprentices would go to school at each one of these institutions during that two-year period and work for eight weeks and go to school for eight weeks, and they would rotate during that time.

Thanks to a new Department of Labor grant, we will be kicking off the associate’s degree in advanced manufacturing, as well as certificate programs in supply chain logistics and industrial safety. This is all part of the master plan on the Northshore. On I-12 a new Gulf Commerce Park is coming, which will be a big hub for manufacturing and supply chain logistics industry partners.

DID YOU KNOW?

Louisiana Community and Technical Colleges aim to graduate 330,000 individuals by 2030 who will earn on average 150% of the area median income (or $41,885). Together, the 12 colleges served 126,945 students in 2022/23 and graduated 29,589 students. Source: LCTCS Foundation.

Tell us about your career path to becoming the NTCC chancellor. I began in 1998 as an instructor of speech communication at Jones Junior College in Mississippi. I spent seven years there, then went to Baton Rouge Community College, where I was assistant professor, department chair, and then eventually got into administration.

I came to NTCC as the dean of academics in December of 2014, and since that time I’ve served in that role, and vice-chancellor for strategic initiatives. Then I had the opportunity to be interim chancellor at River Parishes Community College while they were doing a search for a new chancellor in 2020 almost to 2022. When I got back to NTCC, six months later Dr. Wainwright became the new president of Southeastern Louisiana University, and I was asked to be the interim at Northshore. I became the permanent chancellor last October.

What have been the biggest challenges you have faced as chancellor?

I would say probably the biggest challenge is just making that transition from being an employee of the college under the former chancellor to becoming the new chancellor. It’s a little different than when I had the experience of going to River Parishes because I had never been there before, so I was kind of a brand new entity, and the process was a lot different. At Northshore, I’ve known people for nearly 10 years, so it’s been just a different path.

I don’t think it’s necessarily as difficult of a challenge, it’s more of a different perspective. You want to bring your own way of doing things, but you also want to honor the things that are going well. It’s been an interesting balance, because you want to make sure that you make decisions that are best for the college long term.

What do you consider your biggest successes?

For me it’s been being able to take a college that, when I got here in 2014, was scratching the surface of its ability to serve the people of the Northshore in all areas, meaning transfer degrees, workforce development opportunities, and in addition to all the other leaders of our college, really help to get it to that next level. I think that momentum has gotten us to where we are today.

What are your future goals for NTCC?

I think the next steps for us involve working with the Louisiana legislative system to get some more infrastructure so that we can properly serve all the people in Louisiana who want to be a part of NTCC. At our Hammond campus, we couldn’t serve another person there if we wanted to because we’re out of space. It’s an aging building that’s been around since the ‘70s. Both the Livingston Parish and Lacombe campuses are almost completely full as well. So, long term, if we’re going to do our job, we’ve got to grow infrastructure so we can provide more access to more people.

It’s simple, I want to create a community college where people feel as if they have a place to go to be able to get to where they want to be. For that to make sense, we need people to understand that the community college is the college for the Northshore in terms of if you want to come to school for one day and get forklift certified, or if you want to come get an associate degree that will take two years. We want to provide that opportunity for people. T

FOUND TRE

ASURE

A quiet little golf community with a big history, Money Hill is writing its next chapter after receiving the largest zoning approval in the history of St. Tammany Parish

WITH A

NAME LIKE MONEY HILL, you know there must be a good story behind it. As it turns out, there are many.

“There are several legends regarding the name,” explained Mimi Goodyear Dossett, the fifth generation of the Goodyear family to manage the 5,600-acre piece of land about an hour’s drive north of New Orleans. “One is that after the War of 1812, the British were still around, and the locals gathered a bunch of gold coins to use to try and convince the French to help. They were robbed, and the robbers buried the money here. But when they came back, all the fallen pine needles had covered everything, and they couldn’t find their treasure.”

Other ideas follow the same theme: from Andrew Jackson and his troops stopping to bury their belongings in the area before fighting in the Battle of New Orleans to the famous Pirate Jean Lafitte stashing his booty amidst the trees.

The tales have emboldened the imagination decades of hopeful treasure seekers.

“When my dad was a little boy in the 1940s, there were still people out here searching,” laughed Dossett.

If you ask the Goodyear family, any of Money Hill’s more than 800 residents, or St. Tammany Parish leaders, however, the real treasure at Money Hill has already been found, and it lies above, not below the grounds.

LIFE AMONG THE PINES

Money Hill’s rectangular footprint spans roughly the size of Covington, stretching 7 miles from its northern to southern end. Driving north from New Orleans, by the time you reach the pine groves, you feel like you’ve left civilization, even though the community is only 10 miles northeast of Covington and just 7 miles northeast of Abita Springs, sandwiched between highways 21 and 435.

It’s that feeling of being “away from it all” but still within reach of necessary amenities that has fueled the growth of Money Hill as a planned golf community.

In the1990s, Dossett’s father, David Goodyear, hired an architect to create what was considered the No. 1 golf course in Louisiana until Hurricane Katrina, and is still considered a top

10 championship golf course. He also built a 186-acre artesian spring-fed lake — christened Lake Goodyear, of course. The first home at Money Hill was completed in 1999, followed by the country club in 2000.

Over 25 years, the custom home community has been consistently selling off lots, currently priced between about $90,000 and $300,000.

“Our lot sizes average a little under an acre,” said Dossett, who took over management of Money Hill in 2008 and lives in one of the community’s approximately 300 homes. “The sizes are a selling point because it’s very unusual nowadays to be able to find lots that large in St. Tammany.”

Well beyond large lots and great golfing (including the largest lady’s golfing association in Louisiana), Money Hill boasts the typical amenities of many planned communities, including a community pool, fitness center and tennis courts, but it’s the more unique features that have drawn many residents. These include the topography — rolling hills and an elevation that averages 100 feet

above sea level (both rare to the region), which Dossett said have helped residents avoid “insurance issues that so many other areas face,” and make Money Hill a “great and very convenient evacuation location” for a second home.

There’s also the fact that the Goodyear family has long been passionate about conservation. Money Hill is buffered from the rest of the world by 3,500 acres of nature preserves, and within its boundaries you’ll find the St. Tammany Parish office of the Louisiana Nature Conservancy, along with a wide array of flora and fauna including more than 200 species of birds such as eagles and great egrets, and adorable critters called Bachman’s squirrels.

The most notable natural feature, however, is Money Hill’s stunning forests of longleaf pine trees, which Money Hill actively replants as part of the community’s conservation efforts. The community also conducts invasive species control, creates protected areas for certain species and installs numerous bluebird and wood duck boxes.

Money Hill encourages residents to join in

its work through efforts like collecting used Christmas trees and sinking them into the lake to create habitat for fish. Last year a community recycling center was created to collect cardboard, glass and aluminum, as well as items for donation like clothes and shoes.

With its more remote location, quiet pace and golf-focused amenities, its unsurprising that Money Hill has been popular with retirees, but younger families have also been drawn in.

Karlie and Chris McDougall are the owners of Renew Physical Therapy, which has locations in Covington, Madisonville and Mandeville. The couple bought their first home in Normandy Oaks in Covington, but when two little boys came along, Karlie said they were intrigued by the offerings at Money Hill.

“We wanted them to be able to run around and be boys,” she said. “We just fell in love with all the green spaces and the opportunity for the kids to be able to ride their bikes anywhere they wanted.”

The couple bought a lot in 2016, hired a builder and moved in 2017.

“The first year felt, honestly, like we were really far from things,” said McDougall, “but now there’s so much traffic everywhere except up this way that even though the distance is farther, we get places just as quickly as we did when we lived in Covington. We can get anywhere within 30 minutes.”

The McDougalls’ love for Money Hill eventually spread to Chris’s parents, Elizabeth and Wayne McDougall. Southshore natives, Elizabeth grew up in Arabi, where she served as tourism director for 20 years while Wayne was a prosecutor in the district attorney’s office.

“After we retired, my son said, ‘Why don’t you just move here?’” said Elizabeth. “We now had three grandchildren at Money Hill and my husband is a golfer, so we bought a house around the corner from them during the pandemic.”

Elizabeth said she couldn’t be happier with their decision.

“The kids can now ride their bikes over whenever they want,” she said. “We have dinner together all the time. It’s just perfect — so

serene and beautiful.”

She said she enjoys a variety of activities in the community.

“I’m involved in the community garden, I play bridge, I’m in a book club and a lady’s group, and play pickleball,” she said. “It’s like being on vacation, but we live here. Honestly, it’s a lot like when we grew up, where you knew all your neighbors.”

A GIANT STEP FORWARD

That ability to know all their neighbors, however, is going to change. As of early May, the community was down to just six available lots, making now the perfect time for an expansion.

This past December, the St. Tammany City Council granted Money Hill the largest zoning approval in the history of the parish, allowing it to expand north and fill in the 4,400 acres of the planned unit development that have long been just forest. Plans currently include adding another 18-hole golf course with restaurants and lodging, along with sports fields, 12 pickleball courts, expanded lakes, an equestrian

center and a commercial village.

In January, Money Hill added its first commercial tenant at The Village at Money Hill with the opening of the Our Lady of the Lake Physician Group Money Hill Walk-In Clinic. Located adjacent to the community’s Highway 21 entrance, the 5,034-square-foot-clinic offers traditional primary care and urgent care seven days a week.

“Our next goal is to add a boutique grocery store,” said Dossett. “We’d like to create something and have someone run it. Then we’ll be looking thoughtfully at what else would benefit our residents, maybe a dry cleaner, pharmacy, executive offices, a nail salon, some retail.”

Dossett emphasized, however, that the project is on a 50-year timeline, and that the development will be “measured and careful, with huge respect for the open space.

“The development includes up to 4,400 homes total,” she said. “If we added 50 homes a year —

we have been averaging about 20 — to what we have for the next 20 years, that doesn’t even put us halfway.”

Work is already underway, however, to create more lots, the first of which will be available in July.

In addition to larger custom home sites, Money Hill currently has a street called Orchard Row which consists of smaller, attached garden homes that Dossett said have been popular for people looking for an easy, economical option and another collection of eight Club Cottages — two-bedroom units.

“We kept two of the cottages to use for shortterm rentals and the other six were sold to people from New Orleans,” she said, “which is great. I’d love to have more weekenders from New Orleans.”

ONE PIECE OF LAND, MANY LIVES

Looking around today, it’s hard to imagine Money Hill as anything but a planned golf community, but that’s only been the reality for

the last 25 of the almost 120 years the Goodyear family has owned the property.

“The story of St. Tammany Parish is reflected in the history of Money Hill,” said Dossett, whose great-great-grandfather, Charles Waterhouse Goodyear, and great-great uncle, Frank Henry Goodyear, were successful lumbermen in Buffalo, New York. Seeking to expand to the South, the brothers purchased several hundred thousand acres of longleaf pine, including the area known as Money Hill, in 1905. They then proceeded to build the largest lumber mill in the nation, The Great Southern Lumber Company, as well as the town of Bogalusa to serve as home to its workforce. To transport the lumber to the mill and to markets, the brothers also built the New Orleans Great Northern Railroad.

By the 1930s, the pine market was slowing down, and tung oil, also called “Chinese wood oil,” was all the rage. The oil, which comes from the seeds of the tung tree, has been used for

thousands of years, especially to make wooden boats water-resistant. Charles Goodyear’s son, Charles Jr., was able to procure some seeds and moved into the tung oil business.

“My great-grandfather was one of the grandfathers of reforestation,” said Dossett.

Her grandfather, Charles III, ran operations for a while and then her father, David, took over until, after 30 very profitable years, disaster struck: in 1969 Hurricane Camille decimated the tung trees. At that point, David — the last president of the American Tung Oil Association — decided to replant the longleaf pine. Over the next decade, he ran Money Hill as a popular family campground.

“We even had wild horses on the property until late into the 1970s,” said Dossett.

To continue to share the land his family loved, David pivoted into a different direction and created a planned golf community, which he ran until his daughter took over in 2008.

Dossett said many people, including residents, have fond memories of the property from back when it served as a campground.

“I’d say a good 30% of our residents now came here as children,” she said.

Dossett isn’t the only Goodyear involved in Money Hill today. Her cousin Andrew is the chief financial officer, and another cousin, Charles “Chip” Waterhouse Goodyear IV, serves as chair of the board of directors.

Chip said his earliest memories involve visiting his grandparents at Money Hill in the 1960s.

“We’d go swimming, fishing and boating, back when it was still a timber operation,” he said. “My first job was at Money Hill in 1971 when I was 13. I built picnic tables for the campground before it opened. ”

By the time Money Hill was becoming a golf community, Chip was working as the chief financial officer at Freeport-McMoRan.

When David Goodyear, his uncle, died in

YES, THAT GOODYEAR...SORT OF

The Goodyear family responsible for founding Money Hill and the town of Bogalusa are relatives of Charles Goodyear, an American chemist who patented the first vulcanized lumber in 1844. The Goodyear tire company bears his name, but that’s where the connection ends. The company was founded in 1898 by Frank A. Sieberling, who named it in honor of Goodyear, who, despite his important contributions, had died penniless 38 years before.

OTHER NOTABLE GOODYEARS INCLUDE:

William Henry Goodyear — (son of the chemist Charles Goodyear) who is best known as the first curator of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Anson Goodyear — (son of the Charles Goodyear who co-founded Bogalusa and Money Hill) who is best known as the organizer and first president of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. He was also a director at Paramount Pictures.

2009, Chip became chair of the board.

The deep family connection to the property, and now community, is what Chip said makes Money Hill different from other developers.

“A typical developer wants to get a property, put as many houses on it as possible, then pay off their loan and move on to the next project,” he said. “We didn’t have to borrow money to buy this land, and it’s been so important to my family, to our history, that we feel strongly about taking something that’s special to us and having it become special to many others.”

Both Chip and Mimi expressed the importance of slow and careful growth that maintains the conservation heart of the property and only serves to further benefit the lives of existing residents.

For Karlie McDougall, the expansion plans bring up mixed feelings.

“I’m excited to see if everything comes true that is supposed to happen,” she said. “The urgent care has already been huge for so many people and another pool and golf course would be great. It’s bittersweet though, because it’s been such a well-kept secret that we’ve been able to have to ourselves. Once those gates close it feels like your own little heaven out here.” T

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Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is committed to our mission to improve the health and lives of Louisianians. Founded in New Orleans in 1934, we have offices in every major region of the state to serve our customers close to where they live, work, and do business. We offer a variety of health plans statewide to meet the needs of employer groups, individuals, Medicare, and Medicaid beneficiaries. We have been recognized for the past five years as an honoree of The Civic 50, named by Points of Light as one of the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. We invite all Louisianians to visit our website at www.bcbsla.com or talk to us on social media.

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Visit GULFBANK.COM for more resources.

FROM THE LENS

54 GREAT WORKSPACES

A turnkey, project-based commercial furniture solutions company, Southern Interior Solutions designed its workspace to double as a functioning showroom.

62 NEIGHBORHOOD GEM

Dat Title in Mid-City is a locally owned convenience that helps neighbors avoid the DMV.

64

NEW ORLEANS 500 Benjamin Richaud, CEO of Lakeview Hospital

58 WHY DIDN’T I THINK OF THAT?

A new addition in Covington aims to make swimming fun and safer for area children.

A turnkey, project-based commercial furniture solutions company, Southern Interior Solutions designed its workspace to double as a functioning showroom.

BY MISTY MILIOTO PHOTOS BY SARA ESSEX BRADLEY

Southern Interior Solutions (more commonly known as “SiS”) — co-founded by Andrew McIver and Patrick McMath in Covington in 2015 — helps area businesses with furnishings, modular walls, storage, signage, millwork, accessories and more. In December 2020, the company relocated during the height of the pandemic, when many companies were vacating their offices and working from home.

“[It was] a testament to how much faith and opportunity we believed the city of Covington had to offer,” McIver said. “Nestled in the heart of downtown, we are in the perfect spot to grow SiS in a city that is also undergoing some growth of its own. Covington is in the middle of this renaissance of development, particularly since COVID-19, and we feel the growth of our company aligns with the growth of the city. We are grateful to be a part of this community.”

Private offices and collaborative spaces surround a central, open lounge area with comfortable seating serving as the main focal point. The design allows for client and internal team meetings in a casual, yet central environment.

Because SiS provides furniture solutions for other companies, it only made sense for the co-founders to design the new office space they found — still in Covington — themselves.

“We did all of the interior space planning and selections,” McIver said. “The interior design of our office is constantly evolving. We may host a client in our space for a meeting, and it’s not uncommon for them to buy something in our office that really isn’t for sale. Even though this change is often unplanned, it means our office always feels new and fresh, which keeps the team excited and engaged by providing opportunities to design our space in their own way.”

SiS created an open lounge area with comfortable seating as the main focal point. This space allows the team to have both client and internal team meetings in a setting that is casual yet central to all the surrounding private offices.

“Having this space has increased the flow of creativity and new ideas between our team, clients, architects and contractors by offering a relaxed

environment that removes the formality of a conventional meeting,” McIver said. “With this space as the hub of our office, it allows the team to join in meetings and help with projects in which they might not be directly involved, simply because the meeting may be right outside their door.”

In addition to the open lounge area and private offices, the SiS workspace features a full kitchen, a materials library, a conference room and a dedicated demo space for their vendors and partner brands.

“This demo space—currently shown as a patient exam room—allows our partner brands to showcase new products, and our clients the opportunity to ‘kick the tires’ with mock-ups built specifically for their projects,” said Melissa Edmonds, director of design at SiS.

A standout feature is the conference room table — built by Highpoint, North Carolina-based Darran Furniture — which is made from a hand-selected, 8-foot solid slab of acacia wood cut 3 inches thick.

“The table retains the slab’s natural live edges, cracks and divots, reinforced by handcrafted butterfly joints,” McIver said. “This table has served as a significant conversation-starter (and ice-breaker) to many meetings over the past three or four years.”

The new SiS workspace provides a comfortable ambiance, both for clients and team members.

“It’s important that we retain the feeling of excitement, as well as comfort, when walking into what we consider to be a fresh take on an office environment and functioning showroom,” said McIver.

SiS employs registered interior designers and offers space planning, design, specification, procurement and installation for the corporate, healthcare and education markets.

“We are the most innovative commercial furniture dealership on the Northshore, working closely with clients, architects and contractors on selections, design, procurement and installation services,” said Edmonds. “We design and space plan in the latest 3D software, so our clients can experience their furnishing solutions well before procurement and installation.” T

QUICK LOOK

Number of years in operation

9 Square footage

2,401

Number of Employees 6

Persons in Charge

Andrew McIver and Patrick McMath

Interior Design

SiS

Art and furnishings SiS

The SiS office space—designed internally—doubles as a showroom. Clients often purchase items from the floor, which forces interior design elements to be rotated and keeps the space looking new and fresh.

BY ASHLEY MCLELLAN

Swim school franchises like Goldfish Swim Schools have seen a steady increase in popularity as families look for exercise and activities outside the home or within indoor settings post-pandemic.

Since celebrating its grand opening on April 2, Goldfish Swim School has been making a big splash (literally) in Covington. The school shares a 58,000-squarefoot property on the site of a former Rouses grocery store with another new kid-focused destination, Urban Air Indoor Adventure Park, which opened at the same time.

Both ventures are owned and operated by the franchisees/husband-and-wife team of Joe Goodly and Rachelle Nurse, who said that while in the planning stages of this Urban Air — more than 350 parks are open or in development across the U.S. and Canada — it became obvious that opening a swim school on the generous property would benefit the community by providing an essential safety and instruction need.

“They are two completely separate companies,” said Nurse. “It turned out that the landlord had additional available space which was ideal for a swim school, and we recognized the lack of a swim school of this caliber in the area, especially considering the amount of children living within close proximity to the surrounding bodies of water.”

For Nurse and Goodly, the location was key.

“The market in St. Tammany Parish appealed to us due to its family values, community spirit, and significant number of families,” Nurse said. “It has allowed us to provide joy to children of all ages and their families.”

Besides offering an opportunity to splash around indoors on a hot summer day, the school serves a very real purpose.

“In the United States, more children ages 1 to 4 die from drowning than any other cause of death,” said Nurse. “We aim for the Goldfish

Swim School to bring safety, peace of mind for parents and ultimately reduce drowning incidents within the community.”

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), “Most drownings in [young] children happen in swimming pools. Drowning can happen even when children are not expected to be near water, such as when they gain unsupervised access to pools.”

In addition to safety, the United States Swim School Association notes benefits well beyond the pool.

“Swimming affords a developing child the opportunity for a complete workout of heart, lungs, muscles and bones. It can improve quality of sleep and boost circulation, aiding the immune system function, resulting in fewer colds. Aquatic instruction is an ongoing process that should continue long term throughout childhood to maximize the child’s learning of proper swimming techniques and respect for the water.”

Swim school franchises have seen a steady increase in popularity as families look for exercise and activities outside the home or within indoor settings post-pandemic. Nurse and Goodly said they chose Goldfish for its unique swimming instruction guidelines, along with an established track record of success both in business and in swim training and safety across varied communities. Since opening its first franchise in 2009, Goldfish Swim School has grown to include more than 150 locations in more than 34 states and Canada.

“The Goldfish Swim School sets itself apart with its learn-to-swim concept through several key features including the ‘Science of Swimplay,’ a philosophy based on the idea that children learn best through play; a safe, indoor, shiver-free pool environment; and the organization’s partnerships with gold medalist Olympian swimmers, aquatic safety organizations, and philanthropic foundations to further our commitment to water safety, drowning preven-

tion and universal access to swim lessons,” Nurse said. “…We plan to collaborate with various non-profits to provide underprivileged children with the opportunity to learn to swim.”

Currently swim lessons are offered for children between the ages of four months and 12 years, with the addition of possible adult programs and instruction as the business grows.

“Once fully operational, we anticipate having between 40 to 50 employees at the school, each qualified and trained to meet the highest standards in swim instruction and safety,” Nurse said. “All lifeguards receive training in the International Lifeguard Training Program (developed by the leaders in aquatic safety at Jeff Ellis and Associates), and we keep our classes small, ensuring a max student-to-teacher ratio of 4:1. The addition of adult classes or other services will be based on the expressed need within the community.”

Weekly 30-minute group swim lessons start at $31.25 per lesson. Lessons for babies ages 24

Goldfish Swim School offers lessons for children ages four months to 12 years old, with a max student-toteacher ratio of 4:1. Membership benefits include discounts, additional swimming lessons, family swim passes and private pool parties.

to 35 month who are comfortable in the pool without their parent or guardian in a smaller group class are available for $42 per lesson. Memberships range in price from $25/year for a basic member to $1,625/year for a charter member and include discounts and benefits such as additional swimming lessons, family swim passes and private pool parties.

For Nurse, the response of the community has been a huge reward and an added bonus to the school’s overall swim safety mission.

“After entering, some families have been particularly impressed with the facility and the indoor pool,” she said. “They appreciate the bright and lively atmosphere, as well as the shiver-free environment provided. Overall, we have been surprised by the level of joy that we personally experience as we see our swimmers continually progress. We feel very fortunate to be here in Covington and are thankful that we can provide this service to the surrounding community. “ T

BY THE NUMBERS

Currently, 88.4% of swim lessons provided are private. The next largest group is parent and baby lessons at 56.86%. Semi-private lessons — multiple kids within the same family — account for 48.04% of lessons. The remaining lessons are more traditional and have larger group settings. Of the swim schools surveyed, 52.38% are indoor pools that are either owned or being leased for the purpose of hosting swim lessons.

Source: Streamline Brands

Dat Convenience

Dat Title in Mid-City is a locally owned convenience that helps neighbors avoid the DMV.

BY KEITH TWITCHELL

Most people would probably rather eat bad oysters than make a trip to the DMV.

However, sadly, driver’s licenses, vehicle registrations and the like are a fact of life.

Fortunately for people in the Mid-City area, there’s a closer-to-home option for handling these and similar legal niceties: Dat Title, located in the American Can building at 3700 Orleans Avenue, suite 105. Since opening in 2019, the company’s staff of five has offered vehicle-related services such as licenses, license plates, Real IDs, title transfers and registrations, along with regular notary services.

Co-owners Jane Mentz and Scott Simmons are native New Orleanians, with Mentz having grown up in Mid-City. This made selecting the business location an obvious choice.

“We were looking for a space that had some residential density around it,” she recalled. “We wanted that neighborhood/community type of location.”

“And some parking and a storefront facing the street,” added Simmons. “Mid-City is super-convenient.”

“This neighborhood has consistently supported its neighborhood businesses,” Mentz added. “It’s a great place to be.”

While Dat Title cannot offer every DMV service, it does provide the most common ones and is working to expand. Being qualified by the state to handle these transactions is a detailed process, and Dat Title has been adding services carefully, making sure that each one is done correctly.

As with many neighborhood businesses, Dat Title has found that community involvement is key to building its customer base.

“We have joined the neighborhood associations, sponsored teams at local schools and playgrounds, gone to the universities,” explained Simmons. “We are trying to be supportive of our neighbors, and we find that word of mouth is most effective.”

“Our biggest challenge has been getting our presence known, trying to target the market,” Mentz observed. “Ninety percent of our clientele comes from the Mid-City area.”

Dat Title recently opened a second location in New Orleans East, at 9954 Lake Forest Boulevard, Suite 3.

“We saw that area as underserved, plus we had an employee who really wanted us to have an office out there,” noted Simmons.

At this point, however, Mentz and Simmons said they are more focused on expanding their services to include the full spectrum of DMV offerings than adding new locations.

Dat Title also offers notary services for a wide variety of documents, most common being financial forms, property transfers, and city and state license applications. Again, being able to provide this for people quickly and close to home is a major selling point.

Mentz clarified that there is a convenience fee added for the DMV services, but at the same time, the processes get completed much more quickly.

“People say, ‘I’ll pay anything to avoid having to go to the actual DMV,’” she said with a laugh.

Time is indeed money, and unless one has a lot of reading material to catch up on, the expedience and convenience of having these necessary services close by is worth the small charge. Now, about dem ersters... T

DID YOU KNOW?

A Northshore native, Benjamin Richaud is responsible for overseeing Lakeview Hospital’s operations, leading the development of strategic initiatives, and ensuring the delivery of high-quality care to patients. Lakeview Hospital is a 167-bed, fullservice hospital serving patients from across St. Tammany Parish. Richaud has more than 10 years of experience in hospital operations, strategic planning and financial management. Most recently, he served as CEO of Baptist Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Benjamin Richaud

CEO of Lakeview Hospital

PHOTO BY THERESA KING

Education: The University of Alabama at Birmingham (MSHA, MBA), The University of Alabama (BA) Hidden Gem: Port of Call Advice: Be mentally tough. Face adversity and negative events without a loss of effort or attitude or enthusiasm. Develop the ability, mental toughness and resiliency to just focus on the next most important thing.

Nonprofit: Unbound, whose mission is to walk with the poor and marginalized of the world

Hobby/Passion: Family time. I have an 8-year-old daughter and a 4-year-old son. Nothing better than spending time with them and my wife.

Best Part of the Job: Everything. It’s health, care, education and community relationships. It allows for such a tremendous opportunity to be impactful. Shop Local: Acquistapace’s in Covington