Discover Lafayette

Ian Auzenne, Morning Show co-host on KPEL 96.5 with Bernadette Lee, joins Discover Lafayette to discuss his journey in broadcasting. Ian is also well-known for his sports play-by-play broadcasting career. He is a delightful trivia buff who shows up prepared for any job he is called upon to handle in a cheerful and genial manner. A Lafayette Parish native, Ian grew up in a rural area outside of Carencro around Gloria Switch Road. His father was a St. Landry Parish educator, and from a young age, Ian commuted with his dad to attend schools in that parish and graduated from Beau Chenes High School near Arnaudville, LA in 2006. He's remained friends with many of his buddies from his grade school years, and still affectionately calls out Nick and Butterbean on his morning radio show. A once-in-a-lifetime experience Ian's Junior year in high school changed the trajectory of his life. Princeton University was inviting students from rural and poorer areas of the U. S. to apply for their "Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America" summer program. Ian was encouraged by school administrators to apply and he was selected, one of only 54 in the U. S. to be selected (and only one of four or five from Louisiana). The experience led Ian to "absolutely fall in love with Princeton" and he applied to attend college there and was accepted. He graduated from Princeton in 2010. Ian Auzenne pictured calling plays during a Princeton-Brown game in 2009. "Those four years at Princeton molded me into the person I am now. If I wouldn't have gone there, I don't know if I'd be in broadcasting, if I'd be in sportscasting. Princeton led me directly into my career. I studied Political Science, but people who know me say I majored in WPRB, Princeton's student-run radio station, and minored in politics because I spent more time at the station than I did in the classroom or my dorm." While at Princeton, Ian became heavily involved with the student-run radio station WPRB, where he fell in love with broadcasting and was a natural at doing sports play-by-play. He covered Princeton football, men's and women's basketball, baseball, and softball. Ian loved Princeton so much he thought he would be staying in that region upon graduation. On April 20, 2010, however, as he was about to graduate, his beloved grandfather, Darrell Sonnier, passed away. Ian's heart told him he needed to return home to Acadiana to be close to family. The first call he made as he was looking for a job was to Darla Montgomery, longtime anchor at KLFY. Darla was a friend and mentor of Ian's, having met him when she allowed him to job shadow her in high school. Ian was hired and served as Producer of "Meet Your Neighbor" and Editor of "Passe Partout. He even had an opportunity or two to serve as a field reporter when called upon, something he loved to do. Ian Auzenne in the early days of his broadcasting career at KLFY where he served as Producer of Meet Your Neighbor and Editor of Passe Partout. His experience has taught him the difference between editorials (viewpoints) and delivering the facts to the listening audience. "It's easy to run your mouth off. It's more difficult to be tactful and respectful. You don't want to take the low road. At the end of the day, we're a news organization and I deliver the news. I am bound by an ethical standard, by what our profession dictates. When a polarizing issue presents itself, you have to ask, "Is it worth offering an opinion or do you just give the listeners the facts and let them sort it out." Ian moved on to KATC-TV, serving as executive news and special events producer for nine years. He joined Townsquare Media to serve as co-host of KPEL 96.5's daily morning show in February 2021. Daily early radio work takes discipline. With the show beginning each day at 6 a.m., Ian's day begins at the studio around 4:30 each morning so that he has time to write up the latest news and be ready to start the show promptly.

Barry Ancelet, acclaimed Cajun folklorist, author, and songwriter, as well as the founder of Festivals Acadiens et Creoles, joined Discover Lafayette to share his love of our culture and his journey as a folklorist. We look forward to celebrating the Festival on Friday, March 18, 2022, after a hiatus due to the COVID shutdown. Barry served on the faculty of UL-Lafayette from 1977 until his retirement in 2016. He was a professor in the Department of Modern Languages, serving as chair of the department and as the first director of the University's Center for Acadian and Creole Folklore. He developed and taught the first course on Cajun and Creole music at the university. He has been involved in over 50 record projects, providing notes, transcriptions and translations, and has written almost two dozen books on Cajun music and culture. "My dad told me when I was a kid, 'Find something you really love to do and you'll never work a day in your life.' I got paid to visit with artists like Dewey Balfa, Dennis Magee, Canray Fontenot, and Nathan Abshire, listen to their stories and turn it into coursework and publications. When I retired, in my speech I said I was happy to be retiring before the university realized I would have done it for free." It wasn't that long ago in Louisiana that speaking French was shunned and children were not allowed to speak the language in school for fear of reprisal. However, Barry says that he grew up in a French-speaking family who enjoyed Cajun music, and, "we never felt French was a liability." His grandmother always quoted a French proverb, "A man who speaks two languages is worth two men," translated in French as "Un home qui parle deux langues vaut deux hommes." Barry excelled early in his French studies and loved it. At Cathedral Carmel High School, he represented the school at the Literary Rally, winning a medal. "It was like getting paid to eat candy." Majoring in French at USL (now UL-Lafayette), he went on to study French at Indiana University where he realized his love of French was grounded in our local French-Acadian culture, not strictly traditional French history. The pre-eminent American folklorist, Henry Glassie, was on the faculty at Indiana U. and encouraged Barry to transfer into folklore, to learn about the cultural side of life, and Barry graduated with an MA in folklore from the university. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the same time as Barry's college days, Louisiana French history was beginning to be recognized for its significance. He mentions local historian Carl Brasseaux and musician Zachary Richard as two others also drawn to finding out how the region's culture came about and asking questions such as "Who are we? Why does our music sound this way? Why does gumbo taste like that? Why do our homes look like that?" Out of curiosity, they started digging and learning about the French-Canadian, African-Caribbean, and French influences which shaped the region's unique culture. While studying French in Nice, France in the Spring of 1973, Barry was miserable and homesick. One day while walking in downtown Nice, Barry heard Cajun music floating from a store owned by Roger Mason. Barry wanted to know more about this store that showcased music that he missed, such as the Crowley Two-Step; Mason shared that he had a mentor, Dewey Balfa, who he had learned from, and encouraged Barry to go to Basile, Louisiana to meet Balfa upon his return to the States. Dewey Balfa wasn't just a mentor to Roger Mason, he was an ambassador of Cajun culture and advocated for the revival of traditional Cajun music. In 1964, Balfa had been invited by the renowned music Smithsonian folklorist Ralph Rinzler (along with Gladdie Thibodeaux and Louis Vinesse Lejeune) to play at the Newport Folk Festival where Balfa's music was met with great excitement. He appeared twice more at the Festival and with the warm acceptance of his music,

Lindsay Smythe, School Leader and founder of Ecole Saint-Landry in Sunset, a free, public French Immersion elementary school, joins Discover Lafayette to discuss her journey in offering a quality educational experience to our youngest students. Lindsay is a bilingual educator with 17 years of experience in education at the elementary, high school, and university levels. She always knew she wanted to be a teacher, and she brings a sense of joy and adventure to the classroom. She received a Master’s in Education from LSU. Upon deciding that she wanted to pursue a Doctorate in Education, Lindsay learned that she would have to be fluent in a foreign language to earn her doctorate. She had never studied French and to accomplish this task quickly, she registered at "Débutant Une" (level one) to attend one of the only French Immersion universities in the world: Université Sainte-Anne in Nova Scotia, Canada, which is also the original home of the Acadiens who were deported from the region in 1755. Lindsay fell in love with the French language, as well as the Nova Scotia landscape. She describes it as a beautiful area...."There is no better place than this, with warm, friendly people. Picture the most beautiful Festival weekend here and that is Nova Scotia in the summertime." Lindsay Smythe quickly became fluent in French by attending Université Sainte-Anne in Nova Scotia, Canada. She recommends the experience to others who want to experience a wonderful education as well as a beautiful cultural experience. The university is situated where the Acadiens were deported in 1755 and therefore has many things in common with Acadiana. Summertime French immersion programs are offered twice each year and for those over 60 years old, tuition is half-price. Louisiana residents are accorded the additional benefit of qualifying for the Canadian price of admission. For more information, visit https://www.usainteanne.ca. She stayed on two years teaching French at Université Sainte-Anne and then returned to the United States to teach French at Lafayette High. During her tenure there, she was named the 2016 Lafayette Parish Teacher of the Year and also nominated as the Louisiana Foreign Language Teachers Association Teacher of the Year. Lindsay Smythe is a passionate spokesperson for a great public school system as well as for compensating teachers at a level that will entice the best and brightest students to enter the profession. She learned while teaching in Canada that teachers are paid at a much higher level than in the U. S. and the demand for jobs is incredibly competitive. Teachers typically have a wait time of five years to qualify for a permanent role as a teacher, having to first work as a long-term sub to earn their stripes. In December 2016, Lindsay was summoned to an exploratory meeting called by Stephen Ortego and Sunset Mayor Charles James to discuss the possibility of starting a French immersion elementary school. The building that used to house Sunset High had been sitting vacant, owned by the Town of Sunset, and Ortego had realized its potential as a site for a French Immersion school. As a French teacher and resident of Sunset, Lindsay immediately saw the value of the idea and jumped in headfirst. Local teachers and education doctorates Michelle Haj-Broussard and Nicole Boudreaux drafted the Charter language, and Ecole Saint-Landry was officially approved by the St. Landry School Board as a Type 1 Charter school in 2018. Ecole Saint-Landry is in month five of its inaugural school year at this point, with 55 students in Kindergarten and 1st Grade. There are five teachers, all fluent in French necessitated by the fact that no English is spoken in the classrooms. The school is available at no charge to St. Landry residents and transportation is provided at satellite bus stops by the St. Landry Parish School System. No child has to travel more than five miles to access the bus transportation.

Dirk Guidry, a Lafayette-based artist specializing in large-scale abstract art, live events, and mural paintings, joined Discover Lafayette to discuss his journey in becoming an artist who has evolved into a business entrepreneur. A native of Galliano, Louisiana, Dirk graduated in 2012 from UL – Lafayette in Fine Arts with a concentration in painting. As a child who always enjoyed art, he was encouraged by family and teachers to cultivate his creativity in the talented and gifted program. He remembered fondly his first commissioned piece: he was hired to draw a portrait of his teacher's daughter for $5.00. Dirk entered UL-Lafayette thinking he wanted to be a computer animator or storyboard artist. But the process of rendering the art was all about the final product and that didn't sit well, so he says he "fell into painting." "The late Allen Jones served as a beloved professor and mentor of Dirk, and he "still hears him every day" as he works in the studio. Professor Jones had a nurturing and subtle style as he delivered his critiques, and he would let the students figure out for themselves how to improve upon their work. Dirk says, "He used to touch my paintings sometimes. One time before the critique I made sure the paint was still wet because I knew he was going to touch it. And sure enough, he hit the wet part with his pinky and he was taken aback because he never wanted to mess up anyone's painting. Needless to say, he never touched my paintings again!" Upon graduation, Dirk didn't really know how to get started as a professional artist. So, he worked multiple jobs in the service industry, and of course, at Painting With A Twist, while he showed his art at a few shows. He had a lucky break early on when his cousin was getting married and asked him if he knew about the "live wedding paintings" being done in New Orleans. He didn't know anything about it but agreed to do the job. This gig led to another, and after a few years, Dirk became well-known for his live event paintings and is in high demand these days. He says, "Even though it's about 8 to 9 hours of straight painting, it still feels like 10 minutes. I blink and it's over." Dirk Guidry has become a popular live events artist who paints with a fish-eye (wide angle) lens effect. He'll arrive a few hours before an event to paint the background of the venue and allow the paint to dry somewhat. Then, he paints as the event unfolds, capturing the people and fun happenings. "People, especially kids, love to watch me paint 'Bob Ross' style. It's highly entertaining and I love interacting with others." (Pictured work by Dirk Guidry is the Greater Southwest Mardi Gras Association's 2018 Queen and Maids celebrating at brunch.) Dirk now averages about 35 live events per year. "That's basically my day job." The live event work affords him the opportunity to earn enough to do what he calls his 'studio work,' the opportunity to craft large abstract pieces of art, as well as to have the opportunity to take time off. He has been hired to travel for an event as far away as Cabo San Lucas and gets a good deal of work in Florida and Texas. The tough part about being an artist is having to have tough skin and learn to handle rejection. Dirk has always wanted to be selected as the Festival International Visual Artist and has applied every year for several years. He jokes that along with those rejections he also filed many others in his "We regret to inform you" email folder. Yet Dirk persisted, and in this 36th year Festival is to be celebrated, he was named the 2022 Official Visual Artist and will produce the collectible festival poster and pin. His official work will be revealed on February 20, 2022, from 3 to 5 pm, at Warehouse 535, at the Festival's Official Kickoff Party. Tickets are only $10 and include live music by Bucks and a Louisiana Fish Fry. The piece submitted by Dirk Guidry to the Festival judges was a 4 by 5-foot self-portrai...

Adam Zayor, CEO of FlyGuys, an aerial drone services company based in Lafayette, LA, is our guest. Attention to all angel investors....only 8% of commercial industries are currently using drone technology. The potential for dramatic increases in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, known as drones, is mind-boggling. Fly Guys operates in all 50 states, in 72 countries worldwide, with over 4500 qualified and vetted contract drone pilots doing the work. It has 17 full-time employees overseeing operations and has experienced exponential annual growth of 200% per year for the past three years. FlyGuys operates in a model similar to Uber; the company is responsible for contracting all jobs, and the pilots have their own drone equipment. "Our business is theoretically infinitely scalable in that we don't incur costs until we have revenue coming in from a confirmed job. Contract pilots range from full-time professionals handling large scale jobs to part-time hobbyists who will capture footage for a commercial real estate site." The majority of FlyGuys' clients are large-scale companies that need consistent data collected across the country, such as telecom companies installing cell towers. In this example, the towers need to be inspected periodically, especially when adding equipment upgrades. FlyGuys scans 500 to 1000 towers every month or two, taking imagery at different elevations. The engineers at the telecom company can pull together dimensions from the data collected and build-out designs for new devices utilizing AutoCAD (commercial computer-aided design and drafting software), thereby accurately engineering new devices. Adam Zayor started his company in 2017 with two employees while he kept his day job with Cajun Constructors where he worked in heavy industrial project management. It was on that job in Lake Charles, while working on the SASOL project, that he was introduced to drone services. Cajun Constructors would utilize drone aerial footage to obtain imagery for marketing purposes; Adam realized quickly that the technology could be used for much, much more in handling dangerous and tedious tasks typically handled by human labor. "From a young age, I always knew I wanted to be in business. I loved building and creating things. I have to say, I wasn't as scared (about starting FlyGuys) as I should have been! I was a little blind about all the effort and the emotional toll that goes into starting a business. Especially one I was trying to drive in a new industry." Adam Zayor when asked about his thoughts on jumping in full-time to run FlyGuys. With his background in construction management overseeing up to 2000 employees at one time, Adam explained that drones can now replace project managers who walk sites three to four times per week to monitor progress. With a drone, you can capture orthomosaic images, which are high-resolution aerial images similar to Google-earth views, where you can zero in to analyze work in progress, all from the comfort of your office and computer. Drones were first used for industrial flare stack inspections to get footage a worker couldn't access by a crane. Today, as emerging software is being developed, it seems that the sky's the limit (pun intended!) for the usage of drone technology. Pictures of Downtown Lafayette taken by a drone on the day of our interview by JP Juneau of FlyGuys The agriculture industry is projected to be the biggest user of drones, but it is still early in the game. Drones can assist in precision agriculture by detecting the height of plants, the health of the plants, and projected crop yield, all allowing accurate financial metrics to be computed. By detecting pests and diseases using multispectral cameras, the farmer can quickly gain insight into how to care for the plants and ensure accurate watering. The drone will fly as close as 5 feet to the plants and up to 400 feet overhead, depending upon the data needed.

Jackie Lyle, Executive Director of Performing Arts Serving Acadiana, known as "PASA," joins Discover Lafayette to discuss the organization's mission to provide local access to great performing arts. Jackie has worked tirelessly over the past three decades to bring unique arts programming to Acadiana. She is a passionate spokesperson for the many ways art impacts our economy, from hiring people in transportation, printing, recording, and sound, live musicians, costumers, etc. "It's vital that this industry recovers. We have got to be in venues and selling tickets" to thrive and survive. A native of Oberlin, Louisiana, Jackie moved to Lafayette at seven years of age and followed the stereotypical path of a young girl in the 70s. She had always loved dancing, playing the piano, and being a band member; while she loved the arts, Jackie says she never had the confidence to pursue a career as a professional performer so she graduated in Psychology from LSU. She never intended to work, but to be a wife and mother. However, upon returning home from college, her dad said, "Jackie, you need a job with health benefits!" Always the dutiful daughter, Jackie followed her dad's advice and became a Clairol account executive, which gave her great sales training, and the opportunity to learn the ropes of business activities. Her next career move landed her in a full-time job as an account executive with the Times of Acadiana, a start-up periodical. She had the opportunity to work with James Edmunds, Steve May, and Richard Baudoin, all well-known names in the publishing business in this region. Jackie credits this position with helping her understand how the government and community forces worked, and the management team constantly challenged her to do new things and spread her wings. By the end of her tenure with the Times of Acadiana, she led a sales team, had her own publication, and wrote a weekly column for the Times. She was ready to fly successfully on her own. At that time, in the early 1980s, Lafayette's art scene was enriched by the productions presented by the Fine Arts Foundation which began in 1975. The non-profit brought in such renowned artists as Ella Fitzgerald, Rudolph Nureyev, and Gregory Hines. But with the oil and gas bust of the late 1980s, the Heymann Center closing for renovations, and the failure of the organization to pay its taxes, the Fine Arts Foundation folded and filed for bankruptcy in the late 1980s. From this aftermath, PASA (originally known as the "Performing Arts Society of Acadiana") emerged under the helm of Jackie Lyle. Jackie looked back with pride on the impact that her work has had over the years, including having PASA hired to help with the opening of the Manship Theatre in Baton Rouge and the Grand Opera House of the South in Crowley. "PASA's goal is to provide local access to great performing arts. That is our #1 goal. Great performing arts you can attend locally is what makes a community great. This does not mean sold-out performances or making "x" amount of money. Our mission is local access. When we are able to return to daytime performances for local students, that will be the most important thing that we can do. So many kids never have the opportunity to step foot in the Heymann. That is a transformative experience as many kids have never seen a grand piano played. We also now have a trailer that will be our local stage to bring performances into neighborhoods. As soon as cold weather ends, we'll be going into three different neighborhoods." PASA has also commissioned new works, which means supporting the creation of original performances of song and dance by providing direction and financing. PASA's first such work involved telling the story of the settlement of the first Acadians in our region. This pivotal work is still actively touring after more than 27 years. PASA is currently working on a new piece of commissioned work which will premiere in Denver on Septe...

Kay Couvillon, a student life coach, joins Discover Lafayette to discuss her experiences in education and how she came to love coaching. A teacher with 46 years of experience, Kay earned a Masters's in Education, plus an additional 30 hours in education from USL, now UL-Lafayette. She has taught all grade levels, including gifted education, in Vermilion, Iberia, Lafayette, and Acadia parishes. She got her start in 1976 after graduating as part of a class of 500 in Education, looking to get hired at one of the two teacher openings in her home parish of Vermilion. She landed the job of teaching the only class of 5th graders at E. Broussard Elementary which was named after her great, great grandfather, Ernest Broussard; her 10-year-old brother, Jude, was a student in the class of 36 pupils. "Most 5th graders are cool. They're a pleasure to be around. I discovered how much they wanted to learn and about their hopes for the future." Kay reminisced about how different teaching was back then when all the parents were wonderfully supportive. Principal Ray Allen Faulk handed Kay just two things as she began her work....a grade book and a wooden paddle. The paddle was only pulled out once and as Kay said, "I only used the paddle once, not to hit the child but the wall. A student did something and I saw I needed to react. I took her outside and told her 'When I hit the wall with the paddle you scream. The student waited and hollered and we went back in. For the rest of the year, the discipline was amazing! I knew I was never going to hit her." Kay had the opportunity to study how to teach gifted academic students through pioneers in the industry, Dr. Joseph Renzulli and Sally Reese of the University of Connecticut. They created a summer camp program for teachers in the field and sent them back to their home states filled with enthusiasm for this method and practice of teaching. Kay believes that all kids are gifted, just in different areas. In gifted programs, the teachers integrate emotional intelligence as much as possible in the program as they realize its importance for success in life outside of school. In 2004, Kay opened her life coaching practice where she offers a space of listening and discovery of life plans. Currently, she serves as an academic mentor in the athletic department of ULL and has worked with athletes in football, track and basketball who need guidance beyond tutoring. She teaches them the importance of keeping their word, being accountable, reporting in, and keeping their scholarship. "We all have similar needs of wanting to be loved, acknowledged, and appreciated. When coaching, I start with a question, 'What's up?' because many teens feel lectured to and not listened to. Until they can think about what's up for them, they don't know what direction to go, or if they are going in the direction they want to be going in. I've learned over life that about 90% of learning takes place over conversations between people. It's so important that I listen because that is the greatest gift you can give someone. And I've learned that once you move past your fear, there is a reward on the other side." Kay shares, "I'm so impressed with UL-Lafayette as the school wants the students to achieve academically and to succeed in life. When Coach Napier arrived, I asked, 'What do you think of Coach?' They all said, 'Coach Napier really likes us and wishes us well.' They didn't talk football, but how he wanted to be there with them. This is so important in life, to let others know we want to be there, that we like them, respect them, love them." Kay Couvillon and her husband, Glenn Jaubert, are big supporters of UL-Lafayette athletic programs! The world is changing so fast that Kay has seen students declare their major and by the time they graduate, that career may be obsolete. Once a student graduates, it is up to them to make decisions on their own.

Lafayette Parish Tax Assessor Conrad Comeaux joins Discover Lafayette to explain how taxes are levied and collected. Who pays for what? How is your home’s value assessed? This all really hits home when you get that bill in the mail. Serving as Tax Assessor since 2001, Conrad previously served on the Lafayette Parish Council from 1984 to 1996. A native of Scott, he graduated from USL, now UL-Lafayette, with degrees in biology and chemistry, and received a master's degree in health administration from Tulane University. He has been active in incorporating technology to help his office more efficiently serve the public, and was the first assessor in the state to put property values online and the first in Lafayette Parish to produce a digital map of ownership parcels. He views the office as non-political and says "we are there to do a job." While many people may think that the Tax Assessor sets tax millages and collects taxes, in fact, his office is only involved in determining the value of three things: land, buildings, and "extra features" that affect value (such as fencing, pools, and tennis courts). So when you receive your tax bills, they are coming from the Sheriff and local municipalities, not the Assessor. Louisiana's tax system differs from other states in the manner in which taxes are calculated. In most states the land and improvements are combined to reach a value; here, we separate out features of the property (i.e., the land is valued separately from the improvements) and taxed at different rates. Land and residential buildings are assessed at 10% of their market value; commercial buildings are assessed at 15% of market value. In a similar vein of Louisiana being different, in other states, property taxes are typically the biggest generator of local revenue; here, it is sales taxes. Millages collected throughout Lafayette Parish are very low compared to other parishes in Louisiana. In some years. Lafayette Parish millages are half of those collected in St. Tammany Parish. In fact, St. Tammany Parish school taxes are as high as what we are assessed for all Parish functions. It can be challenging to assess residences in neighborhoods with a wide range of values, and he gave an example of how homes on the front end of Kim Drive vary greatly in value from those closer to the Vermilion River. Conrad's office does "mass appraising," meaning that they look at values within a subdivision, or streets within a subdivision, not each individual home. However, his office is provided with a copy of each Act of Cash Sale filed at the courthouse and they utilize the value listed on the sale as a frame of reference. If you disagree with the assessed value of your home, Conrad encourages you to call his office at (337)291-7080 to bring it to his attention. It will be adjusted if they find a mistake (such as an overestimation of total square footage). Lafayette Parish Tax Assessor Conrad Comeaux will inform the councils of local governments on tax revenues and the implications of their decisions on their votes to maintain or raise millages. Their decisions can have a long-term impact on ensuring adequate levels of funding for mandated government services. Reassessments are typically done every four years. The Assessor's office will examine sales around a particular time frame to update values. As an example, for the 2020 reassessment, they looked at sales occurring six months before and six months after January 2019 to determine current values. With dramatic swings in market values, this process can cause people to scratch their heads wondering how a value was arrived at, but it's important to remember that the assessment is based upon a value from a couple of years back. If your home is damaged by a fire or hurricane and its value is greatly affected, please contact the Assessor's office to report the occurrence and the assessed value will be adjusted accordingly.

Adam Daigle, Business Editor of The Acadiana Advocate, joined Discover Lafayette to look back at the biggest news of 2021. While we have all continued to deal with the effects of COVID in our workplaces and schools this year, the economy has done remarkedly well. Sales tax collections in the City and Parish of Lafayette have been the highest on record as people spend monies left over from the PPE funding as we emerge from the lockdown. While employers may still be having trouble finding enough employees, the demand for services and goods has skyrocketed. One of the biggest stories this year is the announcement of SafeSource Direct, a partnership between Ochsner Health with Trax Development to manufacture and distribute personal protection equipment. The joint venture is investing $150 million to retrofit an 80,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Lafayette Parish and a new 400,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in St. Martin Parish. The projects are expected to create over 1200 total new jobs between the facilities, a huge win for our region and a big step to decreasing U. S. dependence on foreign countries supplying our healthcare needs. SafeSource Direct, a partnership between Ochsner Health and Trax Development, is investing to create two manufacturing facilities to create PPE, expected to create 1200 new jobs. A big win for travelers is the upcoming completion of the Lafayette Airport nears substantial completion. Setting the standard on how to fund construction with a combination of federal and state dollars, coupled with a short-term (eight month) sales tax imposed locally, the project is moving along on pace to open in January 2022. The new Lafayette Airport is expected to open in January 2022, setting the standard for how to accomplish funding and construction in the way officials promised taxpayers. Adam shared that when he moved here in 2018, much of the business reporting centered on developments in the corridor surrounding River Ranch in South Lafayette, but not so much now. While there is buzz about Chick Fil-A moving over to the old Red Robin building near CostCo as well as the German-owned Aldi Supermarket chain coming to Lafayette (one just about completed on Ambassador Caffery, with another two stores planned on Ambassador and near Louisiana Avenue), there hasn't been big news in that South Lafayette region. Sneaker Politics' Derek Curry recently announced that he and two partners will be developing a $50 million mixed-use, retail, residential, and entertainment project on Johnston Street near the corner of Mount Vernon Road. This is important news for one of the older areas of Lafayette which has lay dormant for years. Curry has been extremely successful with Sneaker Politics and announced his excitement about redeveloping this abandoned shopping center as a way to bring commerce back to the heart of Lafayette. Pictured are Jim Keaty, Derek Curry, Alex Luna, and Terry Crochet at the announcement of The Forum, a mixed-use development planned on Johnston Street at Mount Vernon. Photo by Leslie Westbrook of the Advocate. Lafayette Economic Development Authority announced big news with the hiring of Mandi Mitchell who replaced longtime CEO Gregg Gothreaux. Mandi has worked for years with Louisiana Economic Development, all while commuting from her hometown of Lafayette. We welcome Mandi and look forward to watching her use her talents and business acumen to continue to promote new development while taking care of existing businesses who keep our economy going. The Amazon Fulfillment Center in Carencro seems to be a reality! While Adam said there has not been an official ribbon-cutting ceremony, the 1.1 million square facility seems to be bustling with activity. An online search for jobs at Amazon at the facility cites high paying wages and a potential $3,000 bonus for new employees. Laurel Hess has been making the news the last couple of years for his business...

AJ and Vanessa Miller have offered a Christmas wonderland at their home at 163 Antiqua Drive for the past 7 years, decorating their yard with a plethora of Christmas lights, nutcrackers, and other Christmas splendor. Thousands of people have walked through Reindeer Lane on the way to Santa's Workshop, passing Santa's Magical Mailbox where children mail their letters to Santa. Santa and Mrs. Claus personally welcome visitors on the weekends. On other days of the week, the Millers are joined by the Grinch and his sidekick, Max, who join in the spirit of Christmas. AJ and Vanessa Miller have welcomed visitors to their home at 163 Antigua Drive in Lafayette for the past seven years. On weekends, Santa and Mrs. Claus greet their guests and offer hot cocoa and popcorn to all. There is no charge to experience this Winter Wonderland. The Millers originally began this tradition when hosting a holiday party for Vanessa’s coworkers. They bought two 6-foot tall nutcrackers and a Christmas-themed sign, and AJ donned a Santa suit for the family-friendly party. When they saw up close the love the children had for Santa, "that was the spark that ignited the flame." The first time AJ put on the Santa suit, a little boy ran up to him, looked at him with his big brown eyes, and said, "Santa, I love you" and gave him the biggest hug ever. AJ realized what big shoes he wore and became determined to be the best Santa he could be. He wants to continue to spread that joy to children and adults alike. Similarly, Vanessa shared her motivation for holding the annual Wonderland. The couple wasn't fortunate enough to have children, so this is their opportunity to enjoy Christmas and see it through the eyes of children. "To see that look in the children's eyes is what inspires me," she says. You see that inner child come out in the adults. You should see the faces when Santa asks Mom and Dad what they want for Christmas," AJ chimed in. AJ Miller at his home at 163 Antigua Drive. Photo by Leslie Westbrook of The Acadiana Advocate. Both enjoyed driving with their parents to view Christmas lights when they were children. AJ was particularly inspired by Dr. Jack Gani's display of lights and decorations on Colonial Drive in White Subdivision which was a destination for Lafayette sightseers. But that experience took place in the car; the Millers wanted to provide a place where kids could immerse themselves in the experience. Vanessa explained how this has become their Christmas "Field of Dreams....if you can dream it and believe it, it's gonna happen." She keeps a vision board in her head and works to make the experience bigger and better every year. AJ said, "If you can dream it, I'll build it." They are still on the upswing as to what it will eventually be. The Millers can't do this alone and they are grateful for friends and neighbors who volunteer to assist. It takes many, many elves to conduct this operation, and guests are greeted by "parking elves' who help direct traffic, and elves who serve popcorn and hot cocoa on the weekends. Of course, there are elves who facilitate photo-taking so that every family member can be in the photo.....these photos are known as "Elfies!" The Millers offer an experience with memories that last a lifetime. It has become a part of many families' Christmas tradition, with guests bringing their cats, dogs, and even iguanas. The youngest visitor to date was a two-week-old. The last day to mail your letter to Santa is December 23. Elves bring children's letters to the North Pole and Santa responds to each and every letter. Each year a special attraction is added. On weekends, guests are privileged to visit the Miller's back yard where Dr. Seuss's Whoville is set up for photo opportunities. In the front yard, you can visit the North Pole and be greeted by a 10 foot polar bear named "Arthur" after AJ's dad. Also hailing from the North Pole is this year's new addition,

Wade Berzas, the sole survivor of the horrific plane crash that occurred 48 seconds after departing the Lafayette airport on December 28, 2019, en route to the Peach Bowl in Atlanta, joins Discover Lafayette to discuss how the incident changed his life forever. He now lives his life "48 seconds at a time." Wade, still a young man of 39, is happily married with six children from his and his wife's prior marriages, with two little ones from their union. He recounts how the day of the crash was just another normal day. "My mom was coming over the next day and we had brisket marinating...I had spent the prior day setting my goals for the upcoming year. I was going on a flight with my best friends to do something we had always talked about, an opportunity to see LSU play a road game. Friends were waiting for us there. Everyone was giving me a hard time because I forgot the playing cards." "The whole flight lasted 48 seconds. Life flipped on top of its head. I was completely alone, strapped into my seat, burned all over my body, trying to figure out how I would get out. You quickly separate what's important from what's not. I called my wife from the field so I could get to her first so she didn't learn from social media what had happened. I wanted her to hear my voice so I could tell her, 'Don't worry. I'll be fine." A lot of people have put "their human minds" to work trying to figure out how Wade survived. Wade believes it is impossible to understand from a human level. " God just had a different plan for me that day. For those who believe, God worked six miracles: I'm still here and he kept me here for the purpose of doing more work. Five people got to see their Maker that day." Wade was always the guy who read the safety briefings when he worked offshore. He remembers getting out of his seatbelt which kept him in place as he hung upside down. He was able to exit the wreckage and two heroic bystanders helped him as he walked away and then collapsed in the field. Over 75% of his body was burned. He didn't want his wife to learn of the accident from social media, so he called her before he got into the ambulance so that she could hear his voice and he could tell her, "Don't worry, I'll be fine." The odds were against Wade, yet he described the peace that washed over him as he realized he was going to be fine. Even with the greater chance he would not make it than survive, he never wanted people to give up on him. Wade was expected to be in the hospital for at least three months. He was put into a medical coma to help his body rest as it fought against invasive germs and loss of fluids, all due to the loss of his skin, the body's biggest organ. Joey Barrios, MD, Burn Surgeon at Our Lady of Lourdes, was Wade's doctor; to date, Wade has had 26 surgeries, initially at the rate of twice a week, all of which have been 100% successful. Typically, skin grafting surgeries have a great probability of needing to be redone. He left the hospital after 52 days, far ahead of schedule. With hundreds of thousands of people praying for Wade's successful recovery, it is now easy to understand the power of prayer. Wade realized that he had to surrender the outcome of his accident to God. "You don't have to go through a plane crash to find yourself in situations where you feel you can't get through it. When you embrace the suffering, with grace and commitment to get to the other side, you can accomplish things you never imagined possible." He made that commitment one minute at a time, one day at a time. A positive mindset was critical in Wade's recovery, as it is for all of us going through trying times. He stayed positive as much as possible, allowed no negativity in his hospital room, and offered up his outcome to God. He never wanted to be called a victim; he was and is a survivor. He believes that we limit God in our human minds. "God doesn't give you more than you can handle if you allow Him to work through you.

Dr. Vincent June, Chancellor of South Louisiana Community College (SLCC), joins Discover Lafayette to discuss his mission to provide educational opportunities to all people, no matter their age or background. Dr. June provides oversight for all academic and operational functions of SLCC’s nine campuses in eight parishes, serving more than 17,000 students annually. Before joining SLCC, Dr. June served diverse communities in public higher education for over two decades, including Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida A&M University and Georgia Perimeter College. He earned a degree in business and economics from Florida A&M University, and an MBA and Ph.D. in educational leadership from Washington State University. South Louisiana is a natural fit for Dr. June. He was born in Belle Glade FL, near Lake Okeechobee, an agricultural area of Palm Beach County, Florida. Farmers grew sugar cane, corn, beans, celery, oranges, and tangerines, and there was also fishing. "It was a one-stoplight community." Dr. June was fortunate to come from a background of educators. His grandmother, one of thirteen children, was an adult education schoolteacher, and that is actually how she met Dr. June's grandfather, who originally came to Florida from Jamaica to cut sugarcane. Both parents were educators. Always thinking he would be a dentist, he was a biology major until he took a class in economics which deeply captured his interest. A professor encouraged him to change course and he switched to economics and Spanish studies. Dr. June says he stumbled on the community college career path and his career journey has provided experience in all areas of higher education including student life, financial aid, admissions, and enrollment services. "I came to embrace the access mission of the community college. It provides a rich and deep experience and you're exposed to so many different levels of student-types. In a comprehensive community college, there is an avenue for everyone: individuals who don't have a high school diploma, those who want a technical background, as well as those who want an associate's degree and then move on to a traditional four-year institution." Photo by Brad Kemp of the Acadiana Advocate. SLCC is actively shifting its training opportunities to meet education and business trends. With a new strategic plan in place, the college is examining the programs that may need to be added to meet demands in fields such as nursing, welding, general studies, HVAC, automotive, commercial truck driving, and culinary arts. They are identifying optimal times to offer programs, including evening and weekend hours, to accommodate students who work full-time. Business developers in the Workforce and Corporate division of the college seek out business advice on programming that meets current workforce demands. COVID has ushered in a plethora of funding sources to help students meet their tuition, including the Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act, a Louisiana initiative called "Reboot Your Career" which provides retraining for people in as short a period as 8 to 12 weeks, and the MJ Foster Promise Program created in honor of Louisiana's late governor Mike Foster. The "Reboot Your Career" program provides short-term retraining for unemployed workers looking for high wage career pathways at reduced tuition at Louisiana's Community and Technical Colleges. For more information visit https://www.lctcs.edu/rebootyourcareer SLCC stands out among its peers nationwide. Recently, The Aspen Institute named SLCC one of the 150 institutions (out of over 1000 nationally) eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation's signature recognition of high achievement and performance among America's community colleges. This is the second year in a row SLCC has been named a Top 150 Community College. In addition, SLCC was awarded a $1.16 million grant by the U.S.

Kevin Guillory, Office Coordinator for the Louisiana Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (LEED) Center at UL Lafayette, BI Moody College of Business Administration, joins Discover Lafayette to discuss his career journey and putting his love of God, community, and entrepreneurship to work. A two-time graduate of UL- Lafayette, Kevin has earned a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and a Master's of Business Administration. One of his greatest gifts may be his understanding of God's will and the importance of following his intuition when making important decisions in life. His early career path took him from working with Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship, to learning HR skills with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in Huntsville TX, to working logistics for Bruce Foods, and finally to UL-Lafayette. He worked first with UL Admissions and then landed his dream job with LEED working under the helm of Dr. Geoffrey Stewart and Jonathan Shirley. Kevin Guillory is working his dream job at the Louisiana Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (LEED) Center at UL Lafayette. Working with people on their entrepreneurial journey has taught him a great deal about himself. While he never thought he could be a risk-taker, he has come to realize that he combines his logical and analytical skills while listening to his inner wisdom and intuition when taking bold steps. "We are all risk-takers." In his position with LEED, Kevin coordinates the activity and logistics of the LEED Center, and in preparing grants and contracts. In this role, he has the opportunity to work with entrepreneurs, students, and community organizations. LEED offers technical assistance to start-up companies to support job growth in Acadiana. Three regional programs (Accelerate Northside, Accelerate Evangeline and Accelerate St. Landry) have offered six-week programs providing guidance in creating business plans, obtaining loans, understanding finances, attracting customers, and staying in business. While the Accelerator programs would typically cost $450.00, a grant from the U. S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) in Economic Adjustment Assistance funding to UL - Lafayette funds the operation, necessitating only a $25 payment by participants. Other partners have also contributed to make the program possible including LEDA, the Greater Southwest Black Chamber of Commerce, One Acadiana, the McComb Veazey coterie, the NAACP, Acadiana Workforce Solutions, the Lafayette Public Library, and the Louisiana Procurement Technical Assistance Center among others. "I've always wanted to be a part of the community. The business people I have met through the Accelerator Programs have inspired me in the way they support each other." Photo by Mary Comaci For more information on LEED and the Accelerate programs, visit https://business.louisiana.edu/leed. Kevin attributed his many mentors who have guided him in his journey, beginning with his dad who imparted his wisdom. He has had pastoral mentors, older co-workers, professors at UL-Lafayette (Dr. Geoff Stewart and Dr. Lise Anne Slatten), and Patrick LaBauve whom he partnered with while working with the 705 on the "Do Good Project." Community engagement in Lafayette is important to Kevin; while he, his wife, and child live here, the rest of his family is in Lake Charles. One of his proudest achievements has been partnering with librarians at Northside High School when he visited the campus and realized there were no business or leadership books in the library. By reaching out to his colleagues at UL-Lafayette Business school, Upper Lafayette Economic Development, and others, Kevin was able to present donated business books to fill this much-needed resource for young students. Kevin served for two years as Civic Committee Chair on the Board of Directors of The705 - Young Leaders for a Better Acadiana. He serves as Secretary for New Hope Community Development of Acadiana (which prov...

Marc Brattin, Lafayette native and life-long musician, joins Discover Lafayette to discuss his band Foundry's upcoming concert on November 27, 2021, as well as his career journey. Marc started playing drums at age 12 and moved to Dallas at 17 to join a rock band with the encouragement of his mother. He has been successfully working in music ever since as a songwriter and drummer. He also serves as producer, promoter, manager, and booking agent for his band, Foundry, who will be performing at the Cajundome Convention Center Saturday, November 27. The event will also stream live. Tickets may be purchased at https://www.foundryrocks.com or on Ticketmaster. Foundry is an American Hard Rock Band featuring Marc Brattin's (drummer) along with his bandmates Chris Lorio (guitar), Niko Gemini (bass player), and Mark Boals (singer). Marc founded the band eight years ago and it is his "baby," a labor of love, which he describes as having a borderline heavy metal sound with great guitar and hard-hitting drums. The band writes its own music and features melodic vocals, "not screaming." The band also enjoys doing "remakes" of popular hits from Lady Gaga ("Poker Face") and Pink Floyd ("Money") in keeping with Las Vegas themes, where the band is based. At the November 27th concert, they will unveil their latest remake featuring one of the most popular songs recorded by the Bee Gees. Foundry was organized by Marc Brattin eight years ago and features a hard rock sound akin to Metallica and Black Sabbath. With melodic singing, hard-hitting drums, and great guitar, their sound typically attracts people in their 40's, 50's and 60's. Foundry is appearing at the Cajundome Convention Center on November 27, 2021. Local sports fans will enjoy Foundry performing the National Anthem at both the UL-Lafayette Basketball game at 11 AM followed by UL-Lafayette football's last game of the season at 3PM. Marc promises it will be delivered in the traditional format with four-part harmony and will showcase the band's singing talent. "Follow your dream and do what you want to do. Just do it. Peers, parents, and mentors will guide you and steer you, so take all that in. They have good advice for you. Being broke just isn't cool, so be responsible. But do what you want; you only live once. You'll be happy." Marc Brattin Marc shares how there were no opportunities for hard rock musicians in Lafayette when he was coming up. Today's musicians can record in their bedroom and it comes out pretty good. But to bring a song to the radio, brand it with a video, artists still must go into a proper studio to record it "for real." The bar is still high for releasing a song. "Mp3's just don't cut it. If you want to be real, you have to go for real." Marc also serves as Entertainment Director for FACET, an executive coaching firm founded in Lafayette LA, offering services across the U. S. We thank Marc Brattin for sharing his story and look forward to a fun concert by Foundry on November 27, 2021, Thanksgiving weekend!

Jim Lambert, the author of Sub Rosa and Other Stories, discusses his creative foray into the genre of short story telling. This book is a great choice for a Christmas gift or a gift to yourself if you want to dig deep and learn more about Louisiana history. As a successful attorney, Jim has built a lifetime experience of telling his clients' stories through writing briefs for the court; but he was always constrained by the facts! His heart is exemplified by his involvement in Kairos Prison Ministry on Death Row at Angola. In his current quest to blend the facts surrounding actual historical characters with intriguing stories of fictional marginalized characters, he has been able to start within his own mind, get in touch with his creative spirit, and has hit the mark with compelling stories that pull you in to read more. (Sort of how Netflix pulls you in within six seconds to watch the next episode!) Jim thinks short stories should be the dominant literary genre for today's times. He's always loved reading short stories and in retirement, he has hit the mark in taking his creativity to a new level that we can all enjoy, no matter how busy we are. Many years ago he read a book about Frank Lloyd Wright, by T. C. Boyles, "The Women," which was told from the point of view of one of Lloyd's graduate students recounting the life of this talented but complicated man. It inspired Jim to use real people as a starting point and tell their life story from the vantage point of a fictional character. One of his stories in the book focuses on Lee Harvey Oswald as a 14-year-old young man who grew up in New Orleans. "Lee and Me," is told from the fictional perspective of Oswald who got into a fight and was helped by a classmate. Lee was grateful for the help, and as you read the story you have to wonder what could have become of the young Lee (and our country) if his life had taken a different turn. Sub Rosa and Other Short Stories is a compilation of stories featuring a fictional story based upon events that transpired in Louisiana. It may be purchased on Amazon here. Jim Lambert's connection to New Orleans runs deep. He was born in New Orleans and was adopted from a Baptist orphanage. As a young lawyer, he moved back to New Orleans in 1976; he then moved to Lafayette in 1978, where he has kept a home ever since. Many of his stories are steeped in New Orleans culture in a manner that only a native could share. Each chapter in Sub Rosa shares a compelling fictional story of events that happened in Louisiana, such as the following: a young lawyer sent to investigate the murder of Black troops in the Jim Crow South, and a mental patient obsessed with the film Harold and Maude. Dwayne, the protagonist of the opening story, “Blood in My Hair,” is serving a life sentence for unintentionally contributing to the death of a police officer; the prisoner, who’s known as “Cowboy,” spent much of his adulthood riding bulls in rodeos, has been craving a similarly perfect, adrenaline-filled moment ever since his incarceration began. In “Find Franny Now,” a woman named Lydia gave up on optimism after her autistic son was diagnosed with brain cancer and her husband subsequently left her; her general lack of hopefulness extends to Franny, the titular missing teenage girl, who Lydia believes has no chance of ever being found. In each story, Lambert reveals the humor and tragedy running through the lives of these unique human beings. Jim shared during the interview of his childhood growing up in Alexandria and how the "Lost Cause" permeated his community and affected the way people grew up understanding the world. He would come to understand how actual riots and killings that had occurred were never shared in the history books. As an example, rumors of a race riot that occurred in Alexandria on January 10, 1942, resulting in 18 or 19 black troops being killed, were smoothed over by the U. S. Govt.

Sherry Latour, the owner of Tops Appliances and Cabinetry, joins Discover Lafayette to discuss her career journey and how she came to offer a Business Accelerator and resources to many small business owners. Sherry Latour bought Top’s 12 years ago, after retiring in a sound fiscal position. She had previously worked as the CEO of a $100 million oilfield service company owned by entrepreneur Eddie Soileau, who also built one of his companies, Sunland Construction, into the largest merit (non-union) pipeline contractor in the U.S. Sherry's business acumen has been gained on the job. She entered the workforce right after graduating from high school with a 4.0. While she took accounting classes in high school, she took a few courses thereafter but did not pursue a degree. "I just didn't think I could pull off college, wanting to focus on family and having children." It was Eddie Soileau of Sunland who ended up mentoring Sherry and hired her as CEO of one of his companies. She had the opportunity to "dive deep, evaluate every system, and make it as clean and efficient as possible, adding value to its selling price. Once the company was sold to a private equity company, I worked to help merge with other companies the equity firm owned, got it compliant to go public, while growing. After we went public, I remained a few more years." She was 45 years old when she moved on. While she considered retirement, Soileau counseled her, "You're not the type of person to retire." So she looked for a company to buy and Tops fit the bill as it had all the elements she was looking for: "solid employee and customer base, good products to sell." Many people know Tops as the store on Johnston Street that sells appliances and cabinetry. TOPS has been in business for over 70 years. Tops Appliances and Cabinetry has been in business for over 70 years. Located at 5826 Johnston Street in Lafayette LA, the store specializes in top-end appliances such as Sub Zero, Wolf, and Cove. Our interview focuses on what is going on both within and outside of the Tops building. Sherry not only sells high-end appliances but houses fifteen growing businesses. She has formed a business and mentoring community at TOPS to help small businesses thrive as they navigate start-up challenges or are looking for a more meaningful space to conduct business. When Sherry purchased Tops, her immediate thought was business and not the sheer size of the property (64,000 square feet downstairs and 18,000 in the mezzanine) situated on 3.6 acres. One business that had previously been housed in Tops didn't survive the economic downturn after the BP oil spill and the drilling moratorium. So she looked for other businesses that might want to utilize the space. Today, inside Tops are construction-related businesses such as Architectural Windows & Doors and Brian S. Guidry Builders. Also found at TOPS are April Guillory Designs, and The Unconventional Dietician, Daphne Olivier, who holds cooking classes in TOPS’ live showroom. Cajun Crate, an eCommerce business that ships Louisiana non-perishable food products and Cousins Smokehouse is also housed in TOPS. You will also smell the heavenly waft of products created by Charlie and the Peanut Butter Factory as you walk in the store, along with the delicious Pies created by Acadian Slice! You won't want to miss the lush offerings of Ginger Sprout Plant Co.'s offerings! "Working with the entrepreneurs is a way to express gratitude to all my past mentors and employers that worked with me and gave me opportunities. My consulting work funds the mentoring work, providing me with the ability to provide education grants or microloans, marketing events, to name a few. And the consulting work is so much fun. When we team up it's like waves that sync up and get stronger than the sum of the parts; we get smarter together!" The relationships she has built with the entrepreneurs began organically through her work with ...

Paige Barnett, Director of “A Song of Visions - DANCE, OPERA & JAZZ,” a unique dance, opera, and jazz performance to be held at the historic St. John’s Episcopal Church in Washington LA, joins Discover Lafayette to discuss her foray into the world of production and fundraising for artistic endeavors. The performance will be held on November 6, 2021, at 1 pm and again at 4 pm. It is choreographed by Nicole Curtis and will be presented within the chapel and on the grounds of St. John's Cathedral located at 308 Church St, Washington, LA 70589. Paige had always wanted to offer a creative production at a spiritual place and St. John's ended up being the perfect setting; her boyfriend actually offered up the site as a safe and spiritual place for her to consider after attending a wedding there. The Washington Garden Club welcomed the opportunity to offer St. John's as the locale for the performance, especially as the COVID times are being left behind (we hope!). Paige Barnett has known since she was a young dance student that her calling was in the arts, in particular dance. Melding her talent in art with a desire to create relevant performances, "A Song of Visions - Dance, Opera and Jazz" brings these dreams to life. The performance focuses on 'women's consciousness," issues such as "When are you getting married? When are you having babies? When are you......??" Paige wanted to present an artistic creation that addressed these Southern cultural norms in a comical, respectful way that all people in our community can relate to. As the performance opens up, Sasha Massey, the cantor at St. John's Cathedral in downtown Lafayette, serves as the bride and songstress. Paige shared that there is a surprise for Act II as the guests get to walk outside and participate in the Second Act. There will be some spoken word along with singing and dancing. Paige shared, "The audience will enjoy going along for the ride as the play unfolds." The first act will take place inside the church and the second act will invite audience members to walk outside for the reception and experience a surprise experience which will make their attendance enjoyable. Washington, Louisiana, and its mayor, Dwight Landreneau, have been working diligently to prepare visitors as they visit this delightful small town and prepare for "A Song of Visions," as have the beloved members of the Washington Garden Club. As many antique shoppers know, there are a plethora of shopping opportunities for anyone entering the Washington LA city limits! You can travel to the Washington Old Schoolhouse Mall and shop during the morning hours prior to the event. The hope is that you and your friends have a delightful day of relaxing, shopping, and enjoying fine dining in this quaint town that takes you back to simpler days. St. John's Episcopal Church in Washington, LA is the site for 'A Song of Visions.' Washington is a great place to visit to shop and enjoy historic sites. The Washington Old Schoolhouse Mall offers a fun place to shop for antiques and one-of-a-kind artifacts. It's worth a trip north! Many well-known dancers will also be participating in the event, including Clare Cook of Basin Arts who has mentored Paige in the ways of learning how to direct, create' and present a successful event. Please listen to the entire interview to hear Paige credit all of the creative talents who make this show possible! Buy tickets at www.vpbarnett.com/a-song-of-visions This project is funded in part by grants from South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Louisiana Division of the Arts, as well as a Louisiana Project Grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council, as administered by the Acadiana Arts Council. This project is also supported in part by ArtSpark,

Rachel Broussard and Keesha Buteau of the Girl Scouts of Louisiana – Pines to the Gulf, join us today. We’ve invited Rachel and Keesha to share the Girl Scout story. And, as many diehard fans know, it’s almost time for the annual cookie sale. Rachel Broussard serves as CEO of Pines to the Gulf and has over 20 years of service with the organization. A Kaplan native, she graduated from UL-Lafayette. Her background in the military afforded her the opportunity to attend college as her tuition was covered as a benefit of her service on behalf of our country. She first worked for Acadiana Youth, and then joined the Girl Scouts in what was then known as Bayou Girl Scout Council covering 13 parishes in the Acadiana region. Keesha Buteau serves as Chief Operating Officer and began her service with the Scouts in January 2006. A Lafayette native, she graduated from Acadiana High School and was inspired by participating in Girls State. While she originally thought she wanted to go into law and had the opportunity to work with the District Attorney's office in the Juvenile Division, her heart broke as she saw the "kids in shackles, little kid chain gangs." She realized that she wanted to help young people before they got into trouble. While her parents were originally a bit dismayed by her shifted career focus, she has never regretted her commitment to serving youth and believes the Girl Scouts is a perfect fit. Today, Girl Scouts of Louisiana - Pines to the Gulf serves girls in the 42 parishes west of the Mississippi River. Participants can be as young as Kindergarten and go through 12th grade. While COVID has been tough on everyone, both agreed that incorporating technology such as Zoom has been a godsend in helping organizations learn how to communicate more effectively. The Girl Scouts members are all female and focus solely on girls and its activities are only participated in by girls. While there is a place for the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scout organization stands firm that single-sex programming is beneficial to young girls who are fighting to find their way in the world. "Although your daughter likely goes to school with boys, and might play Saturday morning sports and share the local playground with them, the realities of her day-to-day life are anything but the same as those of her male peers. In fact, studies show that in coed learning environments, boys receive more praise than girls when they call out in class, making girls less likely to raise their hands. Furthermore, boys are allowed to problem solve on their own during class time, which fosters independence, whereas teachers tend to step in and “help” girls, leading girls to question their own abilities." Learn more at https://www.girlscouts.org/en/raising-girls/happy-and-healthy/happy/girls-only-single-gender-empowering-girls.html The Girl Scouts were founded in Savannah, Georgia by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912. The programming has consistently focused on service and the Girl Scout Promise rings true of what you expect from young leaders: "On my honor, I will try: To serve God and my country, To help people at all times, to live by the Girl Scout." The goal of the Scouts is to help the girls grow as they learn positive values, to take their skills into their communities, and make a positive difference. "That is at the core of who we are as Girls Scouts," according to Rachel Broussard, "to make lasting and respectful connections, and to go out and solve problems in our communities." Keesha's daughter is a Girl Scout Cadet at 11 years of age, having started with the scouts in kindergarten. As her mom, Keesha limits outside activities to 2 or 3 at a time to preserve family time, and her daughter always puts Scouts at the top of the list of what she wants to participate in. The interaction with her daughters' troop continually inspires Keesha to see the value of scouting. "Be a Friend First" is a valued program that teaches self-confid...

Carolyn Greco, the founder of FACET, a company that offers career transition services and executive coaching, joined Discover Lafayette to discuss her celebration of 40 years in business. Carolyn is known for her expertise in the creation and administration of career management and workplace programs, and her team provides direction on individualized career strategies. 99% of FACET's clients are corporate-sponsored, meaning the company pays the cost of helping them get executive coaching or outplacement services to find a replacement job after a merger, acquisition or downsizing occurs. Carolyn’s group also works with clients who have achieved success and are now focusing on fulfillment as they look toward a more meaningful existence. Each client of FACET is assigned a dedicated career strategist who is assigned to work directly with them, always available, as they find their path to the right job fit. FACET's work with a client begins with assessing their strengths and weaknesses to adequately identify their temperament to ensure the right corporate culture fit. The company utilizes tools such as the Birkman Method, Strong Interest Inventory, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), and the Personal Strengths Inventory (PSI). These assessments allow companies to place people in positions that will allow them to flourish and find their permanent place of happy employment. Carolyn shared that many times people are promoted and the higher position calls upon different skills than they utilized before or were trained to handle. It can be hard to delegate as you make the jump into higher management as you fight the tendency to do the job in the way you always have. Having a personal assessment inventory and receive executive coaching can help managers become much more successful. COVID has caused a major upheaval in the workforce and has led people to examine their lives, wanting to identify opportunities for meaningful employment. FACET asks these people, "What do you want to do? Go back to school? Start a business? Become a consultant? Retire?" Retirement now has a different meaning than it did in the past. As Carolyn says, "Many don't retire, they refire!!" The pressure is off and older workers can do whatever they want. Perhaps they will enter the non-profit world or volunteer for causes that have always pulled upon their heartstrings. Many need income and they can utilize their experience to benefit causes in ways they never had the freedom to do as a younger person. As for younger workers, more young people think about what they really want to do in their work-life than past generations did. The good news is that they are supported by their families and cohorts as they determine, "Do I want to be a carpenter or a lawyer?" Networking is still the key to career advancement and finding a great job, just as it was in the past. While Zoom and other online services have helped us navigate the COVID shutdown, you will always learn more about people when engaging in the human magic of in-person meetings. "You always find out something valuable when meeting in person with others." LinkedIn is a powerful tool and has become the "go-to" for finding out who to reach out to in your job search. Carolyn stresses the importance of getting your LinkedIn profile and experiences up to snuff to tell the world who you are and what you offer. It can sometimes be the "3rd or 4th" connection that you have that gets you the interview you need to nail your ideal job. Carolyn Greco has dedicated her life to helping others live their best life through their work. Her parting advice was to "Work and personal life needs to be integrated so that you, your family, your children, are happy. Live out the passion of your life." And she and FACET are there to help you achieve that dream. For more information, please visit http://www.facetgroup.com

Josh Goree, owner of Completeful, joined Discover Lafayette to discuss his journey in building his growing empire in e-commerce. Completeful offers a Dropshipping service that allows entrepreneurs to create an online business and sell products at little to no risk, and without having to first purchase and store merchandise to successfully fill orders. With services such as Completeful offers, a business owner can start selling at little to no cost out of pocket, and run their business from a laptop anywhere in the world. Dropshipping has upended the shopping experiences of consumers as online shopping continues to improve and grow in popularity. Today, about 33% of e-commerce stores use drop shipping as a fulfillment method. To bring this home, many of you may have also heard that the former Walmart building in North Lafayette was purchased by an up-and-coming entrepreneur who is setting the e-commerce world on fire. This entrepreneur would be our guest, Josh Goree. His story is an inspirational one for anyone wanting to have an opportunity to make passive income. Josh didn't study business at Louisiana Tech; he ran track on scholarship and wanted to be a biomedical engineer. But he became frustrated with how engineers were expected to work within pre-existing 'boxes' of thought. Josh would come up with ideas and wanted them immediately implemented. He jumped into sales for a marketing company and learned to overcome his introverted tendencies. After approximately "500 presentations," he realized he was on the way to effectively selling products and making lucrative commissions. His goal was to buy a Raising Canes franchise. His first traditional business that he bought was a hair salon, with no experience in the cosmetology business and with no hairdressers yet hired to work for him. Yet, over a meal at Logan's Steakhouse in Alexandria, he convinced 10 of the 14 hairdressers he met with to work for him. Josh joked that they robbed him blind, but he still made a profit and sold the salon for a profit two years after the purchase. After a foray into being a franchisee for Jimmy John's (and he eventually had three locations (with the Monroe store recently being sold), Josh realized that the traditional retail concept limited him as to how many people he could serve based on limited capacity. He started learning all he could about the e-commerce business. Shopify turned out to be the best bet for selling goods easily and cheaply. He sold fishing bait, bikinis, and leather jackets. "For $30 per month, you can get access to a website, drag and drop your logo onto it, and start selling." Josh learned that marketing is the key. "You can have a terrible website, but if you can drive people to your website, you can be successful. Don't believe everybody on YouTube. You can learn everything you need to know for free." Josh Goree's advice for budding entrepreneurs: "You don't need a lot of money to get started; But, there will be times when you want to quit. Push through the disappointments. You can handle the challenges. Don't think about all the ways you may fail. You will make mistakes, but you learn from them. Just don't make the same mistake twice." Josh began to target goods in demand in the wedding industry. He figured out how to market on Facebook and targeted all the people getting married. Trying different company names such as '"From Him to Her," "From Her to Him," Yours Personalized," and Your Wedding Things," he had success but realized the business model wasn't scalable. He was still immersed in the moment-to-moment execution of his businesses. So about three years ago Josh built a new business model as he learned about dropshipping. He thought, "What if we carry all the inventory, have printing machines, ship the goods for others who need their orders fulfilled?" That is scalable. In July of 2019, he was traveling with one of his best friends from college, Justin Martin,

Carol Trosclair and Dr. Brian Campbell joined Discover Lafayette to discuss the David Trosclair Memorial Scholarship in Kinesiology at UL - Lafayette. Carol is well-known in the oil business and has been a Petroleum Landman for over 30 years. One of the most active women in our community, she is passionate and filled with the love of God and others. As you will hear in this interview, she is absolutely the best salesperson you'll ever encounter! "She could sell holy water to the devil himself," according to her close friend, Dr. Brian Campbell. Dr. Brian Campbell serves as the coordinator of Exercise Science in the School of Kinesiology at UL – Lafayette. He is the faculty advisor to the Kinesiology Professionals Association. He met David Trosclair while teaching him, and recounted his admiration for this talented, modest young man who scored perfect scores in his classes. "David loved kinesiology because it involved a specialized experience in biomechanics and orthopedics and allowed him to help people maintain and recover mobility and provide exercise prescriptions. After the tragic death of Carol’s son when he was a Senior, David Trosclair, in 2010, Carol and Brian established the David Trosclair memorial scholarship in Kinesiology to acknowledge his academic achievements. There are over 1200 kinesiology students at UL-Lafayette yet very few scholarships are offered to the students. As Carol recounts, "what an honor, but there was no money! We had to raise it to fund it." David Trosclair tragically died in 2010. His mother, Carol Trosclair, and his kinesiology professor, Dr. Brian Campbell have worked to fund a scholarship in his name so that his legacy will continue. In the first year of fundraising, Carol wanted to hold a car wash and enlisted the kinesiology students to assist. She realized she would never be able to get the students up at 9 am on a Saturday to wash cars. Plus, you never clear much money working a traditional car wash. So she went down to Todd's Car Wash and spoke with the owner, Todd Lemaire, asking him to partner for one day to raise funds for the scholarship. Lemaire generously countered and offered the whole month of September to allow $10 ticket holders to access his $25 car wash. Carol was told by UL that if she raised $10,000 it would establish an endowed scholarship, if she raised $50,000 there would be a plaque placed in Martin Hall. They raised $11,990 the first year by preselling tickets. Todd Lemaire did not ask for any reimbursement for his expenses the first year, and still has not to this date on any of the annual fundraising efforts. Kermit Duhon, of The Travel Machine, saw press coverage on the memorial scholarship. He called Carol and gave $150 to purchase tickets for his employees to get the premium car wash at Todd's Car Wash. With a bit of encouragement and salesmanship from Carol, they eventually "Sir, we don't just have a handout, we have four hands out. There are 1200 students in kinesiology with very few scholarship options. Won't you please sponsor a customer-designed vacation for two designed by Travel Machine?" Kermit agreed and his travel agency has partnered with this popular fundraising drive annually. To date, over $600,000 has been raised in endowed and non-endowed scholarship monies to honor David Trosclair's memory. The Vacationing for Scholarships has been a huge success, all due to community support for this meaningful cause, Carol's passionate fundraising efforts, and generous supporters such as Kermit Duhon and the Travel Machine, Todd Lemaire and Todd's Car Wash, Tropical Smoothie, Roly Poly, Great Harvest Bread Company, Reve Cofee, and Judice Inn! Carol Trosclair, Moon Griffon and Kermit Duhon promoting the David Trosclair Memorial Scholarship Fundraising effort in 2021. It’s that time of year to buy your $10 raffle tickets to win a trip of your choice and $500 spending money to go along with it! Now in October 2021,

Boyer Derise, owner/founder of Good Eats Kitchen, joined Discover Lafayette to discuss his career journey as a professional chef. His story is really one of being an entrepreneur who has learned to evolve and adapt to meet the needs of today's world, especially with the challenges of the pandemic. Boyer, a Delcambre native, always loved to cook and be around the food industry. His uncle had a diner and by the age of ten, Boyer was flipping burgers. He began his professional culinary career after graduating from the Louisiana Culinary Institute in Baton Rouge along with other local chefs such as Chef Colin Cormier of Pop's Poboy's. He learned how to cook in a traditional French culinary style and also was taught the mechanics of running a kitchen and the economic realities of keeping a restaurant open. He began his professional culinary career with Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse in Baton Rouge. That was the beginning of a 10-year career with Fleming's, where he was the youngest Executive Chef Partner in the company’s history, taking the helm of his own kitchen at age 25. Fleming's was going through an incredible expansion phase growing from 20 to 62 locations in four years while Boyer was employed with them. (Paul Fleming, a Franklin native, was the principal behind Fleming's along with Bill Allen, and then founded PF Changs and Pei Wei; he now owns Paul Morton's American Grill found throughout the Western U. S.) The training Boyer gained from his time with Fleming's gave him more hands-on relevant learning than any classroom education would have afforded him. Boyer also had the distinctive honor of being selected to cook for Team USA and Dignitaries at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. This came about through his future wife, Katie, a pastry chef who had first worked at the Turin (Italy) Olympics with Behind The Scenes Catering who works for NBC. Boyer networked through Katie and was hired by Behind the Scenes to run catering Olympic Pavilions for Omega and Johnson & Johnson. Although incredibly challenged by having to work with young chefs who spoke no English while putting in 20-hour days over four weeks, he looks back and realizes the experience was life-changing. As a young man in his 20's, not a bad way to learn to "adapt and overcome" in a similar mentality exemplified by the Marines. Boyer was in a sales role with a local seafood company when he started doing meal prep in 2016 for his sister to keep her "dress ready" for her wedding. Good Eats Kitchen, in Boyer's mind, came about by accident in connection with him helping his sister and re-engaging with his first love, cooking. Timing, of course, is everything when one makes the leap from having a "side hustle" to focusing full-time on the endeavor. Starting out working in his home kitchen for a few people at $8.00 per prepared meal, word of mouth grew this side hustle exponentially. He had always liked the 'grab and go' healthy meal concept, especially after living in Austin while working for Fleming's. For a year, he cooked out of his home kitchen; in 2017 he pulled the plug on his day job and took the plunge full-time in what would be branded as Good Eats Kitchen. His focus has always been on "just good food", without being pigeonholed into the low calorie/Keto option. It's whole food cooking, according to Boyer Derise. Customers can order line at https://mygoodeatskitchen.com/ or walk into Good Eats Kitchen in the Oil Center at 1116 Coolidge Blvd., Suite F. Meal choices are sure to please everyone. Chef Boyer Derise's favorite meal is the Chicken Piccata and from day one the best-selling meal has been the Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas. You can find options such as a blackened redfish or Indian Butter Chicken, and many many more! As Boyer says, "Come GEK ('geek") out with us!" Each meal is individually portioned, "fresh and high quality." The only things ever frozen in the meal prep is frozen shrimp from Delcambre and canned tomato...

The Annual Hunters for the Hungry Food Drive will be held on Sunday, September 26th from 10 AM to 3 PM. Sportsmen and their families are encouraged to “clean out their freezers” and donate frozen game and fish. And for the 'hunters and gatherers' among us who may obtain chicken, beef, or turkey from their local grocery, those protein-based contributions are also highly welcome. It all makes a difference to help our neighbors in need of a healthy meal. All donations are tax-deductible and will be used to feed the needy through The Refinery Mission’s shelters and programs. Visit https://www.h4hla.org/freezer-day for more information. Last year’s drive was a huge success and has provided enough protein-based contributions to serve over 60,000 meals to the impoverished and homeless in the greater Lafayette community. Drop-off points in the Lafayette area include UL -Lafayette's Cajun Field, First Assembly of God in Youngsville, MC Taxidermy in Carencro, Chop's Specialty Meats in Broussard, and Giles Nissan in Opelousas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pmrsW7LIII&t=15s Johhny Carrier, Executive Director of the Refinery Mission, explains how Hunters for the Hungry Food Drive came to be in our interview. Hunters For The Hungry’s mission is to encourage hunters and fishermen to make a difference in the lives of their neighbors by sharing their bounty of wild game and fish in order to combat hunger. Since 1994, "Hunters For The Hungry has increased awareness of its program throughout the state by partnering with all 5 major food banks in Louisiana. By conducting multiple programs such as the Clean Out Your Freezer Day and Freshly Harvested Game and Fish Programs, the organization is providing thousands of meals for Louisiana families." Locally, businessman Bob Giles has been actively engaged and serves on the board of directors. The Refinery Mission services men in transition from incarceration, drug-related issues, homelessness, or crisis, through Christ-centered services. Providing a home shelter, the men are given assistance and education on how to become employed, healthy, and self-sufficient individuals. For more information on the work of the Refinery Mission, visit http://refinerymission.org/

Louisiana State Representative Jean Paul Coussan joined Discover Lafayette during the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Ida, which ripped up most of Southeast Louisiana. He represents District 45 which covers much of Lafayette Parish. Jean-Paul serves as chair of the Natural Resources and Environment Committee and is a member of the Joint Legislative Committee on Capital Outlay and House Select Leadership Committee. He is a member of the Acadiana Delegation, the Louisiana Republican Legislative Delegation, and the Rural Caucus. A takeaway of our interview: Jean Paul loves having the opportunity to serve in the Legislature and with his people skills, this is a natural fit that benefits all of us. A graduate of LSU Law School, Jean Paul is a partner at the Lafayette real estate law firm of Andrus Boudreaux Complete Title. He is also a co-founder of Cougar Construction, LLC, which focuses on residential construction and rental units in Lafayette LA. District 45 is centrally located in the city of Lafayette and is a largely residential area. Its boundaries may be roughly described as UL-Lafayette at its eastern tip,, Fieldspan Road to the western point, bounded south by the Vermilion River and rounded out by Cameron Street to the north. With 42,000 constituents he represents, Jean Paul spoke proudly of the people he represents who understand the issues and the scope of what he does as a State Representative. Lafayette is traversed by many State-owned roads, such as Pinhook Road and Johnston Street, which many people may not realize and wonder why they are never improved. He shared that in the upcoming months there will be big news about Lafayette Consolidated Government taking over miles of state-owned highways so that improvements may happen more quickly and Lafayette can take control of its own destiny. When catastrophic events such as hurricanes occur, Jean-Paul says it is a team effort to pull together resources. Everyone from the local elected officials, the state legislators, top Louisiana elected and appointed leaders, and of course, our federal delegation come together to determine how they can best help their constituents get back on their feet. While Hurricane Ida devasted the Southeastern portion of Louisiana, our neighbors to the west, particularly Calcasieu and Cameron Parishes, are still reeling from the havoc wreaked by Hurricanes Laura and Delta, as well as floods and freezes. He emphasized that all legislative delegations join in a nonpartisan effort to get life-saving resources such as water and generators to those most in need. Jean Paul had just traveled to Houma early in the week and he said, "Houma is as bad as you can imagine." He along with many of his legislative colleagues have traveled to bring ice and other needed supplies to help. When you listen to Jean Paul speak, you will hear compassion and concern as well as a "can-do" attitude to render assistance as needed. State Rep. Jean Paul Coussan, his wife Jennifer Joy Coussan, and their young family, circa 2019. Jean Paul enjoys coaching his daughter's basketball team, watching his son play football, and all the joys of being a dad and husband while he juggles work and legislative service. There has been a high turnover in the Legislature in years of late. Once people get involved and they serve a term or two, they start to look at their options. Jean Paul Coussan likes what he is doing and in particular, loves serving as Chair of the Natural Resources and Environment Committee which oversees everything from Wildlife & Fisheries, the Department of Conservation (oil and gas issues) "Relationships are key. It's sad to see people leave and many are leaving before term limits are up. There is a major turnover. A lot of people roll back into local government and state government. I enjoy what I am doing. This is a process and relationships matter...all the way up to the Governor."

Nadia de la Houssaye, partner at the Jones Walker law firm, joined us to discuss her career journey in law and telemedicine. Nadia chairs the firm’s telemedicine team and is co-leader of their healthcare litigation team. She works with hospitals, health systems, providers, and start-up companies to structure and integrate telemedicine, telehealth, and digital health platforms. Her passion for the expansion and growth of telemedicine began in 1997 when she and Dr. Tom Vreeland launched one of Louisiana's first teleradiology networks. At that time, internet access was offered mainly through analog services which were incredibly slow by today's standards; she had to get a high-speed T1 line installed to be able to offer the technology. Her interest in telemedicine predated teleradiology, and in fact, her fascination with technology began when she was a young girl and watched the Apollo 11 moon landing. And then, she happened to marry a radiologist (Dr. Tom Vreeland) who wanted to start a teleradiology practice. He was the first person she met who also had the same interests as she did. Nadia recalled how back when Dr. Vreeland worked at UMC (now UHC), "there were boxes and boxes of x-rays sitting at all hospitals, not just UHC. There was a shortage of radiologists, and back then people didn’t read films 24/7. There was no sense of urgency even if the patient being treated had cancer or a stroke. Today, everyone wants things done in “real-time” and people expect quick results from tests. The standard of care has evolved with the evolution of technological advances. Their teleradiology company, Nighthawk, had offices in Australia and Germany as well as the U. S., all with American trained physicians who were licensed in every state in the U. S. The company could provide 24 hour a day readings with radiologists working throughout different time zones. By the time the company went public in 2004, technology had advanced to where the transmission was almost instantaneous. Everyone recognized that with technology, better care was becoming available to patients. Nadia believes that Tom Vreeland became a spearhead in the way medicine should be practiced. They were both visionaries in the field. Technology has outpaced the regulatory climate for telemedicine. Active for the past 28 years in the American Telemedicine Association which has thousands of members, Nadia was one of about 50 original members in the group. Very few people understood what they were trying to accomplish and they were called “dreamers “ The goal was to get telemedicine accepted and thereby get providers fairly reimbursed for services rendered virtually. Nadia de la Houssaye was an original member of the American Telemedicine Association. She is still active with ATA, whose mission is to work to "advance industry adoption of telehealth and virtual care, promote responsible policy, advocate for government and market normalization, and provide education and resources to help integrate virtual care into emerging value-based delivery models." With COVID, telemedicine became necessary for the masses and has become much more widely accepted. But even prior to the pandemic, advancements in telehealth, telestroke, teleICU, and telecardiology transformed the ability for rural hospitals to have access to specialists they would not otherwise have. As an example, rural patients can now get a teleneurologist online with a software app that allows the doctor to treat as if he had the ability to put his hands on the patient. CT scans are taken at the hospital and uploaded to the teleneurologist offsite. Critical time is thereby saved for the patient. The doctors can work simultaneously and effectively while treating the patient. In Louisiana, Ochsner Health System has a tremendous telehealth platform that was implemented over 15 years ago. Today, telehealth has evolved from a rare occurrence to an accepted practice that allows ...

Ravi Daggula, the owner of several historic properties near downtown Lafayette including the Mouton Plantation, The Nickerson House, and Esprit de Coeur, joined Discover Lafayette to discuss his journey. He is also a Developer of the newly built Vermilion Lofts situated at Johnston and Vermilion Streets. Ravi is a native of India. He moved to Lafayette to attend UL-Lafayette while he studied computer engineering. He has made Lafayette his home. Ravi’s interest in restoring historic properties and his dedication to offering beautiful event venues for downtown and North Lafayette is inspirational. While he was originally encouraged by others to invest in Lafayette's southside, Ravi felt his calling was to pour his energy into the northside. "I took it one step at a time. I wasn't looking for other projects but other projects came to me!" Ravi believes that once you hit 35 years of age, you will know your calling. After he graduated, he worked at several jobs and eventually realized that real estate was his calling. He harkened back to his early days in the workforce, during 2003 and 2004, when he didn't have a car and relied on cabs. His cab driver would shuttle him by the Mouton House to pick up more customers while Ravi was sleeping in the car. Once he was able to buy a vehicle he would still pass by the property because he liked it so much. Fast forward to 2016, and his banker encouraged him to invest in a bed and breakfast because it would be a successful entity in this area. Given his love for the Mouton Plantation and finding out that the price was right, he realized this would be a good fit for investment. At that time, however, he was more into buying and flipping real estate. Once he owned the Mouton Plantation though he also felt and saw the bigger picture, the bigger purpose in his life. "The Mouton Plantation has made me be the man I am today. Lafayette has helped me be where I am. This is my way of giving something back. I didn't know that at the beginning." The Mouton Plantation was built in 1820, one of the first five homes built in its genre that are still in existence in Lafayette. (Cafe Vermilionville's structure is older.) The historic Charles Mouton Plantation House circa 1820 is one of only five properties of its era still in existence. It is a popular venue as a bed and breakfast and special events. It was hard to run a bed and breakfast at the beginning, but "the house provided." There is good energy in the house and most of Ravi's meetings in the house were so successful that they led to other successful projects. Ravi believes with historic properties, you are just a temporary caretaker of the house.....you hold the baton and at some point, you will pass on the baton to others. He invites everyone to his properties with respect and dignity, especially descendants of plantation slaves who originally made the properties successful. You must listen to his words to understand the impact of his love and his heart for the best interest of others. Very few people in our area know the history of the historic Sterling Grove neighborhood and Ravi encourages all to visit and learn more. His second historic purchase was the Nickerson House and the owners knew of his intent to revitalize the area. The renovation is almost over, and Nickerson will be fully renovated by the end of September 2021. It is already booked through October, November, and December of this year. It offers seven acres of land for catered events and weddings. Ravi Daggula works hands-on at his historic properties, including the historic Nickerson House at 310 N. Sterling Street, Lafayette LA 70501. Photo on the right of Ravi is by Brad Bowie of The Acadiana Advocate. When we spoke of how these historic properties have survived enumerable hurricanes and floods, Ravi explained that they were built in the "path of the wind" (to be able to withstand high force winds and not fight the wind...

Our guest is Dr. Bryan Sibley, a well-known pediatrician in Lafayette who has dedicated his professional life to taking care of our youngest. We asked Bryan to join us to discuss how the Delta variant of COVID has evolved to affect children in ways that the initial wave of coronavirus never did. It's been a tough year and a half for all of us, including pediatricians. In the initial stages of the coronavirus pandemic, children were socially distancing, not in school and playing on their school playgrounds, no longer participating in organized sports and activities. They were staying home and playing in the backyard. For the first time in years, they weren't getting sick, breaking bones, coming down with viruses. Entire days would go by with no children being admitted to the hospital or going in with their parents to see their pediatrician. Dr. Sibley shared that 90% of children's illnesses are caused by respiratory viruses, mostly colds. We typically think that when our little ones get the sniffles it is an allergy, but last spring when all the kids were outside playing and keeping a social distance from others, they didn't get sick! "We usually think it's allergies when kids get the sniffles, but last spring (2020) they were all outside playing and they didn't get sick! We would go two to three days with no kids being admitted to emergency rooms, no admissions for broken arms or twisted. Children were healthy. It was awesome for public health, terrible for pediatricians! Then in April 2021, schools and daycares were reopened, the COVID vaccines rolled out, and in May, June, and July, a wave of sick children began showing up, much sicker than pediatricians across the U. S. had ever seen. While virtually no children got COVID in 2020, by the second week of July 2021, children started getting really sick with COVID, presenting with coughs and runny noses. The 12 to 18 year old group seem to have been hit the hardest, and almost everyone that Dr. Sibley tests in that age group have been positive for COVID. Most are not sick enough to be hospitalized but they have to quarantine and they suffer. Infants and children up to age ten or eleven have not been hit as hard with COVID at this point in time. Previously only a handful of children had been hospitalized, but in the past few weeks, 50 to 60 children per day have been admitted to pediatric hospitals. While there have been a few deaths, most children do get better and get to go home. The Delta variant of COVID has changed all of the expectations as to who will get sick. "This is no longer a benign process for children. The COVID vaccine is not yet available to children under twelve years of age. Testing is ongoing and we anticipate vaccine approval for children sometime this school year. The reality is this Delta variant is more contagious and more severe. Children are dying. Hospitals are at a breaking point with staff, personnel, bed space. The mask mandate has been controversial and Dr. Sibley harkened back to the last major pandemic experienced worldwide: "Last time we had a pandemic, the Spanish Flu in 1918, people got past the crisis by wearing masks. They figured it out. Germs weren't shared and people moved on. They got better." He believes it is important for the health and safety of our children and school administrators that everyone remain masked since the children can't be vaccinated yet. The COVID mask mandate has seemingly been of great help to the outbreak of flu. In a typical flu season, there are millions of cases of flu and thousands of people die. In the 2020-21 flu season, there were less than 5,000 cases in the U. S., an unheard-of occurrence. There were fewer cases than any season on record. The flu vanished. Mask-wearing and hand-washing measures seemed to have kept the flu away. When we spoke of people's concerns about their personal freedoms being taken away by the mask mandates and other measures, Dr.

Brent Henley, the founder of The Pyramid Group, joined us to discuss his life mission to build leaders and improve human performance. We post this interview with great sadness, as shortly after our interview, Brent passed away suddenly on August 8, 2021. We devote this show to Brent's memory and his life's legacy of encouraging all of us to be the best possible version of ourselves. Brent worked with clients to increase performance in sales, customer service, supervision, and leadership. People would clamor to attend his executive retreats on strategic planning, product launches, and organizational growth. Many listeners know Brent Henley for his leadership in running a simulated society, known as SIMSOC, for Leadership Lafayette and many other organizations. Participants are forever changed as they experience real-life societal challenges they’ve never encountered. Brent Henley grew up in Oklahoma in a family that was highly active: his mom, B. Glorine Henley, served as Oklahoma Secretary of State (and also worked for the DNC when Bill Clinton was President), and his father, Thomas H. Henley, was chief of surgery at a large hospital. All of his family members were educated at Oklahoma institutions of higher learning. However, with an early calling to be a United Methodist Minister, Brent moved to Louisiana to attend Centenary College where he got a full scholarship. He fell in love with the people of Louisiana. He also eventually met a beautiful woman (his future wife, Tammy) who was a “half Spanish/half redhead from New Iberia” who turned his head and eventually brought him to Lafayette. We dedicate this show to the memory of our dear friend, Brent Henley. (November 9, 1957 - August 8, 2021) Henley discovered through an internship at Broadmoor UMC that full-time pulpit ministry really wasn’t his calling. He changed course and got double degrees in sociology and business. He credits his many mentors at the Centenary's School of Church Careers for encouraging him to follow his God-given path. They didn’t want to force him to be “another miserable minister.” While this was unfolding, Brent waited tables at a steakhouse in Shreveport, at Mississippi River Company owned by Dobbs House, at a time when Louisiana Downs first got started and Downtown Square was hopping. Brent became headwaiter and hired all the serving staff and trained them while he was a senior in college. They wanted him to become a management trainee and to get into the restaurant world, but Brent didn’t want to work in restaurants for the rest of his life. Brent had a particular client at the restaurant who always requested him as a waiter on Saturday nights and talked to him about coming to work in the Human Resources Department for his organization which owned a variety of companies and employed 110 employees. Brent was hired! He joined the local SHRM (Society of Human Resource Management) chapter in Shreveport as he jumped into his new job feet first. In his first two months on the job, when he found out that his company was paying three people who were no longer employed, he stopped that abuse. At that point, he made up his annual salary in three days! After a year, the owner of the company asked Brent to become president of the company, when he was 24 years old! He helped grow the company from $14 million to $40 million per year in eight years. At the end of that eight years, he quit the company at 32 years of age on Christmas Eve when the partners declined to give him a bonus in lieu of using those funds to buy another business. Brent felt this was unfair, so he handed them the keys as he walked out and went home to tell his wife he had started a consulting business to help other businesses run their concerns. The day after Christmas, he started “dialing for dollars,” getting many people to buy into his new endeavor, including Larry Wilson (owner of Wilson Learning, the world’s largest sales and leadership training...

Discover Lafayette welcomes Joel Fruge, owner of Acadiana Prescription Shop and expert on all things relating to independent pharmacies. Acadiana Prescription Shop has been in continuous operation since 1969 and under Fruge’s wing since 2002, where they have five pharmacists on staff. “I feel privileged to be able to work in the Oil Center, we have a great clientele,” Fruge said. Fruge grew up with his five siblings in Eunice, three of whom now also live in Lafayette. While Fruge was attending college at LSU-Eunice, his first gig was a delivery job for a pharmaceutical company, which sparked his interest in the profession immediately. He later went to Northeastern Louisiana University’s Pharmaceutical School, and thereafter made several important connections at his first job working at the University Medical Center (now Ochsner University Hospitals & Clinics). Fruge then went to work for K&B Drug Stores in Lake Charles, which was later acquired by Rite Aid. After moving to a small town in Texas to work for a management company, Fruge knew he wanted to come back to South Louisiana. The first independent pharmacy that he worked for was Carmichael’s in Crowley. “Ted Carmichael was very successful, he taught me so much,” Fruge said. He quickly learned the value of customer relationships through Ted and by witnessing his work ethic firsthand. After his time at Carmichael’s, Fruge was called to work for Acadiana Prescription Shop by its late owner, Philip Comeaux. Unfortunately, Comeaux died shortly after Fruge joined the shop in 2002. “We had so much in common, he really afforded me an opportunity to be here in the Oil Center as an independent pharmacist. We don’t plan on going anywhere,” Fruge said. He took over Acadiana Prescription Shop and kept many of its classic details, such as the “Toot & Scoot” drive-up service while also updating operations by replacing the DOS software and purchasing a fax machine. Over the years he has upgraded software and hardware to be able to consistently offer his clientele the ability to check out in two to three minutes, even when they have up to ten prescriptions filled. Joel Fruge and his staff love working with their clientele. "It's always a great crowd. Compounding medications have been a godsend helping patients with menopausal symptoms as well as other health issues. The pharmacy even offers medical compounded prescriptions to animal patients. Acadiana Prescription Shop is a stand-alone independent pharmacy, which means that it isn’t connected to any chain prescription store. “It took me five years to become the owner, but it went by quickly. I was so happy that the customers gave me a chance and stayed.” Fruge mentioned how neat and well-stocked his store is, which will always be of utmost importance to him as he follows in the revered footsteps of Philip Comeaux. When discussing how outside factors impact his pharmacy business, Fruge said, “One of the biggest challenges is to be able to afford what the insurance companies decide to pay us back.” Fruge mentioned the impact in 2006 that the implementation of Medicare Part D (which covers the cost of seniors’ medicines), had on the pharmacy industry: “It brought people back to buying their medicine from the pharmacy but at a discounted rate.” Part D also ushered in the era of Pharmacy Benefit Managers who have undercut payment of drug manufacture rebates to customers and the government, and have been blamed for the shocking rise in drug prices over the past 15 years. When discussing pharmacy benefit managers, Fruge said that their original goal was to save the government and insurance companies money. After much legislation, their practices still aren’t extremely transparent. “Last summer, many of us independent pharmacists went to the Capital in our white coats to hear the pharmacy benefit managers lobby,” Fruge said. He also mentioned that large pharmacies like CVS are trying to squash smaller independent ph...

Executive Director and CEO of St. Landry Economic Development Group, Bill Rodier, joins Discover Lafayette to share news of the growth of St. Landry Parish as well as the current boom in growth along the I-49 corridor. In his previous position, Bill served as Deputy Director of the Louisiana Workforce Commission and had recruitment roles with Louisiana Economic Development. He also had experience in sales: “In a different lifetime I used to run a large car dealership,” Rodier said. Rodier began his work with the group in 2013 when the need to focus on the development of the region became a top priority in St. Landry Parish. “As an economic developer, one of the first things that I looked at when the position became available is how many opportunities St. Landry Parish had,” Rodier said. The parish has both LSU-Eunice and South La. Community College, transportation access via the I-49 corridor (north/south) and Hwy. 190 (east/west), and a booming culture and historical background. St. Landry Parish is one of the larger parishes within Louisiana, encompassing 940 square miles, and has 12 incorporated communities, the most of any in Louisiana. It is bordered by the Parishes of Avoyelles, Point Coupee, St. Martin, Lafayette, Acadia, and Evangeline. June 2021 groundbreaking ceremony of a new wastewater treatment facility in St. Landry Parish near the entrance of the Clos De Bois subdivision on the I-49 S. Service Road. Officials expect continued growth in both the residential and commercial sectors of the region. As Rodier speaks about the work of his group throughout Acadiana, interestingly he hears over and over about the direct ties people have with the parish, such as family, school, and business connections. Statistics bear this out, as many jobs in St. Landry Parish are filled with Lafayette Parish residents, many Lafayette families send their children to St. Landry Parish private schools, and St. Landry Parish residents look to Lafayette for amenities. The Parish is uniquely known for its trail rides, making it one of the top equine regions in America. The Academy of the Sacred Heart is well-known for its equestrian program offered to its students. It is also home to Evangeline Downs, the area’s premier horse racetrack. In 2021, the Louisiana State Senate passed SR215 commending the equine industry for its cultural and economic impact to the state of Louisiana. “If I were to describe our job, we’re almost like puzzlers…we put pieces together to make things work,” Rodier said. He strives to stimulate investment within St. Landry Parish and to attract investment from outside of the Parish borders. Bill Rodier stressed the potential of downtown Opelousas and plans to revitalize its commercial potential. “You will continue to see a progression in downtown Opelousas…Opelousas used to be a mecca of commerce because of its geographical location and accessibility by the highways.” A master plan has been created by the Downtown Development District that identified long-term plans for growth and development. Commercial developments along the I-49 corridor are of utmost importance to St. Landry Parish’s growth. Locals have taken the initiative to keep up the appearance of interchanges such as in grass cutting, a task formerly done by the state only four times a year, so as to present the best face to people traveling through the region. Rodier commended other mayors for their guidance in these issues, such as former Mayor of Scott, Purvis Morrison, and Carencro Mayor Glenn Brasseaux. The I-49 Midway corridor, situated between Shreveport and New Orleans, has seen incredible growth over the past 10 years. St. Landry Economic Development, Acadiana Planning Commission, and the cities of Washington, Opelousas, Sunset, Grand Coteau, Carencro, and Lafayette have joined together to create a vision for the Corridor, and to promote investment and economic development within the region.

Today’s guest is Kevin Gossen, President of Gossen Architects in Lafayette LA. Kevin specializes in traditional and historic design for custom residential dwellings. He’s followed his dream of being a residential architect that began when he was a young boy of five years old and began sketching home designs. Kevin's work has been published many times, highlighting the attention to historic vernacular design. His designs can be found throughout the south, spanning from Texas to Florida. People who contract with Kevin Gossen or buy his custom homes know that they are receiving quality designs that will stand the test of time. A "Kevin Gossen" design is a mark of excellence. A graduate of USL in 1981 with a Bachelor of Architecture, Kevin comes from a large family raised by Alberta and Jerry Gossen, both of whom were much admired in our community. One of seven siblings, all of his brothers and sisters live in Lafayette and remain close by making plans at least once a week to gather for lunch. Growing up on Ronald Blvd. in the heart of Lafayette, Kevin’s love of architecture was nurtured by his dad, Jerry Gossen, who was a commercial architect and engineer who made his living in commercial and governmental work. His grandfather was a contractor. Design and build are concepts he grew up with. “As early as I can remember, when I was a young boy, five or six years old, I was sketching houses on a large pad. In fact, I wish I still had the pads depicting those sketches. I’ve known I wanted to do this my entire life. His dad, Jerry, focused on the commercial architectural sector; he would look at Kevin’s sketches and tell him: “You need to get those houses out of your mind. You’ll never be able to make a living doing houses.” His dad meant well, with his message coming from the experience gained at his firm, O’Rourke and Gossen, with fourteen architects who exclusively designed commercial structures. Jerry was well-known for his work on Chase Tower downtown (formerly the FNB building) and Women's and Childrens Hospital, among others. However, his mother’s creative influence on him gave him the direction to follow his dreams. “There was nothing she couldn’t do. Her influence probably had a greater influence on me than my father.” He was also greatly influenced by the beautiful work of A. Hayes Town, whose late-career was focused on traditional residential structures, after a lucrative career as a commercial architect. “He’s been a great influence on the type of work I try to do. In the beginning, I tried to emulate Mr. Town and as I got more comfortable with my abilities I brought them to the table. I used his work as a strong influence. However, I threw my own spin into the architecture. As an example, Mr. Town’s work focused on “living space” and downplayed the kitchen space, closets, and bathrooms. In his day, people wanted kitchens out of site and bathrooms were not the luxurious spacious ones we see today. However, Town's love of salvaged bricks and wood, and earthy textiles, is one Kevin shares and which you will see in many of his designs. “My first love is beauty in a home and I have learned functionality along the way from clients and living life. Our homes are both functional and beautiful. We design how people live, with an eye for resale. Don’t design for the two events in your life….design for the everyday. That’s what makes a home happy. People’s habits don’t change when they move." When a client hires Kevin, they get not only an architect but also a professional who guides them in design choices inside and outside the house. He helps clients select paint, flooring, textiles, as well as the look of the gardens, patios….all of these elements need to be integral in the design. Sometimes an interior designer can select a look out of sync with the architecture of the house; Kevin guides his clients to ensure a cohesive design from inside and out.

We welcome Joan Savoy and Andrew Duhon of the Lafayette Public Library Foundation. Joan is the current President of the Foundation and Andrew is a longtime volunteer on behalf of the public library, having also served twice as President on the Library Board of Control. The Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization created in 1992 that supplements taxpayer funding of our libraries by encouraging private donations and endowments that provide books and services and fund special programs and projects. More than $200,000 has been raised over the years and monies have been dedicated to library improvements such as enhancing the entrance to the children's wing in the Main Library, "wrapping" the bookmobile and purchasing books for the libraries. Donors can create an endowment fund in the name of a family member, individual, or business organization with a minimum contribution of $100; once the endowment is fully funded at $1,000, one book will be donated annually in perpetuity in honor of the named endowment. The foundation's largest fundraiser is the annual luncheon which highlights local authors and awards proponents of the library system. The theme of this year’s event was “The Future Is Local!” where Second Harvest Food Bank was honored with the Foundation Award and Andrew Duhon received the President’s Award. Since 1992, the Lafayette Public Library Foundation has purchased over 10,000 books for our libraries through private donations. Through the endowment program, the foundation has established a continuous, long-term revenue stream for the purchase of new books and media for the library. The Foundation is currently focused on educating the community on the many services offered by the public library system. With a 1.8 mill property tax renewal on the October 9, 2021 ballot, which raises approximately $4 million a year, Discover Lafayette is proud to share the many ways our public libraries sustain our quality of life. We also want to inform the public on the importance of adequate funding and acknowledge the many volunteers who work to maintain this community asset. We thank Joan and Andrew, along with their peers, for the selfless time they give to our library system. The Lafayette Public Library System has nine locations to serve the citizens of Lafayette Parish. People of all ages and demographics utilize the library daily and enjoy its free Wi-Fi, meeting spaces, and of course, the ability to check out books and digital resources. Makerspaces and Tech Labs offer the use of 3D printers and classes in digital media, paper and textile arts, electronics, and fabrication. Adults can receive free assistance from library staff in crafting or updating their resumes. During 2018-2019, over 1 million people visited the Lafayette Public libraries, 13,338 library cards were issued, and over 2 million materials were checked out (including digital resources). During the COVID shutdown, people flocked to the libraries to use to take advantage of the free computers and Wi-Fi; the volume of materials checked out went up and the library responded to the crisis by offering a 23% increase in programming. Of course, while the library offers 'free' services and resources to the public, its annual budget of $12 million must be met to sustain operations. Annual tax revenue is now approximately $11 million, resulting in a $1 million shortfall each year. Just a few short years ago, the library's reserve fund was flush with a balance of $40 million. Plans were underway to build a much-needed Northeast Lafayette Parish Regional Library with the intent to tie services into underperforming schools such as Northside High, JW Faulk, and NP Moss. Additions to public meeting space at regional libraries were in the works. The Board of Control had endeavored to be good stewards with the public funds, building four new regional libraries with a combination of cash and bond revenues while maintaining a healthy cash rese...

We welcome Jaci and Michael Russo, authors of “He Said, She Said: Branding," to Discover Lafayette. Their new book shares the wisdom they've garnered through their combined decades of experience working in branding and with each other as a married couple. It's important to understand that in today's world, a company's "brand" is much more than a logo or type of product. The Russos define brand in the same way as Marty Neumeier, an American icon in the world of advertising and business creativity: "A brand is a person's emotional connection to a company, product or service." That emotional connection is why consumers seek out the products that they like, that make them feel good, and that they're willing to pay more for. We can all relate to products that we're proud to wear or drive....the things that make us feel good every time we encounter them. Jaci and Michael Russo are the co-founders of brandRUSSO, a strategic branding agency in Lafayette, LA. The agency focuses on helping their clients build their brand, help them effectively tell their story, and decipher their best business practices to effectively distinguish them from the crowd of competitors. Experience has shown that their clients may then command a premium price for their products or services once their targeted market identifies with their brand and trusts that they will deliver on their company's promises. "He Said, She Said: Branding" can be purchased online at Amazon or at Beausoleil Books on Jefferson Street in downtown Lafayette. Michael and Jaci Russo share not only their tips on effectively branding a company but how they have managed to stay married while working together for over 20 years! About 15 years ago, the Russos sat down and analyzed how they strategically solved their clients' problems and trademarked it "Razor Branding." In a nutshell, the Russos ask clients the following questions: "Who are you talking to?" "Why should they pick you?" "What are you trying to say?" "Where should you say it?" Razor Branding has four core elements that work for any type of business or service for which you are wanting to build a solid and loyal client base: focus (the "Who"), promise (the "Why"), connection (the "What"), and harmony (the "Where"). It works by "first identifying their client's target audience and then developing messaging, strategies, and creative that builds awareness, loyalty, and eventual advocacy." "In the entrance to our building, we have a quote from Jef Richards: 'Creative without strategy is art. Creative with strategy is advertising.' I came across this quote while I was touring agencies in Texas back in college. I like to think if Jef had written that today, it would have said, "Creative with strategy is branding." Michael Russo Our interview is full of colorful anecdotes that will inspire both budding entrepreneurs and established business owners to closely examine their business practices and how they place media ads. Since 2008 there has been a drastic change in marketing due to the explosion of social media. Before then, television, radio, and print ads were the way to go. Today, Jaci and Michael call themselves 'media agnostic," meaning that there is no one (media) size that fits all businesses to effectively share messaging about a client's offerings. For some clients, it is still best to place tv ads. Others will advertise solely on digital platforms. It all depends on who the targeted market is and how best to reach them. It is interesting to note that South Louisiana is a huge radio market....." people here love their radio!" "Consumers have all the power now. They have the ability to communicate their experience, and many businesses, such as Uber and Airbnb have built their brands upon that feedback. Uber riders have to give their driver a rating and vice versa. Everyone has access to this information. Crowdsourcing of reviews means that companies have to earn your loyalty; they can...

Discover Lafayette welcomes Sean Trcalek, Vice President and General Manager of KATC, who is also known for his wide-ranging musical talents. With over 30 years of experience in broadcast and sales, Trcalek previously served as general manager for KADN, KLAF, and My Network Acadiana. An active volunteer, Trcalek serves on the board of United Way of Acadiana, Acadiana Open Channel, and the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters. After graduating from USL (now UL-Lafayette) in Public Relations with an English Minor, Trcalek’s career began in 1989 at KATC. When he was just a small child, his passion for music began. “I’ve always been around music, I guess I figured at some point in time when I was growing up I would somehow make a living using my voice, and that’s kind of what happened,” Trcalek said. His enjoyed working in radio at KMDL when he was in high school. What started as a weekend disc jockey gig turned into a lifetime passion. Sean Trcalek is a talented singer and musician who has always had a passion for his craft. “I’ve always been around music, I guess I figured at some point in time when I was growing up I would somehow make a living using my voice, and that’s kind of what happened,” Trcalek said. His career started in radio at KMDL when he was in high school. What started as a weekend disc jockey gig turned into a lifetime passion. In college, Trcalek was involved in political media until he joined KATC right after graduation. In his career, he’s launched Cable Ad Sales for LUS Fiber, helped to build Delta Media, and created various coffee table books, but at heart, he’s a broadcaster. With a staff of over 80 individuals at KATC, Trcalek specializes in getting the station on the air. “When I started in 1989, I never thought that I would become a general manager,” Trcalek said. “I was drawn to television because of KATC,” Trcalek said. KATC is affiliated with ABC and owned by the 150-year-old media company E.W. Scripps. KATC is a journalist-based company, which owns primarily news stations. KATC is more than just a television news station, they have mobile apps and streaming services. Starting next year, they will be the home of SEC Football. “We’re in the business of Impressions,” Trcalek said. KATC provides news in the morning, but their website stays active all day. KATC is an ABC affiliate serving viewers in the parishes of Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Martin and Vermilion. In regard to how Covid affected advertising, Trcalek mentioned that the economy has a direct correlation to ad sales. “The big product categories for TV stations are food, restaurants, dining, medical services, legal services and the automotive industry and as a whole, all that stuff came to a halt.” Trcalek said, “The nation saw about a 40% drop in ad revenue last year.” With anchors working from home, some viewers were put off by the inevitable change. “The role of local media hasn’t really changed…no one else can provide information on which schools are closing and what to wear to school and where to buy a car in Crowley,” Trcalek said. He mentioned the heated term “fake news” and said, “For me as a local broadcaster, obviously it’s very troubling and concerning for a bunch of reasons.” He states his fears that the local news may be getting lumped into opinion-based news. “We are there to provide a voice to the majority (of Lafayette) and the minority,” Trcalek said, “We are there to give voice to the voiceless.” The polarization of the country may be affecting viewers opinions on their local stations, as well as the people buying ads for the station. “Our company recognizes the dilemma that sometimes we are in, we have to address issues through newscasts that people don’t want to talk about…issues of equality, of race, of poverty, of injustice, and sometimes people don’t want to hear that,” Trcalek said. The biggest change that Trcalek has seen over his 30-year ...

Our guest is Scott Angelle, who discusses balancing Louisiana's "3 E's" – Environment, Energy, and Economy. Angelle was the longest-serving Director of the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), from 2017 through 2020. He also served as Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, from 2004 to 2012, and as Lieutenant Governor in 2010. Angelle served as an elected member from District 2 of the Public Service Commission, as a member of the LSU Board of Supervisors, and chaired Louisiana’s Water Resources Commission. He also served 16 years as a police jury member in St. Martin Parish and as their first Parish President. Growing up in St. Martin Parish in a large family, Angelle was one of nine children who were raised to respect others. "Family is everything. We were blessed to have two wonderful parents. To those who have been given a great opportunity comes a great responsibility to improve the world. We were always taught that our community is a reflection of our individual efforts." Angelle's parents owned the local Ford dealership and he recalled how values of inclusion and kindness to all were instilled in him at a young age. Angelle's career experiences have afforded him a deep understanding of the need to protect the environment while the drilling for fossil fuels continues. His most recent experience as Director of BSEE involved promoting safety, protecting the environment, and conserving resources through the regulatory oversight and enforcement of energy industry operations on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. During his first days in office at BSEE in 2017, the General Accountability Office placed offshore oil and gas drilling on its list of unsafe and dangerous high-risk programs, not a list anyone wants to be on; over the next few years, Angelle successfully focused efforts to improve safety and on getting the industry off this list. Today, the offshore oil and gas industry is ranked as the second safest high-hazard industry in America. Angelle stresses that the U. S. is not well-served by being reliant on foreign energy sources. He's become a student of history and shared trends that can't be ignored: from 1973 to 2019, there were six U. S. recessions that were each preceded by a spike in energy prices. His conclusion: It is in our nation's best interest to keep energy prices flat in order to keep the economy on an even keel, maintain our national security, and protect the quality of life for our citizens. "History tells us that if we lose energy independence and prices rise, we will go into a recession. People will be laid off and cars will sit on the lots. It's called 'demand destruction.'" But not all barrels of oil are created equally. "We can be big, big winners in the Gulf of Mexico." Angelle wants people to understand the science of drilling offshore in the Gulf of Mexico and the desirability of pursuing this ecologically friendly option. The carbon intensity of oil that is extracted from the Gulf of Mexico, particularly in the Central Gulf, which is loaded with hydrocarbons (offshore of Louisiana,) is very low, in fact, its low-intensity rating is only exceeded by Saudi Arabian oil. The importance of this? The higher the carbon intensity, the more likely burning of the fuel will cause an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which will trap heat, leading to climate change. According to Angelle, "Gulf of Mexico oil is good for our economy and the environment. We can improve our environment by replacing foreign oil with Gulf oil and create jobs locally." A big issue in America is how we are responding to climate change challenges. Angelle cited a 2016 Obama/Biden report that concluded "if we don't have regularly schedule resale of leases in the Gulf of Mexico, it will force greenhouse gas emissions to go up in America because we will have to procure our oil from higher carbon intensity provinces."

Discover Lafayette welcomes Jerry Prejean, newly named Acadiana Market President of IBERIABANK, a division of First Horizon. Jerry brings talent and kindness to all of his interactions with others. Prejean has 28 years of experience in the world of banking. His most recent position was Senior Vice President and private client group manager of IBERIABANK. Prejean was head of the private banking team since 2002. Though busy in the bank, Prejean still finds time to give back to his community. He has been highly involved in the Boys and Girls Club, AMIkids, Lafayette Central Park, One Acadiana, Ragan Cajun’s Athletic Foundation, Community Foundation of Acadiana, Lafayette Economic Development Authority and United Way of Acadiana. Prejean’s parents, Joe and Inez Prejean, had limited education and were shaped by the Great Depression. “Because of their lack of education it was really forced on their kids to really focus on getting a good education and breaking the cycle of poverty,” Prejean said. Prejean graduated from Immaculate Heart of Mary in Lafayette, and then went on to major in Finance at USL where he graduated in 1992. His four siblings are also highly educated. Prejean heard other kids at his school talking about the Boys Club. “It really resonated with me the impact that the organization had on those kids at an early age,” Prejean said. As he got into banking, an opportunity presented itself to serve as a representative on the Boys and Girls Club board. “I really probably got more out of it than the kids got out of it,” Prejean said. He sat on the board for 25 years and recently stepped down in 2019. Prejean got his start by working full time in retail for the Abdalla family, in college. At 19, he was the full-time manager of Brother’s mall store. “I think I learned more about people and about sales, networking and getting along with people, in that retail environment than in the class room,” Prejean said. He was exposed to dealing with vendors, learned how to manage client complaints, and mastered the general business of retail. He took his people skills from retail and his analytical skills from the classroom and combined them to become the banker he is today. He started with First National Bank of Lafayette in 1993 (in 1998 became Bank One), and moved to IBERIABANK in 2002 at a time when the bank was growing exponentially under the leadership of Daryl Byrd. His focus was on private banking, which caters to an affluent population. He builds relationships with people who desire only one point of contact for their banking needs. “As the relationship evolves, we start talking investments, estate planning and the transfer of wealth from one generation to the other,” Prejean said. "I like the fact that as bankers, we can help people formalize their dreams and put a plan in place to help them accomplish those dreams,” It is important for young folks to manage credit card exposure and to avoid credit card debt so as not to impede future opportunities to acquire credit." Prejean wants everyone to have a chance to acquire their own wealth, in their own ways. “You can easily paint yourself into a corner with too much debt.” We did note that Jerry Vascocu, former Acadiana Market President, has recently been named as head of the commercial lending division across the company’s twelve state region for the new combined company of First Horizon and IBERIABANK. Vascocu will remain domiciled in Lafayette. Prejean has dedicated his life to helping children in need. He focused his volunteer work with the Boys and Girls Club and AMIkids. “Early on in working with these kids, I really connected with the kids and really saw them light up when they would have personal connections,” Prejean said. He mentioned how important it is for all kids to have someone see something in them, that they may never see on their own without the kindness of a mentor paying attention to them.

Managing partner for Salt Capital Equity Group, owner of Cache Real Estate, and broker with Real Broker, LLC, Terrica Smith Joins Discover Lafayette to teach us how to not only survive after trauma, but thrive. Smith shares details about her affordable housing project in North Lafayette, Madeline Cove. She also sheds light on her survival story and how God, determination and pure grit led her to her bright future. Smith is the driving force behind the Madeline Cove project, a 15-acre mixed-used development planned for Madeline Avenue in North Lafayette, in the University Corridor between downtown and I-10. The community was originally started almost 10 years ago, by out-of-state developers, right after Hurricane Katrina. The original developers spent money and time installing all of the ‘hard costs’ such as utilities, drainage, etc. Ironically, Smith was slated to be the listing agent for homes to be built in Madeline Cove as she was newly embarking on her career in real estate after earning her real estate license in 2006. After the Madeline Cove project went bankrupt, the property was left vacant; in the ensuing years, it became a dumping ground for old tires, furniture and mounds of garbage. “It was disgusting…..you couldn’t drive through without running over garbage,” Smith said. Madeline Cove, depicted at left, after sitting abandoned for over ten years, had become a dumping ground for trash. At right, Terrica Smith standing with a depiction of a street within her passion project, Madeline Cove. After successfully building her career in the real estate world, Smith wanted to tap into the possibilities that North Lafayette had to offer. She mentioned that not many people were interested in the area due to its lack of schools and healthy grocery options. “I know what it’s like to feel abandoned, I know what it’s like for people to walk away from you and act like you don’t even exist. I know what it’s like for people to not believe in you” Smith said. Terrica Smith, the youngest Black female real estate developer in the state. Madeline Cove became Smith’s passion project. “I realized very early on that we had to be able to change the hearts and minds of people because if people instantly think that the North side is the bad side, then nobody’s going to want to invest any money over there,” Smith said. She noted how so many commercial establishments have closed down in North Lafayette, leaving a shell of its former self in the midst of a food and healthcare desert. Smith turned to her trusted investors from around the world to invest in Madeline Cove, but they were all hesitant. She had over 100 rejections when soliciting investments, but that only lit the fire of this determined young woman more. She kept a notebook of tally marks of all the rejections she experienced, along with the name of the very first investor who told her yes. Smith had thought that the newly developed Opportunity Zone Act established under the Trump administration would attract investors who were looking for solid ways to defer tax obligations on capital gains, but it was not so. “The issue for investors was not so much them deferring their capital gains of 30 to 40%, it was really that they did not see the vision for Madeline Cove,” Smith said. The first “yes” from an investor is what kept Smith going. “Of course it wasn’t time to throw in the towel, it was time to turn up the fire and start making more things happen, Smith said. After countless late hour meetings and persistence, Smith finally got the investments that she needed to make Madeline Cove a reality. While she hopes the project appeals to those who want to live in the heart of Lafayette in decent and affordable housing, she also dreams of the possibilities that will open up for commercial businesses, grocery stores, etc. when people can see that it is possible to make the community better. Replace the liquor stores and Dollar Generals with fresh fruit stands...

Author of several baseball books, including the newly released "The Best Little Baseball Town in the World" which highlights Crowley LA and the Evangeline Baseball League, Gaylon White joins Discover Lafayette to flip through the pages of his own story and his lifelong love of baseball. Born in 1946 in Los Angeles, White started his journey as a sportswriter for the Denver Post, Arizona Republic, and The Oklahoma Journal. His passion for sports writing led him to write four baseball books of his own after he retired from the corporate world. Starting in 2014 he wrote The Bilko Athletic Club: The Story of the 1956 Los Angeles Angels. In 2018 he wrote Singles and Smiles: How Artie Wilson Broke Baseball’s Color Barrier. In 2019 he wrote Left On Base in the Bush Legends, Near Greats and Unknowns in the Minors. His latest baseball book, The Best Little Baseball Town in the World: The Crowley Millers and Minor League Baseball in the 1950s, was released in March 2021. His aim is to keep alive the legacy of the Crowley Millers, the ballpark in Crowley, and the memories of the Evangeline Baseball League. Many minor league ballplayers who played for the Millers became major-league players, including Hal Newhouser, Virgil "Fire" Trucks, and Ed Lopat. George Brunet was another famous professional ballplayer highlighted in his latest book who pitched for nine major league teams. The Crowley Millers’ biggest star was Conklyn Meriwether, a slugger who became infamous after he retired when he killed his in-laws with an ax. Their former manager, Johnny George, turned out to be a con man, who died in jail awaiting trial on embezzlement charges. During the team's heyday in first place in the league, they were torn to pieces after their star centerfielder, Andy Strong, was struck and killed by lightning during a game which he desperately tried to avoid playing. Yet, with all the irony, the Crowley Millers played great baseball and led pitchers George Brunet and Dan Pfister to stardom and careers in the majors. White was enraptured by the magic of the world of minor league baseball from an early age. He mentioned that many of the major league teams that we know today were once minor league teams that he grew up with. Los Angeles was a minor league city until The Dodgers moved from Brooklyn in 1958. Houston, Texas was also the site of a minor league team before they landed the Houston Astros. He remembers being four years of age, living in LA, and having the opportunity to bond with his father, a busy minister, as they watched minor league teams play in his hometown. Peppered with statistics about baseball’s minor and major leagues and the small world of Crowley, The Best Little Baseball Town in the World caters to a wide-ranging audience. “One of the reasons for writing the book was to keep alive the legacy of the Crowley Millers, the Miller ballpark that they played in that’s still open in Crowley....in fact it’s looking better than ever, and the story of the history of the Evangeline League,” White said. The famous Miller Stadium, originally built in 1948, was revamped during the pandemic with an investment of $5 million by the City of Crowley. According to Gaylon White, it is in better shape now than it was when built in 1948. White stressed that in the heyday of baseball, minor league baseball appealed to Americans because so few cities had major ball clubs in the day. Only five cities in the U. S. had major league teams. The majority of America was enamored with the play of local minor league teams that were hosted in small towns across the U. S. “Most of the country, in terms of baseball being its national pastime (where it earned that reputation), was being played in the small towns of America. Fans were able to make contact with the minor league players who passed through their towns and this ignited their grass-roots appeal as fans felt they belonged.” In 1921,

Tessa Brown and Mechelle Roberthon joined Discover Lafayette to discuss how workplace leaders should lead. Through wit and humor, they share their expertise in how managers can best engage with frontline workers to set up companies for success. From the pandemic’s impacts on work-life to positive employee-employer relationships, Brown and Roberthon are expert human resource and talent development experts. Lafayette native and LSU grad Tessa Brown serves as the Human Resources manager for CCI Piping Systems and has a strong passion for helping small businesses . “There’s nothing like a family-owned business,” Brown said, and she loves working with the Cazayoux family who owns CCI Piping. Brown enjoys volunteering with the Acadiana Society for Resource Management ("SHRM"), as well as the SHRM statewide council. Vice President and Director of Talent Development for Home Bank, Mechelle Roberthon received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, majoring in arts and humanities and behavioral sciences. "I am a diehard Rajun Cajun fan and alum!" Roberthon has a Master of Science in training and performance improvement from Capella University and is pursuing a doctorate of education in learning and organizational change from Baylor University. She moved to Lafayette from Alexandria 15 years ago to attend UL-Lafayette and that's when she met her future husband. “We are never leaving South Louisiana, we’re just not leaving,” Roberthon said. Fresh out of college, her start was in the non-profit sector. Whether it's working with Acadiana Shelter for Girls or Big Brothers Big Sisters of Acadiana, Roberthon enjoys helping others succeed. Through this, she quickly found her calling for talent development. Along with her work for Home Bank, she’s involved with The Association of Talent Development (formerly known as the American Society of Training and Development). Brown and Roberthon began working together at a corporate training center in 2014, where Brown was the Human Resources Manager and Roberthon was the Talent Development Instructor. They quickly realized that they shared a similar passion for human and talent development. “People are people…the company is made up of people, no matter what the size,” Brown said, “Once you develop that talent, the sky is the limit.” Brown's passion is working with people and believes that if employers can build a great workplace, a great place to go every day, "think of all the amazing things you can do!" “Human Resources and Talent Development skills are transferable to any industry, which is why I can move from healthcare to banking and Tessa can move from corporate development to manufacturing, because people are people. My personal tagline is 'I develop people who are responsible for developing the business," Roberthon stated. She further noted that businesses can’t exist without the people who make the brand valuable and explained that it just takes one person in a company of any size to make or break the company's brand and reputation. It's critical to develop the talent in workers who stand on the front lines representing the company and interacting with the consumer. And, a good working environment will positively enhance the mood of a person as they leave the workplace and go home to family and friends (and the dog!). To be effective, the creation of a positive workplace will include intentional and meaningful engagement and development of the employees, coming from employers who are genuinely interested in the best environment and work culture for their staff. "It's critical to develop the talent in workers who stand on the front lines representing the company and interacting with the consumer. And, a good working environment will positively enhance the mood of a person as they leave the workplace and go home to family and friends (and the dog!). To be effective, the creation of a positive workplace will include intentional and meaningful e...

Dr. Stephen Barnes, Director of the Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Public Policy Center, joined Discover Lafayette to discuss his role in building a body of researched and well-thought-out policies to guide our state's decision-makers as they endeavor to improve lives and communities across Louisiana. In addition to his role at the Blanco Center, Dr. Barnes is also an Associate Professor of economics at the B.I. Moody III College of Business. In 2019, he was selected to serve as the independent economist on the Louisiana Revenue Estimating Conference, a forecasting panel that sets income projections used to create the annual Louisiana state budget. From left, Dr. Stephen Barnes, La. Senate President Page Cortez, La. House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, and Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne, the four members of the Revenue Estimating Conference on May 18, 2021, in Baton Rouge. Photo by Melinda Deslatte of AP. Previously, Dr. Barnes spent 10 years in the Department of Economics at LSU. He has led studies on many topics related to the Louisiana economy, education, the coast and environment, health, and health care. To prepare him for his current concurrent role in helping Louisiana improve its station, he earned a Ph.D. in economics from UT at Austin. A partnership between the UL-Lafayette College of Liberal Arts and the Edith Garland Dupré Library, the Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Public Policy Center focuses on the public policy areas championed by Governor Blanco during her 25-year career in state government. These issues included education, poverty and economic opportunity, criminal justice reform, health and healthcare, the coast and environment, and governmental ethics. Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco served our state as governor during the challenging times of recovering from the devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2015. She chose not to run for re-election after her one term in office as governor. Later, Gov. Blanco bravely chose to offer the public access to knowledge on her time in office and donated ninety boxes of materials documenting decisions made during her time as governor, allowing others to share her insights and learn from past actions. The Blanco Center's mission is based upon her legacy with the aim to offer strong and informed guidance into the future as leadership choices are made that impact all of our citizens' lives. Gov. Kathleen Blanco was elected as Louisiana’s first woman governor in 2004. In 2005, she led Louisiana through Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, the largest natural disaster in American history. After retiring from public office, she served on a variety of boards and committees devoted to improving the lives of Louisiana residents and furthering the values of education, health care, and eliminating poverty. Governor Blanco spearheaded the development of a policy center at UL-Lafayette that would eventually carry her name. Governor Blanco passed away on August 18, 2019. Her passion for Louisiana and desire to see rigorous research shape policy live on through the work of the Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Public Policy Center. Many of the academic departments in UL - Lafayette's College of Liberal Arts have a natural alignment with the Blanco Center's aim to learn from the past and guide the state into a successful future with well-informed policies based upon research: sociology, political science, psychology, and history. Dr. Barnes noted that the goal is to get and keep UL-Lafayette professors engaged and have a broader academic voice involved in research. The various departments collaborate on joint grant proposals with the Blanco Center in furtherance of the mission to come up with best practices for improving the quality of life in Louisiana. Louisiana has problems that have been systemic for generations. The Blanco Center wants to ensure that its work is focused on the relevant issues of our times and bring research to the Louisiana State Legisla...

Brett Bayard, of the Kiwanis Club of Lafayette, joined Discover Lafayette to discuss the Rewards for Reading Program in Lafayette LA. The mission of all Kiwanis clubs is to make the lives of children better. Kiwanis partnered with the Lafayette Parish Public School System and 24 of its Elementary Schools to launch the Reading for Rewards Program. The goal is to inspire and excite our youngest students to read so that they can learn to love reading, thus do better in school and build a lifelong habit of reading. Kickstarted by a $2500 grant from Home Bank, $1,000 from Postlethwaite & Netterville CPA's, and a great deal of financial assistance from Kiwanis members, the program has gotten off to a successful start. Students earn points by participating in the school system's Accelerated Reader (AR) program to become eligible for prizes. They earn one raffle ticket every nine weeks as they meet their AR goal, which goal is individualized and based upon each student's reading level. Students can earn further raffle tickets by exceeding their goals. Prizes will be awarded in person at the elementary schools throughout May 2021, beginning May 12th at Ernest Gallet Elementary. Prizes being awarded by Kiwanis members at each school include two bikes, four Razer scooters, and various goodie bags being provided by UL-Lafayette, Cox, Lafayette Parish library, and more. This is the first year of Reading for Rewards and the Kiwanis Club of Lafayette plans to build upon the program and continue encouraging our youngest to read. Brett Bayard, Kiwanis Club of Lafayette member, and Paula Graffeo, J. Wallace James Elementary librarian, pose with two bikes that will be raffled off in May 2021 in the Rewards for Reading Program. Rewards for Reading was inspired by a similar program created in 2006 by the Dawn Busters Kiwanis in Metairie, LA. Their program has grown tremendously since its early days and the club has seen how the rewards offered to young students have directly and positively improved educational outcomes. Studies show that children who cannot read on grade level by 3rd grade are four times more likely to drop out of school. Third grade is a crucial time in a child’s education as students transition from learning to read, to reading to learn. It is in our community's best interest to support programs such as Rewards for Reading and we thank Kiwanis Club of Lafayette for launching this program. Our interview included heartwarming stories, including how hard it has been to find enough bikes in retail stores to meet the needs for Rewards for Reading prizes. Brett recalled how he and other Kiwanis members went from store to store, buying one bike at a time at first as the stores experienced a shortage of bikes; the COVID shutdown turned bikes into a precious commodity and for a time, almost impossible to find. Anecdotal evidence of the popularity and early success of the Reading for Rewards program in our Lafayette public elementary schools continues to mount. Members have heard stories of kids reading books as fast as they can get their hands on them; one student even gave up his video game time to read more books! Another anecdote was of a five-year-old who is reading more than his high school-age siblings. Kiwanis members speak of "Kiwanis Moments" when they realize the joy they experience by helping children through their clubs' activities. Kiwanis programs involving interaction with local students include Shaping Academic Resources for Kids ("SPARK"), Positive Lifestyle Activity for Youth ("PLAY"), the Healthy Living Club. Brett shared that his own meaningful Kiwanis Moment occurred when he took a young student shopping for Christmas gifts as a part of the Kiwanis annual Christmas giving program. The young girl said that was the first time in her life that she had been given an opportunity to get new clothes as she always had just gotten hand-me-downs or whatever was laying around.

Ted Kergan, CEO of Kergan Brothers Sonic, along with the company’s President, Gary Wilkerson, joined Discover Lafayette to talk about the current difficulties the service industry is having in employing an adequate work staff as we emerge from the COVID shutdown in 2021. Business is up 50% for Kergan Bros. Sonic over last year's numbers and meeting the workforce demand is their current #1 challenge. As Ted Kergan says, "It is a perfect storm. It's hard to find people whose financial interests are best served by going to work. After the first of the year in most years, people get their income tax refunds so they have some free money. In this case, the government released stimulus checks which turned out to be $1,400.00 per person in each household.....one of our employees came in and said his family had $10,000 in the bank. Once people got that big amount of money, they didn't want to go to work but they did want to go out and spend. It's not just our business that has been impacted, it's every single business." Wilkerson further explained, "This started last year, with the stimulus checks. Over a year, you could stay home and make $40,000 not to work. It has snowballed at this point." The industry's supply chain has also been heavily impacted worldwide, compounding their ability to offer basic items people expect when food is ordered. Kergan explained, "As an example, we've had a heck of a problem finding straws. Specifically, our straws come from China and they're in a container ship in Long Beach CA. We literally can not get our straws out of the container ship because, in Long Beach, every longshoreman went on vacation when they received their stimulus checks. Literally every one of them!!" With over 60 Sonic Locations across Central and South Louisiana, Kergan Bros. is one of Sonic’s most successful franchisees in the U. S and they focus on four main markets: Lafayette, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Alexandria. With a workforce in place of about 2,000 people on any given day, Kergan Bros. Sonic actually has about 3,000 active employees, just as they have in past years, and offers a fun and quirky place to work where the employees are treated as family. "We think our employees will never treat our customers better than we treat our employees. We look at our team members as our customers. Our challenge every day is to find a way to treat them with love, as we are all children of God and deserve to be treated that way. We treat each team member with love and respect. They mirror that with our customers out on the job." The issue at hand is that as the stimulus dollars hit the market, people have more money in their pockets and they are running out to spend the money. There is a great pent-up demand. Everyone's sales have gone through the roof. As Ted Kergan said, "We have the same number of employees we had last year. But business exploded so quickly in each segment that everyone needed more employees to handle the additional business." This increased workforce need is the issue Kergan Bros. Sonic is struggling to meet. (As an aside, we spoke with Jimmy Guidry, owner of Hub City Diner in Lafayette, who shared that he is experiencing more business right now than he ever has....in the history of his restaurant.) When asked to give his thoughts on raising the minimum wage and its impact on the labor force, Kergan said, "Because of the tight labor market, the market is driving the minimum wage higher, faster than legislation is. So in states like AZ and CA, where they've enacted the minimum wage, that's a stairstep procedure over several years. The reality is, because of the tight labor market, we have always gone into a market and looked at our competitors' wages and paid more. We're not interested in the minimum or the average employee, we're interested in the best people. Years ago, a banker in Ville Platte said to me, 'The people you pay a lot of money to, they don't cause you problems.

Dan Jurek, Licensed Professional Counselor and Marriage and Family Specialist, joined Discover Lafayette to discuss how the COVID shutdown has impacted individuals, couples, and families. Dan specializes in couples counseling. Dan has more than 35 years of experience in adult counseling, and marriage and couples counseling, having studied at Franciscan University in Steubenville OH and earning a Masters in Catholic theology. His practice is guided by his Franciscan spirituality, following Christ in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi. He has utilized his experience to help all age groups in our community, having first moved here in 1990 at the urging of St. Thomas More High School's Mike Keith who recruited him to work as Campus Minister. He also worked with Father Hampton Davis with the campus ministry on UL - Lafayette's campus. He received a second master's at Holy Cross in New Orleans and was licensed as a professional counselor in 2003. Dan started Pax Renewal Center in Lafayette almost two decades ago, as he realized that counseling services were just as vital to a person’s health as exercise and nutrition. Cognizant that some people can't afford to pay for counseling, Pax offers graduate students' services who work under Dan's tutelage, thereby offering counseling at a greatly reduced rate. The COVID shutdown hit Pax Renewal Center and other area counselors just as it did other sectors. Things slowed down dramatically at first and then picked up again last September. Dan learned quickly that Zoom calls are just not as good as in-person sessions. "Overwhelm" has been what we have all felt according to Dan, and when you stack stresses on top of each other, "The strongest person can only carry so much weight!" Families were impacted from all angles; the respite that parents had enjoyed when their children were in school or day care evaporated overnight. The fear of COVID, Mom and Dad working from home or looking for work, and the pressing need to buy computer equipment and become IT experts so as to manage online work and school stressed even the healthiest families. For couples who were already strained, who were confined at home together with no where to go, it all amped up energy in an unhealthy way. "It broke my heart to work with families that experienced abusive situations as it all escalated. Things can quickly move from emotional abuse to physical abuse. Kids who weren't able to attend school, getting that one square meal a day that school provided and having the opportunity to get out of their house to a safe place, their refuge was taken from them. Parents couldn't protect their kids from abuse." As September 2020 rolled around and the world opened up a bit, couples therapy began anew online. Dan noted while Zoom "works," you had couples who weren't getting along having to sit shoulder to shoulder in an uncomfortable situation. It is also difficult for the therapist to pick up on important body language that is occurring from the chest down that is not visible on a Zoom call, such as shaking legs, clenched fists. Use of substances rose, as have other addictive behaviors such as over/under eating, process addictions such as overuse of internet and pornography, and of course binge watching of shows on Netflix and other outlets. Rather than dealing with family or problems, people would numb out in front of the computer or television. So the pain remained. Calling a counselor is one of the most courageous things a person can do. Calling someone and trusting them to help you feel better is typically a result of "inspiration or desperation," according to Dan. But as they present, people are typically honest about the pain they feel and share universal symptoms of trauma, such as feeling out of control, insomnia, can't eat or can't stop eating. It's a false narrative to think you should be able to handle your problems. Dan says, people will tell him,

Elizabeth Brooks, Executive Director of Moncus Park, joined Discover Lafayette to discuss construction underway at the park. Much has happened since our first interview with EB in 2017, and as their website, moncuspark.org/the-park/ says, the park is well on its way to becoming a world-class central park for all of Acadiana to enjoy! The park is slated to open to the public Thanksgiving 2021. Elizabeth, affectionately known as "EB," gained local renown in 2005 when she was a student at UL – Lafayette. She and her friend, Danica Adams (the last person to live on the horse farm), learned that the 100 acre UL Horse farm tract was threatened by a potential sale by the university to a commercial developer. Unable to accept that this treasure in the middle of Lafayette could possibly ever become just another strip mall, the two launched a successful community-wide campaign to save the property; thousands of local residents became involved, aided by the rise of social media during that same time. After the horse farm was 'saved,' EB left Lafayette to earn graduate degrees in Community & Regional Planning as well as Urban Design earned from UT in Austin. She noted how she had never realized that urban planning was even a career option until she met Mike Hollier of LCG's Planning Department when she was working to save the horse farm space. EB's passion is in seeing a city crafted to maximize the ultimate quality of life and she said, "The impact of the built environment and infrastructure on people's quality of life and day-to-day experiences is something we should take more control over and strive to be world-class. It doesn't just happen." As an example she noted, "Some of the streetscapes we have built (here in Lafayette) are inhospitable." Elizabeth Brooks' passion is in seeing a city crafted to maximize the ultimate quality of life and she said, "The impact of the built environment and infrastructure on people's quality of life and day-to-day experiences is something we should take more control over and strive to be world-class. It doesn't just happen." It turns out that many other people value quality of life here too. EB spoke of the momentum that was gained during the Save the Horse Farm campaign. "We valued harnessing that same energy to create the master plan. We hired a firm to create the master plan that didn't have a preconceived notion of what the park should be, one that would listen to the people. People felt heard. It was empowering to be able to shape our community." The site of Moncus Park is long and narrow and is one of the old "long lots" granted once Lafayette was settled. It is very quiet once you enter, as little of the land fronts onto Johnston Street. While it made little sense to utilize the space for commercial development, it is a wonderful place for a park with its live oak trees and ravines; the master plan focuses on honoring the beautiful and natural features while enhancing the topography by adding a new four-acre lake and hilly areas. $60 million is the projected amount needed to be raised to fully realize the goal of making Moncus Park a world-class facility. A future site to host weddings, music, and community events, as well as a planned botanical garden, Louisiana-themed playgrounds and interactive splash pad, a Treehouse Masters treehouse, amphitheatre, Veterans Memorial, dog park, and promenade (the park's main walking and jogging trail offering soft surfaces kind to runners) all cost money. And except for the $6.8 million paid by the City of Lafayette to purchase the ground from UL-Lafayette, all is being funded via private donors. The late Jim Moncus was the first person EB called upon for financial support. She reminisced about his generosity, saying, "He looked over the list of naming rights, saw the top figure and said, 'I'd like to get involved.' It was a huge gift, a shot in the arm for fundraising efforts, and provided the minimum of what was needed to be...

Rex Moroux, a commercial sales and leasing agent with Scout Real Estate Company, joined Discover Lafayette to discuss the commercial real estate climate in Acadiana in early 2021. Rex began his real estate career at Coldwell Banker Real Estate and in the fall of 2018, joined Scout Real Estate, a firm headed up by his mentor, the late Hammy Davis, along with Jeff Landry and Chad Ortte. Previously he had toured and recorded as a professional musician throughout the U. S. and Europe. Things have completely changed in Rex's life since our first interview in 2018 when he was about to appear as a guest on Jeopardy, one of the only people from our region ever to achieve such an opportunity. One of the most important people in his life, Hammy Davis, passed away in October 2020 from Stage 4 brain cancer. "Hammy was the most important person in my life outside of my family...on so many levels, not just professionally. He was the greatest guy I have ever known. He was how I hope to be; if I can walk the world like him, I think I will have won." One of the most important people in Rex Moroux's life was his mentor, Hammy Davis, who passed away from Stage 4 brain cancer in October 2020. "Hammy was the most important person in my life outside of my family...on so many levels, not just professionally. He was the greatest guy I have ever known. He was how I hope to be; if I can walk the world like him, I think I will have won." Yet, life does go on and Hammy's tutelage has served Rex well. While Rex had never uttered the words "commercial real estate" before a fortuitous lunch with Hammy back in 2012, he now enjoys his career with Scout Real Estate. In fact, he has never been busier than he is now, even given the effects of COVID on the economy. Scout Real Estate handles all forms of property management, from asset management, financial consulting services, maintenance oversight of properties, or any other issues facing owner/sellers of commercial real estate properties. Rex focuses on the brokerage side of the business, finding the right buyers and sellers for a transaction. Lifelong connections help in the real estate business and Rex spoke of one such client and friend, VieMed owner Casey Hoyt, whom he helped along with partner Michael Moore in the purchase of the Talos Energy (formerly Stone Energy) building on Kaliste Saloom Road. He also represents families who inherit properties and don't know the value or best use of real estate which may have been in the family for decades. Along with his cohorts at Scout Real Estate, Rex offers professional property consulting services on a one-time basis or a longer-term arrangements. We spoke of the difference between residential and commercial real estate transactions, with due diligence being the key difference. A commercial deal is approached totally differently from the purchase of a home, with much more financial complexity and time needed to study, inspect and investigate all aspects of the property before closing. A commercial real estate broker can take the burden off a buyer or seller insofar as time and effort is involved in closing a deal. Brokers also offer expertise in advising on 1031 Exchanges and ensuring that a client's wealth is protected while minimizing tax burdens. A broker acting as an advocate for their client can prevent eager clients from committing to a deal before confirming it is right for their particular situation. One 'Hammyism' that Rex shared was to "Go to work every day as if you've got $100 grand in your pocket. Meaning that if you're obsessed with the commission, you won't do right by your client. You have to be able to tell them that this is no good. You have to take the long view. You earn trust and then everybody wins. It always pays off if you keep your client's needs primarily in mind." "What we see is that people can get too obsessed with the good aspects of a property and downplay the worst-case scenario.

Ashley Mudd, Executive Director of the Leadership Institute of Acadiana, joined Discover Lafayette to discuss her mission to build leaders in our community. Her quest is to ensure that everyone, regardless of background or industry, has the opportunity and support needed to find their voice and passion as a community leader. The Leadership Institute of Acadiana ("LIA") is the organization that hosts the Leadership Lafayette and Lafayette Junior Leadership programs, as well as other programs to engage people who are unable to commit to a year of engagement. Since 1987, Leadership Lafayette operated under the auspices of the former Lafayette Chamber of Commerce which is now known as One Acadiana. Ashley credited former Chamber President Rob Guidry for having the foresight to start the program after hearing of it in his travels networking with other chamber execs around the U. S. The first class, officially named "Class One," calls themselves the "premier class." Many prominent leaders, such as Joey Durel, former Parish President of Lafayette Parish, credit Leadership Lafayette for spurring them onto greater civic and government engagement. (Read more about his story here.) Joey Durel, former Lafayette City-Parish President credits Leadership Lafayette for his desire to run for mayor. Once his children were transitioning out of their home, Joey had more time for civic engagement and made the leap into elected office. According to the organization's website, "At LIA, our goal is to provide experiential, collaborative leadership training programs and initiatives that offer local leaders access to the skills, knowledge and ongoing support they need to impact our community and influence the future of our region.' In practice they do this and so much more; they immerse program participants in eleven sessions during their year of engagement as they learn about our community's opportunities and challenges in education, the economy, the non-profit sector, government, incarcerated individuals, and healthcare. People forge lifelong friendships and bring about real change. Program tuition is $2000 to participate in Leadership Lafayette, yet LIA will provide scholarships up to one-half of tuition for deserving recipients. They encourage participation from all industries, including police officers, teachers, and other fields outside of the stereotypical banker, lawyer, or business owner. Participants of all ages are welcome and encouraged; Ashley stressed that the wider the range of ages and industries, the more successful the class will be in experiencing the full benefit of Leadership Lafayette. Past Leadership Lafayette graduates, such as Veronica Williams, Clerk of the Lafayette City and Parish Councils, assist in identifying boards and commissions that willing volunteers can join. LIA actively works to help people engage in civic endeavors and make a difference in the community. SIMSOC ("Simulated Society") is a standard-bearer of the Leadership Lafayette experience. SIMSOC is a simulation of real society where participants learn the issues and challenges of creating sustainable societies and communities. At times it can be humorous as people of higher socioeconomic status are placed in a simulated place of low ranking in a room with no air conditioning as they navigate methods of survival. Brent Henley of The Pyramid Group has facilitated SIMSOC since the beginning of the program and still pulls out great results as participants learn empathy and leadership skills from the exercise. Brent Henley of the Pyramid Group leading SIMSOC during Leadership Lafayette's program on April 9, 2021, at Wonderland Performing Arts in Lafayette. LIA also offers programming for people who are not yet ready or able to commit to a year of engagement. Intro Lafayette is a two-day civic leadership class that offers presentations from "local business, civic and community leaders on the past,

Right in time for Easter, Discover Lafayette is proud to share our conversation with Sarah Schoeffler, a woman of faith who selflessly shares her resources and talents with others. She exemplifies the meaning of "good steward" and follows a path of service that is inspirational. Sarah is well-known for her work in beautifying Lafayette and for her delightful gardens at the home she shares with her husband, Harold Schoeffler, which they graciously open up for community fundraisers and various charitable causes. Through the years, the Schoefflers have purchased additional property contiguous to their home which is located immediately before you enter the gates of Oakbourne Country Club; it now encompasses approximately six acres of lush native plantings and beautiful flowers. Sarah describes her newest project, three years in the making, as her "meadow," which is now home to native Louisiana trees coming into their own. Gardens of Sarah Schoeffler First and foremost, mark your calendar for April 10, 2021, 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. for a beautiful Garden Stroll through the grounds of Sarah and Harold Schoeffler, 3502 E. Simcoe, Lafayette LA 70501, which you can attend for $10.00. The event is hosted to benefit Family Promise of Acadiana, an organization near and dear to Sarah's heart that helps families experiencing homelessness achieve sustainable independence. For more information on the event, visit their facebook site. On April 10, enjoy a relaxing stroll through the natural riverside garden of Sarah and Harold Schoeffler at 3502 E. Simcoe Street in Lafayette. Admission is $10 at the garden gate and proceeds benefit Family Promise of Acadiana. Family Promise of Acadiana is the only program in the area that offers shelter to entire families, including teen boys and single dads. The family unit must include children in order to be eligible for entry into their program. There are several host and support churches in the Family Promise of Acadiana network, including Sarah's church, First United Methodist Church in downtown Lafayette. One of the best things about Family Promise is the sheer number of volunteers the families being served will meet while they are being assisted. Sarah shared that many people being helped end up finding opportunities to get back on their feet through the kindness of caring volunteers they meet through the various churches that provide support. "The individuals served by Family Promise meet all kinds of caring volunteers from local churches and they can network. Somewhere along the road a volunteer might say, 'Hey, I've got the most opportune thing for you. It just works. It's a nice win-win for everyone." Sarah has traditionally hosted a Southern Garden Festival to benefit Family Promise each April, but the COVID shutdown prevented that from happening in 2020. She looks forward to hosting the perennially favorite event this October. The garden tour has evolved over the years into a weekend gala, featuring Friday Night Dining and Dancing under the stars with a silent auction and servings of catfish personally caught by Harold Schoeffler and fried up by members of First United Methodist Church. Then, Saturday is a full day of festival activities including a tea party with refreshments served on Sarah's mother's teacups, dancing fairies, musicians who donate their talents, vendors, beekeepers, pigeon flyers, and last but not least, a Maypole featuring delightful young dancers led by their very talented dance instructor, Cissy Whipp. It would be hard to find a more family-friendly event. Sarah and Harold Schoeffler at the 2014 Southern Garden Tour held at their home to benefit Family Promise of Acadiana. The event is a fun annual affair that has something for everyone to enjoy and you can learn more about gardening and the environment while you help raise funds for a great cause. Photo by Kris Wartelle. Sarah credits her husband, Harold,

Justin and Marie Centanni joined Discover Lafayette to share their journey together and how they work as a team to support each other. Independently successful in their own fields, you'll hear in this interview how their loving bond makes each of them stronger to tackle the myriad of family, work, and political issues that come their way. Marie and Justin Centanni on their wedding day in 2004. The couple met while in college at a Kappa Alpha Rush party, and Marie jokingly added, "I'm 5'10". I looked over and saw a boy taller than me! He was well-dressed and smart," and Marie was impressed. They were friends for years and were married after she graduated with a Master in Legislative Affairs at the George Washington University in 2004. Marie's interest in politics stems back to her early college days as a Page in the Louisiana House of Representatives where when she met Cavan Bordelon who was a general assignments reporter for KLFY. He showed her how a full day of news could be broken down into "one piece of paper" that could be shared easily on the evening news. For the first time in her life, "I became so interested in state government and civic life, which had been so foreign to me in my own upbringing" in a family immersed in the medical field. She was hooked and went on to work at KLFY in Lafayette for two years and eventually at WAFB in Baton Rouge as a Capitol Correspondent. Marie had met Gov. Kathleen Blanco while she was at UL-Lafayette and had the honor of serving as her Press Secretary following the double-hit of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. She spoke of Blanco's kindness and strength as well as how she cared for her staff members. Blanco's decision not to run for a second term as governor was a poignant one, as Marie stated, "She was the last bi-partisan governor that we'll see. The national party politics that focused on Louisiana (post-Katrina) divided our state and I don't know that we'll ever see that division come back together." With Blanco's retirement, Marie started Centanni Communications in 2009, where she helps people and organizations achieve their goals through targeted messaging and legislative strategy. Additionally, she serves as Director of Public Affairs at Louisiana Association of Business and Industry ("LABI"), where she calls upon her news skills to relay what's going on at the State Capitol in a precise, memorable, easily understand, and impactful way to its members. Marie also serves as Program Facilitator for the Council for a Better Louisiana's Leadership Louisiana. Marie and Justin Centanni at the groundbreaking of Southside High School. Justin Centanni is a graduate of Nicholls State University in Computer Information Systems, and the Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts in Natchitoches. He has worked with IBERIABANK since 2010 when he and Marie moved back to Lafayette, where they had always wanted to live. Working at the downtown branch, Justin is able to walk to work from the couple's Saints Street area home and he looks forward to doing that post-COVID. His current position is Assistant Vice President - Database Analyst for the bank, which is now a part of First Horizon. On his 37th birthday, Justin decided to run for Lafayette Parish School Board, and made that decision only one week before candidate qualifying time. It was a time of immense turmoil on the school board during the tenure of Superintendent Pat Cooper and people were ready for change-makers who could bring peace as well as stability to the budget. Justin's background in finance gave him the tools that were a good fit for the job. He turned to his wife, Marie, for help, and in the first big project they did together, she ran his campaign on a budget of $16,000 (half of which they self-financed with cash on hand). Justin campaigned door to door and shared the story of his children, then "6, 4 and 2 years of age" and how they would be public school students.

Mike Michot, Senior Director of State Affairs for the Picard Group, a leading governmental affairs and lobbying group in Louisiana and Washington DC, joined Discover Lafayette to discuss his career of public service and community engagement. Mike previously served the Acadiana area for 16 years, serving 12 years in the Louisiana State Senate after his initial one-term stint as Lafayette's District 43 member of the House of Representatives. In his final term in the State Senate, he was chair of the Senate Finance Committee which directs funding for all aspects of state government; he also served on various committees including the Louisiana State Bond Commission, Senate Natural Resources, Senate Revenue & Fiscal Affairs, Vice-Chair of Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection and International Affairs, and House Labor and Industrial Relations. Left: Senator Mike Michot pictured center, with Representative Page Cortez (now Senator) and Senator Fred Mills. Right: Senator Mike Michot, with his wife Monique, after having been presented LegisGator of the Year Award by the Southwest Louisiana Chamber of Commerce Mike has also been active in private business, having previously owned and operated Premier Medical Equipment in Lafayette for 20 years. Generous with his time, he has served as a volunteer for many community service organizations, including the Community Foundation of Acadiana, American Heart Association, Boys & Girls Clubs of Acadiana, United Way of Acadiana, the Academy of the Sacred Heart School, and the Catholic Diocese of Lafayette’s Opus Christi Magnum fundraiser. Mike is also a graduate of Leadership Lafayette and Leadership Louisiana. ​The seventh of eight children of the late Louis and Patricia Ann Smith Michot, Mike grew up watching his father accomplish great business and political success with a mindset focused on hard work and giving back to others. As a young boy, Mike remembers his father flying off in his own plane to take care of business, whether it was tending to his 45 Burger Chef restaurants or heading off across the state when he was elected to the Louisiana State Board of Education in 1968 and later elected in 1971 as Louisiana Superintendent of Education. The elder Michot also was involved in various endeavors as diverse as opening the first drive-in theatre in Lafayette on Pinhook Road to running the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce to serving Lafayette Parish as a State Representative to lobbying for the National Air Transport Association in Washington DC. For a wonderful look at the many accomplishments of Louis Joseph Michot Jr.'s storied life, please visit this Legacy site. Left: Louis Michot, Jr., Louisiana State Superintendent of Education, reading "A Cajun Night Before Christmas." Right: Rep. Louis Michot, Jr. serving a Burger Chef shake and burger to Speaker of the House of Representatives Thomas Jewell. Mike Michot jumped into politics in 1995 when State Representative Don Higginbotham announced he would not run for re-election. After having grown up around his father's influence in the political realm and having helped older brother, Rick Michot, run a three-parish race for 15th Judicial District Judge, Mike had valuable experience in campaigning. He won that race and then after one term, ran against sitting Senator Max Jordan and was also successful in that effort with the encouragement of the business sector. His early time of service was during Governor Mike Foster's regime with a pro-business bent. Mike looked back with pride on the many accomplishments during the first term of Gov. Foster when he was honored to serve, including passage of the TOPS program, teacher pay raises to the Southern average, and other business-friendly measures. This era also brought in term-limits which limit legislators to three terms in a particular office. During our interview, Mike spoke of the good and bad that comes along with a loss of political experience when seasoned legislators ar...

Nathanael Johnson, the owner of Rêve Coffee, joined Discover Lafayette to share his 15-year journey in the coffee business. Since the age of eight, when Nathanael began rising early with his dad to share a cup of coffee before the elder Johnson left for work, he dreamed of having a coffee cafe in his hometown of Eunice. The dream nagged at him and eventually, he dropped out of college so that he could open his own shop. It all started with Café Mosaic in downtown Eunice. Nathanael had already chosen the cafe's name as he felt it embodied a place that different age groups would enjoy...."a mosaic of people." When he located a desirable space in which to open, he was shocked when he walked in to see that the floor was mosaic! With financial help from his father and after a great deal of work to restore the building, Cafe Mosaic opened on March 3, 2006, when Nathanael was 21. Cafe Mosaic in downtown Eunice, the first coffee shop opened by Nathanael Johnson on March 3, 2006, is still in business and going strong. Nathanael shared how difficult those early days were, working around the clock and figuring out what an independent coffee shop should look like. Very few such shops existed and those that opened never seemed to stay in business very long. Further adding to the stress was a comment made by two customers within his first two weeks in business: "You're going to fail!" He was fearful of failing and remembers how he would work from 5:00 in the morning to 11:00 at night every single day. "My mom bought me one of those little kindergarten sleeping mats so I could sleep in my office when I had a chance to break away. I couldn't leave, I felt I needed to be there all the time." Well, not only did Nathanael not fail, but three years into business he was approached to open Johnston St. Java in Lafayette. Within 2 1/2 years he decided to jump in head first and enter the roasting aspect of the business. His partner, Christopher Pickle, played a key role. Chris Pickle after being certified by the Specialty Coffee Association. Chris is the Head Roaster for Rêve Coffee. Nathanael knew he wanted to understand the roasting process and ensure that the highest quality of bean was selected, so he became certified by the Specialty Coffee Association, the largest coffee organization in the world. He found a broker who deals in the highest grade beans and started his micro-roasting business in 2013 in what was then Bibi's Patisserie on Pinhook. Starting with a ten-pound Ozturk roaster that he purchased out of Turkey, he began roasting on a small scale, eventually working up to an average of 6000 pounds per month today. He says that "roasting is a trial by fire experience, and is similar to popping popcorn. When coffee beans start to release their moisture, it pops like popcorn. They call it 'first crack." Rêve Coffee beans are now sold at over 100 locations, including Whole Foods and Champagne's locally, and micro market stores. Nathanael says he never really wanted to open up a retail Rêve Coffee shop, but he quickly realized that if he wanted the coffee sales to be successful, people needed the opportunity to taste it. "It was a hard beginning as I just wanted to be a roaster. But we wanted to make a name for ourselves" and this was the right route to take. If you’re wondering what Reve means, it is a French masculine noun translating to “dream” in English. Nathanael was approached to enter the Baton Rouge coffee market and first opened up a kiosk at White Star Market on Government Street, which marketplace eventually closed due to the COVID shutdown. But he wanted to be in the Baton Rouge area and also ready to redefine what Rêve was going to look like in the future, offering a high-end yet comfortable vibe that blended food, cocktails, and coffee. A place where you don't leave when your meal is finished, but feel comfortable enough to stay longer and enjoy yourself.

Discover Lafayette welcomed Christiaan Mader, founder and executive editor of the Current, Lafayette’s first non-profit digital news organization which he launched in 2018, to our show. He is also the host of Out to Lunch Acadiana, a radio show and podcast on KRVS that features Acadiana business community members. Christian is an award-winning investigative and culture journalist, whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Vice, Offbeat, Gambit, the USA Today Network, and The Advocate. Most notably, Christiaan Mader, in an investigative series as the lead reporter involving former Lafayette City Marshall Brian Pope for The Independent, along with IND editors Leslie Turk and Walter Pierce and photographers Robin May and Wynce Nonelly, was awarded the Freedom of Information Award by the Louisiana Press Association. This award is the highest honor that can be awarded to journalists in their field. Pictured: Christiaan Mader, Leslie Turk, Robin May, Wynce Nolley and Walter Pierce celebrating winning the Freedom of Information Award on their investigative reporting of past Lafayette City Marshal Brian Pope. Photo by Travis Gauthier. A Lafayette native, Christiaan graduated from high school at Episcopal School of Acadiana and Emory University in journalism. He spent a decade touring as a musician with The Brass Bed and to this day says, " If I had my druthers, I'd be Paul McCartney!" And, we think he really means it! Christiaan Mader pictured alongside members of The Brass Bed, a band he toured with for ten years after college. Christiaan loves Lafayette and attributes his good fortune of traveling as a musician for ten years as satisfying his curiosity to see the world. He realized at a young age that he loved Lafayette and was very happy to be a part of the fabric of his beloved Lafayette community; yet, he is grateful to have had the opportunity to see other places and be able to have freely chosen Lafayette as his home with no regrets. A few years back, Christiaan returned to his journalism roots and wrote cultural pieces for Lafayette Travel (Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission). That work led to other opportunities, initially encouraged by Mary Tutwiler who was a writer for the former local periodical, The Independent. Christiaan enjoyed writing local pieces but never thought he'd end up writing political pieces, which editors Steve and Cherry May eventually encouraged him to do. The Current has gained traction since its initial launch in a news market which includes The Advocate and the Daily Advertiser. Christiaan shared that when he originally began his digital publication, both local newspapers were following the national trends of smaller local staffs and downsizing operations. Within 14 to 16 months thereafter, things were quite different, and both local newspapers were back in the game as viable news organizations. In fact, The Advocate, owned by the John Georges family, is invested in preserving its print product and its market has grown across South Louisiana. The cultural shift to digital media has greatly impacted traditional print journalism. Google and other social media platforms are very inexpensive ways advertisers can get out their word, and it has affected profitability of print media. Lafayette is very unusual as it may be one of the smallest markets in the U. S. with two print newspapers. Christiaan spoke of two big trends in journalism: the loss of revenue resulting in a loss of paid journalists on staff, and fewer companies overall due to consolidation of publications. He shared that most people don't realize how labor-intensive journalism is; experience and institutional knowledge are critical factors in producing accurate and knowledgable reporting. "If you lose local media, the risk is that you lose institutional knowledge on the various subject matters. I love what I do. And I do it because I get to do it here in Lafayette.

Yvette Quantz, Ochsner Health System's Eat Fit Acadiana Operations and Marketing Dietitian, joined Discover Lafayette to talk about her lifelong commitment to helping others live in a state of health. Her philosophy is pretty simple: when people feel well on the inside, they can live and work well in their community. Eat Fit is a statewide, nonprofit initiative of Ochsner designed to help the community live their healthiest, strongest lives possible that started with Molly Kimball, a registered dietitian with Ochsner Fitness Center, who set out to take the guesswork out of dining out healthfully, to make the healthy choice the easy choice. In 2013, Kimball and her team collaborated with some of the most iconic restaurants in the New Orleans region to create Ochsner Eat Fit, a program that encourages chefs to offer nutritious, delicious meals for those who want to eat clean, watch their weight, and manage diabetes, blood pressure, and cholesterol. In a land of "decadent food," there is a great need to provide diners with information that allows them to eat delicious food with a better idea of what they are actually consuming. With the support of funding in 2018 by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation, Eat Fit has expanded throughout Louisiana and Yvette Quantz serves as a proud member of the Acadiana team. Eat Fit is now operating in New Orleans, Northshore, Baton Rouge, Acadiana, Monroe, and Shreveport. Over 500 Eat Fit partners exist statewide and the numbers are growing. Anyone can download the Eat Fit App for free at https://www.ochsner.org/eat-fit The team of Eat Fit collaborates as a free service with local chefs and community leaders to increase awareness and improve access to healthy food options in Acadiana that meet the Eat Fit nutritional criteria. Eat Fit doesn't promote "diets" per se with strict management of calories but instead encourages people to make choices that are essential for a healthy life. So don't look for guidance on the latest fad diets; the nutritionists are more focused on how to assist restaurants in bringing food to the table that are healthy for you, without overloading patrons with foods that are high in sodium, animal fats, or added sugars. Rather than following a restrictive regimen, Eat Fit encourages a way to fuel your body with delicious foods that are prepared in a way to sustain good health. The Eat Fit App provides resources for local, locally-owned restaurants based upon zip code that offer healthy choices, as well as recipes, events in the community, and downloadable grocery guides to help you as you shop. At the start of LENT, Eat Fit launched an Alcohol-Free for 40 challenge that is inspiring people across the region to give up libations for 40 or so days and see firsthand the amazing health benefits they will experience. The challenge presented by Ochsner General Health's Eat Fit: Give up alcohol completely from Ash Wednesday through Easter. Participants paid $25 to receive in-depth pre- and post-challenge metrics including labs, body composition analysis, weight, blood pressure, and before-and-after photos to get a better idea of the impacts of alcohol on their wellness. This is the sixth year of the annual challenge to encourage people to make healthy choices during Lent and be inspired to make lifelong better choices. Ochsner General Health Systems Eat Fit - Acadiana is a supporting member of Healthy Acadiana. So many of our young people test as overweight or obese and the coalition works to change the mindset of food choices made by our local population. It brings together businesses and individuals to get out awareness of best practices in diet and exercise. Getting outside of our own food needs, we can also be more mindful when we make choices on what to donate to local food pantries. Rather than feeling good about donating from the back of your pantry while cleaning out expired canned goods,

Mike Fruge, founder and owner of JT Meleck Distillers, joined Discover Lafayette to discuss the evolution of his family's farming business and what led him to create award-winning vodka from rice. Mike has a great story to tell, one which not only captures the tenacity of our Louisiana farmers but also one of an entrepreneurial spirit that has led him to continue to evolve his farming operations to eke out all he can from the land. In this podcast, we celebrate that precious food commodity which our South Louisiana culture revolves around: rice. We also celebrate the tenacity of our Louisiana farmers which is exemplified by our guest. Mike Fruge is a rice and crawfish farmer along with his brother, Mark, and he descends from a long line of rice farmers in Acadia Parish. He grew up in Branch, LA on the family rice farm founded by his great, great uncle, John “JT” Meleck, who started growing “Providence Style” rice in 1896. John Meleck originally migrated to Louisiana from the Midwest right after the Civil War years in search of cheap land. It took the family two years to complete the trek to Louisiana by covered wagons. After learning the hard way that corn and other commodities didn't grow in Louisiana as well as they had in the Midwest, Meleck started growing what was called "Providence style rice:" the rice was planted on low-lying bottomland which depended on Mother Nature to provide the rainwater which would seep down from the higher ground to nourish the crop. Meleck's rice farm joined many other rice industry operations which took off around the turn of the 20th century. Pictured is John Meleck, Mike Fruge's great, great uncle, driving the vehicle along with Mike’s grandfather, the little boy in the back. John Meleck is the inspiration behind the name of Fruge's JT Meleck Distillers. Fast forward to the 1980s, when Mike and his brother, Mark, were among the first to enter the aquaculture industry. At that time, most crawfishing was considered a hobby and there weren't many commercial crawfish farms. Fruge Farms was one of the first to convert to 100% crawfish farming as a way to make a living while preventing their rice fields from being depleted. As Mike says, "We weren't the first, but we were pioneers." The terrain of Southwest Louisiana provides ideal growing conditions as the production requires flatlands that can be easily flooded and now almost all rice farmers are also crawfishermen. Today, Fruge Aquafarms is a thriving rice and crawfish farm that has grown to roughly 4000 acres. With the initial growth of his aquaculture endeavor, Mike looked for a market and took to the road in his pickup to find buyers. He began selling his crawfish product in Dallas in 1989 and had to educate the market on how to prepare the crawfish with which they were unfamiliar. "My timing was a little early!" he said. Today that pickup truck in which he personally delivered crawfish has grown into Dallas-based Fruge Seafood Co. which is a regional wholesale distributor of fine seafood in Louisiana, Texas, and Oklahoma. Its #1 top seller is salmon and the company specializes in upscale fish choices for fine dining experiences. Mike is a conservative businessman who learned through the school of hard knocks how to stay profitable, without going to outside investors, while keeping this family business afloat. "Coming of age in the oilfield in the 1980s, I can't describe how bad things were. 20% of the population literally left the area. I never wanted to borrow money unless it was absolutely necessary. We've been very conservative and our risks were calculated." Fruge Seafood has grown into a Dallas-Based regional wholesale distributor of fine seafood in Louisiana, Texas, and Oklahoma. Its #1 top seller is salmon and the company specializes in upscale fish choices for fine dining experiences. About 10 to 15 years ago, Mike started wondering how his fourth-generation farming business was going to look like m...

Lafayette, Louisiana welcomed our new police chief, Thomas Lee Glover, Sr., on December 23, 2020. He joined Jan Swift of Discover Lafayette to discuss what his career in law enforcement has taught him and his belief in the utmost importance of involving the community as a means of enhancing law enforcement effectiveness. A native of Tallulah, Louisiana with maternal roots from Lafayette, Chief Glover graduated from Grambling State University with a degree in criminal justice. He immediately joined the Dallas Police Department and was with the department on active duty for 36 1/2 years; the day after retiring, he immediately joined the force as a reserve officer performing many of the same duties. Chief Glover applied for the position of Police Chief because he thought he could make a difference in Lafayette. "I came from a department that mirrored what Lafayette is going through, in Dallas we experienced the same things 25 to 30 years ago. We had the same issues on the table. I was a part of the Police Association that worked to mend the tears in the community. I am very honored to have been selected. I thank Mayor Guillory for employing me as police chief. " "I came from a department (in Dallas, TX) that mirrored what Lafayette is going through, that we experienced 25 to 30 years ago. We had the same issues on the table. I was a part of the Police Association that worked to mend the tears in the community. I am very honored to have been selected. I thank Mayor Guillory for employing me as police chief." Photo by Leslie Westbrook of The Acadiana Advocate Mending fences in Dallas entailed hiring outside consultants to review policies from top to bottom, especially on the use of deadly force which had disproportionately affected Blacks and Hispanics. The department amended its curriculum to address appropriate training and procedures on the use of force. They also learned the importance of getting the community involved in law enforcement. While the chief says Dallas still has issues and is still working on relationships, they have come a long way, and continue to work on a daily basis to improve relations. The Chief has learned that community policing is effective; it has been tested and it works in practice. He's learned firsthand that involving clergy, business owners, and the legal and educational communities with the police department works to take care of social ills works and successfully reduces crime. It helps to have as many eyes as possible watching the streets. "I'd rather have the 132,000 people here in Lafayette with their eyes watching out than to have only 289 officers working on crime," says Chief Glover. As a means to encourage community engagement, all Lafayette police officers will be required to attend at least one event per week, be it a Girls Scout meeting, local church events, or other similar happenings. He's also directing a set of officers to address social ills such as trash not being picked up or code violations. His goal is also to partner with charitable groups such as Catholic Charities of Acadiana to reduce crime and reduce the number of calls coming into the 911 Center. On community policing: "My analogy is this on how to prevent crime: think about a yard with a lot of weeds growing. You call on your yard person to cut the weeds down but they always come back. Community policing is you calling that lawn person and they treat the yard with weed preventer. And then, you only need the police or the yard guy once every other season. If community policing works like it is designed, the same thing would happen to reduce the need for policing services. Neighborhoods that traditionally have needed policing services would no longer need services because the things that created that need would have been eliminated." "Regardless of what community you are a part of, African American, Hispanic, Caucasian or Latino, you should be treated with dignity.

Liz Webb Hebert, Chair of the Lafayette City Council and representative for City Council District 3, joined Discover Lafayette to discuss her passion for service at the local level and working to improve the region's quality of life. Liz Webb Hebert and Nanette Cook were selected as council chairperson and vice chair in 2021. Photo by Brad Bowie of The Advocate. Growing up in Carencro, Louisiana, and the baby girl of her family with four older brothers, Liz learned early about the importance of speaking up effectively for herself. A lifelong resident of Lafayette Parish, she graduated from Teurlings Catholic High School and Northwestern State University. After college, she was blessed to work for wonderful bosses who gave her free rein in using her skills in an imaginative way: first for Leonard Louvierre of Zea Rotisserie & Bar in Lafayette, and then with Greg Davis and Pam Deville at the Cajundome Arena & Convention Center. The freedom she was afforded to execute her ideas to grow business opportunities are experiences she will always cherish. Yet, Liz was called to explore service at a higher level as a young adult. "I've always wanted to make our community better," Hebert explained, and her experience in Leadership Lafayette led her to better understand the issues facing our city and parish and how she could get involved in the process as an elected official. In 2015, her mentors approached her to consider running for the Lafayette City-Parish Council which had an open seat upon the retirement of then-Councilman Keith Patin. With encouragement from her family and husband, Aaron Hebert, she leapt into the race, which included two formidable opponents who she describes as "incredible, friendly, courteous and kind." She made the runoff and was elected to serve her first term on the Lafayette City-Parish Council which began in January 2016. "Fix the Charter" was passed by Lafayette Parish residents and now we have two councils: the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council. Liz ran and was elected to serve in Lafayette Council District 3 and assumed office January 2020. The Lafayette City Council. Pictured from left to right: Nanette Cook, Andy Naquin, Glenn Lazard, Pat Lewis, and Liz Webb Hebert. District 3 has 26,000 residents, and Liz says they are a joy to represent; they stay informed of the issues, are engaged, well-educated, and enjoy the highest wealth per capita among other districts in our city. Typical issues brought to her attention by citizens include trash, rezoning issues, or concerns about not getting services. Proactive in her outreach to constituents, she attends meetings of Homeowners' Associations in her district so she can stay on top of issues of importance. Liz always encourages people to first call 311 or go online to the 311 website to report concerns such as panhandling, animal control issues, noise complaints, etc. She also wants you to reach out to her via her Facebook page to message her about problems you need help with or to use the Next Door app. Liz Hebert also sends out a monthly newsletter to keep people abreast of issues and you can subscribe here. She fields calls and emails for those of us outside of her district to request her support for the issues facing their neighborhood and welcomes us all to inform her of current concerns. "I want my constituents to call me so we can address issues. I can't fix a problem if I don't know about it. People may be upset about an issue for a year before they call me and I could have helped them early on." Liz Webb Hebert encouraging people to reach out for help. Several initiatives to improve the quality of life in our community have seen fruition under Liz's stewardship. The first one that has been visible to to the community is the Adopt-A Bus Stop Lafayette. Liz was approached by friends to see how they could help when they realized how many people, both employees and strangers,

Dr. Courtney Hopkins, Senior Chief Medical Officer of Vitalant Blood Services, joined Discover Lafayette to discuss how to adequately prepare to donate blood, a resource much needed to keep our community safe and healthy, and one that is always in short supply. Most of the U.S. population is eligible to donate blood, but only about 3% actually donate. Board Certified in Clinical Pathology and in Transfusion Medicine/Blood Banking by the American Board of Pathology, Dr. Hopkins previously spent seven years with the American Red Cross. She graduated with a BA in Biology from Arcadia University and earned her medical degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Hopkins completed her transfusion medicine fellowship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and the David School of Medicine at UCLA. We asked Dr. Hopkins to join us as a follow up to our interview with Amanda Landers, Regional Director of Vitalant Blood Services, which was produced in November 2020. Our discussion was centered around the fact that our region has been experiencing a critical shortage of blood donations, amplified by the COVID shutdown which has negatively impacted blood drives at schools and businesses. The shelf life of blood is short, and we must ensure an adequate supply to help patients in need. Red Cell units last from 21 to 42 days; platelets last 5 days; and plasma can be stored up to one year if frozen properly. After that initial interview with Amanda Landers, Jan Swift was motivated to contribute to the blood supply and attempted to give blood twice, but was not qualified due to a low hemoglobin count. While Swift's doctor said she had healthy iron levels, the criteria for someone to qualify for a blood donation is a bit more complicated. We wanted to get to the bottom of this and asked Dr. Hopkins to explain how the blood donation process works and why Vitalant wants to ensure that blood donors remain healthy as they contribute to our community. Low hemoglobin is a common reason people are turned away from donating blood. When you sign up to donate blood at Vitalant, technicians prick your finger to screen your hemoglobin level. About 70 percent of your body's iron is found in the red blood cells of your blood called hemoglobin and in muscle cells called myoglobin. Hemoglobin is essential for transferring oxygen in your blood from the lungs to the tissues. Your blood is not actually tested for "iron," but for the hemoglobin which contains the red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout your body. When you donate a whole unit of blood, your body loses about 250 mg. of iron in that one unit donation. Vitalant wants to ensure that you leave their facility healthy and whole. Iron deficiency is a common reason someone would have a low hemoglobin count, but not the only reason. You can increase your hemoglobin levels by eating a healthy, low-fat meal prior to your blood donation, in addition to ingesting a salty snack immediately prior to showing up for your donation. "Hydration is key to having a positive blood donation experience. Eat a healthy, low-fat meal prior to giving blood, and ingest a salty snack immediately prior to your appointment. Drink plenty of fluids, and forgo coffee and other caffeine laden beverages as they are diuretics and will affect the outcome." Dr. Courtney Hopkins, Senior Chief Medical Officer of Vitalant Blood Services. It's also important to be well hydrated before showing up to donate blood; coffee is a diuretic and causes dehydration so you should not count your coffee as a "beverage" when preparing to donate blood. While drinking coffee doesn't draw down your hemoglobin levels, it can cause your body to lose fluids and affect your ability to donate blood. It's best to drink extra water and lighten up on the caffeine when prepping to give. How do you ensure an adequate iron level in your diet? There are two types of iron that your body will ingest: heme and...

David Cheramie, CEO of the Bayou Vermilion District ("BVD"), joined Discover Lafayette to discuss the operations of his organization. Passionate about his calling to preserve our unique culture while educating others on the topic, and stressing the interdependence of our people with the land and water, Cheramie brings a poetic voice to our podcast. Serving as CEO of the BVD since 2011, Cheramie previously served as Executive Director of CODIFIL, the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana. His entire adult career has focused on francophone issues, from teaching in schools to educating others about the unique culture our region enjoys. He calls himself a "member of the lost generation," a child and grandchild of a French-speaking family who never taught the young ones to speak the language due to the stigma of speaking "Cajun French" in the 1950s and 1960s. But fourteen generations ago, his family moved from France and his nuclear family raised him in the French ways; he always wanted to learn the language. An opportunity to spend a year in Montpellier, France as a sponsored student of CODIFIL gave him the opportunity to become fluent. An added bonus and the most wonderful lagniappe, Cheramie met "the prettiest French girl," to whom he has now been married for almost forty years. Cheramie shared the beauty of learning a second language and how the "floodgates were broken" when he realized he was speaking, thinking, and dreaming in French. "I felt this was my real personality coming out." He lived in France for seven years and worked as a clothing salesperson in stores throughout Southern France. Calling it a great experience as he got to know the people and culture, he became indistinguishable from the French natives. People were shocked to learn that he was a U. S. citizen and hadn't grown up in France. In January 1989, a chance encounter with Dr. David Barry at a banquet celebrating the Bicentennial of the French Revolution led Cheramie to come back to Louisiana. At that time, Barry was Department Head of Foreign Languages at USL (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette) and was creating a new Ph.D. program in Francophone studies. He successfully courted Cheramie to move back and join the program; Cheramie became the second person to earn a Ph.D. in Francophone studies. Cheramie was inspired by Dr. Barry Ancelet, another USL professor, who has been an active spokesperson in promoting the Acadiana culture and dispelling myths that denigrated the "Cajun." A prolific writer, Cheramie began writing in French and quickly published three books of poetry which were published by Centenary College's "Les Editions Tintamarre. Since those early days, he has published dozens of articles and has been a keynote speaker and presenter at conferences around the world. David Cheramie is a passionate spokesperson for helping people understand the symbiotic relationship between our culture, the land and water. "We're a part of the land and the land is a part of us. It's inseparable. We wouldn't have the same culture if it weren't for the fisherman, the hunters, the trappers, the farmers and ranchers. It informs our culture. " Cheramie authors En Francais, S'il Vous Plait in French and English for Acadiana Profile Magazine, and his writings bring to life the unique culture we enjoy in this region. Focusing on artists, musicians, the food, historical figures and events, he captures the essence of what makes South Louisiana so special. Cheramie quoted the old saying, "The spoken word flies away but the written word stays," to reinforce his belief that writing in French/Cajun words will guarantee that ensuing generations will retain the knowledge of this precious culture and its manner of speaking. The BVD was founded in 1984 by an act of the Louisiana legislature to beautify, manage, and preserve the Vermilion River. It is overseen by a nine-member board whose members are appointed by various e...

Kimberly James Boudreaux, Executive Director of Catholic Charities of Acadiana, shares the expansion of services offered by her organization on this episode of Discover Lafayette. Kim has dedicated her life to being in service to others. As a young adult, she sold all her possessions and traveled abroad to work as a missionary, including time spent with Mother Theresa’s Missionaries of Charity. Our community has been blessed to have Kim Boudreaux at the helm of Catholic Charities of Acadiana, while she raises her young family with her husband, Matt. This is our second interview with Kim; you can hear our first podcast here. In the three years since our first talk, Catholic Charities has greatly expanded the services it offers, having opened the doors to The Emily House in 2018 which offers an emergency shelter for homeless women and children. They have added new responsibilities by taking over the Immigration Services and Deaf Action Center formerly run by the Diocese, as well as assuming management of FoodNet Food Bank and Rebuilding Together Acadiana. In 2019, Catholic Charities also became entrepreneurs by taking over ownership of Crossroads Catholic Bookstore, which is now known as Crossroads Collective. The organization has traditionally taken care of our most vulnerable neighbors through outreach efforts such as disaster response, as well St. Joseph Diner, St. Joseph Shelter for Men, St. Michael Center for Veterans, the Stella Maris Center, and the Monsignor Sigur Center. Between the COVID shutdown and the disastrous hurricanes that hit Southwest Louisiana, the detrimental effects upon incomes, employment, and housing stability have been devastating. The face of homelessness changed significantly in 2020. While we traditionally related homelessness to a mental illness or substance abuse disorder, today the homeless look vastly different. Before COVID, people could move to a family member's home when tough times hit, perhaps keeping their employment while temporarily looking for alternative housing. But the combination of COVID and job losses associated with the shutdown have greatly impacted their struggles. In many cases, doubling up with family members has been found to be unsustainable: it can feel impossible to have multiple families juggling their children's online Zoom classes while the adults attempt to work from home. In March 2020, Catholic Charities counted 166 people in their homeless program. Unsheltered homelessness had been at an all-time low as the organization did not turn people away when they were in need and would provide a place to sleep even if it was on the floor. But the social distancing required by the pandemic proved to be too great a challenge given the existing shelter space available for sleeping quarters. And, for the first time since the 1970s, St. Joseph's Diner had to be closed because the group could not meet the legal requirements for indoor seating or keep the revolving groups of diners and volunteers safe from contracting the virus. The decision was initially made to convert St. Joseph's Diner into a shelter and Catholic Charities continued to feed the 166 clients under their care daily. (Kim noted that others were also fed through the back door when in need.) Once the stay-at-home order was lifted, the organization worried about COVID spreading throughout its community as most people in the programs are medically vulnerable. The clients were transitioned into hotels, and Catholic Charities' staff are present on-site at the hotels 24/7, operating the same services they always have, working to maintain a safe and stable environment. Since January 2020, the Acadiana region has experienced an 82% increase in homelessness (with family homelessness up over 200% since March 2020), along with a 77% decrease in emergency shelter beds. Kim notes that "Prevention is such an important part of this puzzle. The experience of losing your home is very trauma...

Stephen Handwerk, longest-serving Executive Director for the Louisiana Democratic party (2012 - 2020) and currently the Managing Partner of Garrison Strategies, met with Jan Swift of Discover Lafayette to talk about today's political climate. Taylor Marie Swift, Jan's daughter, also joined in the discussion, bringing the perspective of a young, Independent voter in Louisiana. During Stephen's tenure at the Louisiana Democratic Party office, the state party more than quadrupled its fundraising totals and vastly expanded its operational staff. Of note, they won two Gubernatorial races with the successful election and re-election of Governor John Bel Edwards. Stephen brings more than 20 years of experience fighting for Democratic values at the local, state, and national level, including 6 years serving as Co-Chair of the National Stonewall Democrats PAC. He lives in Lafayette with his husband of two decades and their two Great Danes - Whiskey and Mojito. We taped this episode a few days after the siege on the U. S. Capitol, something we never would have dreamed possible when we scheduled the interview a month prior. Stephen Handwerk joined Discover Lafayette's Jan Swift and her daughter, Taylor Marie Swift, speaking of current political events that have shaken our nation. During this week, President Donald J. Trump was impeached by the U. S. House of Representatives for the second time, something that has never happened in the history of the United States. Handwerk made no bones about it; he feels that the country will not be able to heal and move on unless Trump is held accountable for his actions in inciting the siege on the U. S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, the day that Congress met to approve the Electoral College votes confirming the election of Joseph Biden as our next President. Trump supporters fight security officers at the U. S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Photo by Roberto Schmidt of Getty Images The repercussions are great as not only are some people blaming Trump for the riot, but Trump staffers are facing the prospect of not getting jobs as they move on from the current administration, and several large corporations have backed off of giving political contributions to the elected officials who opposed the Electoral College vote affirmation. Past Democratic elections which came up short led the party to research how they could ensure it would not happen again. With COVID, Democrats couldn't go door to door speaking with voters, but Democrats reached out to get more people to register to vote and get involved. We spoke of the razor-close race between Al Gore and George W. Bush in 2000 where Gore conceded quickly after he lost his challenge at the Supreme Court hearing. Additionally,Handwerk recalled the gracious concession speeches made by statesmen such as John McCain and Mitt Romney when they lost their Presidential races, "calling to our better angels and holding people accountable for a world where we can look for ways to agree on 'what we agree on.'" The national Democratic Party has a well-defined platform that helps the average working man and woman: adopting a $15 minimum wage by 2026, addressing climate change, fighting the COVID pandemic, and other issues that impact the day to day lives of the average citizen. In contrast, the national Republican Party did not adopt a national platform in 2020 but fell back upon principles of the 2016 Platform. Demographics in Louisiana have shifted in voting tendencies in the past few years. While Democrats used to represent the majority of registered voters in Louisiana, they have slipped a bit. Today, according to the Louisiana Secretary of State's website, 1,254,915 people are registered as Democratics; 1,030,291 people are registered as Republicans, and 819,336 people are registered as "Other." "America is so great because we have a democracy. That's why people come here. They're still coming here,

Anya Burgess, owner of Sola Violins, a full-service violin shop in downtown Lafayette, Louisiana joined Jan Swift of Discover Lafayette to discuss her journey and career in music. Anya moved to Acadiana in 2000 as a Teach for America instructor. Growing up in Winchester, Massachusetts, she knew very little about our region. But her desire to "land somewhere different" led her to teach at Washington Elementary School in St. Landry Parish, and she has remained here ever since. Growing up playing classical music, she was exposed to more traditional Appalachian and Irish music when she studied folklore at Indiana University. She picked up the violin during her college days, after being trained in piano in her younger days. Anya settled in the Arnaudville area and still lives in the region on five acres on the Bayou Teche with her two boys and her husband, Richard Burgess. She loves the space they have which allows the kids to run around. She also maintains a shop behind her home where she originally repaired and built violins until she opened a full-service shop, Sola Violins, in downtown Lafayette. The moves allowed for the expansion of inventory and services and great accessibility for most of her clientele who travel from Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, Alexandria, and beyond. One of the only violin shops in the state, Sola Violins specializes in the restoration, rentals, and sales of violin family instruments. Their clientele includes everyone from students to professionals and Cajun to classical players. Anya is also a violinmaker, having learned how to make violins in college. Surprisingly, our area has a great number of violin players, and as Anya says, "In this region, we may have one of the most per capita of violin players!" She is a board member of the Violin Society of America. Anya Burgess' tools of the trade in violin making and repair. A great deal of Sola Violins' business involves the complete restoration of instruments. Symphony players, people who inherit instruments, and people bringing in instruments damaged by the elements are included in her clientele. She works on all instruments included in the violin family including the viola and cello, as well as the occasional member of the bass family of instruments. The store also offers accessories, books and other accouterments needed to play the instruments. Sola Violins offers guidance for teachers and you can reference the list of local string teachers here. Anya at her store, Sola Violins, in Lafayette, LA. Anya Burgess makes and plays violins. "I have an elegant presentation, but I want my store to be a welcoming place. I want it to have a living room vibe. My goal is that more people play music It's my number one goal." Photo by: Christina Clusiau Interestingly, COVID has affected the type of business Sola Violins attracts, but not the volume of business. Anya has found herself just as busy in 2020 as in years past, but this year has seen more rentals of instruments than sales, as people have picked up instruments to pass the time. Anya rents to people of all ages and notes it is very affordable to rent an instrument as you determine before purchasing if the choice was the right fit. A lifelong musician, Anya plays the fiddle with two Grammy-nominated Cajun bands, Bonsoir Catin and the Magnolia Sisters. She is the newest member of Magnolia Sisters, which she joined eighteen years ago. The band was first nominated for a Grammy in 2010 and again in 2015. Fellow band members include Anne Savoy, Jane Vidrine, and Lisa Trahan. She also plays alongside Bonsoir, Catin band members Kristi Guillory, Christine Balfa, Maegan Berard, Ashley Hayes Steele, and Danny DeVillier. Bonsoir, Catin was also nominated for a Grammy in 2015 and Anya recalled with delight the experience of traveling to the awards ceremony with both bands. Anya Burgess plays the fiddle with two Grammy-nominated Cajun bands, Bonsoir,

Adam Daigle, Business Editor of the Acadiana Advocate joined Jan Swift to discuss the biggest business news of 2020 and the Advocate’s upcoming Economic Summit to be held virtually on January 13, 2021. While our interview last year with Adam focused on the out-migration of Louisiana residents, this year's interview provides an interesting take on how Acadiana has survived amidst the incredible economic turmoil brought on by the pandemic. The newspaper industry took a hit in income along with all other industries and for a while, the Advocate staff experienced furlow days and a reduction in staff as the tourism drop led to the cancellation of events and the ensuing drop in advertising dollars. Yet, the Advocate held true to its 178-year-old history and has remained a reliable source of up-to-date news. Adam and his fellow journalists work both virtually from home and in the office as they continue to provide top-notch journalism from offices in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette. The top business story of 2020, of course, is COVID and its impact on the economy. While unemployment never hit the 25% level predicted by LEDA's Gregg Gothreaux, the region still lost double the amount of jobs experienced after Hurricane Katrina. Tourism jobs in the hotel and restaurant industries were devastated. Yet, the community rallied to support restaurants, even if just for pickup meals, to help keep the industry afloat. The hotel industry was greatly assisted by the natural disaster wreaked by Hurricane Laura. At the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, hotel receipts were a mere $1 million; in September and October 2020, hotel receipts registered as one of the best ever at $9 million. The oil and gas industry took its lumps this year, with the price of oil reaching negative numbers at one point. While our regional economy has diversified and has not experienced as hard a hit as in the past, the loss of the oil and gas folks has greatly impacted our quality of life. Their absence impacts not only the economy but trickles down to support generated for the non-profit sector. There were big job gains to celebrate. SchoolMint, an educational technology firm, moved here from San Francisco. With the high price of doing business in the Silicon Valley area, Louisiana is an attractive alternative. Another big win for the region was the news of Westfield Hydraulics and the company’s affiliate, Westfield Fluid Controls, making a $5.1 million capital investment to establish a manufacturing facility in Lafayette. This is anticipated to create 67 new jobs with salaries of approximately $50,000 per year, as well as 106 new indirect jobs. In late December it was confirmed that Amazon is building a 1 million square foot distribution facility in Carencro behind the former Evangeline Downs Racetrack. According to a press release by Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, "more than 14,500 small and medium-sized businesses in the state participate in Amazon’s fulfillment network. From June 2019 through May 2020, those Louisiana entrepreneurs recorded a 49 percent growth in year-over-year sales." Carencro has experienced phenomenal growth in recent years with new subdivisions and retail establishments flourishing. Adam shared that the town will record #300 million in sales in 2020, a first for Carencro. Downtown Lafayette has made a lot of progress considering the impact of COVID and the resulting economic downturn. Adam thought it would be "the year of downtown," as there has been great anticipation of the redevelopment work to be done on the old Federal Courthouse site which has been long vacant; the project has been delayed, first due to the need for environmental cleanup and then the ensuing COVID shutdown and demise of the energy sector which altered market demands for more business space in the downtown region. Yet downtown is still diversifying its offerings, particularly with Jefferson Street attracting SugarWolf Outdoor...

Just nine months ago, Laurel Hess launched hampr, an on-demand laundry service designed to take the stress out of busy families' lives. Who could have predicted the pandemic would hit the U. S. that same month and upend our normal way of life? Laurel Hess joined Jan Swift of Discover Lafayette to discuss her newest endeavor, Presto Health, a prescription delivery service made possible via an investment by Ochsner Lafayette General's Healthcare Innovation Fund II. The service launched on the 1st of December, 2020, and delivers medications to the patient’s home or preferred destination upon their discharge from Ochsner Lafayette General urgent care centers, emergency rooms, clinics, and telemedicine visits held in Lafayette Parish. The service is offered at no cost to the patient. In early March 2020, hampr's ideal client was a busy young mom with kids, who needed a break from the incessant laundry chores. By late March 2020, everything in the U. S. was shut down and the ideal demographic quickly shifted to the "young bachelor who needed help." At that same time, Ochsner Lafayette General's Cian Robinson (who has since moved on to McLeod Health in South Carolina) approached Hess to see if hampr could deliver prescriptions. Laurel recalls her first thought was "No, we're a laundry service." But she reexamined her platform and saw that they offered a "last mile delivery platform....we can deliver anything from A to B." We said, "Absolutely Yes!!" Hampr's team duplicated its platform and was able to get it up and running in six months. Called "Presto Health," the new prescription delivery service is a division of hampr. Having to stay HIPAA certified, its drivers are W2 salaried employees, unlike the contract laundry service workers hampr utilizes. Presto Health employees don't handle any personal health information on the patients they assist and are only given information as to the name of the patient and their address. "We are literally just a delivery platform," says Hess. Presto Health is notified by the pharmacy once a prescription is filled and paid for, and compensated per delivery on a volume-based scale. The service is currently operating in Lafayette Parish at this time and looks to expand into the broader Ochsner network statewide as well as other areas of the U. S. With a focus on patient and delivery driver safety, health the patient is texted when the prescription has arrived at their home and there is no interpersonal interaction. There is no need to sign for acceptance of the delivery, but Presto Health workers take a photo to prove the delivery has been completed successfully. Hospitals across the country are looking into similar prescription delivery programs, referred to as "Meds to Beds." With a big push on improving healthcare and patient outcomes, healthcare professionals are working to ensure that healthcare is delivered to people efficiently no matter where they are. It's always in the best interest of the hospitals to keep people on their prescribed medications to keep healthcare issues in check. Hess says, "A lot of people upon discharge from the hospital may not have access to a vehicle or may not be well enough to go pick up their medication. So making sure they stay on their prescribed medication is very important. It reduces recidivism rates for the hospital....so people aren't coming back with the same issue they just left with." Presto Health is the newest wave of healthcare reform. Ochsner Lafayette General providers are aware of the program and our hope is to get the word out to patients who will benefit from this service. To learn more about Oschner Lafayette General's Innovation Fund, visit https://www.lafayettegeneral.com/healthcare-innovation-fund. As an aside, Hess refers to Cian Robinson as her "fairy godfather. He sees opportunity everywhere. This program is something that hospitals across the nation are looking at.

Casey Hoyt and Michael Moore, founders of VieMed Healthcare, Inc., the largest independent non-invasive ventilation therapy provider in the U S., joined Jan Swift of Discover Lafayette to discuss their journey. They were joined by Casey's dad, Max Hoyt, who has been a mentor, investor, and V. P. of Governmental Relations for VieMed until recently. They shared their journey in building a highly successful organization based upon mutual respect of their partner's talents as well as having each other's back at all times. Close friends since their college years, they met through their mutual friend, the late Brad Dunphy. Even while hanging out in college, Casey and Mike always enjoyed talking business. Casey learned at an early age how to work with others and for others, having grown up under the tutelage of his dad, Max Hoyt, who had started several businesses of his own, most notably Pixus Digital Printing. Starting in the work force at 15 years of age at Hub City Diner, Casey was always working and gained invaluable experience in the sales field selling alarms for ADT and "learned how to get 25 'No's' for each 'Yes'." He had found success running NimLock Louisiana (now VOXX), an exhibit and trade show service company. Michael Moore had gotten into respiratory therapy sales at the age of 17. He found he enjoyed working with patients and loved the fundamental of sales. He had worked for a mom and pop durable medical equipment business and had built strong relationships in the healthcare industry and with local physicians. By 2006, both Casey and Mike were ready for a new challenge and knew they could effectively combine their skills in business management (Casey) and sales (Mike.) Wanting to keep respiratory medicine front and center, the resulting endeavor was a new company, Sleep Management, which originally provided CPAPs for physicians' sleep labs. A change in Medicare rules in 2008 allowed for home-based sleep apnea testing, and they first worked to get physician-run sleep labs to opt in to this new at-home treatment for patients. As Mike says, "It really failed!" So they took a leap of faith and opened their own sleep apnea testing company called "Home Sleep Delivery," the first of its kind in Louisiana and only one of five in the country at the time. Payers weren't even covering the procedure at that time, but they knew it was just a matter of time before the home sleep treatment industry would be transformed and become mainstream. As Casey says, "Mike was always a good salesperson. We had a tiger by the tail the minute we turned on the light switch." Test devices are mailed to patients and then mailed back to Home Sleep Delivery; thereafter therapy for the patient is delivered via mail and the device set up by video call with assistance from the company. That business has continued to grow and Casey and Mike look back on that early home therapy option as a precursor of how people are now successfully operating remotely during COVID times. Casey and Mike have stayed focus on respiratory issues as their business has grown and branched out. While most people locally still look upon their business as focused on sleep apnea testing and treatment, that market is actually only 5% of their revenue. Yet, that sleep market is what led them into treating sick patients with lung disease. VieMed provides equipment and home-based healthcare to serve patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and other respiratory issues. It was in 2012 that they entered the non-invasive ventilator (NIV) therapy arm of their business as a distributor when Philips brought this life-changing device onto the market. In 2014, they rebranded to "VieMed" to more accurately reflect their business mission. "The non-invasive therapy market was" ripe for the picking" and demand was sky-high. VieMed is based in Lafayette LA and employs 505 full-time employees across the country,

Lafayette Parish Mayor-President Josh Guillory joined Jan Swift of Discover Lafayette to discuss his first year of service to the community. Guillory took office on January 6, 2020, and has faced unprecedented challenges this year as the coronavirus rolled in with its ensuing physical and economic chaos, the oil and gas market collapsed, several hurricanes hit our region, and civil unrest erupted after the fatal police shooting of Trayford Pellerin. A young man who will turn 38 on January 8, 2021­­­­­­, Guillory is a graduate of the U. S. Airborne School and earned his wings in 2004. He comes from a family who proudly served, harking back to his paternal grandfather who was a WWI Vet, his maternal grandfather who was a WWII Vet, and his brother who served in the Air Force. Guillory served in Baghdad, Iraq as a Cavalry platoon leader. He credits his time in the military for teaching him how to make decisions, saying he was told in Officer Candidate School, "If you'll learn anything, you will learn how to make decisions!" While working as a pharmaceutical representative and juggling the responsibilities of raising three young children with his wife, Guillory earned his law degree from Southern University Law Center while working full time and attending school at night. He credits his work in pharmaceuticals for equipping him to better understand medical issues associated with the pandemic. Hospitals are once again at surge capacity, and immediately prior to our interview, Guillory hosted a press conference with hospital officials who reiterated that the community must follow COVID guidelines such as mask-wearing, washing hands, social distancing, and quarantining if exposed to someone with the virus. Guillory has realized that a small percentage of the people think everything should be shut down in order to get a grip on the pandemic, another small percentage think it is a hoax, and an overwhelming majority just want to strike a balance so that we can keep going. "Personal responsibility is the absolute # 1 tool in fighting COVID-19. We all know what to do and we should comply. Wash your hands like you are cleaning up after eating crawfish and putting in your contact lens," Guillory says. "Personal responsibility is the absolute # 1 tool in fighting COVID-19. We all know what to do and we should comply. Wear your mask. Wash your hands like you are cleaning up after eating crawfish and taking out your contact lens," Guillory says. Guillory has remained steadfast in his commitment to do more with less while not raising taxes and to focus on his core priorities of improving drainage, roads, and public safety. Handling the pandemic has been an all-consuming priority and has also resulted in delaying the hiring of a few key hires such as permanent directors for LUS, LUS Fiber, and the Parks Department. While Guillory prefers to hire local, he also wants to ensure that the best possible candidates are vetted and the pandemic has made interviewing tough. The new Lafayette City Chief of Police is about to be named, and Guillory is proud that two local people were hired to oversee the newly created Drainage and Transportation, Roads and Bridges Departments, which were carved out of the former Public Works Department. This year's budget adds 11 positions to the Drainage Department, which fulfills Guillory's promise to prioritize improving drainage. When asked to address the cuts made to arts and culture, Guillory stressed the importance of tapping into all stakeholder groups with an interest in maintaining the quality of offerings while also taking into consideration the constraints of the budget. With the recent defeat of the two tax propositions which would have allowed greater budget flexibility in spending operating fund (discretionary) dollars, Guillory stated that public/private partnerships are more important than ever if projects are to be adequately funded. He emphasized his appreciation for the arts,

Jim Dore, Executive Business Coach with Vistage, the world’s largest CEO coaching and peer advisory organization, joined Discover Lafayette to discuss his career and passion for helping business people become leaders in their field. Jim's role in serving as Vistage Chair is to lead and challenge executives from small and midsize businesses as they learn how to make thoughtful decisions and become accountable for their actions among their peer advisory group, thereby increasing overall business results. For most of his professional life, Jim Dore worked with Global Industries, the oilfield service and diving company started by his brother, Bill Dore, in 1973, that grew into a billion-dollar company. First hired as a teenager, Jim worked alongside his brother and grew his management skills over the years. He led teams and established markets in the U.S., Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Mexico. During his time with Global, he finished his higher education, earning an MBA from UL-Lafayette as well as attending classes at Harvard Business School's Strategic Marketing Management Program. As Global Industries grew, the company purchased other companies that facilitated their growth and success. One in particular that Jim remembers with pride is the purchase of The Red Adair Service and Marine Company which Global Industries purchased in 1993. Adair had a worldwide reputation for excellence and wanted to sell his company (which specialized in extinguishing and capping oil well blowouts) to someone he could trust....and he trusted Bill Dore. On Red's worldwide exit tour as he introduced the Global Industries' team, the company gained great recognition and trust within the industry which significantly helped their company achieve widespread renown and acceptance in the oilfield patch. Working with family members can be tough and Jim shared that his brother could be a taskmaster but always had the company's best interest at heart. Bill Dore had predicted in the early 1990s that Global Industries would become a billion-dollar company one day, and sure enough, it did! Bill Dore retired at the age of 60 years after netting $700 million dollars according to published reports, and Jim, his younger brother, retired at the age of 55. The Vistage process involves several avenues of working with executives who are looking to finetune their operations for success. There are one on one private sessions that Jim Dore holds with each executive to discuss their concerns. The CEO peer advisory members also meet monthly to discuss common issues that all of the execs face, even as they hail from such diverse backgrounds as insurance, oil and gas, engineering, and until recently, Ruffin Rodrigue of the restaurant industry. Dore stressed that some of the best questions come from people outside the field of expertise of the CEO asking for guidance. Group sessions allow the members to discuss issues openly while retaining the understanding that what is said in the room stays in the room. Privacy and trust are paramount. Having the ability to talk with other business leaders is important mentally and physically according to Dore. Significant emotional events can throw anyone for a loop and it is important to have a safe outlet in which to discuss your problems. Jim encourages people to join a group with other CEOs, even if it's not Vistage to be able to let off steam and bounce your ideas off other trusted individuals. Vistage Group sessions allow for open discussions. "You may get questions which make you uncomfortable but accountability is important. If you don't do what you say you will, the group will call you on it. If you've been talking about a topic for six months and haven't acted on it, the group may challenge you and say it must not be important to you!" One of Jim Dore's favorite leadership truisms was delivered by the legendary coach, Lou Holtz, which Holtz set forth in a 1988 film, "Do Right.

Discover Lafayette welcomes Amanda Landers, Regional Director of Vitalant. Vitalant, formed in 1943, was formally known as United Blood Services and is one of the nation's largest non-profit blood transfusion organizations. Vitalant has served as our area’s community blood provider since 1954, serving the blood needs of patients in over 27 parishes and 31 hospitals in Louisiana. Landers has worked at Vitalant since her college intern days when she was studying public relations at UL - Lafayette. Originally from Victoria, British Columbia, Landers came to Lafayette in 1998 to play tennis on a four-year scholarship. She fell in love with the people and culture and has made this her permanent home along with her husband and three children. Amanda Landers and family. A native of Victoria, British Columbia, Landers came to Lafayette in 1998 to play tennis on a four-year scholarship at UL - Lafayette. She fell in love with the people and culture and has made this her permanent home along with her husband and three children. Most people don't think about donating blood until they have a family member or friend in need. Yet, as Landers puts it, "The blood on the shelf is what saves lives at the time of need." By the time you can donate blood, your loved one has already been supplied with what they need from existing donor blood on the shelf. Blood and its components have a very limited shelf life. Red blood cells have a refrigerated shelf life of 42 days. Platelets last five days, and plasma can be frozen for up to one year. Anyone over the age of 16 can donate blood, with the average donor being between the ages of 36 to 55 years old; some healthy people give blood well into their 90s, knowing that their contribution is saving lives. Jennifer LeMeunier, a local resident, giving blood at Vitalant. It takes about seven minutes to give blood, and 45 minutes of your time from start to finish to be screened and complete the donor process. Visit Vitalant to sign up and enlist your family and friends to join you! Vitalant is encouraging youth to build the habit of giving with the hope of building the next generation of loyal donors. Donors can give red blood cells every eight weeks and platelets can be donated every seven days. Donor blood is screened and processed for infectious diseases. As of June 1, 2020, all blood is tested for COVID antibodies. After your donation, you can visit Vitalant's donor profile to determine if you have antibodies to COVID which means you have recovered from the disease. Many people have not even known they've had the disease. If you are identified as one who has had COVID, you will be encouraged to donate convalescent plasma to help others who are struggling with COVID. This plasma has been found particularly helpful in treating patients with early-stage coronavirus. The COVID shutdown and resulting behavioral changes and school shutdowns have drastically affected the blood donations being collected nationwide. Most hospitals don't "self-collect" blood, plasma, and platelets, and are dependent on the supply kept on hand by blood banks around the U. S. Most of the nation's blood supply, 60% on average, is collected at mobile sites, with 40% of those donations coming from drives held at educational institutions such as elementary, middle school, high school, and college campuses. With most campuses shut down due to COVID, this avenue of collecting donations has dwindled dramatically. This trend in reduced blood donations has been alarming apparent here in South Louisiana where it is expected that there will be 12,000 to 14,000 fewer red cell pints collected in 2020 than in a typical year pre-COVID. This is a critical drop in blood supply as even in a good year, Acadiana's annual need for 56,000 pints of blood is typically only met with local contributions of 34,000 pints. We are a receiving community, not a giving community in the larger scheme of things.

3rd Circuit Court of Appeal Judge Jonathan Perry joined Discover Lafayette to share his journey of public service. From his days growing up in Kaplan in a single-parent household with little money to the achievement of a law degree, service in the Legislature as a State Representative and Senator, and now as a Judge on the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal, his inspirational message is of the importance of hard work and perseverance in achieving your dreams. A native and lifelong resident of Kaplan, Judge Perry received a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Northeast Louisiana University, which is now the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Perry always wanted to be a Louisiana State Trooper, but it hadn't worked out for him. So, at the age of 25, he joined the Kaplan Police Department where his uncle and politically savvy Police Chief Steve Perry had been trying to hire him. While a cadet in training at A.L.E.T.A. (Acadiana Law Enforcement Training Academy) in New Iberia, he was elected Cadet President and received The John “Dooley” Hardy award which is bestowed to the Hardest Working Cadet. While at the Academy, he was also inspired by a visiting Assistant U. S. District Attorney who "lit a fire in him" and who encouraged him to pursue a career in law. Judge Perry has the utmost respect for law enforcement and its professionals who serve with low pay and high risk, and he proudly rose to the rank of Sergeant during his service. "I loved being a police officer more than anything I've ever done up to this point in my life. I loved the interaction, being with people, and serving." Yet he was one of the few officers that had a college degree which defied the norm at that time; he decided to pursue higher education and took the LSAT (Law School Admission Test), studying while continuing to work with the department. When he didn't make a high enough score on the LSAT the first time, he became determined to pass and studied even harder, thereafter being accepted into Southern Law School. During his third year of law school, he began his political career when he was elected to the Kaplan City Council at the age of 28. He jumped into politics because he saw that many young people in Acadiana were leaving small towns, including Kaplan, and he explained, "There were no young people in elected positions, no young professionals. Who was going to represent the young families? Who's going to represent me? They were moving out and I wanted to stay home. We need someone with fire." Before the COVID shutdown, Judge Perry would teach a yearly Civics class on how the judicial system works, "Court in the Classroom," at N. Vermilion and Abbeville High Schools. In 2007, Perry, a conservative Republican, was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives to serve District 47, representing Cameron and Vermilion Parishes. At that time, he was shocked to see how he was received by other House members. As a former police officer, Assistant D. A, with a flat top hairstyle, people assumed they couldn't work with him. "It was such a disappointment, I can be friends with everyone and be empathetic to their views. I don't judge based upon color, party affiliation." Then in 2011, he won a special election for Senate District 26, which covers portions of Acadia, Lafayette, St. Landry, and Vermilion Parishes. He calls the Senate "the Country Club." It's quiet in the Senate chambers, with only 39 members and the desks spread out. There is a sense of decorum as members have to walk down to the well and face the other Senators as they share their thoughts. Perry believes that service in both chambers is beneficial and "your better legislators serve first in the House and then the Senate. They know the rules and procedures on both sides. And you have to build relationships." Perry shared how partisan and backstabbing politics can take its toll on elected officials and that he seriously considered resigning from office.

Dr. Joshua Clegg Caffery, director of the Center for Louisiana Studies at UL- Lafayette, is our guest. Josh has deep historical ties to the university, having earned master’s and doctoral degrees in English and folklore studies from UL - Lafayette. His great-grandfather, Sen. Robert Martin, is the namesake for UL - Lafayette's Martin Hall. Locals are familiar with "Ambassador Caffery Parkway" which is named after one of Josh Caffery's family members, Jefferson Thompson Caffery, one of the first graduates of UL - Lafayette (then known as "Southwestern Louisiana Industrial Institute), who served as a U. S. Ambassador to Columbia and Cuba and worked for 43 years in foreign service under eight U.S. presidents: Taft, Wilson, Harding, Coolidge, Hoover, F. D. Roosevelt, Truman, and Eisenhower. Caffery's family has also had many successful politicians and business people of note, including Donelson Caffery, a civil war veteran and U. S. Senator representing Louisiana, as well as Patrick T. Caffery, a New Iberia native who served as a Louisiana State House Representative and member of Congress, and other family members who made profitable livings as sugar plantation owners. The late Louisiana Governor, Murphy James "Mike" Foster, Jr., was a relative, having family connections through the common thread of the Murphy family. Caffery emphasized that President Andrew Jackson was the catalyst for the opportunities opened to his family in the early 1800s which led to their economic success. A young man, husband, and father of two small children along with his talented wife, Claire Oliver, Josh’s career has already taken many paths which have incorporated his skills and interest in folklore. He is the author of two books, “Traditional Music in Coastal Louisiana: The 1934 Lomax Collection,” which included a Grammy-nominated CD compilation, and “In the Creole Twilight: Poems and Songs from Louisiana Folklore,” a collection of poems inspired by Louisiana myth, legend, and oral history. Joshua Caffery is the author of two books, “Traditional Music in Coastal Louisiana: The 1934 Lomax Collection,” which included a Grammy-nominated CD compilation, and “In the Creole Twilight: Poems and Songs from Louisiana Folklore,” a collection of poems inspired by Louisiana myth, legend, and oral history. Caffery served as head of the English Department at Episcopal School of Acadiana. He was an Alan Lomax Fellow in Folklife Studies at the Library of Congress and also served a fellowship in folklore at Indiana University. He took a sojourn into private enterprise, working for the acclaimed jewelry manufacture, Stuller, in helping them identify and market the ideal pieces to meet their clients' needs. An acclaimed musician, known for the French folksongs he performed with the Red Stick Ramblers and Feu Follet, Josh Caffery received a 2010 Grammy nomination for Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album for his performance and songwriting on the “En Couleurs” album by Feufollet. He also received a Grammy nomination in 2016 for Best Regional Roots Album, "I Wanna Sing Right: Rediscovering Lomax In The Evangeline Country." The Center for Louisiana Studies at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette was established in 1973 to plan, promote, and pursue programs that provide scholars, students, and the public with a better understanding of Louisiana history and culture. His current work with the Center for Louisiana Studies has included raising funds to restore the J. Arthur Roy House located at the Northwest Corner of University Avenue and Johnston Street. For locals interested in really making UL - Lafayette a destination of choice, having the Roy House restored is a wonderful way to make a difference with your tax-deductible funds. For more information and to make a contribution, please visit https://louisianastudies.louisiana.edu/about-center/roy-house. J. Arthur Roy was a prominent business man at the turn of the century and his house is the onl...

Carlee Alm-LaBar, President and CEO of United Way of Acadiana ("UWA"), is our guest. As a young woman who first moved to South Louisiana for Teach for America teaching High School Math in Churchpoint in 1998, Carlee has proven that her heart is dedicated to public service and in leaving things better than she found them. Many knew Carlee as a candidate in the 2019 Lafayette Parish President's race. Prior to that she worked with Southern Lifestyle Development and served as Head of Development and Planning for Lafayette Consolidated Government. She also served as assistant to City-Parish President Joey Durel, overseeing communications and community relations for LCG, and spent eight years working in the nonprofit sector at the Community Foundation of Acadiana and Acadiana Youth. On the volunteer front, Carlee served as chair of the Leadership Institute of Acadiana, the parent organization of Leadership Lafayette; in Junior League of Lafayette, she served as chief financial officer and communications vice president; she was a long-time board member of Lafayette Youth Soccer Association and was honored as a Woman Who Means Business and a "Top 20 Under 40" young professional. She organized and led the Fix the Charter group, a citizen-driven effort that supported the reorganization of our Lafayette Consolidated Government into two separate city and parish councils. In late February 2020, she started her new post at the helm of UWA, which was two weeks before the COVID shutdown turned our world upside down. Carlee has been focused on disaster relief ever since. The economic devastation wreaked by the COVID disaster has shone the light on the importance of UWA's work in giving people the "building blocks for a better life." "Most of my career has been in service to others so the transition to United Way of Acadiana has been an easy one." UWA has been a perfect fit for Carlee's talents and drive to better the community. Carlee had to quickly learn how to manage staff who were working from home while also navigating fundraising responsibilities in an environment that precludes in-person events. UWA has focused on using resources wisely in its outreach to the community; they have recently partnered with Court Appointed Special Advocates of South Louisiana ("CASA of SoLA") which is now located on UWA's campus. Carlee explains that "this is a great opportunity for cross-collaboration in helping our most vulnerable.....foster children who are in need of advocates." With its focus on "Education, Earnings and Essentials," UWA partners with other community non-profits in coordinating volunteer resources and ensuring that basic needs are met. The organization not only funds other deserving non-profit "partners" which have been vetted for effectiveness, but it also provides direct services in areas of need that are not being met by other non-profits. Carlee explained that our region has approximately 100 to 150 active and viable non-profits; some have employees and are run as a business, while others thrive on volunteer efforts to get the job done. United Way of Acadiana is a Nonprofit Multi-Tenant Center with Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana, American Red Cross, Louisiana Emergency Medical Units (LEMU), and the Lafayette Public Library System.In addition, the Multi-Tenant Center provides a community training room for non-profits and government agencies to host trainings and meetings. The room is available from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. at no cost to non-profits and government agencies and for $50 per workday for private businesses and corporations. To reserve the room, call 337.233.8302. In October 2020 as this interview was recorded, many people were still underemployed or unemployed while also having been hit by the myriad of hurricanes that battered South Louisiana. UWA is a local leader in the Acadiana Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster ("VOAD") and works diligently alongside 232-HE...

Discover Lafayette welcomed Surgical Oncologist Dr. Shaunda Grisby of Oschner Lafayette General to discuss her journey in medicine and her mission in helping people be free of breast cancer. With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a yearly event held to increase awareness of the disease (which is the most common cancer in women aside from some types of skin cancer), it seemed a fitting time to shine the light on Dr. Grisby. A general surgeon, Dr. Grisby is fellowship-trained in Breast Surgical Oncology with advanced techniques such as oncoplastic breast surgery, nipple-sparing mastectomy, skin-sparing mastectomy, and management of benign breast diseases. Originally from Northern California, Dr. Grisby studied to earn a Doctor of Medicine at the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science and the David Geffin School of Medicine at UCLA, a medical program that "provides training in the scholarly and humane aspects of medicine and fosters the development of leaders who will advance medical practice and knowledge in underserved areas in the United States and abroad." She went on to be a general surgery resident at Easton School of Medicine in Pennsylvania and completed a breast surgical oncological fellowship in Michigan at the William Beaumont Hospital. Dr. Grisby's parents were originally from the Shreveport area, and she had maintained ties to Louisiana. With Louisiana consistently being ranked #3 in breast cancer mortality, Dr. Grisby found Lafayette to fit the bill as the perfect site for her medical practice and to have the opportunity to make a real difference in health outcomes. She moved to Lafayette from Michigan in 2017. Dr. Grisby believes that education is the first step in helping people become aware of the need to have routine check-ups and prevent cancer from becoming invasive. She has worked diligently to teach breast cancer awareness and breast cancer prevention throughout the region, sharing her compassionate and caring voice to the community. Her message on positive lifestyle choices includes such measures as eating a varied diet with a focus on healthy oils such as olive and avocado and "good" carbohydrates such as fruits and vegetables, getting in exercise for 30 minutes several times a week, and limiting alcohol consumption. It's been hard during COVID for many of us to get inadequate exercise so her advice is to be creative and fit in exercise when you can, even if it means walking around the house. In recognition of her work in Acadiana to increase breast health, Dr. Grisby was recently honored as a 2020 SPIRIT OF HOPE HONOREE by the American Cancer Society. In recognition of her work in Acadiana to increase breast health, Dr. Grisby was recently honored as a 2020 SPIRIT OF HOPE HONOREE by the American Cancer Society. While many believe that having a genetic mutation linked to breast cancer is the biggest risk an individual may face, in fact, approximately 12.5 % of women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime no matter what their genetic make-up or family history is. Standard protocol is that women should begin having mammograms at the age of 40; however, if the individual has close relatives (such as grandmothers, mother, sisters, or aunts on either side of the family) who have had breast cancer diagnosed by the age of 40, they should begin having mammograms by the age of 30 and have additional screenings each year. It is not recommended that mammograms be conducted on younger women as their breast tissue is at a less developed stage and mammograms can be difficult to interpret. Physicians may recommend a breast ultrasound for patients under 30 years of age as the best imaging modality. Dr. Grisby's typical patient presents after having a diagnostic screening, diagnostic workup, and biopsy confirming breast cancer. They usually haven't suspected anything was wrong and are in relative shock at the diagnosis. In that state of mind,

Dr. Pearson Cross, seasoned political analyst, joined Discover Lafayette to discuss the political climate in this 2020 election cycle. Early voting will run through Oct. 27, 2020, preceding the November 3rd election, and it seemed a good time to have Dr. Cross join us and discuss the political landscape here and across the region. Dr. Cross is a respected professor on UL - Lafayette's campus as well as our community, serving as Interim Head of the Department of Political Science, Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, and an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science. He is host of a weekly radio show, Bayou to Beltway on KRVS (88.7 FM), that focuses on politics and policy, and is a frequent commentator on political issues for news media at the national, state and local levels. As a young man, Cross always wanted to be a musician and actually dropped out of college and played rock and jazz for about ten years, traveling across the Western U. S. But a "sit down" gig in Palo Alto allowed him the opportunity to stay in one place to make a living and he realized he needed to do something different, to go back to school. Dr. Pearson Cross (pictured far right) in Banshee, the band in which he performed as a young man as they toured the Western U. S. Dr. Cross found his calling in teaching political science while working in Palo Alto CA and returned to school after taking a ten-year break from college. A political science class spurred his interest in the subject. A teacher/mentor encouraged him to earn a PhD and pursue a career in teaching, a vocation which mirrored that of his parents and one he never dreamed he would follow. After a stint at UL - Monroe, Dr. Cross ended up in South Louisiana at UL - Lafayette where he is raising his family and has become a part of the political landscape. COVID has turned the 2020 election cycle upside down with its resulting need to social distance and limit large gatherings. Cross reminisced about the days of "retail politics" in which politicians such as Edwin Edwards would work six or seven events a day as a way to meet constituents, march in parades, kiss babies, and raise funds; those days are "pretty much done" and social media has become more and more important. Today, the "Matthew Principle" rules: "To those who have, get. To those who are given, more is given," says Cross. If a candidate already has a reputation and a fundraising operation, they can raise funds. But newcomers are at a great disadvantage. There is less door to door interactions. Incumbents are at a great advantage and can get by with much less advertising. Dr. Cross anticipates a great surge in mail in/early voting and at the time of our interview, 15 million people in the U. S. had cast ballots early. On the day of this posting, October 23, 2020, at least 51 million people have already voted in advance of the November 3rd election, which number represents over a third of all votes cast in the 2016 presidential election. In some states everyone is allowed to vote by mail; in Louisiana, there are a limited number of reasons that allow mail-in ballots such as having had COVID, being over 65 years of age, or having a recognized disability. Cross stressed that while many conservatives believe that mail-in balloting leads to broad and pervasive fraud, there have been no findings to that effect although there are occasional findings of illegality or altered ballots. Cross predicts that the national election results will be determined the night of November 3rd as Joe Biden appears headed to a solid victory. At the time of this interview, Biden had a commanding lead in the polls yet in the aftermath of the October 22nd debate, numbers are shifting slightly with Biden slipping among Independents. Swing states such as Florida, Michigan, and Texas will once again hold the key to victory for the successful candidate. National political news has crowded out state and local po...

Kip Judice, candidate for Lafayette City Marshall, joined Discover Lafayette to discuss his desire to serve our community and bring a common-sense approach to restoring trust in the Marshall's office. The election will be held on November 3, 2020. Kip Judice developed an interest in law enforcement when he joined the Explorer Scouts in the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's office during his Sophomore year in High School. His keen interest in operations led the staff to encourage him to apply for a job and he was hired at the age of 19 by Sheriff Don Breaux in 1985. His first job was in the Dispatch Center of the Sheriff's office and over the years he served in various leadership capacities under Sheriff Don Breaux (1985 - 2000) and Sheriff Mike Neustrom (2000 - 2015). As Commander of the Civil Department under Sheriff Neustrom, Judice garnered experience in operations similar to the duties required of the City Marshall: issuing subpoenas, picking up people on outstanding warrants, handling evictions, and seizing property pursuant to court judgments. He also served as the department's spokesperson relaying information to the media. Over the years, Kip Judice has been front and center working to resolve high-profile cases involving heinous criminals. One particularly disturbing case included the "South Side Serial Rapist" who had raped seven women at gunpoint over a thirteen-year period; unfortunately, the perpetrator ended up being a respected employee in the sheriff's office, Detective Randy Comeaux. Judice was also involved in another violent criminal being brought to justice after brutally raping and killing seven women between 1992 and 2003. Serial killer Derrick Todd Lee had flown under the radar of law enforcement because he was Black and law enforcement believed that the murders could only have been committed by a white male and were only testing the DNA of white men. During the interview, Kip discussed the emerging use of DNA genomic testing in 2003 which allowed the investigators to determine there was a 98% probability that the same African American's DNA had been gathered from all of the victims. The case was quickly wrapped up as the crime labs started testing DNA of Blacks who had been arrested and Derrick Todd Lee was the match. Judice's detective work on the case led to him giving a presentation on investigative aspects in the serial killer case to the highly esteemed Academy of Forensic Sciences in 2006 Another high-profile and fascinating case Judice reflected on involved Knight Oil Tool family where one brother attempted to frame his sibling for a felony so as to cut him out of his anticipated multi-million inheritance. Again using a common-sense approach, Judice and his team solved the crime by examining the evidence which just didn't add up. Sadly, the case also involved two fellow law enforcement officers who accepted bribes to plant evidence on Bryan Knight. Judice stayed with the Sheriff's office until May 2015 when he was hired to serve as Duson Police Chief. He inherited a police department rife with controversy after the previous four chiefs had either been indicted for crimes or were already serving prison time. The office was in disarray with only two employees who were making exorbitant amounts of money due to excessive overtime, there was no records management system, and the community had a mindset that if you knew someone in charge you could receive special favors. Kip focused on improving the office from day one. By his seventh day in office, he had hired two additional police officers who were already certified and qualified to work in law enforcement. He was able to do this at no extra expense and actually saved the office money by getting rid of the overtime expense that had bogged down the budget. The office also caught up with the backlog of felony arrests awaiting submission to the DA’s office, created a records management system,

Hannah Gumbo incorporates fun and whimsy into each of her artistic creations. Whether it is a 43 foot "Legacy Barn Mural" designed to tell the story of a beloved family member, a commissioned piece which captures the essence of Rodgers and Hammerstein's My Favorite Things, or illustrations for children's book, The Book That Wanted To Be Red written by Jerica Guillory, Hannah Gumbo's signature leaves a colorful imprint on beautifully designed art that is one of a kind. Darrell Smith, left, and Hannah Gumbo in front of the barn being painted by Gumbo at 1444 Highway 758 in Eunice LA. The 43-foot mural celebrates the life of the late Calvin Smith. (Photo on left by Harlan Kirgan). More about this story may be read in the Eunice News here. A Lafayette native, Hannah was homeschooled until she entered high school when she encountered visual art teacher, Kathy Reed, who she credits for inspiring her and many other Acadiana artists. Reed would take her students on field trips and invite area artists to come to school to share their passion for design. Hannah realized through Reed's example and nurturing that art and expression were paths worth pursuing. While she never thought she would "work" as an artist, she looked at art classes as a gift and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from UL - Lafayette with a concentration in painting & printmaking. And, 'art' is definitely her day job and passion! Hannah's work has evolved since she graduated and while she was trained to paint and draw, she joking said that her worst grade was in digital art. Ironically, today she incorporates digital art into most of her designs. Hannah uses a Wacom, which is akin to large iPad, and hops back and forth from sketches on paper and on the digital pen drawing tablet. The device allows Hannah to scale her drawings and try different colors as she works with her clients and tries out different colors and effects before finalizing the ultimate design. Hannah's desire is to make art fun and easy, more accessible, and less intimidating to people. She loves public art because it is available to all to enjoy. She tells people, "Don't worry about dissecting art intellectually....ask yourself, 'How do you feel about it?" Hannah Gumbo in front of the mural she painted on the Sides & Associates building in Downtown Lafayette. The work was commissioned by Downtown Development Authority and Sides. COVID has affected Hannah just as it has so many other artists experiencing the cancellation of so many festivals and outdoor markets. Yet this time has also afforded an opportunity to indulge herself with a "Passion Project." Inspired by 100 Day Projects of other artists, she created the "Sunday Hairies" and committed to create 100 watercolor and gel pen portraits of original and iconic hairstyles sported by celebrities. Sold on Etsy, she released seven new portraits each Sunday. Hannah Gumbo created the Sunday Hairies to create 100 original works illustrating iconic hairstyles of celebrities such as Colonel Sanders, Farrah Fawcett, and Red Lerille, which were sold on Etsy. Making a living as a freelance artist entails wearing a lot of hats, and Hannah has learned that one of the most important is communicating clearly when defining expectations of the end result. She's learned to clarify what the client is envisioning prior to completing the final product to ensure that everyone is happy at the end of the day when the project is complete. "The silver lining is that I really get to know people and bring their visions to life." Hannah Gumbo's work may be viewed at hannahgumbo.com. Hannah and her husband plan to travel more as they both work remotely from home. Her family instilled a love of travel and they have been in competition to see who could be the first to travel to all fifty states. While Hannah has been to 49 states, her parents beat her out about a month ago as they checked off travel to all 50 states! Rather than "work,

Kay Karre’ Gautreaux, a native of Lafayette and practicing attorney of 33 years, is our guest today. She is a candidate for judge in the 15th Judicial District, Division K, in Lafayette Parish, in the upcoming November 3rd election. A graduate of LSU Law School, Kay has experience in civil and criminal law, all areas of litigation, and managing jury and non-jury cases. She served as a law clerk for two district judges in state court (Judge Bennett J. Gautreaux) and federal court (Judge John Shaw for twelve years). Additionally, Kay has been appointed by the Louisiana Supreme Court on several occasions as a judge pro tempore in Lafayette City Court. She has handled cases ranging from misdemeanor and felony crimes to civil litigation to family matters such as divorce or succession matters. She currently manages her own law firm handling private client matters at Kay Karre Gautreaux, LLC in Lafayette. In addition to her law practice, Kay has served on the board of the Lafayette Parish Bar Association, Lafayette Volunteer Lawyers, UL Lafayette Alumni, St. Thomas More Advisory Council, Our Lady of Fatima Foundation, Our Lady of Fatima Alumni Council, Acadiana Republican Women’s Organization, Lafayette Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Lafayette Junior League of Lafayette. Her achievements include being selected as the Outstanding Young Lawyer for State of Louisiana, University of Louisiana Volunteer of the Year, Louisiana State Bar Foundation Fellow Honoree, 2012 Distinguished Warrior Award, and Named “Best of Acadiana. ” Kay is married to Mitch Gautreaux and they have two children, Michelle and Matthew. She is one of six siblings, four of which are attorneys, and all have been fortunate to achieve advanced education being the children of Albert and Inez Karre. Kay jokingly shared that she has 41 first cousins on her mom's side! They still gather twice a year to keep up their loving connection. Kay's dad, Albert Karre, was a highly-esteemed attorney in Lafayette as well as a WWII hero, who taught her a great deal about serving clients and how to deal with people who trusted him to take care of their interests. In his day, the clients would deliver pecans or other goods to cover their bills if they didn't have the ready cash. Her dad was her role model and she realized she wanted to follow in his footsteps of service by providing legal services to those in need. The Gautreaux family: Matthew, Michelle, Kay and Mitch. A sweet note to share about how Kay got her name: her dad, Albert Karre, opened a jewelry shop in Crowley when he returned from WWII, named "Kay's Jewelers." Kay's parents bestowed that lovely name upon her and we know that tribute carries forward poignant family memories. During our interview, Kay shared her love of Lafayette, her deep roots in the community, and her fond memories of the Oil Center as she grew up. As a student at Our Lady of Fatima High School, she would have field trips to watch LAGCOE as it was held at the Blackham Coliseum. The experiences left a lasting impression her as she learned the impact that the oil industry had on Lafayette's economy. People came from all over the country to visit Lafayette and she expressed deep regret over the demise of the oil industry and hopes people appreciate how important the oil sector has been to the development of Lafayette. "I believe strongly in our court system and our system of justice. I believe I can be a positive representative of this court system by helping it work fairly, efficiently, and instill confidence that I am not only knowledgeable of the law, but will follow the law. I am the only candidate who has been a legal assistant to two judges in state and federal court, giving me experience in how a judge’s office is run. I am the only candidate actively engaged in civil and criminal litigation." Gautreaux shared that the COVID pandemic has resulted in a tremendous backlog of cases. If elected,

Mark deClouet of Axis Behavioral Health & Recovery, a Board Certified Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, joined Jan Swift to discuss the rise in fatal opioid overdoses in the Acadiana area. Drug dependency has impacted people from all walks of life, flying in the face of the stereotypes of those who succumb to addiction. Envision your grandmother breaking her hip at the age of 73, being prescribed opioids for the first time in her life, and becoming addicted to painkillers. People who end up with Substance Use Disorders may experience chronic relapsing conditions unless they can access appropriate behavioral health and medical treatment. With the push against Big Pharmaceutical companies who have profited from addiction and the mandate on doctors to reduce their prescriptions of painkillers, as people suffer from withdrawals they have turned to street drugs such as heroin which may be laced with the deadly fentanyl. These drugs are easily accessible and much more affordable than prescription drugs. Some local numbers on our rising rate of overdoses: According to current information from the Lafayette Parish Coroner’s Office, 57 people overdosed in 2019 compared to 46 in 2018 and 43 in 2017. From January through May 2020, there were 23 overdoses, with 18 of those deaths being attributed to opioid overdoses. The 70508 zip code had more overdose deaths than any other zip code in the parish this year — and more overdose deaths in that zip code within the first five months of 2020 than all of 2019. Alarming, more people die of drug overdose in Louisiana than by firearm or homicide. In 2018 nearly 40% of the 1,140 reported drug overdose deaths in Louisiana involved opioids —a total of 444 fatalities. What may be causing this rise in overdose-related deaths? With the COVID pandemic shutdown, many people in recovery have not been able to access fellowship meetings with others who share their struggles. The required social distancing measures have raised a great challenge as people lose the means to stay in touch with their community. Many of us depend on the support of others and have been raised in a culture where we are not only exposed to continuous parties and festivals, but we are not accustomed to being socially isolated for long periods of time. In light of the rising number of local overdose deaths and the struggle to access quality treatment programs for addiction in the region, Mark deClouet opened a second location of Axis Behavioral Health & Recovery in the Oil Center (the first being in Alexandria, LA). The Axis team uses buprenorphine, a specific treatment modality approved by the Food and Drug Administration, to treat opioid use disorder. Buprenorphine competes with opiates for the same receptors that opiates bind with, the ones that give a feeling of euphoria. This chemical bond is stronger than the one of the opiates; if a person happens to relapse while on the drug, they will not experience the effect of the opiates. This has been found to keep people in recovery and deter people from falling further into the throes of addiction. Additionally, you can't overdose on buprenorphine (if it is taken alone). deClouet explained that most individuals with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) still do not have access to or receive any form of medications to combat their addiction. Even though the approved drugs are covered by Medicaid/Medicare and all insurance companies, clinicians typically prescribe buprenorphine on a cash-basis only as they are not reimbursed at a cost-effective level. As the drugs cost $250 to $300 per month, people have to choose between taking care of their children, paying the light bill, buying groceries, or treating their addiction out of pocket with cash they don't have to spare. As you might surmise, they choose to take care of necessities and end up right back in treatment in a few months after relapsing.

Daniel "Danny" Landry, candidate for District Attorney for the 15th Judicial District Court (covering Lafayette, Acadia, and Vermilion parishes), joined Discover Lafayette to discuss the upcoming election on November 3, 2020, and the reasons he has always wanted to serve the public as their District Attorney. A lifelong Lafayette resident, Landry is a graduate of Lafayette High, LSU, and LSU Law School, and has worked for the DA's office since 1984 where he served as Felony Assistant DA in the 15th JDC for over 35 years. In his early days with the office, DA Nathan Stansbury took him under his wing, mentored him, and demonstrated the leadership qualities that have shaped Landry's career and molded his work ethic with a focus on public service. Landry currently serves as First Assistant DA under the current District Attorney, Keith Stutes, who is not running for re-election. His job duties include supervising budget and management operations of the DA’s office, and prosecution of major cases. The office has close to 100 employees and works to administer and prosecute misdemeanors and felony offenses, which are "Title 14" crimes under the criminal code. Funded through 14 different sources of revenue, Landry believes that public safety issues should be a top priority. "If you have good public safety in a community, people want to come in, locate their businesses and homes there. Arts and culture can thrive." Landry is particularly proud of the case management system he implemented which "brought the DA's office into the 21st Century." With 26 law enforcement agencies throughout Lafayette, Acadia, and Vermilion parishes reporting to the DA's office, under the pre-existing paper-based filing system it was possible for arrest documents to be "lost" or fall through the cracks. Utilizing the new electronic tracking system for the past four years, the DA is now better able to meet the mandated 30-day review of charges, keep track of the average prison sentences meted out for crimes by judges, respond to calls from the public, and keep the entire justice system accountable to the public. Danny Landry with his wife, Nancy, and their children Morgan, Kelly and Chris. Landry also serves as the Pretrial Intervention Director which is designed to assist first-time offenders to examine the underlying reasons for their criminal behavior, such as socioeconomic circumstances, mental health issues, or lacking access to needed resources. He explained that many overlapping issues can lead to survival reactions such as a young woman in poverty stealing diapers for her newborn or a boy stealing bread and lunch meat because no one is taking care of him at home. These non-violent offenders don't need to be incarcerated but they do need direction and guidance counseling to get their lives on a better course to keep them from returning to the justice system. Known for his work on major felony cases that garnered national interest, Landry reminisced about the Mickey Shunick murder investigation that "out of all the investigations and prosecutions, was one of the best executed I've ever been involved with." Thousands of tips were gathered and the team of Stutes, Landry, Alan Haney, and Roger Hamilton coordinated with many law enforcement agencies that led them to forensic evidence pointing to Brandon Lavergne, who they determined had also killed another person. Mickey Shunick's remains were unearthed in Evangeline Parish behind a pauper's graveyard. "If you had to write a book about how to prosecute, this was the case. Mickey was finally returned to her family." Danny Landry, along with DA Keith Stutes, as they interview on NBC Dateline discussing the prosecution of Brandon Lavergne in the Mickey Shunick murder case. "If you had to write a book about how to prosecute, this was the case. Mickey was finally returned to her family." Landry is proud to work with the capable law enforcement agencies in our area.

Traci Aucoin, the Lafayette Parish Public School System GEAR UP Project Director, joined Jan Swift, host of Discover Lafayette. GEAR UP stands for “Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs." A competitive grant program funded by the U.S. Department of Education, GEAR UP works to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education by providing states and local community-education partnerships six-to-seven year grants to offer support services to high-need, middle and high schools. The program begins work when the youngsters are in 6th and 7th grade and follows them through high school and into post-secondary education. GEAR UP works to increase the number of students who are prepared to enter and succeed in post-secondary education by providing valuable educational experiences and academic support and helping students and their families prepare and plan for post secondary education. GEAR UP's vision is to have all students ready for college and career. Lafayette Parish is the only school system in Louisiana that has been awarded the highly competitive GEAR UP grant. Originally awarded a six-year grant in 2008, Lafayette Parish is now in the last year of its second 7-year $13.8 million grant cycle and is working with high school seniors and college freshmen who were part of the original cohort group which began in 2014. Approximately 3000 students participate in GEAR UP and attend Acadiana, Carencro, Lafayette, and Northside High Schools. The students began their GEAR UP journey while in the following middle schools: Acadian, Carencro, Judice, Lafayette, Paul Breaux, and Scott Middle schools. Aucoin explained that even if a student did not originally begin GEAR UP as a student in middle school, the program provides services for an entire grade at the participating high schools. This is a powerful tool for the school as it helps keep peer groups on target planning for college and focused on the success tools they will need to continue their educational journey. GEAR UP students are encouraged from their middle school years to consider possible career choices and what education they will need to follow that path. College tours, in and out of state, as early as 6th-grade offer enrichment opportunities and food for thought for the students as they realize what is possible in their lives if they apply themselves to their school work. Transitions from middle school to high school, and then high school to college, are difficult for any student, but especially those whose parents and family members have not finished high school or obtained any post-secondary education. In today's technology-based economy, 70% of jobs require some form of post-secondary education; Aucoin stressed that once you provide the tools to help educate a student through post-secondary, you can get each succeeding generation in his or her family to understand and appreciate the importance of receiving a similar education. You can break the cycle, drastically improve the quality of life for that family, improve health outcomes, and build success. It's too late to start thinking about college when you're in 11th or 12th grade, and the many enriching activities offered by GEAR UP ensure that students start early, stay motivated, and on track. After school tutoring, educational travel opportunities, enrichment camps, parental assistance with FAFSA applications, and family emotional/social support profoundly affect these young lives. GEAR UP also ensures that students have access to technology and hot spots for wi-fi to have the tools to get their work done. As the students transition to college, GEAR UP makes laptops and other necessary equipment available. Traci Aucoin has worked in education for 30 years and been a part of the GEAR UP initiative for ten years. She began her career as a high school biology and physics teacher before she moved int...

Louisiana State Senator Gerald Boudreaux of Lafayette is our guest. Representing Senate District 24, he serves as Vice-Chair of Local and Municipal Affairs, and on the Finance and Health & Welfare Committees of the Senate. His District encompasses most of St. Landry Parish, northern parts of Lafayette Parish (where Boudreaux lives), and the region near Breaux Bridge in St. Martin Parish. Sen. Boudreaux is serving in his second term as Senator. He is well-known for his long tenure with Lafayette's Park and Recreation Department, serving as Director for 35 years. He got his start with the department as a freshman at USL and retired in June 2020 after having served under six Lafayette mayors. Boudreaux is proud of the growth of the department over the years, providing much-needed services through a system of connected and strategically placed infrastructure which grew according to ongoing needs assessments to determine how the community could be best served. Steep budget cuts including the closure of four recreation centers, all of which are located in North Lafayette, have stirred deep controversy in the local community. It's not only young people who have been affected by the current budget cuts affecting North Lafayette facilities, but also services to the elderly community as the Greenhouse Senior Center and the Rosehouse Senior Center have been shuttered. Boudreaux explained that the current millage, paid only by the City of Lafayette, is still at the level as when it was established in 1961 when Lafayette only had five parks, two recreation centers, and one municipal golf course. Today, that millage is expected to cover operations of 1800 acres of park grounds which encompass 35 park (28 in the city of Lafayette), three golf courses, ten recreation centers, two tennis centers, five swimming pools, and a campground. Today with the advent of two separate city and parish councils, there is a large split in belief as to who can or should pay for services. Many families rely upon the parks system for its amenities, especially the areas of North Lafayette where transportation can be an issue for people looking for healthy outlets for recreation. Boudreaux challenges the parish council to be creative and establish a funding source to enable services to continue. When Lafayette Parish took gambling off the table 22 years ago as a source of revenue, a potential source of funding for parish services also dried up. Yet, "for those who want to gamble, they will. People travel to St. Landry and St. Martin parishes" for gambling outlets. "How is Lafayette going to generate revenue to pay for parish needs? The City of Lafayette cannot continue to sustain this effort," Boudreaux says. Perhaps it is time to revisit this issue and other ways to fund services that offer the quality of life amenities that enhance our community. Sen. Boudreaux shared his thoughts on how law enforcement officials were never consolidated under the Lafayette Parish 1996 consolidation plan. "You have to wonder, did someone have a crystal ball then to see that it would never work? Maybe that's where we are....still trying to put a square peg into a round hole. With annexation by the cities, it's been a 'grab and take. There are only little pockets of parish property remaining." Sen.Gerald Boudreaux shared his thoughts on how law enforcement officials were never consolidated under the Lafayette Parish 1996 consolidation plan. "You have to wonder, did someone have a crystal ball then to see that it would never work? Maybe that's where we are....still trying to put a square peg into a round hole." A Northside High graduate, Sen. Boudreaux was a point guard on the school's basketball team and captain of the football team. When he saw that playing college sports wasn't in the cards, he began officiating high school games with the encouragement of one of his professors, the late Al Simon (who was also a Lafayette City Council Member).

Big Brothers Big Sisters' Executive Director, Kalli Christ, and RADER's Director of Growth, Whitney Savoie, joined Jan Swift to discuss how the annual Acadiana Po-Boy Festival pandemic has pivoted in its mission to help the non-profit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Acadiana raise much-needed funding. Whitney Savoie, Director of Growth of RADER, Jan Swift of Discover Lafayette, and Kalli Christ, Executive Director of Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Acadiana, at taping of Discover Lafayette podcast. Over the past five years, the Acadiana Po-Boy Festival has raised more than $30,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters, all due to the generous organizational efforts of Social Entertainment. With the COVID shutdown limiting the number of people who can attend events, Kalli Christ says that it has been necessary to "pivot" as 2020's challenges have unfolded. RADER stepped up to partner with Big Brothers Big Sisters and assist in holding a safe Acadiana Po-Boy Festival that will take place from September 1st through September 30th, 2020. https://www.facebook.com/acadianapoboyplatelunchfestival/videos/1045232832600194 Whitney Savoie of RADER discusses the importance of supporting local causes such as Big Brothers Big Sisters. The "Pandemic Edition" of the Po-boy Festival is divided into two events: first, a Po-Boy Tasting, and second, an online Fundraising Art Raffle, which is designed to support local restaurants while it also supports Big Brothers Big Sisters of Acadiana. With the shutdown still in full force, RADER felt this was an excellent opportunity to promote our local restaurants while also aiding in efforts to fund BBBS. Ten Lafayette restaurants are participating and will sell their signature "special" po-boy this month. $1 per po-boy sold will be donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Acadiana. Participating restaurants include: Poupart's BakeryC'est Bon MangerAcadian SuperetteCentral Pizza & BarPop's PoboysDean-O's PizzaBroaddus BurgersTchoup's Midcity SmokehouseBlack CaféJohnson's Boucaniere The second part of the festival this year is an online Facebook Fundraising Art Raffle to support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Acadiana. Your donation of any amount gives you a chance to win the Official 2020 Acadiana Po-Boy painting, created by local artist Trent Oubre. You can contribute here. 2020 Acadiana Po-Boy Festival Painting Designed by artist Trent Oubre will be auctioned off. You can donate here. Social Entertainment will officially merge the Acadiana Po-Boy & Plate Lunch Festival into one event moving forward. The inaugural Acadiana Po-Boy & Plate Lunch Festival is scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 3, 2021, in Downtown Lafayette. It cost approximately $1200 per child per year to offer services to mentor, tutor, and work with a child that is under the umbrella of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Acadiana. Volunteers do not need to underwrite the cost involved in being part of the program, but many components such as background checks and training must be covered through the fundraising efforts of BBBS. "For more than 115 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has operated under the belief that inherent in every child is the ability to thrive. As the nation’s largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, Big Brothers Big Sisters makes meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteers (“Bigs”) and children (“Littles”), ages 6 through 18, in communities across the country. They develop positive relationships that have a direct and lasting effect on the lives of young people." There is no better gift that you can give to a young person than a hand up to a better life through your time and experience. For more information on the mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Acadiana, please visit https://www.acadianabigs.com/ or their Facebook page. There are about 150 volunteers working with "littles." The organization has a waiting list for children looking to partner with "bigs.

Michele Billeaud, candidate for 15th Judicial District Court Judge in Lafayette Parish joined Jan Swift of the Discover Lafayette podcast. The election will be held on November 3, 2020, and is slated to have a high turnout as it coincides with many other local races such as District Attorney, City Marshall, and of course, the presidential election. Billeaud is running for Judge in Division "K" which has 115,000 registered voters and encompasses Youngsville, Broussard, most of Scott and Duson, and a majority of the City of Lafayette located south of Cameron Street. https://www.facebook.com/101349674790880/videos/580285362690022 Michele Billeaud explains what areas encompass Division K in Lafayette Parish. Billeaud started her legal career 26 years ago. A New Orleans native, she took time off after college to follow her best friend and move out to California. While the adventure was fun, she realized that she needed to figure out "what to do with her life." She studied law in California and on the day she graduated, returned home to study and take the Louisiana bar exam. Billeaud's first job was in the Orleans Parish DA’s Office where she had a heavy caseload and gained invaluable experience trying all levels of criminal cases. While working there, she met Lawrence "Moose" Billeaud, a Lafayette native. The couple dated long-distance before she moved to Lafayette when they got married. While Moose is one of 17 children in the close-knit and loving family of the late Bozo and Millie Billeaud, he told Michele they could live anywhere she wanted; Michele had fallen in love with Lafayette when she visited and elected to start their married life here. The couple have two children, Ethan and Quinn. Michele and Lawrence "Moose" Billeaud with their children, Ethan and Quinn. Billeaud joined the law firm of Lisa Brener in Lafayette and handled civil matters such as divorce, child custody, age discrimination, and sexual harassment claims. Upon Brener's retirement, Billaud started her own law firm; she also worked for the Lafayette Parish Public Defender's Office where she was appointed Section Chief in charge of all full-time public defenders as a result of the extensive criminal law experience she had garnered in the Orleans DA's office. Since January 2002, Billeaud has worked as an Assistant District Attorney in Lafayette Parish. She serves as felony track leader, trying everything from felony theft to the most violent crimes. A founding team member of the Lafayette Parish Drug Court Program, Billeaud is "a big proponent of specialty courts." The drug court helps nonviolent offenders get back on track by getting appropriate treatment, obtain job training, find employment, adequate shelter, and other things necessary to turn their lives around. She believes that anytime you can help someone help themselves, it's good for our community. Billeaud recounted that she's seen people she previously tried cases against show up in court to help others get into drug court so that they may also become a healthy, contributing member of society. Under the direction of Judge Jules Edwards, Lafayette has also set up a Veteran's specialty Court; Billeaud would also like to see the addition of a Mental Health Court to help those most vulnerable and who end up in jail due to a lack of resources to obtain help. Billeaud loves being in court and says the most fun part of being an attorney is" having to think on your feet." She enjoys being a prosecutor and feels a calling for public service and working in the public sector. She never thought about running for judge. But when the current Division "K" Judge Rick Michot was rendered incapable of running for re-election due to the Louisiana age requirement, she was approached by others who encouraged her to run. Billeaud believes she brings the necessary experience to the table to serve the community as a judge, as well as the appropriate temperament to be a good jud...

Gregg Gothreaux, President and CEO of Lafayette Economic Development Authority, joined host, Jan Swift, to discuss the economic impacts of the COVID-19 shutdown. LEDA is a full-service, tax-funded government entity dedicated to helping the business community of Lafayette Parish. This pandemic crisis has affected not only our nation's physical health but its economic health. Gothreaux stressed that it has also brought to the forefront issues that we need to address as our country moves forward to ensure future prosperity and provide the wherewithal to withstand the inevitable, yet unforeseeable challenges which may once again shake our economy. LEDA's program of work involves long term economic development strategy, and the focus is on attracting new business to our community while sustaining business conditions for existing enterprises, both large and small, who are the backbone of our economy. The talented staff works to help businesses grow, find the right employees, find tax incentives, and tax breaks that exist and should be utilized. Lafayette's forefathers did much to diversity our local economy and Gothreaux gives them much credit in forging the path for our area's creative business entrepreneurs. In LEDA's early days in the 1970s (when it was known as the "Lafayette Harbor, Terminal and Industrial Development District"), one of its first actions was to create a business park in Broussard known as "Southpark Industrial Park." This organized investment of business space provided Lafayette Parish with the ability to compete effectively with other regions of the country and be able to offer a desirable and business-ready locale for businesses from around the country to locate in Acadiana. Gothreaux recounted that one of the first businesses locating in SouthPark was International Paper which made corrugated boxes; the company is still there today in 2020 but operating under a different name. Countless other thriving businesses are operating in LEDA's Industrial Parks throughout the parish and include BlueBell, AT&T, Cintas, Home Furniture Distribution, and many, many others. For an overview of all of Lafayette Parish's business parks, visit LEDA's website here. Today's office buildings are our "industrial parks," according to Gothreaux. LEDA and its protege, the Opportunity Machine, work to fill office buildings and warehouses across our community by helping businesses thrive. There is no more need to build industrial parks as the current push is to fill existing office space. An example shared was the repurposing of the former Mid-South Bank Building on Versailles Blvd. near downtown by CGI. As the economy diversifies and continues to attract IT and medical-related companies, existing office space can readily accommodate needs and supply sufficient space for new companies. SchoolMint is Lafayette's most recent success story, illustrating our region's ability to attract software firms from the West Coast who are looking for a more appropriate place to locate headquarters. Offering 178 new positions at an average salary of $75,000, SchoolMint is relocating to Lafayette from San Francisco. One of the key players in this story was Casey Bienvenu, a Carencro and UL-Lafayette grad, who is the company's chief software architect and the force who developed the original software utilized by SchoolMint. The company is taking the country by storm with its unique way of pairing students and educational institutions with strategic enrollment platforms. This move by SchoolMint is unusual on its face, as most companies moving out of California tend to relocate to other Western U. S. states; in this case, existing relationships with Lafayette Parish natives paved the way for a highly successful and growing firm to select our community as its new headquarters. Gothreaux projects that we will have the opportunity to welcome many other new businesses as we offer not only a superb quality of life but the ...

Kyle Bacon, head of Jones Walkers' Lafayette office, joined Jan Swift of Discover Lafayette to discuss developments in downtown Lafayette, as well as today’s commercial business climate. A Lafayette native and graduate of Lafayette High, UL-Lafayette, and LSU Law School where he was on the Louisiana Law Review, Bacon is a co-leader of Jones Walker’s commercial transactions team. His clients’ interests include oil and gas, banking, real estate, healthcare, and manufacturing. The Lafayette office of Jones Walker is one of 13 offices the firm has across the country and is the largest law firm situated in downtown Lafayette with 17 lawyers on site. Jones Walker began in New Orleans and has had a presence in Lafayette for over 30 years; the Lafayette group was its first office outside of the New Orleans market. Situated at the top of Chase Tower on Jefferson Street, Bacon's office offers a bird's-eye view of downtown activities. The firm's typical clients are midsize to large and most are in need of business defense matters. Bacon's work focuses on the transactional side of law and he explained that one of the benefits of hiring a large law firm is that they can offer specialized counsel in complex issues that may involve out-of-state matters. Bacon is a proponent of seeing the continued growth of downtown and says, "It is the front porch of our community. Downtown is the epicenter of our cultural identity here in Lafayette and Acadiana. It's an important connector to the university and it's critical that we keep downtown vibrant. Festival International is such a symbol of what Downtown is all about. It's the center of our community where everyone feels welcome. We can all come together and feel as one." "Downtown is the epicenter of our cultural identity here in Lafayette and Acadiana. It's an important connector to the university and it's critical that we keep downtown vibrant. Festival International is such a symbol of what Downtown is all about. It's the center of our community where everyone feels welcome." Most law firms used to be located downtown which made sense as that is the locale of the Lafayette Parish courthouse and other court-related entities. Over time as South Lafayette has expanded, many lawyers have set up shop across the parish. Bacon believes that the trend could be reversed if local government officials made a concerted decision to focus efforts on downtown development. He compared this to how downtown Baton Rouge has blossomed in the past twenty years with state government's push to concentrate its offices downtown in lieu of being scattered across the city. This focus in our State Capitol spurred more development as downtown flourished and enjoyed renewed activity after years of decline. With the dedicated professionals of Downtown Development Authority working on attracting residential housing and more retail, and the commitment of LEDA's Opportunity Machine and Lafayette Convention & Visitors Commission to locate downtown, he's hopeful that more may follow suit. Bacon stated that "these developments can spur additional activity. Other folks will follow. Downtown settings also allow people to interact easily; we're social beings." Growing up off Johnston Street in Lafayette, Bacon remembers the times when downtown was dormant. He discussed how dead downtown similarly looked during March and April 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 shutdown. When businesses were allowed to reopen in May, downtown started coming back to life but with the resurgence of the pandemic, it's a little slow again. Jones Walker survived the chaos in getting their offices back to work after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and remembered lessons learned from being a New Orleans-based law firm dealing with the aftermath. They never missed a beat in welcoming visitors and clients when the shutdown occurred in March 2020; they check temperatures of everyone entering their offices,

Kelda Poynot, homeschooling consultant, author, and educator has helped hundreds of families navigate the maze of options for schooling their children. She homeschooled her own children over the past 20 years and just graduated her youngest child in May this year. She joined Jan Swift of Discover Lafayette to discuss her journey and share the many benefits of homeschooling. Kelda was a middle school math and language teacher for seven years and also worked as a school counselor, having earned a BA in Elementary Education and a Master’s Degree in Elementary Counseling from Louisiana Tech. She discovered the world of homeschooling when she attended a workshop on behalf of her sister; she left the meeting feeling like she "had been in a tent revival," charged up in realizing how this simple method of teaching offered a wonderful alternative to traditional teaching methods. She never dreamed that homeschooling would become her niche. Kelda Poynot pictured with her family. All of her children were homeschooled throughout elementary, middle school, and high school, with the exception of her oldest son who attended high school at the Early College Academy at SLCC in Lafayette and who just graduated with an MBA. While typically 3.3% of the U. S. considers homeschooling a viable choice in educating their children, several surveys have found that over 40% of American families are considering homeschooling during the 2020-2021 school year given the COVID-19 shutdown. Experts advise that homeschooling is not for everyone, and Poynot concurs and says, "I do not ascribe to the notion that homeschooling is for everyone. There are too many factors to consider, and I don't believe that one size fits all." But for those for whom it works, it is a viable and rewarding path that affords families flexibility in scheduling their time and allows a child to learn at his or her own pace. Transitioning to homeschooling from traditional schooling takes time, but for many children it's a relief from stress and anxiety. The pace slows down, but the academic structure and curriculums are solid. Poynot shared anecdotes of students who were anxious, almost to the point of being hospitalized when they switched to homeschooling; it typically takes about six months, but predictably, students will slow down their pace, relax and thrive in their schooling. Poynot stressed that people shouldn't worry about proper socializing of their children if they don't attend traditional public school. Her own kids were very engaged in sports, scouts, church, volunteer activities and clubs. And she said, "When you think about it, when do you hang out with everyone that's the same age at any other time than in school? Once you get out of school, that's never how it is." Homeschooling is different from the online public school curriculum that Louisiana school districts are offering in that the parents or caretakers take the reins and are responsible for the curriculum. In Louisiana, children who are homeschooled must be registered with the Department of Education by the time they reach 7 years of age. According to the department’s website, approximately 20,000 families choose homeschooling each year. You do not need teacher certification to educate your child at home. There are two homeschool education options to choose from in Louisiana: (1) Non-public school (not seeking state approval or accreditation) where the parents agree to home school for 180 days for the school year and are responsible for the curriculum. You submit a letter or email annually to the Department of Education with your intent to homeschool. The disadvantage of this first option is that children under this program are not eligible for TOPS or participation in public school sports programs. (2) BESE Approved Home Study: This type requires state approval and renewal each year. Diplomas awarded through an approved home study program are recognized by all post-secondar...

Lafayette General Health System CEO David Callecod joined Jan Swift to discuss how COVID-19 has impacted our healthcare system and way of life. The bottom line is that progressing to Phase III of the pandemic, the full reopening of our economy, and returning to "normal" is totally dependent on our own individual and collective behavior changes: everyone must wear a mask, maintain social distance, wash their hands, and stay home if sick. The reality is that for the next 18 months (and worst case scenario, the next 24 months), we will not going to be back to the life we experienced and enjoyed as "normal" before the pandemic closed down the U. S in March 2020. Moreover, some people will probably continue to wear masks from here on out, in a manner similar to Asian and European countries pattern, particularly if their immune system is compromised. We all need to be diligent every day in making good choices as to how we work together and celebrate life as we wait for an effective vaccine to be developed. Callecod shared a telling story about a recent COVID outbreak affecting 18 anesthesiology residents and fellows of the University of Florida Health System following a private party on July 10; even with explicit warnings about private gatherings, these events continue to happen across the U. S., even among our most educated. Locally, Callecod says it is "absolutely safe" to enter hospitals, as long as people make good choices in wearing a mask and following good hygiene procedures. Cleaning protocols are in place and the hospitals screen people before they enter. When determining which hospital to bring trauma victims to, emergency medical responders and hospitals rely upon LERN, "Louisiana Emergency Response Network," a statewide system of care coordination that is utilized in the face of large scale emergencies such as COVID. LERN manages data on trauma cases throughout the state, and as long as LGH can handle the case with adequate staff, people will be brought to the main campus. Callecod stated, "As long as LGH can handle it from a staffing standpoint for the patient's particular situation, we'll take the patient." There are currently over 100 COVID-19 patients at the main Lafayette General campus in the Oil Center, and they are separated from other patients in the facility. Elective procedures have been moved to other LGH campuses such as Lafayette General Orthopaedic Hospital and Lafayette General Surgical Hospital, in order to ensure that staff can take care of emergencies at the main campus which serves as the Level II Trauma Center for the region. Staff shortages experienced by hospitals has been a hot topic in the news and Callecod explained what is different now from the early days of the pandemic. "On April 13 during the first peak of the pandemic cases, we didn't have a lot of community spread, so we didn't have a lot of workers out. With the peak today, with over 140 COVID patients throughout our entire system, a lot of workers are out sick. There aren't enough nurses and we have 86 employees system wide out today with COVID. Once they're back, they are fatigued and we have to be cautious with our shifts." At the time of our interview, eight contract nurses had been recruited by LGH from outside of the region and were set to start work. The community spread of the disease is greatly impacting staffing capacity at all hospitals. Healthcare workers are in short supply as Lafayette General and other hospitals; as facilities increase ICU beds and add medical surge capacity needed to address the anticipated increased volume of patients, staffing needs will continue to grow. Typically the hospital could easily recruit out-of-state, but COVID's reach has dramatically affected the supply of available workers. Telemedicine has transformed the delivery of medical services and the lessons learned from COVID will change protocols moving into the future.

Erick Knezek, Navy veteran and founder of Oceanetics, Inc, , joined Jan Swift of Discover Lafayette to discuss his company's newest FDA approved COVID-19 medical device, the NRSAVR-100, otherwise known as the "nurse saver." The device was developed with the expertise of Dr. Doug Clement, an ER doctor affiliated with Our Lady of Lourdes in Lafayette, who is currently treating COVID patients, was instrumental in starting the virus screening program at the Cajundome, and has helped develop methods for testing and keeping healthcare workers safe. Dr. Clement and Knezek are personal friends and discussed the hazards healthcare workers face when treating COVID patients, as well as the rapid rate in which the hospitals' PPE (personal protective equipment) is depleted as staff move from room to room. In a typical scenario when a patient is intubated, the physician wears an intubation hood ("splash shield") for protection from the potential release of droplets from the patient's airways, but the support staff surrounding the doctor are still subjected to the aerosolized virus particles. A concurrent and expensive need in hospitals treating COVID patients is to have sufficient isolation rooms that keep the patient from spreading the disease to others. Negative pressure rooms are utilized to maintain lower air pressure inside the room so as to keep contaminated air from escaping into non-contaminated areas and infecting others. These rooms are expensive and in relatively short supply. With guidance from Dr. Clement, Knezek created a design for the nurse saver to create a closed air system that surrounds the cephalic region (head, neck, and shoulders) of the patient with plexiglass and rubber barriers. The device has two valves that pump in air from the hospital's ventilation system but keep contaminated air from being released back into the room. Six rubber shrouds contain armholes so that healthcare workers can stick their arms in to access the patient to intubate, hook up monitors, insert tubes, or deliver medications without breaking the seal. The contaminants are sucked out by the nurse saver which filters the contaminated air. The design was tweaked a bit after testing and the final prototype has received FDA Emergency Use Authorization. Dr. Doug Clement demonstrating how the NRSAVR-100 ("nurse saver") effectively seals in contaminated air exhaled by COVID-19 patients. Photo by Leslie Westbrook of the Advocate. Combining the nurse saver with PPE the staff wears dramatically increases the workers' safety. As a comparison, when a patient is on a ventilator, the air is exhaled into the room, thus necessitating a negative pressure room to prevent contamination of the space. Utilizing the nurse saver affords a much more cost-effective solution ($3000 versus the cost of converting space into negative pressure rooms), allows the patient to be transported within the hospital, and eliminates the need for staff to change PPE at every room entry and exit. The device also allows the patient to be flipped to lay on their stomach (proning), to help keep the patient's lungs open. The first few of the nurse savers have been given to Lafayette General Health and feedback is being provided. The nurse saver is the only negative pressure cephalic environment device on the market at this time. While there have been no sales yet, Knezek expressed his hope that the medical community will see the exceptional value the device provides and its ability to increase isolation capacity 100 fold. For more information on the nurse saver, visit https://www.intubationhood.com/ or https://www.oceanetics.com/. Knezek is a graduate of Lafayette High and the US Naval Academy who earned a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Ocean Engineering. He served in the Navy as a Seabee Officer deployed in Bosnia-Herzegovina as a dive officer, with a focus on anti-terrorism infrastructure and port security barrier development and installation.

Caitlin Russo, the Eco Cajun, joins Jan Swift on Discover Lafayette. Born and raised in Lafayette, Louisiana, Caitlyn writes the blog Eco Cajun and is a contributing writer for the Times of Acadiana. Caitlin’s passion for environmentalism began at a young age. She credits her parents for the example they set and asked her to follow, such as using cloth bags at the grocery store and helping with the recycling of their paper, plastic, and cans. Caitlin Russo learned responsible environmentalism at an early age from her parents. She enjoys helping people discover ways to live more sustainably and spotlighting environmental leaders. Her blog at https://www.ecocajun.com/ covers tips on everything from beauty tips, travel, wellness, style, homemade organic foods, and how to recycle properly. Zero waste is her goal and she lives the message she preaches. While saving money is always a good thing, her motivation to conserve is rooted in her desire to leave the world a better place than it is now for her daughter and future generations. As she eats out with her family...especially during the COVID pandemic, she works to leave less of a footprint even as she supports our local vendors. "Please don't bag the food, please don't include plastic utensils, please no styrofoam," she implores as the vendors serve the to-go food. Reduce, reuse, and recycle are the environmentalist's goal and they're listed in that order for a reason. It's best to reduce the use of packaging, to reuse materials when possible, and as a last resort recycle properly according to government guidelines. Caitlin enjoys making fresh, organic food for her infant daughter, and discusses on her Eco Cajun blog how she uses a hand-me-down Baby Bullet. Caitlin Russo, the Eco Cajun lives what she preaches. Pictured above while visiting a tiny home owned by Cherie and Jimmy Hebert, and with her young daughter, Caitlin encourages all interested in living more sustainably to start with something small and enjoy the adventure. Perhaps invest in a stainless steel mug or good quality reusable shopping bags to cut down on waste that will end up in the landfill. A big fan of consignment shopping, Caitlin selects secondhand clothing for herself and her daughter whenever possible. Local go-to shops include The Clothing Loft for women and children's clothing and Sugarwolf Outdoor Exchange for outdoor sporting gear and accessories. Sans Paquet is in the same building as Sugarwolf and Hub City Cycles at 501 Jefferson Street in downtown Lafayette which sells goods you can buy pieces....no packaging. Rent the Runway is a good option for renting designer evening wear for special occasions as you save money by not purchasing a full price item you may never wear again. Sans Paquet (Without Packaging!) in downtown Lafayette offers No Waste Bulk Shopping for items such as hand soaps, cleansing powders, towels, and sponges. Other local vendors who successfully encourage reusing goods are Something Borrowed Blooms and Pack and Paddle. For bridal events, Something Borrowed Blooms will rent beautiful high-end silk floral arrangements which are shipped around the U. S. and Canada. Pack and Paddle hosts annual garage sales which allow people to buy and sell used outdoor gear at great prices. Both Lauren Bercier of Something Borrowed Blooms and John and Becky Williams of Pack and Paddle have been guests on Discover Lafayette and their interviews offer delightful takes on their businesses. Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep guide is a go-to health site for Caitlin as it indexes thousands of skincare, makeup, and fragrance products on toxicity ranking. The guide has a mobile app you can use while shopping to scan products and determine toxicity before you make a purchase. Caitlin Russo encourages people to start small and not try to transition overnight to a totally eco-friendly lifestyle. It can be difficult to learn tricks of the trade overnight,

Dr. Tina Stefanski, Medical Director of the Office of Public Health in Acadiana, joined Jan Swift to discuss the current COVID-19 situation in the region. Dr. Stefanski oversees the seven parish region of Acadiana for the Department of Health in all matters relating to maintaining and protecting the health of our citizens. A graduate of the LSU School of Medicine, Dr. Stefanski completed her pediatric residency program at LSU School of Medicine's Medical Clinic and Children's Hospital in New Orleans. A stint on a Public Health rotation ignited her interest in the field and she joined the Louisiana Department of Health immediately after she finished her residency requirements. The Louisiana Department of Health is involved in all things relating to personal, preventative, and environmental health concerns. Overseeing matters as diverse as ensuring safe drinking water, mental health concerns, working with safety inspectors of restaurants, and preventative health measures such as containing the spread of COVID-19, Dr. Stefanski enjoys the scope of her work and the positive impact it has on our region's health. She speaks highly of our "very coordinated medical community" who proactively work together to share information and resources when the need arises. One such group that is active now is the Physicians' Leadership Counsel co-chaired by Dr. Andy Blalock and Dr. Steve Reese and includes among its members Dr. Chuck Burnell (Acadian Companies), Dr. Ben Doga (Chief Medical Advisor of LHC Group), Dr. Rod Clark (State Board of Medical Examiners), Dr. Anu Desai (President of the Lafayette Parish Medical Society), and chief medical officers of all area hospitals. This working physician's group discusses best practices and treatments to date on COVID, availability of beds, and other information which will benefit healthcare providers and patients in the region. In the video below, Dr. Henry Kaufman, Chief Medical Officer of Our Lady of Lourdes, and Dr. Amanda Logue, Chief Medical Officer of Lafayette General Health discuss the spike in pandemic cases, rampant community spread after Phase II rolled out, and the tremendous growth in the number of cases in the 18 to 29 year age group. Both physicians urged the public to wear masks as a way to contain the spread of the virus, slow down the number of hospitalized victims, and be able to get to Phase III to see businesses reopen safely and get back to "normal." https://www.facebook.com/LafayetteGeneral/videos/404216420503740 Dr. Stefanski's message is premised upon the fact that "no one knows what to predict....there is no way to predict what course this pandemic will take. We're all learning together. We've got to listen to the experts so that we can contain the rate of growth." She further stressed, however, "There is no mixed message as to what needs to be done to contain the spread of the virus. Every credible medical expert in the country has consistently shared the same message as to the importance of social distancing, good hygiene practices, and wearing a mask. The virus is real. Yet the message is not sticking." "There is no mixed message. We all know now how the virus spreads. Every credible medical expert throughout the country has consistently shared the same message as to the importance of social distancing, good hygiene practices, and wearing a mask. The virus is real. Yet the message is not sticking." It was initially thought that only symptomatic people would spread the virus, because that is how SARS spread. Now the medical community knows differently. 95 to 96% of cases are coming from community spread, from others who are out and about. When social distancing isn't possible, it is best practices to wear a mask, don't touch your face, and be aware of your surroundings. Dr. Stefanski shared that the 18 to 21-year-old group is the most problematic sector of young people contracting the virus.

Judge Jules Edwards has served in the 15th Judicial District Court for 27 years. He joined Jan Swift of Discover Lafayette to discuss what he's learned from working in the state court system and his concomitant desire to help at-risk youth address behavioral problems before they end up in jail. Judge Edwards is a candidate for Lafayette City Court Judge in the upcoming election on November 3, 2020. A native of New Orleans and a graduate of Loyola and Loyola Law School, Jules Edwards has served as a Judge for the 15th Judicial District Court since January 1, 1993. He has been a pioneer in effectively rehabilitating offenders and turning around lives through drug courts and re-entry courts. Judge Edwards thanked his parents for stressing servant leadership and the importance of obtaining an education. Jules Edwards, Jr., father of Judge Jules Edwards III, operated Edwards Shoe Service in New Orleans. He would famously say, "I will heel you, I will save your soul, I will even dye for you!" Judge Edwards has distinguished himself with lifelong service to our country, state, and community. He enlisted in the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve in the summer of his freshman year in college in 1977; he served in the Louisiana National Guard until 2007, retiring as a Colonel and recognized as the best Staff Judge Advocate in the United States. At the request of Major General Gary Whipple of Louisiana, Edwards served as Inspector General, working to ensure that the units were following proper procedures. He credits his time in the military for building his character, teaching him discipline, and instilling honor and integrity into his daily actions. "Serving in the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve taught me perseverance and how to work well with others in a selfless manner. At times, the relentless challenges we faced in training were overwhelming, but I learned that I could get through each moment, one moment at a time. " A former Chair of the Louisiana Judiciary Commission, Edwards was inducted into the Louisiana Justice Hall of Fame in 2013. He is Past-President of the Louisiana District Judges Association. Edwards is currently a member of the Advisory Council on Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education, and a Member of the Louisiana Drug Policy Board. He has worked with the Louisiana Sentencing Commission to assist the judiciary and the legislature in formulating and implementing a uniform sentencing policy to ensure that judges throughout Louisiana provide consistency in their rulings. Edwards has created and taught classes through the Judicial College to train judges on how to utilize evidence-based practices, and how to respond to people in highly charged environments by being attentive and respectful. Judge Jules D. Edwards, III is married to Orida Broussard Edwards, and they have three adult children. His wife, Orida, has been practicing law since 1986, daughter Juliesa has been practicing law since 2016, daughter-in-law, Brittany started her practice in 2019, youngest son Julien is a financial advisor, and oldest son Jules, IV is a veteran, student, and co-owner of a small business. Anytime a person is arrested in Lafayette Parish on a drug charge, they are assigned to Judge Edwards' Court. His goal is to nudge the drug offender from "'The Road to Perdition' to the road to success." He shared that "one of the principal difficulties in society is that we don't do an adequate job of socializing, there is no focused effort to develop young people's character. While this is not done on purpose, they make decisions based upon what brings pleasure at that moment. They don't think about eventual pain or how their behavior impacts others. But there are evidence-based procedures to get someone back on track." He further states, "It is important not to judge a person just because of the stupidest decision they make on the worst day of their life. People grow, they do change."

Dr. David Fisher, World War II Army veteran and lifelong educator, joined Jan Swift of Discover Lafayette, to discuss his storied life and the many adventures he has enjoyed in his 94 years. We salute this hero among us who on October 2, 1945, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his extraordinary service in the Pacific Theatre. Well-known for his lifelong dedication to education, he and his family are the proprietors of Fisher Early Childhood Education Centers in Lafayette While his birthplace, the community of Evangeline, is no longer on the map, he recalled a happy childhood in the town that was the first site of the drilling of an oil well in Louisiana. For the story of that first oil discovery and commercial well drilled in Louisiana in 1901, visit http://www.energyglobalnews.com/jennings-oilfield-the-birthplace-of-louisianas-oil-industry-in-1901/.) Born in 1925, his grandfather and father worked for Gulf Oil, and the town was full of shallow oil wells. Dr. Fisher remembers learning how to swim with the other kids in the salt dome tanks filled with the water diverted from the wells as drilling occurred. It was a time for simple pleasures. But his life would change at the age of 10 when his mother died from double pneumonia. The family moved to the "big town of Jennings" nearby soon thereafter and he lived with his grandparents. David Fisher in 1927 After graduating from Jennings High School in 1943, Dr. Fisher joined the Army when he turned 18 and he trained to be a radio operator. He was placed on a B-29 crew and stationed in Guam, flying 22 missions over Japan. It is not common knowledge that WWII didn't end with the dropping of atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. When Japanese Emperor Hirohito refused to unconditionally surrender to the Allied Forces, the Last Combat Mission was flown on the evening of August 14, 1945. Dr. Fisher's crew was on one of the B-29's that strategically targeted the bombing of transportation centers and factories in Japan in this last effort to end the war. When their plane ran short on fuel on the return to Guam, they were forced to land in Iwo Jima, and that is where Dr. Fisher and crew learned on August 15, 1945, that the Japanese had finally surrendered. Happy to see the war successfully completed, Dr. Fisher was honorably discharged on November 22, 1945. He returned to Louisiana and enrolled at SLI (Southwestern Louisiana Institute) at the age of 20 in the Spring of 1946, and happily recalls how he met his future wife, Shirley, when "she was in her last semester and he was in his first." David Fisher and Shirley Rhodes Fisher during their college days.SLI Football Team Captain David Fisher in the 1940s.Shirley Rhodes and David Fisher at SLI Homecoming 1946. Although he had never seen a college football game before he attended SLI, Dr. Fisher had a "successful athletic career" as he put it, and served as Captain of the football team. He was the youngest person on the team, as most of the players had served longer than him during WWII and were in their middle 20's and older. He also excelled in track, served as Co-Captain of the team, and tried out for the Olympics. As one of the youngest players, he recalls he was also one of the youngest in his air crew while serving during the war. Fisher's athletic prowess was noticed by the pros, and he was drafted by the Chicago Bears and Baltimore Colts but declined, as he was more interested in returning home to Jennings where he had accepted a job as Assistant Coach at Jennings High. Dr. Fisher noted that at that time, professional football players weren't as highly compensated as they are now and he has never looked back on that chapter of his life. He was ready to marry Shirley Rhodes and begin their life together. David and Shirley Fisher on their wedding day in 1950. They were married for 64 years, until her death in 2015. Shirley and David Fisher enjoyed a happy life during the 1950s an...

Reggie Thomas, a thirty-year veteran of the Lafayette City Police Department who recently retired, shares his journey of growing up in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans, joining the police force in 1990, and how an effective police department works to build trust in the entire community in this edition of Discover Lafayette with Jan Swift. In the aftermath of the George Floyd killing in Minneapolis, public outcry has caused intense scrutiny of the inner workings of police departments nationwide. Retired Deputy Chief Reggie Thomas is in a unique position to comment on the need for change as he has lived on both sides of the issue: growing up as a black teen in the 9th Ward in New Orleans, he was exposed to rampant neighborhood criminal activity. Reggie was encouraged to escape his neighborhood by a kind mentor, Melvin, who led Reggie to join the Air Force upon graduation from high school. Reggie expressed special gratitude for Melvin, who took him under his wing, as Reggie's dad had been shot and killed when he was seven. The traumatic event of his father's murder shaped Reggie's beliefs as to how law enforcement should operate as his family never got closure on his dad's death or learn who may have committed the crime. In fact, the only call ever made to his mother was in the middle of the night informing her of the death, and the promise to follow up with a visit by police never occurred. Having never left New Orleans, Reggie was amazed at how clean and well-maintained Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio was upon arrival as a new recruit. It opened his eyes as to how the world could be. After a stint in the Air Force, Reggie returned to New Orleans and worked in corrections with former Orleans Sheriff Charles Foti's office. He remembers the New Orleans police as being "thugs on the street" at that time. There was no diversity in the ranks and Reggie understood why no one would call to report police harassment as "there was no one to call because nobody cared. No one (in a position of power) took it seriously." He shared an example of how he was mistreated right after he had gotten his badge from the Sheriff's office. Sitting on a porch with a group of his friends, police officers stopped when they spotted the group of young black men. "The police always stopped when they saw a group." Ordered to put their hands on the police car, Reggie explained that they weren't doing anything but talking and that he was an officer himself. When he showed his badge to the police officer, the officer kicked it across the street saying, "You're not a police officer, you're just a corrections officer." Sheriff Foti was quite upset at this incident, but it was representative of a larger problem of brutality for no reason. Reggie moved to Lafayette with his wife, Lisa, in 1990 when she enrolled at USL. Her brother was a recruiting officer for the Lafayette City Police and he convinced Reggie to join the force. He remembers the department as being professional and respectful of its citizens, but the force was not diverse and black officers were lower in rank. Off-color jokes about race were common and he had to look the other way more often than not. Reggie Thomas as a young man. He joined the Lafayette City Police Department in 1990 and retired after thirty years of service in May 2020. His career started off in narcotics which is dangerous work. And the worst case scenario happened on one occasion when he was returning from inter-department work in Patterson LA on an undercover drug deal. Reggie was still on duty, driving back down the highway in an old car and dressed the part of a drug dealer, admittedly speeding. He was stopped by a state trooper and ordered to "Put your hands on the hood!" While he didn't have drugs on his person (from the undercover assignment), he did have his gun still strapped to his body. Reggie explains the trauma of the moment, saying "I feared for my life, he was so rough,

Ben Berthelot has served as Executive Director of the Lafayette Convention & Visitors Commission since 2012 and in that role, is an enthusiastic and effective spokesperson for the restaurants, hotels, and related industry tourism professionals that support our region's unique cultural attributes. In this episode of Discover Lafayette, Ben visits with Jan Swift about the devastating impact of the COVID-19 shutdown on the tourism industry and the hopeful signs he is witnessing as Louisiana enters Phase 2. Currently serving as Chair of Louisiana Travel Association, Ben Berthelot was appointed to the Resilient Louisiana Commission Hospitality/Tourism Task Force that counsels Gov. John Bel Edwards on the needs of the tourism industry as it emerges from the shutdown. 52% of local unemployment claims have come from people working in food service or accommodations. Since mid-March, Lafayette has lost 38,540 room nights with a $51 million impact to the economy which accounts for the typical meeting, sports, and convention traffic. This number does not include the loss of $50 million from the cancellation of Festival International or the additional loss from leisure and corporate travelers, and the many other annual festival attendees who stop in Lafayette while in the region. Nationwide, eight million jobs have been lost in the tourism industry since mid-March 2020, which is nine times more than that affected by 9/11. In Lafayette, the effect has been dramatic; in mid-March, the room occupancy rate was down to 23% and revenue dropped by 70%. One major shot in the arm that has helped local hotels and restaurants is the reopening of the youth sports market, which is a major draw for families around the region. In early June, a softball tournament that drew teams to the area netted over $1 million in economic activity and a 65% room occupancy rate on the Saturday night of the tournament. While one night's economic burst won't turn the market around to profitability, Ben stated that it does go to show the immense power of the youth market on tourism in our market. He also pointed out that major investments made in sports complexes in Youngsville, Broussard, Carencro's Pelican Park, and Erath are tremendous assets that will continue to draw in crowds. Further, many of the sports activities that attract the crowds are amenable to the social distancing requirements and limiting the numbers in attendance; most youth sports draw parents and grandparents rather than huge crowds of other spectators, and limiting the number of people in the dugouts to 10 can easily be accommodated. Ben shared a few examples which highlight the impact on local employment: the Doubletree Hotel, Lafayette's largest hotel, was down from 130 employees to 12; the Cajundome staff was down to 2 employees and has been dealt a major blow in revenue with the cancellation of the Cajunland State Fair, multiple concerts, and other events. At this point, no one knows when concerts will be allowed to take place. The Resilient Louisiana Hospitality Task Force has made it known to state officials that Local venues must know by July 1, 2020 if events will be allowed to occur so that planning for Festival Acadien and other events may move forward, according to Berthelot. Eat Lafayette began earlier than scheduled this year to help local restaurants with marketing and to remind area residents of the need to patronize locally-owned restaurants. With all registration fees waived, over 200 restaurants are participating; usually over the past 16 years, about 100 restaurants would participate. With Phase 2 allowing 50% occupancy in restaurants, Ben is optimistic that the restaurants will now enjoy a more stable base of customers returning to their establishments. Lafayette was selected as the site for TBEX North America 2020- the Travel Blogger Exchange which is currently scheduled for October 7 - 9, 2020. With an average of $41 million in earned media ...

"Homelessness is one paycheck away for many people in America and Covid-19 is really testing this," says Leigh Rachal, Executive Director of Acadiana Regional Coalition on Homelessness and Housing ("ARCH). Leigh has served in this capacity for four years and each day she is guided by her "belief in the wild idea that housing is a basic human need and that everyone should have access to safe, decent, and affordable housing." Leigh joined Jan Swift on Discover Lafayette to provide an overview of the homeless situation in Acadiana as of early June 2020. Louisiana Governor John Bel Edward's moratorium on evictions is set to end on June 15, 2020; Louisiana law mandates five days notice for nonpayment of rent and that means that by June 20, the first wave of homelessness is set to unfold. A second wave is expected by August 23rd as the CARES Act Eviction Moratorium is lifted and landlords owning properties that were federally financed or assisted will be able to evict their tenants. Evicted tenants are not legally absolved from paying back due rent and will still owe these monies while trying to come up with sufficient funds to find a new place to live. The reality is that 45% of renters in Louisiana are housing "cost-burdened," meaning that they pay more than 35% of their income on housing costs with no safety net to back them up or cover these delinquencies. ARCH's main funding is derived from HUD as a Continuum of Care (CoC) agency that coordinates housing and services funding for homeless families and individuals. ARCH is the lead agency for HUD in Acadiana and covers an eight parish region which includes Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary and Vermilion. The agency is client-centered and utilizes national best practices working to get people housed first and then providing "wrap-around support" to make sure they stay housed. ARCH also assists people who may just need a rent deposit or help negotiating with a landlord to get needed repairs done. She mentioned that many elderly and disabled persons don't have access to adequate plumbing or a working kitchen in homes that they own and ARCH assists with those needs. COVID-19's impact on the economy and jobs has strained resources available to help the homeless, with an increase of 58% or over 200 families rendered homeless since the coronavirus shut down in mid-March. These families were not leaseholders but were doubled and tripled up with family or friends or staying in a hotel because they had lost their job and home before COVID hit. Money ran out or the stress of too many people under one roof led to their homelessness. Leigh spoke of the "hotel trap" many find themselves in; hotels are expensive and it can be hard to save up for a deposit and the first month's rent when you expend all resources before the end of the month, month after month, with no savings. Shelters have reached maximum capacity and the closure of the Salvation Army this week (which was planned before COVID) exacerbated the shortage. ARCH has negotiated with local hotel owners to put up homeless families at a reduced rate, and the hotels are also extending the offer to "get an extra room free if two are paid for." Community donations have generously been collected to go toward this effort and emergency funding was also utilized. (Donations may be made here.) The Louisiana Housing Corporation is covering hotel costs now through the Emergency Solutions Grants fund, but this fund is not unlimited. "We know there will be an enormous need for help with rental assistance once the moratorium on evictions begin. People keep asking me, 'What's the plan?' Right now, there is no plan because there are no resources to meet the need. Without housing stability, we can't get back to normal if employees don't have stable housing. Landlords are struggling also. We need to be talking more about what rental assistance is needed in this community"

Olivia Savoie, co-founder of Raconteur Story Writing Services, has built a successful enterprise preserving lives and legacies through the written word. In this Discover Lafayette podcast with host Jan Swift, Olivia shared her lifelong love of writing and the joy she has always felt when in the company of older people. She has incorporated these passions into a business built upon gathering information and photos which result in heirloom stories and tribute books. A high school teacher encouraged Olivia to be a biographer so she could do the things she loved and utilize her talents to the best and highest use. She took that sound advice and recounted that on the same day she graduated from UL - Lafayette in 2016, she "walked out of her last final exam and into her first client's home to do a life story interview." Raconteur means "storyteller" and Olivia selected this French name for her business as it seemed a good fit for her business as well as a loving memory of her grandmother who spoke French. Joshua Savoie, husband and co-founder of Raconteur, "does everything but write the life histories", handling the scheduling, helping with the photographs, and working with the families. He also brought banking experience to the upstart business. The two met at church, and Joshua is a 2015 graduate of UL - Lafayette. Raconteur produces four types of books: (1)"Life" storybooks which capture the life events and memories of a living person; (2) "Tribute" books which honor a person who has passed away; (3)"Couple's" Life Story which captures the stories of an elderly couple, starting with tales of each of them as a youth, moving onto to their love story, and then the path their lives took together; and (4) Corporate Histories which document a company's rise to prominence and details of its longevity. Olivia conducts in-home interviews to gather information, and will typically spend three hours per day over a four to five day period of time. She asks between 200 to 300 customized questions, depending on the type of book being prepared, and provides a custom photo list to guide the client on the type of photos they should gather in preparation for the book. A scanner is used to copy the photos while in the client's home, and Olivia emphasized that she never takes precious pictures off-premises. Once the information is gathered, the Raconteur team works for a few weeks to compile the story into book form. "It is important to keep the voice of the person, their quips, their way of communicating as their story is told," Olivia Savoie of Raconteur Story Writing Services says. The books are between 50 to 200 pages long, depending on the type of work commissioned. She has gotten to know Louisiana's unique culture well and hears recurring stories such as people who got in trouble for speaking French or the "hog killings." Photo by Romero and Romero. Most of Olivia's clients are in their 70s, 80s, and 90s. A few have always wanted to write a book and her assistance provides just the right amount of help to get the job done. Most, however, are just interested in documenting their story to hand down to their descendants and Olivia and her team will write the whole book based upon the information provided through the oral interviews. "It is important to keep the voice of the person, their quips, their way of communicating as their story is told," Olivia says. The books are between 50 to 200 pages long, depending on the type of work commissioned. Raconteur's business has grown and Olivia travels across the Southeast to meet with clients personally. About 2/3 of her work is done in Louisiana, throughout the state. A favorite quote is by George Meredith: "Memoirs are the back stairs of history." Olivia says that many of her clients built early Lafayette and she loves hearing about the visions that they put in place. Iconic businessman Maurice Heymann pops up often in the stories and tales of old streets such as "Co...

Marilyn Castle, Chief Judge of the 15th Judicial District Court covering Lafayette, Acadia, and Vermilion Parishes, joined Jan Swift on Discover Lafayette to discuss how the operations of the courthouse have been impacted due to the pandemic shutdown. Judge Castle received her Juris Doctorate from LSU in 1976 and then served early in her career as an Assistant DA. From 1979 until her election to the bench in November 1998, her practice focused primarily in the areas of business and commercial litigation. She has served as President of the Lafayette Parish Bar Association and is active in her community both in her church at Asbury United Methodist Church and the Bonaparte Mardi Gras Krewe. No stranger to leading during times of crisis, Judge Castle also served as Chief Judge during 2005 in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The pandemic, however, has altered operations in the courthouse in ways no one has ever experienced and which called for unparalleled crisis management. Lafayette Parish Sheriff Mark Garber took swift steps to close off the jail facility from outside traffic in his effort to keep the prisoners safe from the coronavirus, which actions have prevented an outbreak in the jail. Any new arrestees are put under a fourteen-day quarantine. No inmates have left the facility to appear in court, and the number of visitors going into the jail has been extremely limited. Most "court" appearances by prisoners have been conducted by video conference, although under Lousiana law some appearances, such as sentencing, must be conducted in person. Glass partitions separate the prisoners from visitors such as Judge Castle, and all visitors have to have their temperature checked before entering. Prisoners are separated in smaller numbers into pods to cut down exposure from the greater population. From March 16, 2020 until the courthouse reopened for general business on May 18, 2020, all hearings were conducted by video, except for emergency hearings involving juvenile matters or for people seeking protective orders. Staff worked from home, and there were no in-court, in-person proceedings except for the emergency matters mentioned herein. A large number of criminal court appearances such as pre-trial matters, criminal trials, and rules originally scheduled to take place during the shutdown were missed, and people whose hearings were postponed are now mandated to go to the courthouse to receive "re-service of their summons" to obtain their new date of criminal hearing, as outlined in the 15TH JDC Phase 1 Order. Based upon the alphabet according to the individual's last name, the dates to visit the courthouse for this mandated re-service are as follows: A - I: Tuesday, May 26; J - Q: Wednesday, May 27; and R - Z: Thursday, May 28. Large tents will be set up on the E. Main side of the courthouse and people will be directed to the service desk by a bailiff. People who fail to show up can expect a sheriff's deputy at their door with a bench warrant for their arrest. People whose criminal hearings were postponed are now mandated to go to the courthouse to receive "re-service of their summons" to obtain a new date for their criminal hearing, as outlined in the 15TH JDC Phase 1 Order. Pictured: Chief Judge Marilyn C. Castle speaking at City Hall. Wednesday, May 13, 2020. (Photo: SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network) Most of the civil trials that were scheduled during the shutdown have been reset for later this year. The majority of cases heard by the court are criminal in nature and the judges are having to work out how juries will be selected and how they will accommodate the spacing issues involved. Only a few courtrooms have a large enough capacity to seat jurors six feet apart, and the size of jury pools will be limited; people called for jury duty will not have to worry that they will be packed tightly in a small room with 100 or more people. Attorneys will have to pay close attention to prescrip...

Meet Gerald Gerami, owner of Rug Gallery by Gerami’s, who has followed in the entrepreneurial footsteps of his late grandfather, Joseph Patrick Gerami, who opened his first retail establishment in Lafayette in 1920. Gerald Gerami sat down with Jan Swift, host of Discover Lafayette, to share his experience as a successful vendor who has survived the ups and downs of the marketplace in Lafayette. This interview is full of nuggets of wisdom from someone who jumped out of his comfort zone, believed in his ability to meet the needs of his community, and took the risk of opening his own retail establishment. The original Gerami family business was started by Joseph Patrick Gerami who had immigrated to the United States from Sicily and settled in Lafayette after he returned from WWI. Gerami's opened first as a furniture market in 1920 with the financial assistance of the iconic businessman, Maurice Heymann, who believed in investing in solid business people who could use a helping hand. Although Joseph Gerami was originally a furniture craftsman, his retail operation evolved into the opening of a second store offering flooring. This store is still open today on Jefferson Blvd. in downtown Lafayette, some 100 years after it was first opened by Joseph Gerami, and is run by his grandsons Gary and Greg Gerami. Members of the Gerami family: Glenn, Greg, Gerald Sr., Gary, and Gerald Jr. Gerald Gerami, Jr. had been influenced by his maternal grandfather, L. D. "Dudley" Foreman, who was a longtime banker at First National Bank in Lafayette. Post-college, Gerald first went into banking as a young man and then in the late 1980s was courted by his college buddy, Don Hargroder of Courtesy Automotive, to go into auto sales. After about 10 years in the auto business, Gerald was ready to open his own business and decided to return his family's retail roots with a twist: he decided there was a good opportunity in Lafayette to open a stand-alone rug location which could offer complementary pieces to the flooring options his family was selling. The original Gerami's Flooring store didn't have the room to offer an expanded selection of area rugs, and the natural synergy between the two stores could be utilized to enhance the business of both. In 1998, Gerald Gerami, Jr. opened Rug Gallery by Gerami’s to meet a needed niche in Lafayette’s retail market as homeowners increasingly installed hard flooring and decorative rugs were becoming more popular. The timing was good and the original location in Time Plaza on Johnston St. was a high traffic locale with a convenient location across town from the original Gerami's. In 2014, Gerald moved his store to its current location at 105 Englewood Drive, facing the busy Ambassador Caffrey corridor and allowing him to roughly double his showroom space. In 2014, Gerald moved his store to its current location at 105 Englewood Dr., Lafayette LA. Gerami's clientele is mainly women who make the home decorating selections. The store's experienced manager, Monica Cagle, has worked with Gerald since its inception. Gerald's wife, Carla, while not full-time, travels to market to help with the selection of the rug and accessories inventory, and with day to day decisions. Gerald and Carla Gerami with Alex Pekar at a rug market in Atlanta. Many people think that Gerami's only offers rugs, and expensive Oriental rugs at that, but the store offers rugs in all price brackets as well as accessories to complement your home decor. Its staff will help you select the appropriate rug and accessories and you have the opportunity to take the merchandise home to see if it works with your existing decor before committing to the purchase. Gerald says that 90% of the people they help take the item home and he stands behind the guarantee, "Try it Before You Buy it!" Service and the business's personal touch are what have allowed the store to remain intact through the inevitable economic ups and downs th...

Business success is contingent upon effective sales strategies, no matter what field you're in. Looking for guidance in surviving today's trying economic times, Jan Swift of Discover Lafayette called upon Reece Theriot of Fulcrum Sales and Marketing to share his expertise. Reece Theriot is young, thirty years old to be exact. Yet, he has over ten years of experience in sales and marketing. A graduate of UL - Lafayette in public relations, he realized quickly that this is not a big market for publicists. Wanting to stay in Lafayette, Reece joined Arthrex, the largest medical device sales company in the U. S. He learned that he had a knack for listening to what his doctor clients needed and was able to find effective solutions. He earned his MBA from UL-Lafayette during that time. As an instructor of Sales and Entrepreneurship in the B. I. Moody III College of Business for nine semesters, Theriot would open the class with the infamous clip of Alec Baldwin playing "Blake" in Glengarry Glen Ross where he berated the beleaguered salespeople and yelled at them that they should "Always be Closing (ABC's)" no matter what it took. Theriot stressed that this stereotype of salespeople provides a lesson in all the wrong ways successful relationships are built with potential clients. As a professor, he learned that it was difficult for his students to get hired, as most companies preferred to hire experienced salespeople over an entry-level candidate. As a sales trainer and consultant, he also realized that the majority of companies didn't need sales training, they needed someone to "own the problem" of sales and help them solve it. As Theriot says, "They didn't want the recipe book; they wanted someone to cook the recipe." Theriot took these lessons and opened Fulcrum Sales & Marketing to provide meaningful opportunities for sales professionals to become certified in the best techniques. Fulcrum also outsources a "boots on the ground" sales force that companies can hire to help them find new business opportunities, make product pitches, and create customer relationships. They assist with inbound and outbound marketing strategies, which used to be referred to as "pull and push" marketing. Reece Theriot with student Jack Stromain upon completion of Fulcrum Sales and Marketing's Apprenticeship Program. While most companies today engage in digital marketing efforts, it can be a scattershot effort aimed at "selling to everyone and making money." Theriot says it is important to define "who" your ideal client is so that you can understand what your marketing campaign should look like and who it should target. By proactively defining your customer and identifying your company's core strength, you can offer the specific solution for what the buyer needs to solve their problem/weakness. The challenge is to position your product in the mind of the consumer so you can stand out as being different and distinguish your product from that offered by competitors. Theriot gave an example of service companies who will tell potential clients, "What makes us different from others is the quality of our service." This is ineffective because everyone says that. He counseled that if you can show people how your service is similar to that which they have experienced but different in a way that meets their particular needs, the customer will recognize your value. It's a lot easier to sell "different" than "being better," according to Theriot. Theriot quoted UL - Lafayette Business Professor Geoff Stewart who is known for saying, "Where the seller's strength lines up with the buyer's weakness, this becomes the seller's opportunity." Every company has external opportunities and threats. A professional salesperson will identify "who" their ideal client is, then dive in and ask questions about the prospect's weakness and how their external threats line up with the seller's strengths. That is where a professional salesperson has the real...

Isabella de la Houssaye is our guest on Discover Lafayette with host, Jan Swift. Isabella is a native of Crowley and has worked and traveled all over the world, first as an international finance lawyer at White & Case LLP, then as an investment banker at Lehman Brothers, and currently as the co-owner of Material Culture, in Philadelphia, a retail establishment and auction house. Isabella is also an endurance athlete, mountain climber, and a certified yoga instructor. She has run marathons in every state in the U. S (and then some), competed in 10 Ironmans, and 20 ultramarathons. A non-smoker, Isabella was diagnosed in February 2018 with Stage IV non-small cell lung cancer. Lung cancer disease kills more women and men in the U. S. and worldwide than any other cancer. People mistakenly believe that only smokers get lung cancer, when in fact 65% of people who get new lung cancer diagnoses never smoked or are former smokers. Scientists believe the rise in cases even as the rate of smoking decreases is linked to environmental factors such as pollution driven by fossil fuels and exposure to radon. We spoke by telephone on Good Friday, April 10, 2020, as she was in her hometown, Crowley, Louisiana, stopping for a brief visit with family before continuing the last 1000 miles of her 3000-mile cross-country bike ride across the U. S. She is on a mission to raise awareness of the symptoms of lung cancer to facilitate early diagnoses as well as educate on the importance of researching effective treatments. She began her trek on March 10, 2020, in San Diego, CA, and finished April 20, 2020, on the Atlantic coast in Jacksonville, FL. While she had originally had plans to bike as part of a larger group and hold cancer awareness events across the U. S., including the Miles Perret Center in Lafayette, the Covid-19 pandemic changed all that. She plans to come back when it's safe to be in a crowd and hold public events. Isabella de la Houssaye and her husband, David Crane, biked across the U. S. to raise awareness of lung cancer, its symptoms, and the importance of research for treatments. To learn more about Isabella, lung cancer, and enjoy her beautiful blog on mindfulness, please visit https://bikebreathebelieve.org/ Lung cancer is typically diagnosed at late Stage III or IV and there are few symptoms until the cancer has advanced and spread throughout the body. For people with Stage IV lung cancer, the five-year survival rate is less than 10%. When de la Houssaye was first diagnosed in early 2018, the cancer was in her lungs, adrenal glands, bones, spine, and six tumors were in her brain. She had been experiencing severe Level 10 pain in her sacrum in her back area, and doctors initially thought it must be a pulled muscle because she was so active. No doctor thought that she might have lung cancer, and she had continuing racing and winning her age group in marathons and the Ironman competition. But by the time of her diagnosis, her sacrum was 100% eaten up by tumors and she was bedridden, dying. Ironically, an MRI taken to diagnose what was thought to be a sports injury revealed tumors in her spine and a CT scan confirmed Stage IV cancer, yet her insurance company didn't want to approve a PET scan because she was dying. She fought to get this biomarker test and the results allowed her physicians to target the best treatment based upon her specific genetic mutation. Within 24 hours of ingesting Avastin, she felt an immediate difference in her body as it responded positively; she was also able to avoid tough, old-school chemotherapy which would have been much more brutal. The tumors in her spine shrank over the next few months. She was one of the lucky ones for whom the targeted treatment worked. “Never give up. Focus on what you have rather than what you have lost. Stay active. Keep moving. Set goals. It’s not survival of the fittest, but survival of the most adaptable.

Are you familiar with the story of the Marquis de Lafayette, the man Lafayette, Louisiana is named after? The Marquis de Lafayette was a hero of the American Revolutionary War, having served under General George Washington in several crucial battles. He was only 19 years old when he came to the states and he had no previous combat experience. After the war, he returned to France and entered the political realm championing the ideals of liberty that America embodied. President James Monroe invited Lafayette to tour the United States, to instill the "spirit of 1776" in the next generation of Americans and to celebrate the nation's 50th anniversary. Lafayette visited all of the American states and was received with a hero’s welcome, traveling more than 6,000 miles, and accompanied by his son Georges Washington de La Fayette, named after George Washington. When the Louisiana legislature divided St. Martin parish in 1824, it created Lafayette Parish. The parish name Lafayette was chosen due to the enthusiasm of the Marquis de Lafayette's visit to the United States. However, the city's name remained Vermilionville due to the fact that the name "Lafayette" had been already given to a suburb of New Orleans. Eventually, in 1884, Vermilionville became Lafayette, and joined dozens of other cities, counties, schools, and public squares named in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette. Thanks to our Premier sponsor, Rally Marketing, for supporting our efforts to share Lafayette's past so as to inspire pride in our community and knowledge of those who came before us!

Ruffin Rodrigue, proprietor of Ruffino’s on the River in Lafayette, Ruffino’s in Baton Rouge, and Ruffino’s Catering in downtown Baton Rouge, is our guest on Discover Lafayette with Jan Swift. A native of Thibodaux, Rodrigue followed in the footsteps of his dad, Ruffin Rodrigue, Sr., who played LSU football in the early 1960s as a member of the infamous Chinese Bandits. Rodrigue was an All-SEC guard at LSU from 1986 through 1989 and fondly recalled his time under the tutelage of Coach Bill Arnsparger when the team was #3 in the nation and won the SEC Championship. After graduating in Spring 1990 in Marketing, he played for the World League of American Football (now NFL Europe) until an injury in Montreal ended his career and he returned to Louisiana. Rodrigue put his marketing degree to use working for five years at Mockler Beverage, a Budweiser distributor in Baton Rouge. He developed a friendship with T.J. Moran, the first franchisee of Ruth's Chris who went on to become one of the largest U. S. franchisees for the steakhouse company and who also owned the wildly popular TJ Ribs and Ninfa's Mexican Restaurant. In 1998, Ruffin entered the hospitality business with Moran to manage DiNardo's, an Italian-themed restaurant in South Baton Rouge on Highland Road named after Gerry DiNardo who had been a popular LSU football coach. As DiNardo's coaching career went into decline it was time to rebrand the endeavor, and Moran, Rodrigue, and chef Peter Sclafani bought out DiNardo and went into partnership in 2000, renaming the restaurant "Ruffino's." Being mentored by the late T. J. Moran, successful franchisee of Ruth's Chris and owner of TJ Ribs and Ninfa's Mexican Restaurant, left an indelible impression on Rodrigue and he recounted that Moran's motto was to "Strive to Make it Better Every Day." Ruffin has followed that advice every day for the past 22 years. Being mentored by T. J. Moran left an indelible impression on Rodrigue, and he recounted that Moran's motto was to "Strive to Make it Better Every Day." And Rodrigue has followed that advice every day for the past 22 years. Besides sharing his sage advice, Moran also taught Rodrigue how to treat people and how to do things the right way. Inside view of Ruffino's on Highland Road in South Baton Rouge, featuring a Blue Dog painting with Ruffin Rodrigue's #68 jersey, along with other memorabilia from his LSU football days. The success of Ruffino's in Baton Rouge led to the opening of its second restaurant in Lafayette in May 2013. Rodrigue and his partners opened Ruffino's on the River on Camellia Boulevard in the beautiful and spacious restaurant situated on the Vermilion River that was formerly owned by Cochon's. Cochon's, based out of New Orleans, had been in business for only nine months but failed to capture local interest. Ruffin had been advised that the River Ranch development was the perfect place to locate. The combination of delicious food, a huge bar, personality, energy, music, and all of the right intangibles outside of food that make people want to return again and again, made the restaurant a huge success. In 2018, Rodrigue bought out his partner, Peter Sclafani, and is now the sole owner proprietor of all Ruffino's properties. Ruffino's on the River is situated on a beautiful setting on the Vermilion River in River Ranch at 921 Camellia Blvd., Lafayette LA 70508 As the oil and gas recession intensified in late 2014/early 2015, Rodrigue's close friend and LSU football buddy Jamie Howard warned him that tough times were in store for South Louisiana. When the expense accounts of the energy executives dried up, he turned to the marketing of small gatherings and parties to healthcare and IT professionals and maintained a profitable enterprise. Rodrigue noted that the Baton Rouge market has historically been a more stable setting for business as the State Capitol and home to LSU's flagship university,

Steven Picou, Executive Director of the Lafayette Regional Airport, visits with Jan Swift, Host of Discover Lafayette, to discuss the ongoing progress of construction of Lafayette’s new terminal, as well as the impact the COVID-19 virus on air travel numbers at the airport. A native of Cut Off in Lafourche Parish, Picou graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a bachelor's degree in professional aviation and obtained his commercial, multi-engine, instrument pilot's license at Tech the same year. He has worked at other airports around the country in New Orleans, Albuquerque, and Amarillo. His experience includes remodeling and building new terminals. Picou was hired in 2015 by the Lafayette Airport Commission as the body was poised to move forward with the construction of a larger terminal, an expanded parking lot, and other facility upgrades. In order to raise matching funds needed to obtain federal and state funding for the project, in December 2014 Lafayette Parish residents overwhelmingly approved a temporary one-cent tax to be imposed from April 1 through November 30, 2015. Approximately $33.5 million was raised during that time, with all funds being dedicated to the airport terminal project. https://www.facebook.com/LafayetteRegionalAirport/videos/1045675319137061/ Watch the video to take a tour of the new Terminal Drive and see construction progress as of March 2020. The $90 million terminal project is funded by thirteen sources which include the local tax proceeds collected in 2015 along with federal and state grants from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Louisiana State Department of Transportation (DOTD) Aviation Division, La. DOTD, and airport savings. The total cost of the project may reach $130 million when a new FAA facility, rental car area, and other upgrades are completed. Lemoine Manhattan, a joint venture of The Lemoine Company and Manhattan Construction Company, is the prime contractor for the new terminal. Construction of the new airport terminal and upgraded facilities began in 2018 and is projected to be completed in September 2021. Picou says "the project is on time and on within its budget." Lafayette is the 'poster child' for the FAA as to how communities should go about funding projects and Picou says "it goes a long way when you can bring something to the table when you're asking for financial help in building a facility." Picou likens his job to that as mayor of a city. He says, "I'm not elected but I do serve as the "Mayor" of the Airport working with the Lafayette Airport Commission's seven members, who are vested with authority similar to that of a City Council. The airport has its own law enforcement (contracted with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office) and its own aircraft fire-fighting rescue services (contracted with the Rural Metro Corporation). The Airport encompasses approximately 1,116 acres over four separate tracts of land which include the airfield, hangars, terminal building, aviation and non-aviation facilities, and safety areas, all of which are overseen by Picou and the Lafayette Airport Commission. While the airport partners with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the airlines, it does not have control of their operations. The flight partnership is three-prong: Lafayette Regional Airport is your gateway to travel and is responsible for roadways, the maintenance of all facilities and infrastructure such as the terminal and runways, keeping the grounds safe, and providing space for parking and rental car lots. The TSA is responsible for the safe and secure screening of all passengers. (*Note that a second TSA screening line was scheduled to be opened but the pandemic has delayed this addition.) And thirdly, the airlines are responsible for selling you a seat and running the entire baggage process; the airport does not have the authority to sell seats on the airlines or secure your luggage and track it down in...