Baton Rouge Business Report, Nov. 2022

2022 FORTYUNDER40

Honoring the Capital Region’s brightest young LEADERS, INNOVATORS and BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS

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At Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute, treating cancer goes beyond just treating cancer. It also means treating everything that comes with cancer, including the complications and side effects. Cancer takes everything. We’ll stop at nothing to care for you. Which is why we’ve been the region’s leading cancer treatment destination for decades. And we won’t stop there.

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FORTYUNDER40

Honoring the Capital Region’s brightest young LEADERS, INNOVATORS and BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS

Publisher: Julio Melara

EDITORIAL Editorial Director: Penny Font

Associate Publisher, Executive Editor: JR Ball Managing Editor: Allan Schilling

Online News Editor: Deanna B. Narveson

Staff Writers: David Jacobs, Eric L. Taylor

Digital Content Editor: Dillon Lowe

Contributing Writers: Sam Barnes, Tom Cook, Maggie Heyn Richardson, Chelsea Brasted, Emily Kern Hebert, Holly Duchmann

Contributing Photographers: Brian Baiamonte, Marie Constantin, Don Kadair, Tim Mueller, Collin Richie

ADVERTISING

Sales Director: Kelly Lewis

Senior Account Executives: Marielle Land-Howard

Account Executives: Gabi Bivins Porter, Angie Laporte, Meredith LaBorde, Matt Wambles, Connie Zaragoza

Advertising Coordinators: Devyn MacDonald, Brittany Nieto, Cassidie Tingle

STUDIO E

Director: Taylor Gast

Multimedia Strategy Manager: Timothy Coles

Corporate Media Editor: Lisa Tramo ntana

Account Executive: Judith LaDousa

MARKETING

Marketing & Events Coordinator: Taylor Falgout Training & Events Coordinator: Emma Dubuc Events: Abby Hamilton

ADMINISTRATION

Business Manager: Tiffany Durocher

Business Associate: Kirsten Milano

Office Coordinator: Sara Hodge Receptionist: Cathy Varnado Brown

PRODUCTION/DESIGN

Production Manager: Jo Glenny

Art Director: Hoa Vu

Senior Graphic Designer: Melinda Gonzalez

Graphic Designers: Emily Witt, Ashlee Digel

AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT

Audience Development Director and Digital Manager: James Hume

Audience Development Coordinator: Ivana Oubre

Audience Development Associate: Catherine Albano

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STARTUP

All the carbon that’s fit to capture

frequently in October.

WHY IT MATTERS: There are more than $20 billion in tran sitional energy projects either planned or being discussed for the Capital Region, most involv ing carbon capture, which could be the key to keeping Louisiana’s industrial sector viable in a low er-carbon future.

HOWEVER: Critics say carbon capture and sequestration is dan gerous and ineffective, wasting resources that could be going into more useful carbon-reduction strategies, such as improving ef ficiency and switching to renew able energy sources.

BIG DEAL: ExxonMobil has agreed to capture and per manently store up to 2 mil lion metric tons of CO2 emissions annually from CF

Industries’ manufacturing complex in Donaldsonville. It’s the first Louisiana proj ect for ExxonMobil’s new Low Carbon Solutions division and ExxonMobil’s first effort to help a third-party company decar bonize its operations, and Dan Ammann, the division’s presi dent, says other companies in Louisiana and throughout the Gulf Coast are interested in a sim ilar solution.

MONEY QUOTE: “This unprec edented, large-scale, low-carbon partnership is a key milepost on Louisiana’s path toward a brighter future for our climate, our econ omy and our people,” Gov. John Bel Edwards says about the ExxonMobil-CF Industries part nership. “The collaboration and innovation to bring carbon cap ture and storage technology for ward at this scale reaffirms our state’s ability to grow our econ omy without sacrificing our longterm emission-reduction goals to net-zero by 2050.”

CIRCLING THE WAGONS: Baton Rouge Area Chamber announced the formation of the Baton Rouge Area Carbon Reduction Alliance, an industry group that wants to drive sus tainable economic growth by positioning the Capital Region as a leader in energy transition and decarbonization. BRAC’s an nouncement cites the national Carbon Capture Coalition’s es timation that Louisiana could create up to 4,900 project jobs annually over a 15-year period and 2,500 permanent jobs, while capturing 40 million metric tons of CO2 per year.

FIGHTING BACK: The Livingston Parish Council has passed two moratoriums on wells used in carbon capture, fearing contamination of Lake Maurepas. Air Products is planning a mul tibillion dollar “blue” hydrogen plant in Ascension Parish and is interested in storing captured CO2 under the lake.

Landry, vice president of political affairs for the Louisiana Chemical Association.

ONE MORE THING: An un derreported potential downside of carbon capture, highlighted by discussions about Cleco’s “Project Diamond Vault” in cen tral Louisiana, is that operating enough carbon capture to keep climate change in check could dramatically increase humanity’s water use. That concern could resonate in Baton Rouge, where the long-term health of the local groundwater aquifer already is at risk.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Carbon capture might (or might not) rep resent the future of industrial decarbonization, but right now there are plenty of kinks to work out.

—David Jacobs

We’re upgrading the state’s infrastructure with storm-hardened equipment to protect your power and adding more carbon-free energy to preserve our growing communities.

At Entergy, we work for the moments you live for. That’s why we’re powering a brighter future for Louisiana with a cleaner, more reliable grid. Learn more at entergy.com/brightfuturela

3 THINGS TO KNOW:

JEREMEY MILLER

1Jeremey Miller graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University in 2013. Miller credits his time in Tangipahoa Parish to opening his eyes to opportunities around him. Seeing an opening in the market for curated events, he started an entertainment business, Perphection Events, while in college. “Being raised in north Baton Rouge, it was all I knew—I didn’t know what else the world had to offer. Being in Hammond opened my eyes to different things, different people, different cultures and opened my mind to the world.”

2Miller started volunteering at the YMCA during the pandemic. Raised by his grandmother, it’s important to Miller that he carries on the values she instilled in him—to look out for your neighbor. In late 2020, Miller and a friend took over a learning center in Zachary after the previous owner died from COVID-19. “I see myself as an entrepreneur. I feel like I can break barriers.”

3

The opportunity to work with children led Miller to the YMCA. While volunteering, Miller was pushed to apply for the executive director of diversity, inclusion and belonging position. While he understood the position’s mission, he initially wasn’t sure if it was a right fit for him. But after winning Volunteer of the Year with the YMCA and meeting CEO Christian Engle, he threw his hat into the ring. “My goal is to work for the kids and create something for the kids coming from my area, north Baton Rouge. I want them to know you’re more than they think you are.”

FAVORITE THINGS:

Dixie Maid Drive-In “I grew up on these burgers, and it was within walking distance of my neighborhood growing up.”

Pilot’s license “I don’t like driving, but I like being in the sky—I like the freedom.”

Strawberry Fanta “I like the color red.”

Virgin Islands “It was really beautiful out there.”

Fried shrimp “Pick up shrimp from Tony’s and then fry it up at home.”

DON KADAIR

Executive director of diversity, inclusion and belonging,YMCA of the Capital Area

ON THE RECORD:

The only piece of Iberville Parish divided by the mighty Mississippi River, the city of St. Gabriel may be one of the best-kept secrets in the Baton Rouge region. Encompassing the communities of Sunshine, St. Gabriel and Carville and a population of 6,433, St. Gabriel is the fastest-growing and largest local municipality in Iberville parish. This small, 25-square-mile city was incorporated in 1994 and has been transformed from a primarily agricultural economy to one that is a beautiful combination of agriculture, residential, commercial and industrial.

OFF THE RECORD:

Mayor Lionel Johnson Jr. is the city’s second mayor and under his administration, St. Gabriel has added multimillion-dollar sewer upgrades, a new police department, a new senior center, improvements to streets, drainage and outdoor recreation, and several residential devel opments. A groundbreaking is scheduled for a new municipal building that contains a new council chamber and will serve as an emergency command center.

Motivated by the August 2016 and May and June 2021 floods that affected the City of St. Gabriel, Mayor Johnson is now enrolled in the 2nd Cohort of the Southern University Executive Ph.D. in Public Policy program at Southern University Baton Rouge. His dissertation focus is “An Examination of Flooding Policies, Consequences and Legislative Actions on Bayou Manchac/ Spanish Lake Watershed.” The mayor is expected to complete the program in Summer of 2023.

Taylor James Schultz

Franchise owner, Hungry Howie’s WHAT THEY DO: Late-night pizza

ADDRESS:  5201 Nicholson Drive, Suite A

NEXT GOALS:

Expand with additional locations in Baton Rouge

PREHEAT THE OVEN

Taylor James Schultz got her first taste of entrepreneurship at 18 when she earned her real estate license. The Baton Rouge native and Chi Omega sold investment properties while a student at LSU. Following graduation, she accepted a field accounting position in the industrial sector with Performance Contractors. The company quickly transferred her to Houston, where she grinded for more than two years building savings she intended to invest in the future. At the beginning of the pandemic, the Dunham School alumnus returned to Louisiana as work in the plants in Houston slowed.

BAKING THE PIE

At an LSU baseball game in January, she met a family friend who owned—and was selling— the Hungry Howie’s franchise on Nicholson Drive. Wanting to plant roots in Baton Rouge, Schultz saw it as the investment opportunity she had been waiting for. “Hungry Howie’s to me has been almost synonymous with a late night out at LSU. This is an LSU icon—the ship is already sailing.” To ensure it would be a good fit, Schultz worked in the store for six months before officially taking over the franchise in early August.

EXTRA TOPPINGS

Today, the 26-year-old oversees 25 employees in the pizza shop that’s open until 3 a.m. As owner, Schultz says she looks to hire people at the restaurant who know more than her in some way. “I worked in a few restaurants during college, but my best experience was in St. Francisville. There was a level of excellence and that’s the environment that I want to bring to Howie’s—excellent and fun.” In the future, she wants to expand the business and open additional Hungry Howie’s locations in Baton Rouge. “Being an entrepreneur is a doubleedged sword. I love the freedom—you can do whatever you want but you’re bound by it. You have to do something and it has to be the right thing. You can’t leave the business behind when you go home—you are the business.”

—By Holly Duchmann • Photography by Collin Richie

“As a franchisee, you can get caught in little things—how much cheese, sauce—but I tell my staff to take a step back and see it for what it is and take pride in good work and beautiful pizzas.”

Meet the 2023 class of Young Entrepreneurs Academy of Baton Rouge

THE YOUNG Entrepreneurs Academy of Baton Rouge’s 2023 class features 23 teens aspiring to turn their interests and ideas into startup businesses. The students—who hail from 18 middle and high schools within the Capital Region—attend weekly courses at LSU’s E.J. Ourso College of Business, where they’re instructed by professors and mem bers of the business community about how to go from developing a formal business plan to getting their fledgling company off the ground by registering as an LLC with the Louisiana Secretary of State’s office. The program concludes with a Shark Tank-style competition in which student CEOs pitch their business plans to a panel of potential investors for seed funding, with judges se lecting the best presentation to advance to a national competition in New York City. To date, YEA BR has mentored more than 100 students from the Capital Region, leading to the launch of 66 startups.

Alaina Banks, 14 GEO Next Generation High School, 9th grade

ENTREPRENEURIAL DREAM: To become an expert at providing hair care services.

BUSINESS BASICS: Students going through the Young Entrepreneurs Academy of Baton Rouge attend weekly classes at LSU’s E.J. Ourso College of Business.

Anna Baumgartner, 18 University Laboratory School, 12th grade

ENTREPRENEURIAL DREAM: To promote inclusivity and allow women to live limitlessly.

James Boudet, 17 Catholic High School, 12th grade ENTREPRENEURIAL DREAM: To offer everyone the most efficient process possible when building their dream home.

Miah Brown, 17 St. Amant High School, 12th grade

ENTREPRENEURIAL DREAM: To be a successful young woman who empowers other women to be their own boss.

Allie Duplantis, 14 Walker High School, 9th grade

ENTREPRENEURIAL DREAM: To provide a way for everyone to enjoy growing houseplants, regardless of their circumstances.

Christian Frazier, 16 Woodlawn High School, 10th grade

ENTREPRENEURIAL DREAM: To provide a service that helps educate and simplify stock market investing for youth.

NaZylah Gipson, 16 Liberty Magnet High School, 11th grade ENTREPRENEURIAL DREAM: To improve mental health and financial understanding.

Korria Gordon, 16 Zachary High School, 11th grade

ENTREPRENEURIAL DREAM: To improve access to healthy food alternatives for the world.

ENTREPRENEURIAL DREAM:

To improve access to the acting and film industry for youth.

Jules Gresham, 14

ENTREPRENEURIAL DREAM:

To provide children access to healthier quick lunches.

Mason Hurst, 13 McKinley Middle Magnet School, 8th grade

ENTREPRENEURIAL DREAM:

To make the lives of people around me and others in my community easier through affordable services.

Jazlynn Johnson, 18 Helix Mentorship STEAM Academy, 12th grade

ENTREPRENEURIAL DREAM: To ensure people are physically and mentally relieved from stress, anxiety, work and more.

ENTREPRENEURIAL DREAM:

To bring awareness to the benefits of clean/safe beauty products.

ENTREPRENEURIAL DREAM:

To change the educational food system and make the packable lunch industry more accessible.

ENTREPRENEURIAL DREAM: To expand financial knowledge in youth to increase their paths to success.

ENTREPRENEURIAL DREAM: To make the kitchen a safer place for younger people.

Cameron Green, 17 Liberty Magnet High School, 12th grade

West Feliciana High School, 9th grade

Nora Klibert, 16 Regina Caeli Academy, 11th grade

Jared Lane Jr., 14 West Feliciana High School, 9th grade

Brenden Morris, 16 Baton Rouge Magnet High School, 11th grade

Ahebwa Muhumuza, 16 Episcopal School of Baton Rouge, 11th grade

Kennedi Owens, 13 The Dunham School, 8th grade

ENTREPRENEURIAL DREAM: To form a lifestyle brand of health and wellness products for kids and teens.

Ayush Patel, 15 Episcopal School of Baton Rouge, 11th grade

ENTREPRENEURIAL DREAM: To equip everyone with knowledge to improve their health and happiness.

Ralla Shaw, 17 St. Joseph’s Academy, 11th grade

ENTREPRENEURIAL DREAM: To create a new way for people to express themselves through their music identities.

Lillian Tepper, 16 Dutchtown High School, 11th grade

ENTREPRENEURIAL DREAM: To create and further develop communities centered around kids with special needs.

Jayla Walker, 17 Donaldsonville High School, 12th grade ENTREPRENEURIAL DREAM: To provide a beauty service that contributes to female empowerment.

Myla Washington, 17 The Dunham School, 12th grade

ENTREPRENEURIAL DREAM: To limit procrastination and provide more free time for students.

Ryan Yang, 14 Baton Rouge Magnet High School, 9th grade

ENTREPRENEURIAL DREAM: To provide quality connections for drone enthusiasts, professional flyers and consumers.

A Lifetime of Building.

TOPPING OUT: Just out of college, Rhaoul is on the roof of the Superdome performing the “tree topping,” a construction custom. Trees continue to be a part of the GOTECH tradition.

GOTECH, a professional engineering and consulting firm, was established in 1981 by Rhaoul A. Guillaume, Sr. and is built in the shadow of a stately, majestic oak tree on Bluebonnet Boulevard in Baton Rouge.

Why promote Rhaoul’s work on the Superdome now, as GOTECH approaches 42 years in business?

Like the iconic Superdome that continues to stand through many Superbowls, Mardi Gras events, concerts, Hurricane Katrina and time itself, GOTECH has grown, survived and flourished.

What began as a once-in-a-lifetime experience where he provided civil and structural engineering assistance with construction observation has become the strong foundation for longevity and a wealth of invaluable experience benefitting GOTECH and its clients. Since his time at the Louisiana Superdome, today GOTECH provides: • Civil Engineering

• Surveying

• Program Management • Construction Engineering & Inspection which allows GOTECH to serve its clients with a broad range of capabilities and consulting expertise. Rhaoul considers his work on the Superdome, in addition to all the connections he has cultivated and

maintained, to be both a tremendous honor and privilege. Today, Rhaoul leads a successful company with his team of dedicated professionals who continue to build GOTECH and focus on Growth Through Technical Excellence.

We invite you to visit https://www.gotech-inc.com today to learn more about GOTECH and a LIFETIME of Building!

8383 Bluebonnet Blvd. Baton Rouge, LA

Phone: 225-766-5358 www.gotech-inc.com

Design/Build Project

JOHN JAMES AUDUBON BRIDGE

LAMAR DIXON

Civil Engineering & Surveying

I-10 TWIN SPAN BRIDGE PROJECT

Construction Engineering & Inspection

BATON ROUGE AIRPORT

Program Management

ELECTRIC DEPOT

Government St., Baton Rouge

BY TIM MUELLER

Owner: Electric Depot LLC

DNA Workshop

Buquet & LeBlanc

$20 million

2019

FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION: “We took the original power plant for all of Baton Rouge and turned it into something people could come back and experience. We see the Depot as located in a diverse part of the city, really the crossroads of the city, and we wanted to make sure it was a welcoming space for everyone in the community.”

—Dyke Nelson, architect

1. Building B at the Electric Depot has nearly 4,600 square feet of commercial space with a diverse tenant mix. There’s also a central green lawn for guests to gather, relax and enjoy periodic outdoor concert events.

2. Local Supply is a curated gift shop with a spotlight on Louisiana makers and artisans featuring handcrafted goods and unique gifts.

3. City Roots, the coffee shop by Matt Saurage of Community Coffee, offers on-site coffee bean roasting, handcrafted coffees, nitro-coffees, draft lattes, teas and weekly coffee tastings.

4. Operated by the owners of Ichiban Japanese Grill & Sushi Bar, Boru Ramen is Mid City’s favorite ramen and poke spot, serving handcrafted noodles, made exclusively in-house.

Hard numbers on slowing of sales and leasing

RAPIDLY RISING RATES

that talked about the po tential slowing of commercial

and leasing, and the most re cent data reported to the Lousiana Commercial Database, or LACDB, clearly shows a drop in activ ity. The slowing is in large part

about by rising interest rates. The Federal Reserve con tinues to raise rates in an effort to slow inflation and that rise in rates

impacted both commercial

Historical Data: Freddie Mac PMMS. (c) TheMortgageReports.com

2022 Average: 4.95%

and residential rates.

Residential mortagae rates have more than doubled since January. Meanwhile, commercial rates are in creasing at a similar pace. Rising inflation is largely a result of the monetary policies of the Biden ad ministration, which were put in place to offset dam age to the economy due to COVID-19. However well intentioned the pol icies may have been, the money supply has been dramatically increased. Famed economist Milton Friedman once said, “Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon, in the sense that it is and can be pro duced only by a more rapid in crease in the quantity of money than in output.”

A ROLLER COASTER RIDE

We have had staggering in creases in the money supply. According to a June article by Ryan James Boyle, vice president and senior economist with Global Risk Management, a division of

Northern Trust, the U.S. money supply has grown by 40% since the beginning of the COVID crisis.

As a result, we have rampant in flation. Not to belabor the point, but when the Fed increases inter est rates, mortgage rate increases follow, which in turn slows the commercial real estate market.

I studied sales reported to the

LACDB—which serves as an on line information exchange for the state’s commercial real es tate professionals—from August 2018 to October 2022. At the time of this publication, there were 2,084 commercial professionals using LACDB to advertise over 9,000 listings and over 52,000 sales transactions. LACDB does

not account for all sales and leasing activity but it is a very good representa tive sample. According to LACDB, sales have fallen off rather dramatically from May 2022 to the present.

In May 2022, there were 783 sale and lease transactions reported to LACDB, that num ber had dropped to 304 by September 2022. If that trend continues, the number should fall to around 277 for October. That represents about a 65% decrease in re ported sales and leases. There are those who ar gue that some of the de crease is seasonal, and that the market is just leveling to what we saw in 2019. I could be wrong, but I expect this trend to continue.

Tom Cook of Cook, Moore, Davenport and Associates has been an independent real estate appraiser for more than 20 years.

Carter Leak IV President & CEO

Douglas Dupont Baton Rouge Market President 2022 Forty Under 40 Honoree

An optimistic outlook

ECONOMIST LOREN SCOTT is projecting that the Baton Rouge metro will add about 4,500 jobs next year and 7,900 in 2024, which would represent growth of 1.1% and 2%, respectively.

Should Scott’s projections hold, that level of job growth would make the Capital Region’s econ omy the third-fastest growing in the state. Behind the optimistic outlook is an anticipated indus trial construction surge and the

Generations of care

BY DAVID JACOBS

opening of Amazon’s $200 million fulfillment center next year.

“We are told that engineering firms are jammed with front-end engineering work, and indus trial construction companies are swamped by bid-prep demands,” states the executive summary of Scott’s Louisiana Economic Forecast, which was presented Oct. 4.

With about $12.6 billion worth of industrial projects underway

in the Capital Region and another $10.7 billion potentially in the pipeline, local leaders are hoping that as many Louisianans as pos sible will build those facilities.

Connie Fabré, president and CEO of the Greater Baton Rouge Industry Alliance, stops short of saying she’s “confident” of avoid ing a worker shortage, adding that industry leaders currently are assessing the “skills gap” to get a clearer picture of what the needs

are. But she says industry is more prepared now than it was for the last expansion, thanks to the work that’s been done since.

The last big local industrial ex pansion started around 2012 and lasted into 2016. Fabré recalls meeting with former Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Stephen Moret in late 2011 to talk about getting ready.

State lawmakers approved a $40 million package to boost techni cal education, along with a $10 million annual rapid response fund, Fabré says. High schools now are required to offer career and technical education and of fer a tech-focused diploma, she adds.

“With all that in place, we re ally just need to advertise that these jobs are coming, and con tinue with the education so as many Louisianans can participate [as possible],” she says, noting that once investment decisions are made, companies will import labor from outside the state as needed.

With a potential recession on the horizon, however, companies

We’re here for you and your family through the stages of life, with the strength of the cross, the protection of the shield. The Right Card. The Right Care.

Economist Loren Scott predicts an industrial construction surge across the region.

DON KADAIR

are being relatively conserva tive with their capital spending, though demand remains steady. Fabré expects the ramp-up to be gin late next year and perhaps last three to five years.

In his report, Scott highlights several announced projects in the region including:

• Air Products’ $4.5 billion “blue” hydrogen complex in Burnside.

• Methanex’s $1.6 billion meth anol plant in Geismar.

• Shintech’s investments in West Baton Rouge Parish, including a new $1.3 billion unit.

• REG’s $1.2 billion expansion of its renewable diesel refinery in Geismar.

Scott’s projections this year were made in the face of considerable uncertainty. Federal Reserve actions to curb inflation are likely to tip the U.S. economy into a short, shallow recession in 2023. However, Scott expects Louisiana employment to grow (though modestly) right through that recession, partly due to

regaining jobs lost to COVID-19 shutdowns. Here are Scott’s pre dictions for outside of the Capital Region:

• The New Orleans MSA has a

remarkable $17 billion in indus trial projects under way, led by the $13.2 billion Venture Global LNG facility. Of the $26 billion in proj ects announced, final investment

decisions, or FIDs, are expected on several, including VG’s phase two project ($8.5 billion) and Formosa Plastics’ $9.4 billion chemical complex. More than $5

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billion will be injected into the economy for coastal restoration and flood control projects. Scott is also forecasting 3,600 new jobs in 2023 (+0.7%) and 8,600 jobs (+1.6%) in 2024.

• Several major new projects at the Port of Caddo Bossier, the opening of a new Amazon fulfillment center, and a seri ous rebound in drilling in the Haynesville Shale Play are driv ing an expected 2,000 new jobs in 2023 (+1.1%) and 3,900 new jobs in 2024 (+2.2%) in the ShreveportBossier Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is very likely that the DiamondJacks Casino license will be picked up and a renovated site reopened over 2023-24.

• Battered by two destructive hurricanes, Winter Storm Uri and a flood, the Lake Charles MSA re mains 57% below its pre-COVID employment levels. Many of those job losses are expected to return quickly, and FIDs are ex pected on at least two large LNG export projects. Scott projects 2,600 new jobs in 2023 (+2.6%) and another 4,600 jobs in 2024 (+4.4%).

• Hurricane Ida hammered the Houma MSA last fall, causing em ployment to drop by almost as much as during the COVID shut down. The region has recovered only 22% of the jobs lost from the shutdown and Ida, the worst mark in the state. Many of these losses will be retrieved and a bur geoning shipyard sector will add to the job total. However, weak activity in the Gulf will be a drag on the area. The area is projected to add 700 jobs in 2023 (+0.9%) and 1,700 jobs in 2024 (+2.1%).

• Vantage Health is an eco nomic bright spot in the Monroe MSA, but the region will con tinue to suffer job leakages from Lumen over the next two years. Projections are for 100 new jobs in 2023 (+0.1%) and 400 jobs in 2024 (+0.5%).

• The Alexandria MSA is one of only two MSAs in the state to have fully recovered all jobs lost due to the COVID shutdowns. This MSA’s future depends heav ily on 1) initiation of Cleco’s $900 million Project Diamond Vault,

and 2) the landing of significant prospects at the Beaver Creek Industrial Park. A total of 300 new jobs are projected for 2023 (+0.5%) and 600 for 2024 (+1%).

• The Hammond MSA is the only other region to have re covered all jobs lost due to the COVID shutdown—a signifi cant achievement considering the region lost 2,900 jobs when Hurricane Ida came roaring through. Stability at Southeastern Louisiana University and the North Oaks Medical System, com bined with new jobs at Medline and Intralox, should help create 600 new jobs in 2023 (+1.3%) and another 700 in 2024 (+1.5%).

• Employment in rural Louisiana has been trending downward for several years as more population has moved to the state’s urban areas. This trend will continue over the next two years, although expansions at Syrah Resources, Strategic Biofuels and several new sawmills will arrest this decline somewhat.

Employment is expected to fall by 1,000 jobs in 2023 (-0.5%) and by 1,700 jobs in 2024 (-0.8%).

Local Lending Experts

Anita Kennedy

Commercial

Manager

We’re community bankers - growing, investing and serving in the Capital Region. Whether it’s business,

or mortgage - we have

covered.

PRIME PROPERTY: Though delayed, the opening of the Amazon fulfillment center will create as many as 2,000 new jobs by early 2024.

COLLIN RICHIE

A

Jerry Goss, CEO/Advisor Alex Goss, Advisor Matt Duplechain, Advisor Troy Toups, Advisor Josh Barnett, Advisor

Abby McClure

Service Associate

Kate Blackwell Client Service Associate Carrie Cormier Operations Manager

WHEN CHEF AND restaurant operator Peter Scla fani became a partner in Phil’s Oyster Bar in 2019, his goal was to preserve the restaurant’s storied history while also introducing new buzzworthy dishes. The best expression of this, Sclafani says, is the crab and brie grilled cheese with tomato basil soup, a Louisiana riff on a diner classic.

“A grilled cheese with tomato soup is the ultimate in comfort food, but we wanted to put a different spin on it,” Sclafani says. “The combination of crab and brie is really popular in Baton Rouge.”

Jumbo lump crabmeat, slices of creamy brie and fontina cheeses and chopped scallions are placed between slices of buttered brioche, and grilled until golden. The homemade soup is prepared simply, Scla fani says, with San Marzano tomatoes, onions, garlic, chicken stock, oregano, cream and fresh basil.

Phil’s, a Baton Rouge institution and a longtime magnet for the LSU faithful, was originally founded as a seafood market on Government Street in 1945, transitioning to a full-service restaurant in 1950. The spot closed in 2007 when its beloved second owner Gus Piazza became ill, dying later that year. Sons Anthony and Jordan Piazza reopened the restaurant in Southdowns Village in 2016. Three years later, Sclafani bought in as a partner, while Jordan Piazza transitioned to other pursuits.

While Phil’s remains a reliable oyster bar and seafood fry house, its broiled and sauteed seafood options have grown under Sclafani. Alongside heap ing platters of fried Gulf shrimp, oysters and catfish strips are dishes such as trout almondine, the Sclafani salad with romaine and boiled shrimp, and the popular Trout Chalmette, a pan-fried fillet topped with creamy crawfish sauce and crawfish spoonbread.

PHIL’S OYSTER BAR & SEAFOOD

3

Though its seafood options have expanded under Peter Sclafani, who is a partner with Anthony Piazza, the restaurant still features its classic raw oysters.

The original Government Street location closed in 2007, but Phil’s reopened in 2016 in Southdowns Village on Perkins Road.

ADDRESS: 4335 Perkins Road PHONE: (225) 924-3045

WEB: philsoysterbar.com

CUISINE: Seafood, Cajun

PARTNERS: Anthony Piazza and Peter Sclafani; Chef: Alfred Haimbach

SCENE: Casual seafood restaurant originally founded on Government Street

A Louisiana take on a comfort food classic is the crab and brie grilled cheese with tomato basil soup.

BY MAGGIE HEYN RICHARDSON • PHOTOGRAPHY BY COLLIN RICHIE

LINDA PEREZ CLARK, MANAGING PARTNER

Whether they’re working late into the evening to complete a big assignment, getting up early to ready their kids for school or scrambling to a nonprofit board meeting, Business Report’s 2022 Forty Under 40 class is anything but idle.

Some work for the government, some are employed in the private sector and others are their own bosses—yet all of them play a key role in making the Capital Region a better place to call home. Not only do they juggle the demands that come with nascent careers and growing families, but they also make time to volunteer for nonprofit organizations across the Capital Region, many sitting on the boards of Baton Rouge’s most influential organizations and companies.

Culling down the list of nominees for the 27th edition of Forty Under 40 was no small task, with a panel of community leaders and members of our staff taking on the difficult challenge of choosing this year’s class.

On the following pages, you’ll get a feel for why each of the honorees has been included in this year’s Forty Under 40 class, what makes them tick and what challenges they’re planning to take on next. Each member of this year’s class shares their greatest accomplishments thus far, lessons learned as well as insights into who they are as members of the Baton Rouge community.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMY MARTIN STORIES COMPILED BY EMILY KERN HEBERT

DEDICATED TO keeping youkeeping wellyou well

At LCMC Health, we help people get the most out of life. That means keeping you well. And not just you, but your friends and neighbors, too. It’s what we do, from births to surgeries to checkups to emergencies, through more than two million patient visits each year. And we’re not slowing down. With 13,000 healthcare professionals across six hospitals, dozens of urgent care clinics and physician practices, comprising a $1 billion investment and counting, LCMC Health is making extraordinary care an expectation. We’re dedicated to keeping you, and every member of the communities we serve, well.

ERIN ALVAREZ

|  40

Realtor, RE/MAX Professional

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Awarded #5 RE/MAX Agent in Louisiana 2021.

• Awarded Chairman’s Club & RE/ MAX Hall of Fame 2021.

• Awarded RE/MAX Torchbearer Top 40 agents under 40 in U.S. and Canada 2022.

COMMUNITY:

Volunteered and fundraised for variety of charitable organizations including American Cancer Society, McMains Children’s Developmental Center and the Bella Bowman Foundation.

FIRST JOB AND LESSONS LEARNED:

“My first job was counting money for the New Orleans Fairgrounds during Jazz Fest. I was 9 years old. I learned that having a short stack of $100 bills is better than having a larger stack of $1 bills.”

PROFESSIONAL INSPIRATION:

“My clients. The joy, excitement and positive feedback I receive from them inspires me daily to continue giving exceptional service and build longlasting relationships.”

JAMES ANDERMANN

|  39

Principal, Chief Operating Officer, CSRS

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Serving as project manager to implement the late Davis Rhorer’s vision for the redesign of Downtown Baton Rouge’s North Boulevard Town Square.

• Playing a vital role in the resettlement of Isle de Jean Charles—a first-of-its-kind federally funded voluntary program led by the Louisiana Office of Community Development to provide options for residents to move to a safer and more sustainable community.

• Becoming a principal and chief operating officer at CSRS.

COMMUNITY:

Volunteers with Habitat for Humanity, St. Vincent de Paul Baton Rouge and Bishop Ott Sweet Dreams Shelter.

TOP CHALLENGE FACING BATON ROUGE:

“Sustaining the opportunities and quality of life necessary to keep our youth wanting more. Think big to create a competitive job force.”

ADVICE FOR FUTURE FORTY UNDER 40 HONOREES:

“Treat everyone with respect— many friendships come from past introductions. Approach every day with a positive attitude and be the solution.”

RENEE ANTOINE

|  34

Executive Director, Governor’s Office on Women’s Policy

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Planning and leading the Better Birth Outcomes Summit in Baton Rouge in response to state legislation aimed at increasing the rate of healthy birth experiences for families.

• Creating local and nationally recognized toolkits on equitable community engagement and partnership.

• Being invited to present to the National Maternal Child Health Bureau to advise Health and Human Services administration on effective strategies to improve clinical approaches and community outcomes in perinatal health.

COMMUNITY:

Involved with Bethany Church’s Restore and Serve Baton Rouge project, March of Dimes’ Baton Rouge March for Babies and Alzheimer’s Services of the Capital Area’s Walk to Remember.

LEARNING FROM A MENTOR:

“From Dr. Makeva Rhoden: Your presence is your brand. Every person, place and situation you encounter is an opportunity. Always be ready. Excellent isn’t stagnant. Excellent leaders are on a constant journey to create change and make an impact. You decide your legacy.”

ADAM BEARY

31 CEO, Bear Process Safety

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Leading a major expansion project for one of the world’s top chemical companies.

• Starting Bear Process Safety at age 27 in 2018.

• Being recognized as BRAC Diversity Star award winner in the small business category for 2022.

COMMUNITY:

Serves as a Big Buddy Baton Rouge board member and BRAC investor.

CAREER DREAMS AS A CHILD:

“I wanted to be a sports broadcaster. I loved sports and those who know me would agree I’ve always had a propensity to talk. I would call games in our living room with my parents.”

MOST FULFILLING CAREER MOMENT:

“The first project we landed at BPS was a huge moment for me. It was small and not worth a ton, but it meant we could convince a client to believe in us. We celebrated with our families over dinner that night.”

Cheers to Meeting Again

Experience a slice of life in the Red Stick, where second rounds and second helpings are second nature.

Head over to visitbatonrouge.com/ meetings to start planning your event.

CHRISTEN CAMPBELL   |  37

Site Development and Energy & Verbund Director, BASF

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Being a national award honoree: Emerging Leader, Manufacturing Institute (STEP Ahead) in 2016.

• Recognition in 10/12 Industry Report: Louisiana’s 20 Young Industry Leaders to Watch in 2018.

• Becoming a graduate and mentor for Female Leaders Advancing Manufacturing Excellence at BASF.

COMMUNITY:

Volunteers with Baton Rouge Speech and Hearing Foundation, Louisiana School for the Deaf, Hospice, United Way and Big Buddy Baton Rouge.

FIRST JOB AND LESSONS LEARNED:

“I worked in the file room and was a runner at a local law firm. I learned that working hard and being professional earns you a seat at the table for a greater challenge.”

ADVICE TO FUTURE FORTY UNDER 40 HONOREES:

“Get involved, volunteer and continuously reach to solve challenges outside of your comfort zone. Be authentic and confident, but also be vulnerable. Share who you are and also your heart with those around you and those in your community.”

RACHEL CARROCCIO   |  36

Managing Director, Emergent Method

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Having a role in Emergent Method’s recognition as a Best Place to Work and leading the HR function while the firm experiences rapid growth with over 200 employees nationwide.

• Serving as a panel speaker at the YP Summit: Bring it 225, The Role of Authenticity in the Workplace.

• Being able to hire employees to help in disaster recovery efforts; playing a small part in a much larger mission that serves my community.

COMMUNITY:

Member of Louisiana chapter of International Women’s Forum, board member of The Safety Place, and member of workforce readiness committee for Greater Baton Rouge SHRM.

MOST VALUABLE LESSON LEARNED:

“It takes all kinds in this world and not everyone needs, or should, agree 100% of the time.”

PROFESSIONAL ‘AHA’ MOMENT:

“Do right by your employees. Meet them where they are and take care of them as best you can; it will pay off in large dividends in the future.”

CONGRATULATIONS

Tre Nelson

The Northwestern State family would like to congratulate Tré on being named one of Business Report’s 2022 Forty Under 40 Honorees!

We are inspired by the difference you make in our Louisiana communities each day and are so proud to call you an alum. We know this is only the beginning, so here’s to many more successes to come! And as always,

Fork ‘em, Demons!

is pleased to announce

firm’s

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Filing #: LA-22-14163 keoghcox.com

LOVED ONES DESERVE SERENITY

“My

BEN CAVIN   |  39 President and CEO, Landmark Bank

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Being named Young Businessperson of the Year by Zachary Chamber of Commerce.

• Graduating from three Louisiana universities: Northwestern State University, business administration degree; Southeastern Louisiana University, MBA; Graduate School of Banking at LSU.

• Becoming council member for the city of Zachary.

COMMUNITY:

Volunteers and fundraises for Zachary Rotary Club, Zachary Chamber of Commerce, Regional Arts Council of Zachary and the Leadership North Alumni Association.

LEARNING FROM A MENTOR:

“My predecessor at Landmark Bank took a chance on me and put me in a position to follow in his footsteps. I learned the importance of being direct and facing a problem head on. Also, the most valuable tool he gave me was the freedom and flexibility to make a mistake, but also the responsibility of correcting my mistakes and learning how to dig myself out of a hole.”

EM LEBLANC COOPER

|  37

Deputy Assistant Superintendent, Louisiana Department of Education

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Leading state’s recruitment and retention strategy for our educator workforce.

• Leading state initiatives in response to COVID-19 to support educators and students in recovery.

• Leading state school system planning process that required an academic strategy aligned to state priorities and funding.

COMMUNITY:

Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank board secretary; board of directors for Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, Action Youth and Community Resources, and Junior League of Baton Rouge.

CAREER DREAM AS A CHILD:

“Always, always a teacher.”

MENTOR AND LESSONS LEARNED:

“Catriona Anderson, one of the country’s leading math education experts, taught me practically everything I know about teaching. The most important thing she taught me was that every person is a math person; it is our responsibility as teachers to help them know that.”

DR. R. SCOTT DAUGHERTY JR.   |  39

Robotic Colon and Rectal Surgeon, Baton Rouge General Advanced Robotics Institute

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Co-founding the Baton Rouge General Advanced Robotics Institute in 2021.

• Developing a colon and rectal surgery department at Baton Rouge General.

• Being one of the first surgeons in the country to perform the robotic Kono-S anastomosis for Crohn’s disease.

COMMUNITY:

Coaches youth sports and participated in the ACS Real Men Wear Pink campaign in 2022.

PROFESSIONAL ‘AHA’ MOMENT:

“When I decided to train in robotic surgery. I was already a surgeon but wanted to add to my skillset. I now do the majority of my cases robotically and also train surgeons and residents in robotic surgery.”

MOST VALUABLE LESSON:

“Confidence is key. Patients don’t like to see a nervous surgeon.”

JEANNETTE DUBININ  |  39

Director of Resilience and Adaptation, Center for Planning Excellence

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Work leading to an executive order being signed in 2020 establishing a chief resilience officer in the governor’s office and resilience coordinators within state agencies.

• Creating an interactive educational game through thought leadership aimed at managing water in the rural, suburban and urban context within a watershed.

• Through community level research, providing recommendations that shaped the 2017 Coastal Master Plan’s flood risk and resilience effort.

COMMUNITY:

Vice president of the Bernard Terrace Civic Association, which aims to bring together residents for the evolution of our neighborhood. With financial assistance from the Neighborhood Challenge, we are working to further Bernard Terrace’s identity.

CAREER DREAM AS A CHILD: “Detective, solving crimes.”

DOUGLAS DUPONT

|  38

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Loan review professional at age 25.

• Market leader of a bank in Monroe at age 32.

• Market president for Bank of St. Francisville at age 36.

COMMUNITY:

Member of Baton Rouge Rotary; shares passion for golf through teaching clinics.

TOP CHALLENGE FACING BATON ROUGE:

“Recruiting and retaining young talent. Leaders in business should take a more active role in mentoring and having internship and fellowship programs.”

MOST VALUABLE CAREER LESSON: “Underpromise and overperform.”

MIKE EDWARDS  |  39

Director of Aviation, Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Youngest person and first millennial appointed to serve as director of aviation at BTR and youngest commercial service airport director in Louisiana upon appointment in 2018.

• Earning Louisiana Airport Managers and Associates President’s Award in 2021 for dedication, leadership and service to Louisiana aviation.

• Securing more than $100 million in federal and state funding for capital improvements at BTR since being appointed director of aviation.

COMMUNITY : Serves with numerous professional organizations and on boards, as well as Baton Rouge Area Chamber and Cub Scout volunteer.

PROFESSIONAL ‘AHA’ MOMENT:

“I’m a people pleaser so I’m still working on this one, but it was when I began to realize you don’t always have to please everyone all the time, because, quite frankly, you can’t.”

Baton Rouge Market President,  Bank of St. Francisville

ANDREW FITZGERALD   |  39

Senior Vice President of Business Intelligence, Baton Rouge Area Chamber

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Having real-time research regarding the scope and economic impact of the 2016 flood published in the Washington Post and New York Times

• Creating a weekly economic indicator dashboard at the outset of COVID-19 to identify the pandemic’s toll and related restrictions and later track the region’s economic recovery.

• Founding a stand-alone research team within the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, rebranded as Riverbend Research.

COMMUNITY:

Involved with EmployBR – Workforce Development Board for East Baton Rouge. Member of Leadership Baton Rouge 2019-2020 Class.

FIRST JOB AND LESSONS LEARNED:

“At 16, I got a seasonal job at Best Buy in the audio department. They had a loss-prevention department that not only tried to stop people from shoplifting, but did a lot of tracking of what got stolen, when, and other related information in order to try and stop future shoplifting attempts. It’s the first time I remember thinking about using data and patterns to solve real-world problems.”

DAVID FLESHMAN  |  36

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Serving as outside general counsel to the New Orleans Convention Center and representing Ascension Parish in a major wastewater system transaction.

• Receiving the Baton Rouge Bar Association’s Joseph Keogh Memorial Award in 2019 for outstanding service to the Baton Rouge community.

• Developing a growing sports law practice at Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, and having the opportunity to help clients navigate the name, image and likeness world.

COMMUNITY:

Currently serves on the board of trustees for The Dunham School and the LSU National L Club board of directors.

Previously served on the board and as chair for the Youth Oasis Children’s Shelter, which serves a crucial need in Baton Rouge.

MOST FULFILLING CAREER MOMENT:

“Teaching sports law at LSU Law School. I had no idea how much I would enjoy the engaging discussions with students in class and challenging them to think big about their future careers in law.”

LA

Partner, Breazeale, Sachse and Wilson

ERIKA GREEN   |  37

Family Court Judge, East Baton Rouge Parish, Division B

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Authoring the pink tax exemption ordinance as a Metro Council member, which removed taxes on feminine hygiene products and diapers.

• In my legal career, I felt most accomplished as a foster care provider for DCFS because I was able to conclude the forever home journey for many families.

• Hosting an urban book festival, IWE Festival, for three years at Southern University.

COMMUNITY:

Founder of a nonprofit, Imagination Leads, that promotes literary and cultural awareness in communities of color.

MOST VALUABLE LESSON LEARNED:

“My mother told me, ‘The same people that applaud you will also criticize you.’ It was a lesson in humility, especially during my political career.”

TOP CHALLENGE FACING BATON ROUGE:

“Baton Rouge’s inability to challenge young people. As a juvenile attorney, I learned that providing exposure, education and wrap-around services for families along with connecting them to God can address this issue.”

KOREY HARVEY   |  38

Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Shepherding the passage of legislation to significantly reform health insurance in Louisiana regarding the rights of patients to appeal denied claims as well as Louisiana’s first network adequacy law.

• Serving on multiple boards and commissions that significantly influence and reshape the state’s health insurance and health care industry.

• Being recognized as a trusted specialist in insurance regulatory law and policy.

COMMUNITY:

Member of Catholic High Men’s Club and serves as counsel to the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation.

MOST VALUABLE LESSON LEARNED:

“You don’t always have to be the eldest or most venerable person at the table to influence a decision. Speak directly with authority and with knowledge, which requires you do your homework. Always be prepared.”

JORDAN HEFLER

|  30

Photographer and Owner,  Jordan Hefler Photography

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Photographing major brands including Visit Baton Rouge, National Geographic, Interscope Records, Raising Cane’s, LSU Foundation, Walk-On’s, Ochsner, BREC, Refinery 29 and LL Cool J.

• Photographing Garth Brooks concert in Tiger Stadium for 225 magazine

• Rising Star Award from AAF-BR in 2021.

COMMUNITY:

Membership chair for AAF-BR board of directors; uses graphic design, photography and public speaking skills to promote community events and organizations.

PROFESSIONAL ‘AHA’ MOMENT:

“After attending a conference in 2016, ‘Do what you want’ has become my tagline. As a creative, comparing yourself to what everyone else is doing is just a distraction to your success.”

PROFESSIONAL INSPIRATION:

“I am inspired by solopreneurs who have carved a path out for themselves by simply being authentic and passionate about what they do.”

JUSTIN HUTCHINSON

|  25

Director of Business Development, ThreeSixtyEight

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Being nominated as 2020 ADCOLOR Rising Star.

• Being part of 2021

Barton Leadership Cohort.

• Being named one of Adweek’s Fastest Growing Agencies for 2020, 2021.

COMMUNITY:

Serves on the board for Big Buddy of Baton Rouge and on the advisory board for Power Pump Girls.

TOP CHALLENGE FACING BATON ROUGE:

“Baton Rouge is lacking a unifying brand that folks can rally behind. Baton Rouge is not currently branded as a destination—it’s more of a melting pot between New Orleans and Lafayette, which leads folks to believe that we have no identity and culture outside of LSU. I’d love to have the opportunity to brand Baton Rouge in a manner that’s inclusive of all perspectives and walks of life, in a manner that we all can champion and push forward.”

FIRST JOB AND LESSONS LEARNED:

“My first job was at Chick-Fil-A on College Drive when I was 16. This job taught me the importance of customer service and second-mile service.”

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DR. BYRON JASPER   |  38

Owner and CEO, Byja Clinic; Founder and National President, Comprehensive Medical Mentoring Program; Founder and Owner, The Jasper Index

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Opening Louisiana’s first Blackowned direct primary care practice.

• Recently receiving a grant totaling $1.4 million from the Louisiana Department of Health.

• Successfully collecting and distributing 500 bookbags full of school supplies and 200 hot meals to students in need who were severely affected by Hurricane Ida.

COMMUNITY:

Founder and national president of Comprehensive Medical Mentoring Program, a nonprofit organization, and member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.

LEARNING FROM A MENTOR:

“I have many and learn different things from each of them. One important lesson has been to persevere and remember that even when you fail at a task there is something that I can learn from that failure and use it to get better overall.

It’s all about perspective.”

THERESA JONES   |  39

Founder and Principal, Theresa B. Jones Consulting

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Launching independent human resources solo consultancy in 2015 and achieving growth year over year.

• Obtaining Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional designation in 2015.

• Serving as board president (2019 and 2020) of Greater Baton Rouge Society for Human Resource Management.

COMMUNITY:

Greater Baton Rouge Society for Human Resource Management board member, Baton Rouge Alliance for Students’ CHANGEMAKERS Program –

2021-2022 Cohort, Alliance Safety Council board member, 2018 graduate of Baton Rouge Area Chamber’s Leadership Baton Rouge.

PROFESSIONAL ‘AHA’ MOMENT:

“Realizing I didn’t have to work in a traditional role. Consulting was never a work style I considered pursuing, but it has given me the freedom to do the work that I am most passionate about.”

MIKE JUNEAU   |  38

President/Co-owner, Premier Geotech and Testing

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Receiving Louisiana State Outreach Award from American Society of Civil Engineers.

• Receiving my license as a professional engineer.

• Starting a professional engineering firm.

COMMUNITY:

Passionate about providing disaster relief. When a hurricane hits or a flood destroys a community, I like to organize relief efforts and provide manual labor to help those people.

ADVICE FOR FUTURE FORTY UNDER 40 HONOREES:

“Find the right crowd of people and ask them questions. If you ever want to start your own business, make sure your spouse is completely on board and ready to support you because it will take some time to get the machine rolling. Lastly, get involved with the community so you can help those in need.”

MANDY BELANGER

LACERTE | 36

Executive Director for School Leadership, East Baton Rouge Parish School System

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Being named Teacher of the Year at Scotlandville High School.

• Earning my Ph.D.

• Establishing a statewide early college program.

COMMUNITY:

Involved with Pancreatic Cancer Action Network – Louisiana Affiliate, Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank board member, St. Jude School advisory council member and BRYC volunteer.

PROFESSIONAL INSPIRATION:

“Ensuring educational equity exists for all students regardless of race, gender or socioeconomic status.”

MOST FULFILLING CAREER MOMENT:

“My first graduation as a high school principal. I was so proud of the students and their accomplishment.”

TYLER LANE

|  32

Vice president, Gerry Lane Enterprises

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Helping lead a team that has broken every record in the history of Gerry Lane Enterprises.

• Starting my tenure as an owning partner and dealer at age 31.

• With the help of others, proving that transparency and honesty will take you much further than traditional car sales tactics.

COMMUNITY:

Serves as a Rotarian and Freemason. Community involvement through Gerry Lane includes partnering with the YMCA, Angola Rodeo and prison enterprises, BR Food Bank, Clear the Shelters, 225 Gives, multiple work release programs and Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center.

MAKING BATON ROUGE MORE ATTRACTIVE TO YOUNG PROFESSIONALS:

“We must embrace change and openmindedness. Positive solutions often get drowned out by those fearful of change. Young professionals crave innovation and progression.”

MOST VALUABLE LESSON LEARNED:

“A good deal benefits both sides.”

ALEXANDRA LAYFIELD  |  39

Partner, Corporate & Securities Team Leader, Jones Walker

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Representing a Louisiana-based public company client in its inaugural private offering of $900 million aggregate principal amount of sustainability-linked senior notes. It was the second domestic company to issue sustainability-linked bonds. The interest is tied to attaining targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions

• Representing a public offshore drilling company in connection with raising $1.5 billion to finance emergence from Chapter 11 ($1 billion first and second lien notes; $500 million equity rights offering and private placement).

• Representing a Louisiana-based mutual insurer in its demutualization—the firstever demutualization in Louisiana—and sale to a private equity firm.

COMMUNITY:

Louisiana Art & Science Museum, Hogs for the Cause, Knock Knock Children’s Museum and Junior League of Baton Rouge.

PROFESSIONAL ‘AHA’ MOMENT:

“When I realized that no matter how much you study and prepare you cannot replace the learning you get by doing/ executing a project.”

LOCAL

CODY LOUVIERE   |  38 CEO, King Crow Studios

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Having a company that has lasted more than seven years.

• Being awarded our first $1 million SBIR contract with USAF.

• Being awarded the first phase three DoD USAF contract for digital media in Louisiana for $6.5 million.

COMMUNITY:

Working with different organizations as a speaker and mentor for entrepreneurs, tech startups and SBIR-awarded companies, and giving back through Nexus Louisiana Technology Park opportunities to help guide the next generation of leaders.

PROFESSIONAL ‘AHA’ MOMENT:

“Seeing how a training software idea I made a prototype for was able to be used by the U.S. Air Force. I knew that what we do as video game developers and how we do it can change the world.”

FIRST JOB AND LESSONS LEARNED:

“Data entry for an entire phone book when I was 16. My typing speed at the time was 161 words per minute and I learned that if you practice and get good at a skill, opportunity will find you if you look for it.”

ERIC MARSHALL   |  38 Executive Director, Baton Rouge Symphony

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Navigating a pandemic while keeping BRSO musicians working and the community engaged.

• Partnering with the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge and moving BRSO offices to the Cary Saurage Community Arts Center.

• Creating a candlelight concert series pairing contemporary pops artists with classical composers, bringing in a completely new audience to the symphony.

COMMUNITY:

Serves on Shaw Center for the Arts board and EBRPSS Arts Conservatory advisory committee.

BEST THING ABOUT BATON ROUGE:

“The people—from the first day I moved here everyone has been incredibly supportive and kind.”

CAREER DREAM AS A CHILD:

“Everything from a basketball player to jazz musician to Broadway star.”

ALLIE MCALPIN   |  39 VP of Marketing Services & Communications, Lamar Advertising Company

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Helping to open LUSH Cosmetics’ first PR office in North America and generating major national press for the brand.

• Developing Lamar’s email marketing strategy and enabling a marketing automation tool, which generated over $2 million in revenue in 2021 and has influenced over $30 million in sales activity this year.

• Launching a new corporate website and 175-plus local websites for Lamar offices in 2013.

COMMUNITY:

Currently serves on the BRAF Civic Leadership Initiatives Committee, is a member of the American Advertising Federation of Baton Rouge and a former board member of the Friends of St. Jude in New York City. Also served as a Great Futures Gala honoree fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club of Baton Rouge and served on the planning committee for the Great Futures Gala the following year.

CAREER DREAM AS A CHILD:

“An Olympic figure skater.”

NICK MILLER  |  33 President, BUILD Commercial Construction

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Starting BUILD in the height of a pandemic and experiencing immediate and consistent growth.

• Managing construction of EBR Career and Technical Education Center, which received an AIA Silver Rose Award.

• Redeveloping McGrath Heights subdivision in Mid City, resulting in a 700 percent increase in property values in the eight-square-block area in less than two years.

COMMUNITY:

Involved in committee that organizes the Alzheimer’s Services of the Capital Area Walk to Remember.

ADVICE FOR FUTURE FORTY UNDER 40 HONOREES:

“Since starting BUILD, I am consistently rewarded for tough decisions I have made throughout my professional career. Clients, designers and subcontractors continue to reach out because of being treated fairly on previous projects. Often the right answer to a problem is not the most profitable answer, but if you focus on doing things the right way, people will gravitate toward your organization.”

BRAD MIRE   |  38

President, Rotolo’s Pizza; Co-owner, Southfin Southern Poke and Hive Pizza

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Owning and operating four restaurants.

• Leading 30-plus restaurants through COVID-19 and all its challenges.

• Expanding the Rotolo’s brand into two new states this year and another new state next year.

COMMUNITY:

Donated time, funds and food to many area groups through the restaurants and personally, including partnerships with Bella Bowman, Heritage Ranch, Bike MS and Honor Flight Louisiana. Raised more than $12,000 for Honor Flight this year through fundraising at the restaurants.

FIRST JOB AND LESSONS LEARNED:

“Working in the milk vault at Borden’s in Lafayette. I loaded 18-wheelers with crates filled with gallons of milk. I would go to work in three layers of clothing, ski cap and winter gloves in the middle of the Louisiana summer heat. It was not easy, but it was enjoyable because of the people I was working with. I learned then that culture matters above all else, and any job can be made enjoyable if you are surrounded by the right people.”

OTHA CURTIS “TRE” NELSON III  |  26

Director of Economic Development and Community Initiatives, Ochsner Health

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Providing administrative leadership with the opening and day-to-day operation of Mid City acute care hospital for COVID-19 patients during the pandemic.

• Developing a business and community outreach strategy for opening a $30 million, 42,500-square-foot neighborhood medical facility and a $25 million primary and specialty care clinic, both in Ascension Parish.

• Being appointed to the Northwestern State University Foundation board of directors.

COMMUNITY:

Currently part of Leadership Baton Rouge cohort, 100 Black Men of Baton Rouge, NSU Foundation board of directors, RPCC Foundation board of directors, Baton Rouge Ochsner Discovery Charter School board of directors, East Ascension Rotary, and Forum 225.

ADVICE FOR FUTURE FORTY UNDER 40 HONOREES:

“Believe in yourself. At the end of the day, you are the only one who can get yourself out of bed in the morning.”

Jefferson

Rouge, LA 70809

COMING SOON

ELLEN

PINO

36

Avant Tous Beauty and Medical Spa

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Being chosen for “Women Making an Impact” feature in Baton Rouge publication in March 2022.

• Baton Rouge Leadership Academy alumnus.

• Forty under 40 honoree.

COMMUNITY:

Involved in several events and fundraisers for cystic fibrosis and the American Cancer Society.

CAREER DREAM AS A CHILD:

“An attorney—my parents said I was so stubborn and driven, what else could I be? Business owner … ha!”

PROFESSIONAL ‘AHA’ MOMENT:

“While doing makeup on a client, the lady just started crying. She said she felt so beautiful and special that she was getting her makeup professionally done. It had been years since she did something like that for herself and she’d forgotten what it felt like to feel glamorous and beautiful. That moment confirmed my WHY! Why am I in the beauty and medical aesthetic industry? Because we, as women, sometimes lose a spark and through the spa, we have the incredible opportunity to help people find it again.”

KATIE PATTON PRYOR

Executive Director, Baton Rouge Film Commission

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Being invited to teach at my alma mater, LSU.

• Co-founding a nonprofit.

• Above all, building an incredible network of inspiring people.

COMMUNITY:

LFEA board member, Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission board member, AFCI member, WIFT member, Film USA co-founder.

FIRST JOB AND LESSONS LEARNED:

“Funnily enough, my first paycheck was from a Disney feature film that took over my neighborhood and cast me as an extra when I was 10. It quickly taught me how much I liked this industry.”

MOST VALUABLE LESSON LEARNED:

“Time is your greatest resource, and it is nonrenewable. Be careful how you spend it.”

CONGRATULATIONS, ALLIE McALPIN

LAURA ROLAND | 35

Owner, Fireside Antiques; Owner and Licensed Interior Designer, Laura Roland Interiors

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Taking over ownership of Fireside Antiques.

• Opening interior design firm.

• Selling hand-selected and restored antiques to well-respected interior design firms both nationally and locally.

COMMUNITY:

Model and bra designer for Woman’s Hospital Bust Breast Cancer Fundraiser for five years; contributor to local mental health program The Maples.

MOST FULFILLING CAREER MOMENT:

“Trust from my mom to carry on the business that she and my grandmother started together 40 years ago.”

BEST THING ABOUT BATON ROUGE:

“Baton Rouge is the perfect balance between New Orleans and St. Francisville. With its big-little town vibe, I’m able to focus on business and established relationships. I can head down to New Orleans to hang out in the most electric city in the world or head north to St. Francisville to play in the country.”

SARAH RUTH ROLAND   |  33

Owner and Farmer, Bayou Sarah Farms

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Obtaining my permaculture design certification in 2017.

• Designing and planting an organic permaculture orchard with 450-plus trees and shrubs in 2018.

• Starting Louisiana’s first water buffalo dairy in 2021.

MOST FULFILLING CAREER MOMENT:

“When David Asher, author of The Art of Natural Cheesemaking, told me that he had never seen milk of better quality than the milk he made cheese with from my herd. Quality of milk is dependent on the health of the animals, which is determined by the quality of the forages they eat, which is determined by the quality of the soil. Being that whole system health is the goal in regenerative farming, this was quite affirming.”

MENTOR AND LESSONS LEARNED:

“Jose Miranda of Rocking TT Bar Ranch. I have learned much of what I know about raising water buffalo from this man. Through his teachings, I have also learned much about patience. I have learned that, like all of us, water buffalo have ‘off’ days and simply don’t want to be milked; let them be.”

Going Above and Beyond in Louisiana.

Jones Walker LLP proudly salutes our partner Alexandra Layfield on being honored as one of Baton Rouge Business Report’s “40 Under 40.” Congratulations to Alex and all of the honorees for their achievements and contributions across the Baton Rouge region.

Brandon Kelly Black Office Head

United

DAVID SLAUGHTER  | 37

CEO and Co-founder,  Orion Laboratories

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Growing our company over the past four years into the largest independent clinical laboratory in Louisiana with 119 employees.

• Starting renovations on new 32,000-square-foot headquarters in Baton Rouge.

• Developing software platform now used for the majority of COVID-19 testing in Louisiana and collaborating with LA Wallet to deliver verifiable test results to patients.

COMMUNITY:

During the height of the pandemic, we operated public testing sites in Baton Rouge and Lafayette. We also sponsor two full college scholarships for students at EBR public schools and the “Best Dressed Ball” for the American Cancer Society.

MOST FULFILLING CAREER MOMENT:

“Sharing success with our team, especially those individuals that have been with us from the beginning. Many of our staff left stable, highpaying jobs at reputable health care institutions to work with us, so nothing is better than rewarding them for believing in our vision.”

RICHARD SPEARS  |  36

Realtor and Owner, Prime Properties Group at Keller Williams First Choice

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Launching Prime Properties real estate sales team in 2019 and becoming top real estate team at Keller Williams First Choice in 2020.

• Being named Forty under 40 honoree by Baton Rouge Real Producers magazine in 2021.

• Being named Realtor of the Year by Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors in 2021.

COMMUNITY:

100 Black Men of Metro Baton Rouge mentor through BR Dollars & Sense program and Project Excel.

MOST FULFILLING CAREER MOMENT:

“Helping an elderly couple that had never owned a home and did not think they could buy a home at their age accomplish their goal of home ownership.”

ADVICE FOR FUTURE FORTY UNDER 40 HONOREES: “Ego is the enemy, and relationships will always take you further than money.”

JACQUISE TERRY

|  32

Campus Pastor, Healing Place Church Dream Center

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Reaching the professional level in two sports—as an undrafted football player with the NFL’s Detroit Lions in 2012 and playing for the San Diego Kings in the American Basketball Association in 2017.

• Becoming a certified air traffic controller in the Federal Aviation Administration.

• Having the opportunity, honor and privilege to diligently serve the 70805 and 70802 community with my amazing team at the Dream Center.

COMMUNITY:

Involved in HPC Dream Center Family M.A.T.T.E.R.S. community event, Leadership Sports Academy, board member for Empower 225, volunteer for Providence Road and mentor for many young adults.

ADVICE FOR FUTURE FORTY UNDER 40 HONOREES:

“To not chase success, but to strive to make yourself a person of value. When you become valuable to others, then success will chase you down.”

THOMAS TYLER  |  36 Deputy Director, ConnectLA

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Assisting with creation of Louisiana’s first broadband office and establishing it as a thought leader in the country surrounding our broadband access, affordability and digital inclusion problems.

• Working closely with federal, state and local stakeholders to execute plans to close the digital divide and secure over $250 million to date in new investment in our state.

• Being a nationally recognized speaker fluent in a variety of topics surrounding cybersecurity, climate resiliency and digital inclusion.

COMMUNITY:

Involved with Sunrise Rotary Club of Baton Rouge. While not as large and well known as the Baton Rouge Rotary Club, its members are encouraging professionals that foster the Rotary ideal of service above self.

FIRST JOB AND LESSONS LEARNED:

“At 14, I helped a friend of a friend hang wallpaper for a local hotel. While respectful and meticulous work, I learned that I did not want to hang wallpaper as my career.”

RAINA VALLOT   |  29

Co-founder and COO, Power Pump Girls Inc. and Nura Co.

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Launching a period equity initiative, secured, that has distributed more than 80,000 free menstrual products to women and girls in Louisiana.

• Power Pump Girls Inc. being recognized nationally through grant programs and initiatives such as iFundWomen of Color, P&G and Walmart.

• Planning and coordinating several largescale community events for clients such as Ochsner Health, Pelican State Credit Union, city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus and Lamar Advertising.

COMMUNITY:

2021 She Leads Fellow for Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, 20192020 Changemaker for Baton Rouge Alliance for Students, 2018 Big Buddy Workforce Development mentor.

MOST VALUABLE LESSON LEARNED:

“Proper preparation prevents poor performance. My dad instilled this motto in me and my siblings from a really young age, but as I get older the truth of the phrase becomes more and more evident. While I can’t plan for everything, being prepared saves me from stressing in the moment.”

JACOB ZUMO   |  33

Artist/Creative Director/Gallery Owner, JZumo Gallery

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Opening a gallery in my hometown.

• Live painting at the MTV Video Music Awards and Super Bowlaffiliated events and celebrity commissions/collaborations with BB King, Floyd Mayweather, Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne, Drake, and Barack Obama among others.

• Collaborating with OnStar USA Gives Back Mural Project.

COMMUNITY:

Supporter of the Catholic Church through Catholic Community Radio, Missionary of Charity Sisters Soup Kitchen, St Michael High School, Louisiana Right to Life and others.

Father Jeff Bayhi of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church is a close friend and role model/mentor in community outreach. His Metanoia Manor home is a safe refuge for girls rescued from human trafficking.

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS: “Storytelling through a brush for some of the largest companies in the world so they can connect with their employees, consumers and the world.”

TEAM continues to grow

Taylor Porter celebrates our ongoing growth in Louisiana with the introduction of our newest attorneys.

Allie J. Amedee Associate Yadira Crespo-Orosco Associate

Matthew Bond Pettaway Special Counsel

Shelby G. LaPlante Associate

Peyton T. Gascon Associate

Cameron A. Murray Associate

CONGRATULATIONS

BEN CAVIN

on being named one of Business Report’s Forty Under 40 honorees.

Ben Cavin, President and CEO

Landmark Bank celebrates 125 years in business and the contributions that Ben has made along the way to ensure our mission of service to our families and communities shows through our work. While the world is getting bigger, our focus will continue to be on the individual, and treating every customer interaction as the most important one of the day. We are so proud of your leadership both through your work and in our community!

www.landmarkbankla.com

Clinton – (225) 683-3371

| Greensburg – (225) 222-6275

Zachary – Church Street – (225) 286-5615

| Zachary – Plank Road – (225) 654-5607

even when others doubt you and your greatness. Don’t let anyone talk you

What ADVICE would you give to your 18-year-old self?

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“My parents were correct: ‘The fear of missing out “Appreciate the time

Where you’re most likely to spot a Forty Under 40 winner having lunch

feel like I’m making contributing toward the greater good, then

How do you define SUCCESS?

people achieve their professional and/ or personal goals, knowing that you gave them the tools and mentorship to

The Overpass Merchant Superior Grill at Highland Road BLDG 5 Market Bin 77 Bistro Sushi Yama Mid City Beer Garden

“Success is never giving up, defying the odds and staying positive through

“Being financially and spiritually comfortable, while being surrounded by those I love and who love me.”

“I believe everyone has a God-given talent. Success is being able to use that talent or passion to create a life by design, not by default.”

Where to find a Forty Under 40 winner unwinding after work

“Setting smaller achievable goals and working your way up to accomplishing the big audacious goal you never thought you could achieve.”

Thank You for making this year’s Mediathon a success!

SPONSORED BY:

What would make Baton Rouge more ATTRACTIVE to young professionals?

“Less crime and traffic. It’s as simple as that.”

—MIKE JUNEAU

“Diversify the economy so it isn’t so heavily dependent on government and natural resources.”

—KOREY HARVEY

“Make the city more walkable.”

—ALEXANDRA LAYFIELD

“A positive publicity campaign, and I would love to see a high-speed train.”

—ALLIE McALPIN

“A clear identity, a booming downtown and more entertainment options.”

—RAINA VALLOT

the BEST THING about Baton Rouge?

“I chose to stay in Baton Rouge after college because it felt like home. It’s the perfect big little town that allows for people with ambition to be successful.”

—RAINA VALLOT

“We have the most fun people in the

how to have a

a great

especially

—ELLEN PINO

“I love the warmness of our culture, the taste of our food and all the amazing people motivated to make our community a better place.”

—TYLER LANE

“Southern hospitality and great places to eat.”

—ERIN ALVAREZ

“When people from out of town visit, they’re genuinely impressed by the affordability of good housing and the great emerging restaurant scene.”

—ANDREW FITZGERALD

REAL ESTATE

A seismic shift

The days of cheap money and a frenzied post-pandemic real estate market are over as the cooling residential sector swings toward buyers—if they can afford the mortgage.

CHEAP MONEY WAS fueling the nation’s economy before the pan demic. But over the past year, the Federal Reserve has been aggres sively raising interest rates in a sofar futile attempt to tame soaring inflation.

Critics say the Fed is unneces sarily pushing the economy to ward recession. Economist Loren Scott has predicted a shallow na tional recession next year, though he expects the Capital Region will continue adding jobs over the next two years.

One thing we can say for sure is that the central bank’s rate hikes are making it more expensive to borrow money to buy real estate. The average 30-year fixed mort gage rate inched above 7% in late-October, more than double what it was at the beginning of the year.

That’s obviously having a ripple effect on the Baton Rouge area’s real estate markets, though tight supply, the rising cost of insur ance and high inflation also have been putting upward pressure on prices.

The interest rate impact so far is perhaps not as dramatic as one might expect; time will tell if that continues to be the case.

RESIDENTIAL

RETRENCHMENT

Capital Region home sales were down almost 17% in September compared to the same month last year, the seventh month in a row sales were down year over year, while pending sales were down almost 22%.

Given the rising rates, it’s not surprising that many people who might otherwise be in the mar ket are holding off, says Carolyn Webber, president of the Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors. But she questions the wisdom of waiting, since the Fed’s

anti-inflation aggression suggests rates are likely to keep climbing for the foreseeable future.

Webber, who is with the RE/ MAX Real Estate Group, says homes that are priced right still are moving, noting recent success closing deals in the $300,000 to $500,000 range, though the higher end of the market is softening.

Housing supply remains relatively tight, as the market arguably has been underbuilt for years.

“If I had a crystal ball, I think right now is the best time to sell because we don’t know what [fu ture] interest rates are going to be,” Webber says.

Homeownership remains out of reach for the average American worker, thanks to rising rates fol lowing years of soaring prices, according to real estate data firm

THE SKINNY

BY DAVID JACOBS

The Baton Rouge residential market is being stymied by:

• Escalating mortgage rates, which have more than doubled this year.

• Tight inventory supply.

• Rising insurance costs, especially for homes in the floodplain.

• Rising inflation, which makes everything more expensive.

• As for the high-end market, that, too, is showing signs of cooling after a hot 2021.

A COMMERCIAL BRIGHT SPOT

Though slower, the cooling of the commercial market has not been as chilling as initially feared; that’s because:

• Commercial rates never dipped as low as residential, so the current uptick isn’t as dramatic.

• There is higher-than-usual interest from out-of-market investors.

ATTOM. The firm calculates af fordability by comparing the cost of major homeownership ex penses on a median-priced sin gle-family home—assuming a 20% down payment and a 28% maximum “front-end” debt-toincome ratio—to average wage data.

However, ATTOM also reports the Capital Region’s housing market has been shifting slightly in buyers’ favor. The firm’s “af fordability index” was up 6% in Ascension Parish during the third quarter of the year com pared to the second, while rising 4% in East Baton Rouge and 2%

LEADERSHIP

ADAM MORGAN President

ADRIENNE WOOD Attorney Kean Miller

ANDY MCGINTY General Manager Embassy Suites

ANGELA MARTELLO Owner Journey

Insight,

ANGELA POIRRIER Owner

Renovation

ANNA JOHNSON Executive Director

Chamber

Commerce

ANTHONY

BRANDY PATRICK Loan Operations Manager

Bank

CORY LANDRY Business Banking Development Officer First Horizon Bank

COULTER MCMAHEN Attorney Taylor, Porter, Brooks & Phillips

DANIELLE ESPINAL Dir. of Clinical Operations Ochsner

DANIELLE MITCHELL Executive Strategy Officer Louisiana Department of Education

GEORGIA DUDLEY Supervisor of HR West Feliciana Parish Schools

HAZEL REGIS-BUCKELS Principal Kenilworth Science and Technology Charter School

JENNIFER ALVAREZ 225 Editor Melara Enterprises

JENNIFER DUCRE Operations Manager AWC

JONATHAN KASTANOS Market Development Doyle Electric, Inc.

JUSTIN FORTENBERRY Director Vantage Contractors

KEVIN DORHAUER Superintendent Wesley Construction

LESLIE RICARD CHAMBERS Chief Administrative Officer Office of the Mayor

MARJORIE TORRES Project Manager Hunt, Guillot & Associates

MARY KATHERINE LEACH Manager, Business Development Legion Claims

MEAGAN FAULK Agency Owner State Farm

MEGAN

MELLIE

NA’TISHA NATT

PAULA BROOKS

PEARCE CINMAN Director, Business Administration Program FRAN U

ROBERT STUART III Senior Vice President Hancock Whitney

SETH HATSFELT Chief Operations Officer GBR Food Bank

WESLEY RANDALL Manager, Accounting Capitol City Produce

in Livingston, though it was still down by double digits in each market compared to the same time last year.

“The only times you get homes going above list price is when there’s a bidding war, and those used to not be a regular occur rence,” says Daryl Fairweather, Redfin’s chief economist, about recent data showing buyers na tionwide gaining a bit more lever age. “And we’re back to a place where bidding wars are unusual, not the norm.”

Jessica Antilley with Latter & Blum in Baton Rouge agrees that the local high-end housing mar ket is softening, which she de scribes as a correction following a very strong year last year.

“Our market is very strong,” she says. “It’s adjusting, as everything does.”

Rick Bond, who both builds and lists high-end homes in Baton Rouge, has noticed a slow down of large lot sales.

“These lot prices just kept go ing up and up and up, and would sell for extremely high prices that would require you to build an ex tremely expensive house on them to justify them,” Bond says. “That has slowed significantly, which I would say is an indicator [the high-end] market is slowing.”

RAPIDLY RISING RATES

As of Oct. 26, the average 30-year-mortgage rate has escalated more than 122% since the beginning of the year.

OUTSIDERS BOOST COMMERCIAL

During the summer, agents pre dicted rising rates would cool off the hot commercial real estate sector. Those fears have been re alized to some degree, but not nearly to the extent that many were expecting, at least not yet.

“We have observed a moder ate slowdown, but not anything to the magnitude that you would expect with interest rates having

risen as materially as they have,” says Wesley Moore, a commercial real estate appraiser, market ana lyst and broker.

Year to date, East Baton Rouge Parish has seen its most active market in eight years, with $952.7 million in commercial real es tate sales completed through September, Elifin Realty reports. While it’s “not a completely sun shine-and-roses picture,” de mand remains strong across

commercial real estate sectors, particularly apartments, Elifin’s George Bonvillain says.

Commercial rates never got as low as on the residential side, so the recent increases have been less dramatic. Most commercial buyers are paying around 5% or 6%, compared to about 4% or 4.5% before the Fed started hik ing rates, Moore says.

A major factor propping up the local market, agents and brokers

Source: Freddie Mac/Mortgage Bankers Association

“If I had a crystal ball, I think right now is the best time to sell because we don’t know what [future] interest rates are going to be.”

CAROLYN WEBBER, president, Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors

say, is a much higher level of in terest than usual from out-ofmarket investors. Moore says investors have plenty of cash, and they’re looking for somewhere to put it other than the shaky stock and bond markets.

Apartments typically are attrac tive investments, since people need a place to live in good times and bad. And unlike potential homebuyers who generally have the luxury to wait if they don’t like the looks of the market, business realities may compel a commer cial buyer to pull the trigger even if rates aren’t what they’d prefer.

To the extent that higher rates are slowing commercial activity, deals in which the owner plans to occupy the building tend to be more sensitive than investments, Bonvillain adds.

REFINANCING CRATERS

Refinancing had been keep ing lenders busy for a couple of years. Tee Brown, CEO of GMFS Mortgage, says about 65% of his business last year was on the refi nancing side.

NOBODY

INDUSTRY

But by this summer, that pro portion had dipped to 20%, though GMFS was actually do ing more purchase loans that it had been. The refinance business had “all but disappeared,” in the words of Nick Terito, a loan officer with Area Home Lending in Baton Rouge.

And by the fall, demand for home purchase loans was weak ening as well. The number of mortgage applications decreased nationwide during the first full week of October for the eighth time in nine weeks, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Brown believes overall infla tion may be a bigger factor dis suading people from buying than mortgage rates. He sees a shift to a more “traditional” market, with fewer all-cash offers, more time spent on the market and more negotiation between buyers and sellers.

“I don’t think we’re seeing mul tiple offers above asking price as regularly as we saw in the first part of the year,” he says. “I think it’s beginning to shift from a sell ers’ market more to a buyers’ mar ket.”

PATTON PRYOR

“We have observed a moderate slowdown, but not anything to the magnitude that you would expect with interest rates having risen as materially as they have.”

WESLEY MOORE, commercial real estate appraiser, market analyst and broker, Cook, Moore, Davenport and Associates

Doubling down

Few argue that Baton Rouge is a three-casino market but CQ Holdings is betting that upgrading and moving its two downtown casinos inland will improve the odds.

L’AUBERGE CASINO & Hotel has dom inated the Baton Rouge gaming market for a decade, overshadowing the two downtown properties that were part of the first wave of Louisiana casinos during the 1990s.

The Belle of Baton Rouge and Casino

Rouge (now Hollywood Casino) gave downtown a spark following the 1980s demise of the Catfish Town festival mar ketplace. But today, the downtown boats can’t help but seem small, dingy and tired compared to their flashy neighbor on the other side of town.

BY DAVID JACOBS

Now the downtown casinos have a new owner with a proven (though short) track record of turning around strug gling properties. And every Louisiana riverboat casino has new tools to com pete for dollars, including newly legal ized sports betting and the chance to

better focus on the customer ex perience by dropping the “river boat” façade.

The Belle and Hollywood both are in the process of moving in land, with upgrades said to be worth about $35 million and $80 million, respectively. While Hollywood may be CQ Holdings’ Baton Rouge flagship, the Belle, at least at first, is intended to be more of a “boutique” casino with room to grow if it does well enough.

“Baton Rouge might be, at this point, more of a two-and-a-half

THE NEW KID

In 2008, as East Baton Rouge voters mulled over Pinnacle Entertainment’s pitch to build the parish’s third casino, many won dered whether the local market could support more than two. Economist Loren Scott pre dicted Pinnacle’s proposed $250 million casino would be the death knell for one of the two existing properties. Pinnacle

Entertainment President Wade Hundley, however, argued that Hollywood and the Belle would continue to profit, though per haps not as much, and they might have to invest more in their neglected properties to compete.

But 10 years after L’Auberge, now owned by Penn National Gaming, opened in south Baton Rouge, the two downtown boats are still cruising along—meta phorically, that is, as Louisiana’s casino “boats” haven’t been asked to cruise anywhere since 2001.

While a paddlewheel casino

rolling down the river must have seemed romantic when former Gov. Buddy Roemer signed the original legislation, the operators made more money at the dock and used any excuse to stay there. State lawmakers in 2018 gave owners permission to take the next logical step and move up to 1,200 feet inland from their adja cent waterways.

Permanently docked at a river isn’t the safest place to be in south Louisiana, and landside ca sinos are easier for customers to get to. Not having to worry about

property gaming market,” President and CEO Terry Downey says.

NEW AND IMPROVED: Plans for what is currently the Belle of Baton Rouge include renovating the property’s hotel, along with adding two bowling lanes, an oyster bar and bistro, an event space and a sportsbook.

maintaining a boat frees up re sources to upgrade facilities and expand offerings, which is im portant because the industry in recent years has seen more reve nue growth from ancillary ameni ties than from the betting itself.

Louisiana has 15 licenses for water-adjacent casinos, and the owners of every one are discuss ing moving inland if they hav en’t announced a move already, says Ronnie Johns, the former state legislator who chairs the Louisiana Gaming Control Board. It’s likely not a question of “if,” but a matter of “when.”

“They know it’s their future,” says Johns, who authored the law that allows the moves. “If they want to compete, if they want to stay in the market, they’ve got to improve their properties.”

Sports betting is the newest amenity Louisiana casinos can offer their patrons. As would be expected, L’Auberge was first out of the gate in the Baton Rouge market, and the first to open a permanent sportsbook in part nership with Barstool Sports.

Johns says sports betting rev enue has exceeded his expecta tions, with about $1.4 billion in wagers statewide through August. Football season will be the real test of how high those numbers can go.

TURNING THE SHIP

Standard General, a New York City hedge fund, launched CQ Holdings because it saw a chance to revitalize the struggling Casino Queen in East St. Louis, Illinois, and another Casino Queen prop erty in Marquette, Iowa. Success in the Midwest spurred CQ to look for other properties, which led to Baton Rouge, Downey says.

“We’re turnaround guys, but we like long-term value,” he says. “It’s got to be a great concept and a great operation, and that’s what we’re planning.”

Hollywood is doing fine, Downey says. But the Belle has been the lowest-producing casino in the state for years.

Hollywood’s new facility, which CQ expects to open next year, will increase its footprint to 100,000 square feet. Plans include a DraftKings Sportsbook (CQ’s sec ond partnership with DraftKings), Shaquille O’Neal’s Big Chicken

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restaurant, a coffee shop and a noodle restaurant.

CQ plans to reopen the Belle’s hotel, partially at first, renovat ing about 90 of the closed prop erty’s nearly 300 rooms. Plans for the new property include two bowling lanes, an oyster bar and bistro, an event space and a sportsbook. An outdoor terrace cafe will be accessible to hotel patrons without entering the ca sino space.

The Belle upgrades will allow for 200 additional jobs, officials say. Construction is set to begin in spring, with opening about a year later.

Both properties will get new names. Downey sees them as complementary, and plans to establish a customer rewards program that includes both. The same company might own a dozen properties in the same area in Las Vegas where Downey built his career, so he doesn’t see the Baton Rouge situation as unusual.

Hollywood has an arrange ment with Viking Cruises that

ROOM TO GROW: Hollywood Casino’s new inland facility, expected to open next year, will increase its footprint to 100,000 square feet.

COLLIN RICHIE

THE HOUSE TAKES A LOSS

is expected to bring more tourists downtown, and the Belle is ex ploring a similar partnership with American Cruise Lines. The pros pect of more cruise ships, and the plans to reopen the hotel near the Raising Cane’s River Center, are ex citing for Jill Kidder, the new presi dent and CEO of Visit Baton Rouge.

“As many [rooms] as we can get close to the convention center is al ways a good thing,” she says.

Cruise ship passengers tend to have plenty of disposable income to spread around the city, Kidder adds. You only get one chance to make a first impression, she says, and having nicer properties on the riverfront can help.

Casinos were a game changer for downtown when they first ar rived, says Whitney Hoffman Sayal, the new executive director of the Downtown Development District. But they have struggled to adjust to the changing marketplace.

“It was a really big deal when they came to downtown,” she says. “I think they’ve identified the next step to make them very relevant again.”

Location sponsors

hosted by

Percentage

by Baton Rouge casinos in September,

to the

month a year ago

Source: Louisiana Gaming Control Board

L’Auberge Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge

Belle of Baton Rouge

Wakeup call

DROPPING RIVER LEVELS and backlogged barges aren’t the only threats facing Louisiana’s ports. There’s been an increasing num ber of cyber attacks aimed at port systems in recent months, and port directors and their chief in formation security officers are ramping up efforts to prepare for the inevitability that they’ll be next.

Unfortunately, some ports are lagging in their preparedness. A recent Jones Walker report found that despite 90% of port and ter minal respondents reporting pre paredness, 74% indicated that their systems or data had been the target of an attempted or suc cessful breach within the past year.

And while 73% of respondents said they have a written incident response plan, or IRP, only 21% said their plan had been updated within the past year. Similarly, 50% of respondents said that their facility conducted IRP ta bletop exercises irregularly or not at all.

That’s got the attention of many in the maritime sector, as any vulnerability could translate into a very real, and physical, dan ger. Even the vessels, barges and ships, themselves, could be under threat. And while there are rules and regulations for how they han dle the vessels, it varies according to the port.

“Currently, they have vessel security officers, but could they be hacked? Absolutely,” says April Danos, maritime informa tion security systems engineer at Stephenson Technologies Corp. in Baton Rouge. “Their GPS sys tem could come under attack. In that case, their system could be hacked and then put on a colli sion course.”

It’s a scary problem, to be sure, but the awareness among the state’s port directors is growing. “It’s an issue, but there is a grow ing awareness and federal money available for that,” she says.

GETTING CYBER READY Danos says the 2021 Cyber

Trends and Insights in the Marine Environment, published by the Coast Guard Cyber Command, found that even today there re main “weak links” at many ports that could be easily, and inexpen sively, remedied.

Danos retired from Port Fourchon in 2020 to help Stephenson build its maritime cy bersecurity portfolio. An LSU af filiate, Stephenson Technologies focuses on applied cybersecurity research. “The Coast Guard’s cy ber protection teams found a lot of ‘low-hanging’ fruit out there, such as predictable passwords, nonessential use of systems, un supported operating systems, etc.,” Danos says. “These are the things we talk to the port execu tives about, because they’re some of the least-expensive things that can be done. If you’re not doing anything, at least get started with that.”

Danos is most excited about the launch of the Louisiana Cyber Commission and, more specifi cally, the commission’s Louisiana

Maritime Industry Committee, which she chairs.

“Through the committee, we focus on how the port authority and maritime industry as a whole works with the state of Louisiana in regard to cyber,” Danos says. “We target information shar ing, and possible legislation that could help our ports in regard to cyber and make recommenda tions in current legislation and future legislation if necessary.”

The committee meets once a quarter primarily with the exec utive directors and sometimes the chief information security officers, or CISOs, of the ports. Information sharing is central to the committee’s purpose.

“We’re seeking to educate the executive directors at a high level, so if there’s anything needed from the state, they can provide their voice,” she adds. “We’ve also es tablished an apparatus for com munication between all of these entities; if there’s a known cyber attack the state will know who to contact at the port, whether that

ports grow increasingly aware of cyber vulnerability, but gaps remain.

BY SAM BARNES

PORT OF CALL: Technology that improves communication and efficiency between ships, trucks, rail and dock workers also makes ports more susceptible to cyberattacks.

ISTOCK

be the executive director, the CISO … it’s their preference. But making those connec tions is critical.”

GETTING PROACTIVE

Jay Hardman, executive di rector of the Port of Greater Baton Rouge, says cyberse curity preparedness is a lot like hurricane prepared ness, with one major differ ence: “Unlike a hurricane plan, where you can see the threat and see it coming,” he says, “there are people lying awake at night trying to fig ure out a new way to harm you.

“It’s a constantly evolving threat, so we spend time ed ucating and emphasizing to our staff to be aware of things that could impact us.”

Courtney White, director of security and engineering at the Baton Rouge port, says the port nonetheless collab orates with other ports and the state to stay abreast of current cyber threats and potential new remedies. Communication is critical, so the port receives guidance, support and intelligence re ports from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency—the nation’s risk ad viser—and is a member of InfraGard, a partnership be tween the FBI and members of the private sector for the protection of U.S. critical infrastructure.

things and get going again,” Hardman says.

Date: Nov 2022 Ad proof

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Training is the best place to start as it is inexpensive and fairly easy to implement. The port seeks to mitigate preparedness by backing up its systems through numerous backup sites. “In the event that we do get corrupted we can sweep all that out, restore

Fortunately, the Port of Greater Baton Rouge isn’t as vulnerable as other ports, simply because it’s not digitally interlinked with the port’s various users and vendors. “We simply don’t have the type of

targeted threats that you might see with a container port, where everyone is interlinked between the trucker, shipper, dock han dling people … we don’t have a lot of avenues for a third party to impact us in that regard, where others do.”

Through seamless collab oration, InfraGard connects owners and operators within critical infrastructure to the FBI, to provide education, infor mation sharing, networking and workshops on emerging technol ogies and threats.

Paul Matthews, director of Port of South Louisiana in Reserve, says he sees the writing on the wall. That’s why he has recently

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“Unlike a hurricane plan, where you can see the threat and see it coming, there are people lying awake at night trying to figure out a new way to harm you. It’s a constantly evolving threat.”

JAY HARDMAN, executive director, Port of Greater Baton Rouge

taken a leadership role in mar itime cybersecurity and even moderated a panel on cyber grant management and consult ing during the Port Security and Smart Ports Seminar in San Diego last July.

When Matthews arrived at the port earlier this year, he imme diately launched a cybersecu rity assessment to identify any vulnerabilities. The port hired a third-party IT expert—Evalv IQ, a minority- and woman-owned business based in New Orleans— to evaluate its processes to look for gaps in security and develop solutions.

“We began the process nine months ago to make sure we un derstood the vulnerabilities of our port in regard to cyber risk,” he says. “That paved the way for us to receive $1 million in FEMA port security grant funding to address cybersecurity and GIS mapping.”

The port’s leadership team also participated in specialized train ing specific to maritime cyberse curity awareness, then eventually included both employees and

port partners. The port plans to purchase software and technol ogy that will include new safety controls and provide real-time alerts about hackers.

The team is also developing cybersecurity standards for any

company or vendor doing busi ness at the port to ensure that minimum standards are met. “That way, when they interact with our systems they’ll have these things in place as well,” he adds. “After all, if our vendors

are vulnerable then we are vulnerable.

As for the Port of New Orleans, Kimberly Curth, Port NOLA press secretary, says it’s targeting cer tain identity-based cloud secu rity threats, social engineering attacks (or phishing), mobile security attacks, ransomware and remote working through se curity training and awareness, two-factor authentication, revok ing excessive access to sensitive information, patching, applica tion-based firewalls and endpoint security.

“We were awarded a FEMA grant to upgrade technology at the Harbor Police Department’s Maritime Security Operations Center,” Curth says. The center provides surveillance and com munications equipment neces sary for operational coordination and critical information shar ing with the U.S. Coast Guard and other public safety agen cies. “This grant funding will strengthen its ability to provide proactive law enforcement ser vices, patrols, anti-terrorism ef forts and investigative services.”

SAFE HARBOR: Because it’s not a container port with the usual targeted threats, the Port of Greater Baton Rouge isn’t as vulnerable to cyberattacks.

TIM MUELLER

LEGAL TRENDS

COMPLEX TAX CODE IS IMPEDIMENT TO STARTING A BUSINESS IN LOUISIANA

There are many reasons to start or expand a business in Louisiana— from our inland waterways and proximity to the Gulf of Mexico and Mississippi River to our natural resources—to our hard-working labor force and distinctive culture. The biggest impediment to start ing or expanding a business, however, remains our complex tax code and system of administration. We have come a long way, but we still have a long way to go.

The years leading up to 2016 saw Louisiana facing persistent funding short falls, often resulting in one or more mid-year budget cuts. Beginning in 2015, the Louisiana Legislature used the blunt instruments of tax increases and suspend ing tax exemptions to address the state’s budget shortfalls.

In 2015, the Louisiana Legislature suspended exemptions for business utili ties. In its 2016 (first) special session, the Legislature (i) increased by 1% the aggregate state sales/use tax rate, bringing it to 5%; and (ii) suspended many other exemptions businesses rely on as a critical part of their planning and budgeting processes. But the complexity of our sales/use tax system (where the overall rate is comprised of five separate statutory levies of varying percent ages) made the legislation confusing and unwieldy. Exemptions were suspended for each statutory levy in some cases, but only in some for others. The suspen sion periods varied, too. A complicated tax system was made more complicated, and businesses found it difficult to wade through the morass of legislative changes to determine the impacts on their operations or bottom lines. Even the state agency charged with administering taxes had difficulty interpreting the legislation.

Great strides have been made recently to remove the complexities in Louisiana’s tax system and increase competitiveness. Louisiana voters amended the state’s constitution in 2021 to make needed changes to the corporate income and franchise tax system. And while voters did not approve an amend ment to centralize the sales/use tax collection system—the biggest impediment to Louisiana’s business climate rankings—resolve to do so has only increased. Even so, many complexities remain.

Advantous Law was formed to provide counsel on all aspects of state/local tax law and to help businesses sort through the complexities. We analyze cur rent and proposed law for impacts to your businesses. We assist during audits and with administrative disputes for all taxes the state and local governments levy. We represent taxpayers before the Louisiana Board of Tax Appeals and state courts, and assist with refunds and other administrative matters. In all our work, we pay particular attention to the often confusing, but always strict pro cedural laws to ensure that our clients’ rights are protected. Our attorneys have more than 50 years combined experience in this area, and we are well-versed in the complexities of Louisiana’s tax system and are deeply involved in efforts to change them. We are happy to discuss your legal tax needs.

Jason R. Brown is Managing Partner of Advantous Law LLC and heads the firm’s Tax Controversy, Appeals and Disputes practice. He has more than 20 years of experience repre senting business taxpayers of all sizes in tax planning and controversy matters, including complex litigation. His work extends to all taxes imposed and administered by the state of Louisiana and its local governments, including corporate income/franchise; sales/use; property; severance; and excise taxes. He has particular and significant experience in the thorny area of tax procedural law and is a frequent writer and presenter on state and local tax topics.

504 Spanish Town Road • Baton Rouge, LA 70802 225.246.2069

• advantouslaw.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jason R. Brown

THE BEST TIME TO REVIEW YOUR CORPORATION’S ORGANIZATIONAL DOCUMENTS IS NOW

Among the obligations of most corporate boards of directors is the require ment to conduct a periodic review of their company’s organizational docu ments. Given the rapid rise in the use of remote board meetings, as well as recent changes to the Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL), now is a perfect time to revisit and strengthen these critical documents. This effort can pro vide for greater flexibility and clarity relating to shareholder meetings, board actions, and other corporate actions, including the following

OFFICER EXCULPATION

Effective August 1, 2022, the DGCL was amended to allow corporations to adopt officer exculpation provisions in their articles of incorporation. This change allows corporations to protect covered officers from personal liability for monetary damages for claims of breach of the fiduciary duty of care. Importantly, this change does not al low for the exculpation of officers from any action by or in the right of the corporation, such as derivative litigation, including claims for breaches of the fiduciary duty of loy alty. While amending articles of incorporation to allow for the exculpation of officers does require shareholder approval, boards may want to consider making this change.

REMOTE OR VIRTUAL MEETINGS

Shareholder Meetings : For most businesses, remote communications are now a fact of life. State laws vary, however, with respect to virtual shareholder meetings. Companies must ensure that state law and their own corporate bylaws permit virtual meetings. Boards should also review other bylaw provisions relating to meeting loca tion, notice, procedures, quorum, adjournment, and recordholder lists to confirm that such provisions allow for—or at a minimum, do not preclude—the virtual format.

Board Meetings: Although the organizational documents of many companies may expressly permit telephonic meetings, boards should confirm that their bylaws provide maxi mum flexibility to conduct meetings in a wide variety of videoconferencing and other remotecommunication formats. Also worth considering—allowing the option to submit approvals by written consent, including via email or other electronic means of communication.

EXCLUSIVE FORUM PROVISIONS

Boards should consider whether to adopt an exclusive forum provision. Traditional exclusive forum provisions generally require derivative actions and other intracorpo rate disputes of a company to be litigated exclusively in the state or federal courts of a specific state (typically, their state of incorporation or the state of their principal place of business). These provisions seek to avoid the cost and uncertainty of parallel litiga tion, the risk of inconsistent outcomes, and the potential for one state’s laws to be mis interpreted by other states’ courts. For Delaware corporations, they also provide for the resolution of intracorporate disputes by the courts most experienced in handling cor porate law issues. Delaware corporations, as well as corporations in certain states that have adopted the Model Business Corporation Act (MBCA), are permitted under state corporate law to include an exclusive forum provision in their governing documents.

445

• Baton Rouge,

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Alexandra Layfield is a partner at Jones Walker and co-leader of the firm’s corporate, securities and executive compensation team. She counsels public and private companies on transactional matters, primarily in the areas of corporate finance, securities law, general corporate law, and corporate governance, as well as mergers and acquisitions.

Katherine Herbert is an associate in the Jones Walker Corporate Practice Group. Her practice focuses on assisting public and private company clients with a variety of corporate matters, including stock and asset mergers and acquisitions transactions, conversions, consolidations, dispositions, internal reorganizations/restructurings, and private equity transactions.

(From left) Alexandra Layfield and Katherine Herbert

WHAT LOUISIANA COMPANIES NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CRYPTOCURRENCY AND DIGITAL TRANSACTIONS

Talk of bitcoin and cryptocurrency has been unavoidable in recent years. What should Louisiana businesses understand to play in this new sandbox?

First, the American Law Institute (ALI) and the Uniform Law Commission (ULC) have approved amendments to the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) governing business transactions which will make con trol of digital assets simpler and more intuitive. As a “uniform law,” it needs to be adopted by state legislatures so this will not be effective in Louisiana for a while.

The new Article 12 introduces and defines “Controllable Electronic Records,” or CERs, which include cryptocurrency, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and general electronic contracts. There are separate categories for electronic payment intan gibles and electronic accounts, and the amendments also define and allow for use of “electronic money” (basically a government-created cryptocurrency).

The amendments expand the definition of “control” (from previous UCC Articles) that now applies to CERs, electronic money, and other electronic records. The concept of control allows for the use of systems to designate to a specific person exclusive rights to a digital asset, such as the benefits of ownership (think of title to your car).

These systems recognize ownership through control, and allow the “owner” to assign control over a digital asset to a third party (a sale) or to a secured lender (a security interest), similar to holding a security interest by possession of tangible personal property.

Second, Louisiana’s Office of Financial Institutions (OFI) now requires virtual currency businesses to hold a license. The OFI anticipates publication of the proposed rule this fall with an effective date of July 1, 2023. Current information is available on the OFI website.

Aimed at financial institutions, the proposed rule contains some routine ad ministrative items and adds definitions for previously undefined terms, including “Unfair or Deceptive Act or Practice” and “Unsafe or Unsound Act or Practice.” Failure to provide required disclosures under the new proposed rule would automatically be an unfair or deceptive act or practice for purposes of enforce ment actions. However, the proposed rule does not identify the specific required disclosures beyond providing that they should be “proper disclosures to persons and individuals who use the licensee’s products or services.” In addition, the rule allows the Commissioner to determine the time and form of such disclosures via policy in the future.

Businesses or individuals who currently or will soon operate a virtual cur rency business with Louisiana residents will want to review the proposed rule and prepare to apply once the application process opens through the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS) on January 1, 2023. Initial application costs are $5,000 per license and $750 per registration. Licensure applications and registration notices submitted by April 1, 2023 will be approved, conditionally ap proved, or denied by OFI by June 30, 2023.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Amy Greenwood-Field is a member (partner) in McGlinchey’s Washington, DC office. She is a nationally recognized leader on Nationwide Multistate Licensing System & Registry (NMLS) compliance who analyzes financial institutions and FinTech business models for regulatory requirements.

Marshall Grodner is a member (partner) in McGlinchey’s Baton Rouge office who focuses on commercial and secured transactions, commercial real estate, opinions, and gaming law. Marshall was an observer to the drafting committee for the 2022 UCC Amendments and is a member of the Louisiana State Law Institute’s UCC Committee. He chairs the ABA’s Commercial Finance Committee and Real Property Litigation and Ethics Group.

(From left) Marshall Grodner and Amy Greenwood-Field

EMPLOYMENT-BASED IMMIGRATION

Employers interested in hiring immigrants may apply for employment-based visas and green cards on their behalf. Both permanent and temporary visas are available. With a few exceptions for very high skilled workers, most employment-based immigration visas must be filed by an employer.

GREEN CARDS

Per U.S. law, 140,000 green cards are available each year for immigrants in five employment-based preferences. These include:

• 1st preference: Immigrants of “extraordinary ability,” such as outstanding professors and researchers, multinational executives, and managers.

• 2nd preference: Immigrants with advanced degrees or those who demonstrate exceptional ability in science, arts, or business.

• 3rd preference: Skilled workers (immigrants performing skilled labor, requiring at least two years of experience) or professional workers (those who hold at least a baccalaureate degree) and other workers (immigrants performing unskilled labor).

• 4th preference: Special Immigrants such as religious workers, international organization employees, and children who cannot be reunited with a parent because of abuse, abandonment or neglect.

• 5th preference: Immigrant investors who invest between $500,000 and $1,000,000 in a U.S. commercial enterprise that creates at least 10 new full-time jobs for U.S. citizens and legal immigrants.

VISAS

The U.S. also offers temporary worker visas for immigrants who want to enter the country for employment for a fixed amount of time. Available options include:

• H-1B Specialty Occupations and Fashion Models: The H1B visa is for immigrant workers in a specialty occupation that requires a bachelor’s degree or higher in a specialty field.

• L-1A Intracompany Transferee Executive: This visa classification enables a U.S. employer to transfer an executive from one of its foreign offices to an office in the U.S. It also enables a foreign company that does not yet have an affiliated U.S. office to send an executive to the U.S. to establish one.

• L-1B Intracompany Transferee Specialized Knowledge: The L-1B classification enables a U.S. employer to transfer a professional employee with specialized knowledge of the organization’s interests from an affiliated foreign office to a U.S. office. It also enables a foreign company that does not yet have an affiliated U.S. office to send a specialized knowledge employee to the U.S. to help establish one.

• O-1 Individuals with Extraordinary Ability or Achievement: This is for the individual with extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics, or who has a demonstrated record of extraordinary achievement in the motion picture or television industry and has been recognized nationally or internationally for those achievements.

• P-1 Athlete, Artist, Entertainer: This is for artists, entertainers, and athletes who wish to compete in a specific event in the U.S.

Employment-based immigration is more in-depth and complex than family-based immigration matters. One mistake could mean reapplying or even rejection.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

10636 Linkwood Court • Baton Rouge, LA 70810 225.400.9976 • pwscottlaw.com

Paul “Woody” Scott has called Baton Rouge his home for the last 20 years. He practices immigra tion law, criminal defense, and injury law, and has built the biggest immigration practice in the city. He was the first deportation defense attorney in Baton Rouge and has expanded his practice to in clude criminal defense and serious personal injury. Scott has experience with high profile cases and is frequently featured in the news media for quotes and insight on legal issues.

Paul ‘Woody’ Scott

A LEGAL EDUCATION CAN PROVIDE MANY PATHS OUTSIDE THE COURTROOM

Many people with law degrees have gone on to work in areas such as human resources, technology, entertainment, and health care, to name a few. With emerging industries such as cannabis or the everevolving sports world, and the need for diversity and inclusion, many companies benefit from having someone with a legal education on the team. Finding the right law school that opens the doors to these many avenues is vital because a solid foundation is key to building a successful career.

HERE ARE FIVE REASONS TO CONSIDER GETTING A LEGAL EDUCATION:

• Lawyers are transformational change agents and frontline soldiers for the jus tice system. They represent individuals who need access to the justice system, as well as corporate clients. The district attorneys for East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Iberville, Pointe Coupee, East Feliciana, and West Feliciana parishes are Southern University Law Center alumni.

• Lawyers are well-paid professionals with specialized knowledge that gives them the ability to earn compensation that exceeds the average salaries of non-lawyers. The average salary of lawyers in the U.S. is $144,230 and the average Louisiana lawyer salary is $105,490.

• Legal education provides opportunities for law students to learn transferable skills and gain career opportunities in non-traditional areas such as: compli ance and ethics; corporate governance and responsibility; data privacy and security; cybersecurity; government affairs and government relations; HR management; Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; employee benefits; insurance and risk management; intellectual property, technology, and licensing; regulatory affairs, and many others.

• Lawyers are leaders in society. They become judges, legislators, corporate leaders, and community leaders. Many alumni of the Southern University Law Center become lawyer leaders.

• Legal education is a broad and comprehensive educational and intellectual experience. Law school exposes students to varying viewpoints, strategic thinking, and externships or legal clinics that provide practical experiential educational opportunities. Seventy-one of the 213 state district court judges in Louisiana graduated from the Southern University Law Center.

The Southern University Law Center is one of several great law schools in Baton Rouge and the surrounding area. For the past 75 years, it has provided access and opportunities to a diverse group of students from underrepresented racial, ethnic, and socio-economic groups to obtain a high-quality legal education. SULC students leave the Law Center with the skills necessary for the practice of law and for positions of leadership in society.

THE AUTHOR

John K. Pierre has devoted his career to molding lawyer leaders and being a champion of innovation. He serves as a transformational change agent and inspiration to legal professionals and thought leaders around the globe. He has earned numerous awards for his leadership, innovative strategy, and tireless efforts within the legal and profes sional realm. Hampton University, the Baton Rouge Bar Association, and the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus are just a few of the organizations that have bestowed honors upon Pierre throughout his career.

2 Roosevelt Steptoe St. • Baton Rouge, LA 70813

• jpierre@sulc.edu

Chancellor John Pierre

Law firms

Ranked by number of attorneys in the Capital Region

PREV. RANK

NAME ADDRESS PHONE | WEBSITE

1 1 Kean Miller LLP 400 Convention St., Suite 700, P.O. Box 3513, Baton Rouge 70802 225-387-0999 | keanmiller.com

2 2 Taylor Porter Brooks & Phillips 450 Laurel St., Suite 800, Baton Rouge 70801 225-387-3221 | taylorporter.com

3 3 Breazeale Sachse & Wilson LLP 301 Main St., 23rd Floor, Baton Rouge 70801-1919 225-387-4000 | bswllp.com

4 4 Phelps 400 Convention St., Suite 1100, Baton Rouge 70802 225-346-0285 | phelps.com

5 6 Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys 5656 Hilton Ave., Baton Rouge 70808 225-888-8888 | getgordon.com

6 5 Jones Walker LLP 445 North Blvd., Suite 800, Baton Rouge 70802 225-248-2000 | joneswalker.com

7 7 Taylor Wellons Politz & Duhe 4041 Essen Lane, Suite 500, Baton Rouge 70809 225-387-9888 | twpdlaw.com

8 11 Butler Snow LLP 445 North Blvd., Suite 300, Baton Rouge 70802 225-325-8700 | butlersnow.com

9 9 Keogh Cox & Wilson Ltd. 701 Main St., Baton Rouge 70802 225-383-3796 | keoghcox.com

10 10 McGlinchey Stafford 301 Main St., Suite 1400, Baton Rouge 70801 225-383-9000 | mcglinchey.com

11 12 Hammonds, Sills, Adkins, Guice, Noah & Perkins, LLP 2431 S. Acadian Thruway, Suite 600, Baton Rouge 70808 225-923-3462 | 800-960-5297 | www.hamsil.com

12 14 Baker Donelson 450 Laurel St., 21st Floor, Baton Rouge 70801-1828 225-381-7000 | bakerdonelson.com

13 17 Bienvenu Bonnecaze Foco Viator & Holinga APLLC 4210 Bluebonnet Blvd., Baton Rouge 70809-9630 225-388-5600 | bblawla.com

15 Watson Blanche Wilson & Posner 505 North Blvd., P.O. Box 2995, Baton Rouge 70821-2995 225-387-5511 | wbwplaw.com

15 13 Roedel Parsons 8440 Jefferson Highway, Suite 301, Baton Rouge 70809 225-929-7033 | roedelparsons.com

16 NR Kinchen Walker Bienvenu Bargas Reed & Helm 9456 Jefferson Highway, Bldg. III, Suite F, Baton Rouge 70809 225-292-6704 | kwbbrlaw.com

16 Long Law Firm 1800 City Farm Drive, Bldg. 6, Baton Rouge 70806 225-922-5110 | longlaw.com

18 Walters Papillion Thomas Cullens LLC 12345 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge 70810 225-236-3636 | lawbr.net

19 20 Schutte Terhoeve Richardson Eversberg Cronin Judice & Boudreaux

501 Louisiana Ave., Baton Rouge 70802 225-387-6966 | 501la.com

20 19 Manasseh Gill Knipe & Belanger 8075 Jefferson Highway, Baton Rouge 70809 225-383-9703 | manassehandgill.com

DNR-did not respond NR-not ranked

Report

LOCAL PARTNERS STAFF

TOP LOCAL EXECUTIVE

Linda Perez Clark Managing partner

ATTORNEYS

101 49 209

Bob Barton Managing partner 68 33 124

MAJOR AREA(S) OF PRACTICE

YEAR FOUNDED LOCALLY MARKET AREA

Litigation, business, corporate, real estate, employment, regulatory, intellectual property, tax, construction, commercial/business disputes 1983 National

Commercial and complex litigation, business, transactions, employment, education, health care, environmental, real estate, insurance 1912 National

Scott N. Hensgens Managing partner 61 45 112 Litigation, corporate, tax, and health care law 1928 National

P. Ragan Richard Managing partner 60 33 DNR Business and real estate litigation, labor and employment 1984 La., Miss., Texas, Fla., Ala. and N.C.

Gordon J. McKernan Owner 40 1 130

Brandon K. Black Partner, Baton Rouge office head 36 25 72

Charles J. Duhe, B. Scott Cowart, D. Scott Rainwater Managing partners 28 16 50

Automobile accidents, big truck wrecks, workers' compensation, maritime, immigration 1992 Louisiana

Business litigation, intellectual property, corporate and real estate, tax and estate planning, public finance and economic development

1980 Southern U.S. and Washington, D.C.

Insurance coverage and defense, employment and workers' compensation, professional liability 2001 National

Jennifer Hataway Attorney, executive committee member 25 17 38 Public finance, historic and new market tax credits, bank finance, health law 2010 National

Andrew Blanchfield Managing partner 23 20 60 Civil, business and complex litigation 1969 Louisiana

Zelma Murray-Frederick Managing member 21 16 43

Alejandro R. Perkins Managing partner 18 4 30

Phyllis Cancienne Shareholder 17 8 29

David M. Bienvenu Member 14 9 DNR

Litigation, business and transactional, intellectual property, real estate and environmental 1993 National

Insurance and workers' compensation defense, represent elementary and secondary school boards, governmental affairs, and construction 1989 Louisiana

Business litigation, health care, product liability and mass tort, L&E, real estate, tax, construction, cybersecurity, disaster recovery 2005 National

Complex, mass tort, class action, commercial and general litigation, commercial transactions and corporate law, estate planning and probate 2011 National

Michael M. Remson Partner 14 10 25 Medical malpractice and insurance defense, health care law, corporate and business litigation 1945 Louisiana

Luke F. Piontek Managing shareholder 13 DNR DNR Governmental relations, civil litigation, administrative regulatory 1988 Louisiana

Valerie Bargas, Michael Bienvenu, Sallie DuPont, William Helm, Kent Moroux, Matthew Pryor Partners 12 6 DNR

Jamie Hurst Watts, Adrian G. Nadeau Partners 12 7 DNR

David Abboud Thomas Managing partner

Charles A. Schutte Managing partner

James P. Manasseh Managing partner

12 3 24

11 DNR DNR

Insurance defense, construction defense, corporate formation 2009 National

Regulatory governmental and regulatory commercial litigation and banking 1988 National

Business litigation, personal injury, malpractice, workers' comp and criminal 2009 National

Commercial litigation, insurance defense, business law 1995 Southern U.S.

9 DNR DNR Criminal, personal injury, family 1996 Louisiana

Business Report

firms must have

location in the nine-parish

Region

respond to our requests for information. The

contact Alaine Keisling at

by Alaine Keisling

Convention and meeting facilities

Ranked by total capacity of all meeting rooms

PREV. RANK

1 1

COMPANY ADDRESS PHONE | WEBSITE

Pete Maravich Assembly Center North Stadium Drive, Baton Rouge 70803 lsusports.com

2 2

TOTAL CAPACITY TOP LOCAL EXECUTIVE

14,840

Raising Cane's River Center 275 S. River Road, Baton Rouge 70802 225-389-3030 | raisingcanesrivercenter.com 10,400

3 3 Lamar-Dixon Expo Center 9039 St. Landry Road, Gonzales 70737 225-450-1009 | lamardixonexpocenter.com

BANQUET/ THEATER CAPACITY NO. OF MEETING ROOMS EXHIBIT SPACE (SQ. FEET) FOOD SERVICE

Audio/visual Computers Executive center Internet Office equip. Secretarial

Drew Altavilla Event management coordinator 1,200 4,587 5 55,000 Off-site n n n n

Rhonda Hebert Ruffino Director of sales, marketing and events 3,200 4,000 17 125,000 In-house n n n n

3,500 DNR DNR 3,200 6,200 10 125,000 In-house n n n n

4 4 LSU Student Union LSU Student Union, Baton Rouge 70803 225-578-5959 | lsu.edu/as 3,000 DNR DNR 500 1,200 18 9,000 In-house, off-site n n n

5 5 Crowne Plaza Baton Rouge 4728 Constitution Ave., Baton Rouge 70808 225-925-2244 | crownebaton.com 2,500 Scott Michelet General manager 2,000 1,500 17 32,000 In-house n n n n n

6 6

Belle of Baton Rouge Casino and Hotel 102 France St., Baton Rouge 70802 225-378-6177 | belleofbatonrouge.com

7 7 L'Auberge Casino & Hotel Baton Rouge 777 L'Auberge Ave., Baton Rouge 70820 225-215-7777 | lbatonrouge.com

8 NR Baton Rouge Marriott 5500 Hilton Ave., Baton Rouge 70808 225-924-5000 | marriott.com/btrmc

9 NR Boudreaux's Catering 2647 Government St., Baton Rouge 70806 225-383-5886 | boudreauxscateringbr.com

10 NR Manship Theatre 100 Lafayette St., Baton Rouge 70801 225-389-7222 | manshiptheatre.org

11 NR The Executive Center 250 S. Foster Drive, Baton Rouge 70806 225-377-4400 | theexecutivecenterbr.com

State

1,700 Bruce Woods General manager 800 1,500 8 17,000 In-house n n n n n n

1,600 Kimberly Ginn General manager 800 1,600 5 13,000 In-house n n n n n

1,000 Ralph Ney General manager 600 900 25 29,979 In-house n n n n n n

400 Irvin A. Boudreaux Owner and president 400 400 3 8,600 In-house n n

325 Melanie Couvillon Executive director DNR 325 4 DNR Off-site n n

300 Jude Franklin General manager 120 150 3 6,400 Off-site

n

We are failing to protect our children

than seven years to cuts instituted under then-Gov. Bobby Jindal, yet, as The Advocate points out, “Edwards pledged that he un derstood what was necessary for DCFS to fulfill its promise to the people of Louisiana.”

And “while Edwards has not made further cuts, he also has done little to rebuild the agency— or even to call attention to its plight.” Why no major changes in seven years?

did they have children? There is obviously trauma in their past or mental illness issues, but what help have they sought? What aid did other family members provide?

Juvenile Court Judge Adam Haney said this to The Advocate, “At this point, everybody is well aware of the problems, the ques tion is, is it going to get fixed?”

CALL OUT THE JUDGES

ROLFE MCCOLLISTER JR.

THE CHALLENGE ISN’T new.

Rick Wheat, president and CEO of Louisiana United Methodist Children and Family Services, says that over the last three decades Louisiana’s national average rank for child well-being was 49th.

“That indicates we are not tak ing proper care of our children,” he tells The Advocate

I think the “we” here means all of us, not just state government— though DCFS has the jurisdiction, authority and more than $210 mil lion to address the problem.

It’s an outrage to read that 2-year-old Mitchell Robinson died after an overdose of fentanyl. This after the toddler was twice hospi talized previously with a similar overdoes in the months leading up to his death and DCFS had received three alarming reports about him.

Was this negligence, incompe tence, stupidity … or all three? Who is in charge?

There can be no excuses and the buck stops at the top with DCFS Secretary Marketa Garner. She has been in charge for almost seven years, appointed by Gov. John Bel Edwards. The governor must ei ther own this and condone it—or fire her.

Garner wants to rewind more

The Advocate went on to report, “Some legislators disagree that DCFS’ woes are budget-driven.

Senate President Pro Tem Beth Mizell, a Franklinton Republican, pointed to recent testimony from DCFS caseworkers who said their salaries were adequate, but they left the agency because of toxic managers and burnout. Mizell said that over the last seven years, DCFS could have been repaired.”

It seems the Legislature carries some blame as well. “Former fos ter children who have testified at the Capitol often say their expe riences in the child welfare sys tem made them feel invisible and voiceless. Their relative lack of lobbying muscle has affected the way that child welfare is perceived by lawmakers,” The Advocate wrote.

After detailing all state gov ernment didn’t do in the case of Mitchell Robinson, whose mother has been charged with second-de gree murder, The Advocate went on to list other tragedies involving children that will break your heart:

• A 4-year-old forced to chug a bottle of whiskey.

• A 2-year-old hurled off a bridge.

• A newborn with rib and skull fractures.

Innocent children.

Who are these parents and why

REFLECTIONS RESPONDING TO INSULTS

This

With power comes responsi bility. If judges want to set a low bond and let those arrested out of jail—to then commit another crime—then be prepared for accountability.

The Advocate reported on the arrest of Luke Simmons for sec ond-degree murder in September after being released on a bond of $115,000 following a December 2021 arrest for allegedly killing a man.

Who set the low bond? Judge Eboni Johnson Rose.

I would like to see a public re cord available for all repeat of fenders out on bond, the amount and the name of the judge who granted it. This is good informa tion to have when judges are seek ing reelection.

I’ve often heard elected officials and law enforcement personnel talk about judges letting alleged criminals out of jail. Enough of the vague talk. Name names. BRAC or the bar association should post the records online in the sunlight for all to see. The judges need to own it.

Some may argue this could put judges at risk of harm. Maybe, but their decisions are putting the public at risk as well.

ELECTIONS APPROACHING

We have important statewide

ONE CANNOT GIVE what they have not received. That is the way the Kingdom of God flows. God, by nature is a giver and His creation are receivers. John 3:16 and 1:12 put this on display. Once received, a person can give. As you read the following passage think of all the ways God has responded to all your insults towards Him and others who you have insulted. God never gives us an insult in return, but blesses us instead with mercy, grace, forgiveness, compassion, lovingkindness, long

and local elections coming next week. I encourage you to study the candidates and issues and vote. A list of my personal endorsements is below. (Business Report does not make endorsements.) Check out my October column in Business Report for detailed explanations.

• U.S. Senate: John Kennedy

• U.S. Representative-6th District: Garret Graves

• 1st Circuit Court of Appeal-2nd District: Hunter Greene

• 19th District Court Judge-Sec. 2, Div. G: Adam Kwentua

EBRPSS School Board races

• District 1: Mark Bellue

• District 2: Dadrius Lanus

• District 3: Carla Powell

• District 4: Shashonnie Steward

• District 5: Cliff “Coach” Lewis

• District 6: Nathan Rust

• District 7: Gloria Wall

• District 8: Joseph Britt

• District 9: Patrick Martin

Constitutional amendments (For more details, visit ParLouisiana.org.)

• No. 1, Larger stock investments for trust funds: FOR

• No. 2, Property tax exemptions for veterans with disabilities: FOR • No. 3, Political activity for civil service workers when family members run for office: FOR

• No. 4, Waiving charges for water use if infrastructure is damaged: FOR

• No. 5, Local authority over prop erty tax rates: FOR

• No. 6, Property tax assessment increases in Orleans Parish: FOR

• No. 7, Limits on involuntary ser vitude: AGAINST

• No. 8, Property tax assessments for certain people with disabili ties: FOR

suffering, etc. I Peter 3:8-9 reads, “To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.” Once a person fully receives the “inheritance of blessing,” when insulted they they have the capacity to give what they have received. Which is “a blessing instead.”

—Jeff Mitchell, Retired COL and Army Chaplain

Broome can’t recover from Stormwater-gate

was an eye-popping 82.2%. It wasn’t a scientific survey, but that fact can’t be enough to dismiss a 9% approval rating.

How do you come back from that?

You can’t.

And even if a narrow path to redemption exists, Broome won’t take it. Why would she? Her man tra is clear: I was just as duped by my advisers as everyone else.

Answer: She did nothing.

Except point fingers at every one but herself.

Graves, the most trusted elected official living in Baton Rouge, took less than a day to bust the clandestine myth.

JR BALL

This is the stark reality after the October massacre that was her double-secret, truth-avoiding, flawed-fee mockery of a storm water management plan.

There’s no denying it.

You know it. I know it. Pretty much everyone—except Broome herself—knows it.

True, there’s still two-plus years remaining on her current term but those will be 791 lame duck days.

A third—and final—term is an out-of-the-question situation.

The truth has set us free to mandate an “anybody but Broome” election in 2024.

Not since the deep tunneling sewer system debacle of 2004, triggering the ousting of onetermer Bobby Simpson, has a Baton Rouge mayor so incom petently fumbled something so important to the future of this parish.

Baton Rouge simply has too many challenges—and, frankly, promising opportunities—to waste six more years on an insu lar administration devoid of tact, vision, accountability and basic leadership skills.

Such is the unvarnished truth once the trust is gone.

The Metro Council doesn’t trust her.

Prominent business and com munity leaders don’t trust her. (At least those not making money off her administration.)

The public overwhelmingly doesn’t trust her.

Broome’s disapproval rating in a late October Daily Report poll

In her myopic world, it’s ev eryone else who has lied, misled, fabricated and otherwise screwed the pooch on what’s now known as Stormwater-gate.

It was administration official Kelvin Hill’s fault, not mine.

It was Parish Attorney Andy Dotson’s fault, not mine.

Council members misunder stood, don’t blame me.

Rep. Garret Graves isn’t telling the full truth, trust me.

“I feel like I operated in good faith, that I did not drop the ball, that I operated on the informa tion that was told to me by the parish attorney’s office and by my staff,” The Advocate quoted Broome as saying as all manner of public relations hell was break ing loose.

Wow.

The level of feckless leader ship is reason enough to sweep Broome out the door.

Broome was in a series of meetings—including the now infamous Aug. 30 confab—with officials from the EPA and state DEQ. Did she hear anyone from the federal government utter any thing about a cone of silence? Did the letters N, D or A flow from a single EPA lip?

As concerns were escalating from the council and the pub lic, did she contact any federal officials—from the EPA or else where—to ask what’s the deal with the need for secrecy? Did she even for an iota consider it odd that a plan of such magni tude needed to be shielded from the very public that will pay the freight?

Did she ever declare, “Hey, that’s not how democracy works!”

What did Broome do and when did she do it?

Speaking of silence, where has BRAC been on this scandal? Adam Knapp and the cham ber’s executive committee need to decide if the organization is a $325,000 puppet of the adminis tration or the voice of the busi ness community.

Broome is right about one thing: Baton Rouge does find it self under threat of a consent decree if it doesn’t get its storm water management act together.

Shamefully it took threats from the feds for her to take seriously the stormwater problem—not just flooding and drainage canals but the full monty of spewing lit ter that’s clogging the system.

Broome previously wanted no part in seriously tackling the stormwater issue, other than tap ping one-time federal funds to create the illusion of addressing the problem.

Months before a January 2021 Business Report cover story on the stormwater and litter night mare plaguing the parish, two citizen activists, who have spent years researching the issue, met with Broome and administration officials to outline the burgeon ing problem and offer potential best-practice solutions.

Their pitch was to use a monthly fee—either mandatory or voluntary—to fund a full-scale stormwater management pro gram. This was no novel idea, borrowing heavily from the suc cessful playbook Pensacola and dozens of other Florida cities have been using for decades.

Fred Raiford was supportive of the pitch, acknowledging some thing needed to be done. Broome and top assistant Darryl Gissel, according to someone at the meeting, were noncommittal.

Additional information, in cluding average fee rates paid by Florida residents, was provided a few weeks after that 2020 meet ing. The response? Silence.

Fast forward to August 2021 and Broome was clear she had zero interest in a stormwa ter utility district, according to an Advocate story, adding that Stormwater Coalition member Marie Constantin or anyone else wanting to generate fees to ad dress the problem could create their own taxing districts, much like the scores of neighborhood crime districts dotting the parish.

“We’re not short of ideas over here in this administration,” she was quoted as saying, promising a long-term plan was coming by the “end of the year.”

Again, that was 2021. What was the long-term plan—other than spending a pile of sudden, onetime federal pandemic recovery dollars on drainage?

On a related matter, if Broome is now concerned about litter and stormwater management solu tions, why is she pushing to re new a garbage collection contract with a company that struggles to keep trash from flying out of its trucks? This is another situa tion where this insular adminis tration sees no need for outside expertise.

Given the broken trust, where do we go from here?

Not just on the critically im portant stormwater manage ment program, but on a host of other major challenges facing this community.

Baton Rouge’s out-of-con trol crime program has every non-criminal living here on edge. People are afraid. They’re angry.

Broome says the administra tion is working on it, but who will believe her when she says, “Trust me, I have a solution.”

What influential business or community leader wants to stand behind the mayor and back any thing she proposes?

Which is why Baton Rouge needs new leadership.

SHARON WESTON BROOME is done as mayor of Baton Rouge.

www.basf.us/la

www.basf.us/la

Christen Campbell works every day to create chemistry for a sustainable future because the future makes every day worth it.

Christen Campbell works every day to create chemistry for a sustainable future because the future makes every day worth it.

INBOX WHAT’S THE ATTRACTION?

WHAT’S THE PURPOSE OF A NEW BRIDGE?

When I was still living in Baton Rouge the loop was being pushed.

As a professional who has written numerous Environmental Impact Studies (EIS) for major transportation projects, I kept asking to see the “Purpose and Need” for the loop project. The purpose and need analysis is required by FHWA and for every EIS. I was never provided an actual answer.

If we really know, in detail, what the need is, we can define the purpose of the project before someone says it should be a loop or a bridge far away. The need is not based on through-traffic that is congesting I-10 and the bridge. Actually through-traffic is what interstate highways were designed to serve. I contend that an Origin and Destination Study is needed, though the answer is logical and obvious as JR Ball indicates (Bridging the intelligence gap, JR Ball, October 2022 issue).

As the column points out, I-10 is congested with local traffic. Many reasons contribute to this, but one of the most glaring is the lack of road connectivity throughout (East Baton Rouge Parish). If your origin is point A and your destination, point B, say a couple of miles away, in most areas you have to get on I-10 to get there.

It is in fact a situation of “you can’t get there from here.” This clogs I-10.

A carefully studied and prepared Master Streets Plan that remedies the lack of connectivity as much as is practicable. And it should not be prepared or overseen by the same people in Baton Rouge who helped to create these problems.

The new bridge location makes no sense. How much is the very expensive John J. Audubon Bridge being utilized? It is a beautifully designed bridge, which I greatly appreciate, but it too is in the wrong place. Have we learned nothing?

Dana Nunez Brown New Orleans

My feeling is that we should not add any new attractions (Does Baton Rouge need a new attraction to lure visitors?, Daily Report, Oct. 11) until we get the serious traffic problem fixed.

Out-of-town visitors coming here and then sitting in traffic for long periods of time will only tell them they don’t want to live here. Sitting in traffic also gives them time to listen to the radio and hear about all our crime issues.

I have friends who live in Houston and when they travel to visit family in South Carolina they do whatever they can to avoid driving through Baton Rouge.

Mickey Christensen Baton Rouge

How about we start by picking up the garbage from the streets on a daily basis? Or how about cleaning up the parking garage at the casino downtown that’s being used as a urinal by homeless people? Baton Rouge is a filthy, dirty, dangerous mess. Why would anybody want to vacation here?

Byron Como Baton Rouge

First Bank and Trust is now BankPlus.

Our name may have changed, but the relationships remain the same. You’ll still see the same friendly faces you’ve come to rely on, and we’ll still be making our banking decisions locally. You’ll also enjoy access to more banking services and lending options, plus the latest technology to make your life easier.

PARKING LOT: More than 80% of the traffic clogging Interstate 10 in Baton Rouge comes from local vehicles.

FILE PHOTO

Dennis Shill

Andy Adler

TOP RESOURCES IN INSURANCE

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COMPANY NEWS

North Oaks Health System recently announced its affilia tion with Children’s Hospital New Orleans with the aim of expanding health care services for children and families across Tangipahoa Parish and the Northshore region and improving both pediatric services and health outcomes. The clinical affiliation builds upon existing services, which are provided by Children’s Hospital New Orleans at North Oaks Medical Center and include neonatology, pediatric hospitalist coverage and pediatric cardiology services.

ACCREDITATION CERTIFICATION

Carmen Austin, as sociate broker at Saurage Rotenberg Commercial Real Estate, has earned the SIOR office des ignation awarded by the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors. Austin has more than 21 years of experience in the Southeast commercial real estate market. She received her Master

Austin

HALL OF FAME

OF

BUSINESSPERSON

North Oaks Health System

of Business Administration in Entrepreneurship and Finance from LSU in 2004. She completed her CCIM designation in 2006.

AWARDS HONORS

Barbara Auten, Christy Oliver Reeves and Sandy Summers have been recognized by Girl Scouts Louisiana East as Women of Distinction, while Yolanda Dixon and Sharon Lavigne were recognized with the Four Pillars Award. Auten is exec utive director of Alzheimer’s Services of the Capital Area. Oliver Reeves is vice presi dent of Regional Government Relations and Community Affairs at Ochsner Health. Summers is technology recruitment man ager at Southeastern Louisiana University. Dixon is secretary of the Louisiana Senate, and Lavigne is executive director of RISE St. James.

BREC has won the National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management for a third time. The award was announced by

the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration, in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association. BREC competed in the Class 1 Recreation category, which is the largest category and includes agencies serving communities with populations over 400,000.

Founded in 1965, the Gold Medal

Awards program honors U.S. communities that demonstrate excellence in parks and recreation through long-range planning, re source management, volunteer ism, environmental stewardship, program development, profes sional development and agency recognition.

Brice

Adam Brice of Central is among 25 credit union profes sionals and board members named 2022 Credit Union Rock Stars by the edi torial team of Credit Union Magazine. Brice is senior vice president of lending at EFCU Financial in Baton Rouge. Now in its 10th year, the Credit Union Rock Stars program recognizes outstanding credit union profes sionals and directors from a wide range of disciplines who use their unique strengths to advance the missions of their credit unions. This year’s winners were selected for their exceptional creativity, in novation and passion.

East Baton Rouge City-Parish has received the Center for Digital Government’s 2022 Government Experience Award. The award an nually showcases and recognizes innovative projects and experi ences for government agencies across the U.S. The city-parish received the award for its Citizen Data Academy: On Demand video

Congratulations to 2 Louisiana AGC Members on their Top 40 Under 40 Nominations!

CONGRATULATES LOUISIANA AGC

NOMINATIONS!

David Fleshman

Alexandra Layfield

Girl Scouts Louisiana East

series, which was designed by the city-parish’s information services department and launched in 2021. The CDA equips residents with tools and guidance to access and leverage the city-parish’s extensive open data and analytics resources.

Jill Leonard, LWCC’s vice president of claims operations, re cently received the Comp Laude Claims Professional of the Year Award. The Comp Laude Awards are hosted by WorkCompCentral and are de signed to highlight individuals and companies who are dedicated to advocating for injured workers, working to support a fair and bal anced workers’ compensation sys tem, and doing the right thing.

Leonard

Redevelopment Officials. Payton has taken the agency through challenging times and, according to NAHRO, was selected based on her “advocating and develop ing financial, political and com munity support to ensure the continuation and expansion of the housing and community de velopment agency and its pro grams.” Payton has served on the EBRPHA board of commissioners since 2015 and as its chair since 2017. She currently serves as president and CEO of the YWCA Greater Baton Rouge. In addi tion, EBRPHA was recognized by NAHRO with five Merit Awards for innovative services to resi dents and for a comprehensive communications program.

Veterinarian Jenny Sones is the recipi ent of a Catalyst Award from the National Academy of Medicine. Sponsored by the National Institute of Aging, the award includes a $50,000 cash prize and travel costs to attend

an annual Global Innovator Summit. Sones is principal in vestigator of a study that investi gates the effects of maternal obesity and the transgenera tional effect of preeclampsia, a complication of pregnancy that often involves high blood pres sure and sometimes organ dam age that, if left untreated, can be fatal.

The Water Campus in Baton Rouge has been recognized as the top Resiliency, Recovery and Mitigation economic devel opment initiative and the best economic development proj ect in the country overall at the 2022 International Economic Development Council Awards ceremony in Oklahoma City. The Gold and Best in Show hon ors for the Water Campus were among five awards for Louisiana, the most the state has received since becoming the only IEDC accredited state economic de velopment agency in the U.S. in 2018. The state’s rural revi talization program, including LED’s Rural Entrepreneurship

Initiative, won a Silver Award for Equity and Inclusion programs; and “Louisiana: Building for Tomorrow, Today,” LED’s mul tiplatform annual report, won Gold in the Specialty Purpose Website category as well as a Bronze in the Annual Report category.

APPOINTMENTS MEMBERSHIPS

Camille ManningBroome has been selected as a mem ber of the Committee of 100 for Economic Development Inc. for 2022. Manning-Broome is president and CEO of the Center for Planning Excellence and is internationally recognized for her expertise in climate adapta tion, people-first infrastructure and resident-led community planning. Her organization has contributed to the transforma tion of cities, towns and parishes throughout Louisiana and her expertise is sought out by peers across the globe.

Broome

Payton

East Baton Rouge Parish Housing Authority Chair Dianna Payton was named 2022 Commissioner of the Year by the National Association of Housing and

Sones

PHILANTHROPY GRANTS

Associated Grocers held its Fall Food Show for member re tailers recently, and, through the event, donated 24,865 pounds of food—equivalent to 20,721 meals—to the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank. Additionally, all the flowers from the show were delivered by the AG team to nursing homes, assisted living fa cilities and hospitals in Gonzales and the Baton Rouge area.

BASF recently made a $150,000 contribution to Our Lady of the Lake Foundation to expand ser vices at Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health. The donation will specifically support the ex pansion of the Child Life pro gram at Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital. Child life specialists help guide patients and their families during their stay at the hospital. The gift will also support programs at Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health Children’s Developmental Center at McMains.

LWCC and its agent partners from the Baton Rouge area to gether provided more than 29,000 meals in September through the Louisiana Loyal Service Project benefiting the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank. The project took place Sept. 1-16, providing for in-office food drives and a se ries of in-person volunteer op portunities with the Food Bank.

The Louisiana Primary Care Association has been awarded $2.2 million to bolster training, education and programming to address health care profes sional shortages in Louisiana’s Delta Region. This four-year grant, offered by the Delta Region Rural Health Workforce Training Program, will support profes sionals and students working in medical coding and billing, claims processing, information management and clinical docu mentation. The funding will also be used to support recruitment, formal training, certification, and placement of students in com munity health centers in a time of critical staffing shortages.

JAMES

Associated Grocers

Please vote on Tuesday, November 8th!

Inflation was made in Washington by politicians who spent money we didn't have on things we didn't need. That’s why your food and energy bills are sky high.

I opposed $13 TRILLION in reckless spending that’s driving inflation and gutting your paycheck.

I’ve always fought for Louisiana’s workers, families, and freedoms, including:

Voting to keep violent criminals behind bars

Helping pass laws to aggressively prosecute sexual predators

Leading efforts to get opioids off our streets and prosecute fentanyl dealers

Helping secure over $20 BILLION in disaster relief for Louisiana

Defending parents’ rights in their kids’ education

Leading the charge to lower prescription drug costs and cap insulin prices

Passing a law to protect your retirement savings from Communist China’s fraud

Fighting to secure the border and build the wall

I’m John Kennedy, and I’m asking for your vote.

Early Voting: Tuesday, October 25-Tuesday, November 1

JOHNKENNEDY.COM

60507

Our Louisiana values will always

The LSU 100 and Roaring 10 are announced

DALLAS-BASED TAP Innovations has been named the fastest-growing com pany owned or led by an LSU alumnus.

LSU announced its annual LSU 100 rankings last month, which recognizes the 100 fastest-growing alumni-owned or -led businesses in the world, as determined by compound annual growth over a three-year period. Seven of the top 10 are based in the Capital Region.

Also announced was its annual Roaring 10 list, recognizing the top 10 revenue-generating businesses from among the LSU 100 applicants. Of the 10 companies, six are based in the Capital Region.

Accounting firm Postlethwaite & Netterville confidentially calculates growth and revenue rankings for the lists each year.

THE ROARING 10

Company, Year Founded

1. Turner Industries Group LLC, 1961 Baton Rouge

2. HNTB Corporation, 1914 Kansas City, Missouri

3. Performance Contractors Inc., 1979 Baton Rouge

4. LIPSEY’s LLC, 1977 Baton Rouge

5. The Newtron Group LLC, 1973 Baton Rouge

6. PSC Group, 1952 Baton Rouge

7. Christus Health-Louisiana & Southeast Texas, 1950 Alexandria

8. Provident Resources Group Inc., 1999 Baton Rouge

9. Danos, 1947 Gray

10. Safety Management Services LLC, 2006 Lafayette

1. Tap Innovations LLC, 2017 Dallas

2. Premier Health Consultants LLC, 2006 Baton Rouge

3. 365 LABS, 2016 Baton Rouge

4. DarkHorse Industries LLC, 2014 Port Allen

5. EGGIE Salon Studio, LLC 2016 Baton Rouge

Guarantee Restoration Services, 1974 Baton Rouge

NewEdge Advisors, 2014 New Orleans

Vectura Consulting Services LLC, 2015 Baton Rouge

Patient Plus Urgent Care, 2015 Baton Rouge

Hargrove Roofing LLC, 2015 Shreveport

11. Pentecom LLC, 1997 Palestine, Texas

12. Manchac Homes, 2014 Baton Rouge

Legacy Construction Group LLC, 2017 Jefferson

Garcia Roofing, 1992 Prairieville

15. Trifecta Sports Therapy, 2014 Baton Rouge

Courtney Barton, 2011 Houston

Safety Management Systems LLC, 2006 Lafayette

Extreme Nitrogen LLC, 2017 Harvey

RHH Architects APAC, 1995 Baton Rouge

Vacherie Fuel, 1940 Thibodaux

Toussaint Customs and Collisions LLC, 2014 Baton Rouge

Roofing Solutions LLC, 2004 Prairieville

Four Corners Wealth Management, 2009 Peachtree Corners, Georgia

Grace Hebert Curtis Architects APAC, 1967

Baton Rouge

Kilcor Construction LLC, 2015 Alpharetta, Georgia

Tadpole Academy of Baton Rouge LLC, 2013 Prairieville

CEG Assessments, 2003 ....................... Saint Francisville

Ecommerce Solution Group Inc., 2013 Kenner

Crescent Payroll Solutions Inc., 2011 Metairie

Oasis Spaces LLC, 2013 Baton Rouge

System Resources Telecom LLC, 1998 Baton Rouge

Legacy Title LLC, 2002 Baton Rouge

LIPSEY’S LLC, 1977 Baton Rouge

Sigma Consulting Group Inc., 1987 Baton Rouge

Babcock Partners LLC, 2003 Baton Rouge

Anytime Flooring LLC, 2009 Baton Rouge

Global Commerce and Services LLC, 2000 Harvey

Moran Construction Consultants LLC, 1988 Baton Rouge

Donahue Favret Contractors Inc., 1979 Mandeville

Window World of Baton Rouge, 2002 Baton Rouge

Evergreen Tractor & Equipment, 1982 Covington

BrownRice Marketing Inc., 2003 New Orleans

PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans, 1978 Mandeville

Guardian Computer LLC,1996 Metairie

EBM Fulfillment Solutions, 2007 Dallas

Law Offices of Howard E Conday Jr. LLC, 2014 Natchitoches

Jay Ducote Hospitality Group, 2009 Baton Rouge

NolaCajun, 2008 Kenner

Horizon Financial Group, 1999 Baton Rouge

Information Management Solutions LLC, 2009 Baton Rouge

MidSouth Extrusion,1986 Monroe

Kidder & Schultz CPAs LLC, 2015 Baton Rouge

HNTB Corporation, 1914 Kansas City, Missouri

The Royal Treatment LLC, 2011 Baton Rouge

Gatorworks, 2006 Baton Rouge

Emergent Method, 2012 Baton Rouge

Walther Animal Clinic, 1955

Houma

Lyons Specialty Company LLC, 1923 Port Allen

Two Maids and a Mop, 2015 Baton Rouge

Frantz-Gibson Painting Company LLC, 2011

Baton Rouge

Keely Thorne Events, 2008 Houston

Manheim Architecture Inc., 2009 Saint Charles, Illinois

Facilities Maintenance Management LLC, 2010 Denham Springs

SEJ Services LLC, 2011 Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina

Ryan Gootee General Contractors LLC, 2004 Metairie

Highflyer Human Resources LLC, 2016 Baton Rouge

Launch Media, 2005 Baton Rouge

Answering Bureau Inc., 1954 Carencro

Keys Graphics, 1998 Baton Rouge

Vivid Ink Graphics, 1999 Baton Rouge

Pinnacle Group Insurance and Financial Services, 1992 Lafayette

ITinspired, 2013 Baton Rouge

Argent Financial Group Inc., 1990 Ruston 74. Quality Engineering & Surveying LLC, 2009 Port Vincent

75. Pontchartrain Partners LLC, 2009 New Orleans

Carter & Hatcher Consulting, 2007 Houston

Cane River Pecan Company, 1983 New Iberia

VGraham LLC,  2012 Baton Rouge

MAPP LLC, 1991 Baton Rouge

80. Gulfgate Construction LLC, 1999 Lafayette

ThreeSixtyEight, 2011 Baton Rouge

Perry Dampf Dispute Solutions, 2002 Baton Rouge

Reputation Capital Media Services, 2011 Baton Rouge 84. BJackson Enterprises LLC, 2014 Katy, Texas 85. The Bridal Boutique by MaeMe, 2010 Metairie 86. Cadence, 2010 Fort Lauderdale, Florida

87. Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry, 1978 Baton Rouge

88. Louisiana Orthopaedic Specialists LLC, 2008 Lafayette 89. Pearl Events Austin, 2010 Austin

90. ROSA Enterprises Corporation, 2008....... Baton Rouge

91. Romph Pou Agency, 1981 Shreveport 92. SSE Steel Fabrication, 1996 St. Bernard 93. Netchex, 2003 Covington 94. Greenleaf Lawson Architects, 2014 .................Covington 95. The Pangburn Group Inc., 1996 New Roads 96. Ritter Maher Architects, 2003 Baton Rouge

97. B & G Food Enterprises LLC, 1982 Morgan City 98. Gauthier Amedee, 1998 Gonzales

99. Red River Bank, 1999 Alexandria

100. Investar Bank, 2006 Baton Rouge

TIGER ROAR: Stephen Toups is president and CEO of Turner Industries, the top company on this year’s LSU Roaring 10 list.

Company, Year Founded HQ Location

HQ Location Company, Year Founded HQ Location Company, Year Founded HQ Location

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The Leadership Academy was an incredible experience. I gained so much knowledge about how to be a great leader, and I was immediately able to apply that knowledge to my career. It allowed me to expand my professional network and to learn from others outside of my field.”

MARY MOWAD GUITEAU, IIDA, IFMA, Holly & Smith Architects, APAC

The Leadership Academy allowed me to grow- both personally and professionally- while connecting with a wide array of peers in the Greater Baton Rouge area. Cultivating relationships with these folks from such diverse backgrounds and industries proved to have immense value throughout the program. Highly recommend!”

MYLES LAROUX, Highland Wealth - Northwestern Mutual

BANKING & FINANCE

Richard Beaugh has been hired by Investar Bank as corporate marketing and communications director. Beaugh is a seasoned communications and market ing professional whose exper tise spans traditional and digital media platforms as well as data analysis. He will be responsible for developing and implement ing innovative marketing and communication strategies to rep resent the company to current and future clients, as well as to employees. He previously served as director of strategy for JCW Creative and director of com munications for Catholic High School of Baton Rouge.

Amanda Robertson has been promoted to operations direc tor of VGraham, a boutique con sulting firm offering outsourced financial and controllership ser vices. Robertson, a CPA, joined VGraham in 2021 as a director. In her new role, she is responsi ble for capturing and prioritizing client needs while streamlining internal workflows to meet de mands and ensure quality and

timely delivery of services. She has more than 20 years of diverse experience in accounting, audit ing and financial analysis.

Ricky Sparks has joined the Bank of St. Francisville as execu tive vice president, commercial lending. He has more than 28 years of experience in community banking in Greater Baton Rouge and has served in various senior and executive management posi tions. Sparks comes to BSF from Investar Bank, where he served as commercial market manager/ Feliciana market president. Prior to that he was senior executive officer at Highlands Bank, man aging bank-wide operations and guiding the East Feliciana-based institution through its merger with Investar in December 2017.

COMMUNICATIONS

Jonathan Shelley has been named director of news for WBRZ. Shelley was appointed to oversee the station’s news opera tions after holding a similar job in the Midwest. Shelley is returning to Louisiana where his sons were born and where he and his wife have family. Shelley was previ ously news director at WDSU TV in New Orleans. There, he over saw the station’s redevelopment after Hurricane Katrina. Shelley managed the south Louisiana newsroom for nearly 10 years be fore moving to a family-owned television station in Indiana.

EDUCATION

Three LSU Manship School of Mass Communication

faculty members have joined the school’s administrative team this fall as associate deans. They are Joshua Darr, associate dean for research and strategic initia tives; Nathan Kalmoe, interim associate dean for undergradu ate studies and administration; and Meghan Sanders, associ ate dean for research and grad uate studies. Darr, Kalmoe and Sanders join Manship School interim Dean Josh Grimm in ad ministration. Together, they are responsible for recruitment and retention, curriculum and course development, faculty research and planning, and strategic initiatives.

Adam McCloskey has been named director of the Louisiana Small Business Development

On behalf of the entire Rotolo’s team - we congratulate you. Under your leadership, over the last 3 years, the Rotolo’s brand significantly advanced. We appreciate your continued hard work. You deserve this accolade. Congratulations on Forty under Forty - We look forward to your continued success - Mitch Rotolo - and The Rotolo’s Corporation.

ROTOLOS.COM

Brad Mire, president of Rotolo’s

RICHARD BEAUGH Investar Bank AMANDA ROBERTSON VGraham RICKY SPARKS Bank of St. Francisville

JONATHAN SHELLEY WBRZ

JOSHUA DARR LSU NATHAN KALMOE LSU

Center at LSU. At LSU, McCloskey leads an office that provides no-cost consulting to small business and aspiring en trepreneurs in the nine-par ish Capital Region. McCloskey previously served as associate director for the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of West Florida in Pensacola. He joined the cen ter in 2016 and was promoted to associate director a year later. In 2019, McCloskey won the SBDC’s top award for consulting, the Florida SBDC Network State Star. In 2021, he won the first annual UWF College of Business Dean’s Choice Award.

Juan Martinez, a professor in pathobiological sciences, is the new director of graduate educa tion for LSU Vet Med. The direc torship is a senior-level faculty position that oversees the op eration of all graduate educa tion programs at LSU Vet Med. Martinez will work to promote the recruitment, retention and success of students in numer ous graduate and dual degree programs.

HEALTH CARE

Brian Cordasco has been named vice president of hos pital and clinic operations for Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital. Cordasco previously served as senior director for Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health, where he focused largely on general and specialty pe diatric operations. In his new role, Cordasco will continue to support Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health physician prac tices and will oversee hospi tal operations for the Children’s Hospital.

Janice Lamy has been named chief marketing officer for Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System. Lamy brings more than 30 years of health care

marketing and communications experience to the role, having worked in faith-based, not-forprofit, and for-profit health sys tems across the Gulf South. For the past four years, she has served as the health system’s vice president of marketing.

MARKETING

Melissa Bouligny Carter has been hired by the Baton Rouge Area Chamber to serve as se nior vice president of market ing. Carter comes to BRAC from Ruby Slipper Restaurant Group, where she served as director of brand marketing from 2019 to 2022. Carter will develop and execute BRAC’s organizational messaging, manage regional advertising across digital and

traditional media in the Baton Rouge area and support BRAC’s internal and external market ing needs. Additionally, Carter will support regional and statelevel initiatives to create a more competitive region for business growth and talent development, particularly through the organi zation’s new regional jobs portal, BR Works, large-scale talent mar keting campaigns within and out side of the region and promoting awareness of BRAC and BRING IT campaign initiatives through public relations and advertising.

NONPROFITS

Dee Blake has been selected as executive director of the Baton Rouge Zoo Foundation after a national search. The

MEGHAN SANDERS LSU ADAM MCCLOSKEY LSU

JUAN MARTINEZ LSU BRIAN CORDASCO OLOL Children’s Hospital

JANICE LAMY FMOLHS

BRZF—formerly Friends of the Baton Rouge Zoo—engaged Emergent Method, a Baton Rouge-based management con sulting firm, to coordinate the comprehensive national search. Blake relocated from North Carolina to Baton Rouge in late August. Blake brings 30 years of leadership and management ex perience collaborating with staff, volunteers, the community and boards of directors at the lo cal and national level. Most re cently, she served as the western region director of development at the North Carolina Masonic Foundation.

RESEARCH

Jean Cowan, a researcher and project manager with a long

history in coastal work, has joined The Water Institute as a senior project manager. Cowan’s career spans more than 35 years and includes 15 years conducting applied research at academic ma rine science laboratories followed by more than 20 years in govern ment positions conducting eco system restoration. Cowan has been instrumental in Louisiana coastal area comprehensive plan ning and in the development of the first Louisiana Coastal Master Plan in 2007. Most re cently, Cowan was director of the ecosystem restoration programs for the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council.

TECHNOLOGY

Clourth Wilson has been

named director of technol ogy at the Southern University Ag Center and the College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer Sciences. The ap pointment was approved by the Southern University Board of Supervisors during its Sept. 16 meeting. Wilson previously served as assistant director of information technology for the Southern University System and as an adjunct professor in Southern University’s computer science department for online courses.

OTHER

Robert Burgess has taken the helm at the Ascension Parish Chamber of Commerce as CEO and president. Burgess is a

longtime member of the Capital Region business community with a storied history of leadership. A native of Lafayette, Burgess served as an active-duty Navy of ficer before a career in telecom munications as president and COO of Eatel (now REV) and Gulf Coast Wireless. He served as pres ident and CEO of St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, and interim CEO of Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge.

Kim Marousek has been named director of planning for CPEX. Marousek is a certified planner with 28 years of commu nity planning experience at the regional, parish, municipal and neighborhood scales. She has specialized in working with local governments, leading commu nity planning efforts, and finding creative solutions to address local issues. She also has experience in post-disaster recovery and longterm community resilience build ing. Understanding local values and goals while considering big ideas underpin her approach when working with local commu nities.

DEE BLAKE BR Zoo Foundation

JEAN COWAN The Water Institute CLOURTH WILSON Southern University

KIM MAROUSEK CPEX

MELISSA BOULIGNY CARTER Baton Rouge Area Chamber

2022 Louisiana Business Symposium celebrates Baton Rouge’s best companies and top CEOs

BUSINESS REPORT and the Louisiana Business Symposium sponsors hosted the 2022 Best Places to Work Breakfast and Top 100 Luncheon to sold out crowds on October 4 at The Crowne Plaza Executive Center.

The day began with the Best Places to Work Awards Breakfast,

unveiling the top 60 companies in the Baton Rouge area. The top two companies in each small, medium, and large category were recognized with a special award.

The program concluded with a panel discussion, moderated by Julio Melara, with the top winners from each category and Peter

Burke of Workforce Research Group.

The Top 100 Luncheon followed with an enthusiastic audience gathered to honor the CEOs of the Top 100 private companies in the Capital Region. In a keynote address, Economist Loren Scott revealed his economic trends

forecast for Louisiana and Baton Rouge in 2023-2024.

Presented by Business Report, the Louisiana Business Symposium was sponsored by REV Business, LWCC, b1BANK, Mercedes-Benz of Baton Rouge and WAFB.

A sold out crowd celebrating the Best Places to Work honorees.

Large company winners: IEM, second place; Gresham Smith, first place

Medium company winners: The Pangburn Group, second place; Stirling Properties, first place

Small company winners: 365 Labs, second place; Baton Rouge Youth Coalition, first place

Peter Burke, Mayor Sharon Weston-Broome, Julio Melara and Jody Hammett

Jude Melville, Josh Descant, Will Campbell, Julio Melara

Julio Melara moderated an insightful panel with the top three companies and Peter Burke.

Rhoman Hardy, Garret Graves, Carissa Graves, Hillar Moore, Stephen McCollister

Dr. Loren Scott delivers his exclusive economic forecast.

Amanda Hamilton and Laurie Lipsey Aronson

Christel Slaughter with Simone and Sophia Riley

Shane Morrison, John D’Angelo, Stephen Toups, Sito Narcisse

Johnny Ahysen, Dr. Loren Scott, Mike Stiltner and Hess Crockett

Jonathan Peyton and Marty Mackey with CMA Technologies

BUSINESS FLASHBACK

THE YEAR: 1997

In this 1997 cover package, Business Report profiles legendary Louisiana chef John Folse and details his empire, which at the time included the now-closed Lafitte’s Landing in Donaldsonville. Folse, while launching several companies over the course of the ‘80s and early ’90s, is credited for masterminding a one-man marketing campaign focusing on Louisiana, its food and its culture. After the story was published, Folse went on to open Bittersweet Plantation Dairy in Gonzales, which has since closed, as well as a restaurant in the French Quarter. Inducted into the Business Report Hall of Fame in 2021, Folse has authored more than a half-dozen cookbooks that have become staples of cookbook collections.

“Last year, Nicholls State University paid Folse the ultimate compliment by naming its new cooking school after him. Last month, the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute became the nation’s only such school qualified to offer a bachelor of science degree. Between crafting cookbooks, designing a new set of china for the Governor’s Mansion, traveling out of state for catering events, and maneuvering among his properties in Donaldsonville, Gonzales, Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Folse is teaching courses in Cajun and Creole cooking at the school. ‘I saw that there was a lot of excitement about Louisiana cooking. The people were in awe of it,’ remembers Folse (regarding the beginning of his career). ‘It didn’t take me long to realize there’s a whole world out there just for the taking. If you want it, it’s there!’”

—From the March 4, 1997, issue of Business Report

+ ALSO FROM THAT ISSUE ...

GOT MILK?: Farmers say lower wholesale prices being paid to them are not being passed on to consumers.

WISHING WELL: Louisiana’s capital outlay budget has become a grab bag for fundraising local projects, but Gov. Mike Foster’s administration promises to end that.

Norisha Kirts Glover

PHOTOGRAPHY BY COLLIN RICHIE

OWNER, NRK CONSTRUCTION

“So much of my life demands a strict schedule because of work and being a parent. On road trips, I explore.We know the destination at the end of the day, but what happens in between and on the way is up to us.”