Issuu

ST. GEORGE HEADS TO COURT

TROUBLED (DRINKING) WATERS

MAY 2022 • BUSINESSREPORT.COM

2022 INFLUENTIAL

WOMEN IN BUSINESS HONORING 9 WOMEN LEADERS WHO ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE CAPITAL REGION.

CONCERN OVER CATS

Elevating and Empowering Our Organization at Every Level

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Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022

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CONTENTS

Publisher: Julio Melara

EDITORIAL

Editorial Director: Penny Font Executive Editor: JR Ball Managing Editor: Allan Schilling Online News Editor: Deanna B. Narveson Staff Writers: Julia-Claire Evans, David Jacobs Digital Content Editor: Dillon Lowe Contributing Writers: Sam Barnes, Tom Cook, Maggie Heyn Richardson, Chelsea Brasted, Emily Kern Hebert Contributing Photographers: Brian Baiamonte, Marie Constantin, Don Kadair, Tim Mueller, Collin Richie

2022 INFLUENTIAL

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

ADVERTISING

Sales Director: Kelly Lewis Senior Account Executives: Marielle Land-Howard, Mary Katherine Bernard Account Executives: Gabi Bivins Porter, Angie Laporte, Meredith LaBorde Advertising Coordinators: Devyn MacDonald, Brittany Nieto

HONORING 9 WOMEN LEADERS WHO ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE CAPITAL REGION.

STUDIO E

Director: Taylor Gast Editor: Lisa Tramontana Content Strategist: Allyson Guay Multimedia Strategy Manager: Tim Coles Account Executive: Judith LaDousa

MARKETING

PHOTOGRAPHY BY COLLIN RICHIE

COVER STORY - PAGE 25

Marketing & Events Assistant: Taylor Falgout Events: Abby Hamilton

ADMINISTRATION

Business Manager: Tiffany Durocher Business Associate: Kirsten Milano Office Coordinator: Sara Hodge Receptionist: Cathy Varnado Brown

PRODUCTION/DESIGN

STARTUP 6 Big Story: St. George moves from court of public appeal to an actual courtroom 9 3 Things to Know: Kenneth Campbell 11 Entrepreneur: Jacob Bennett 13 What One Thing: Tupac de la Cruz

28 Lauren McCall Fitch Chief Operating Officer, Hannis T. Bourgeois

49 Aspire to be influential? Advice from this year’s class of Influential Women in Business

31 Beverly Haydel President/CEO, Sequitur Consulting

NEWS

36 Kim Mulkey Head Women’s Basketball Coach, LSU

14 Data Bank: Numbers tell the story

AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT

55 Troubled waters The Southern Hills Aquifer is a critical Capital Region asset, but overuse has it under threat from saltwater intrusion.

34 Ginger Laurent CEO, Louisiana Bankers Association

VIEWPOINT

38 Catherine O’Neal Chief Medical Officer/Associate Professor of Clinical MedicineInfectious Disease, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center

59 Rolfe McCollister: CATS has too many lives—and should privatize

40 Kim Hunter Reed Commissioner of Higher Education, Board of Regents

YOUR BUSINESS

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

43 Renita Williams Thomas Principal and CEO, In Loving Arms HealthCare for Kids

64 Moving Up

26 Karen Breaux Human Resources Director, Postlethwaite & Netterville

46 Jane Verret President and CEO, Campus Federal Credit Union

17 Design: The Lodge at Lane 18 Tom Cook: Residential market is extremely strong 20 Bottom Line: Economic indicators 22 Business Lunch: Juban’s Restaurant

60 JR Ball: The curious case of Bodi White

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Audience Development Director and Digital Manager: James Hume Audience Development Coordinator: Ivana Oubre A publication of Melara Enterprises, LLC Chairman: Julio Melara Executive Assistant: Brooke Motto Vice President: Penny Font Chief Operating Officer: Guy Barone Chairman Emeritus: Rolfe H. McCollister Jr. Circulation/Reprints 225-928-1700 email: circulation@businessreport.com Subscriptions/Customer Service 225-928-1700 email: circulation@businessreport.com Volume 40 - Number 11

62 Company News 66 The List: Technology consultants and IT services firms 69 Flashback: 2000 70 Passion: Lori Bertman | Hockey

CONNECT WITH US:

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Production Manager: Jo Glenny Art Director: Hoa Vu Senior Graphic Designer: Melinda Gonzalez Graphic Designers: Emily Witt, Ashlee Digel

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©Copyright 2022 by Melara Enterprises, LLC. All rights reserved by LBI. The Greater Baton Rouge Business Report (USPS 721-890 ISSN 0747-4652) is published monthly by Louisiana Business Inc. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Business address: 9029 Jefferson Hwy., Ste. 300, Baton Rouge, LA 70809. Telephone (225) 928-1700. Periodicals postage is paid at Baton Rouge, La. Subscription rate is $78.00 for 12 issues, with 2 additional issues published annually in April and December. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Greater Baton Rouge Business Report, 9029 Jefferson Hwy. Ste. 300, Baton Rouge, LA 70809. The Greater Baton Rouge Business Report cannot be responsible for the return of unsolicited material—manuscripts or photographs, with or without the inclusion of a stamped, self-addressed return envelope. Information in this publication is gathered from sources considered to be reliable, but the accuracy and completeness of the information cannot be guaranteed. No information expressed here constitutes a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any securities.

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BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022 | BusinessReport.com

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ISTOCK/PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY HOA VU

STARTUP

TH E B IG STORY

St. George moves from court of public appeal to an actual courtroom THE DEAL: Almost three years after the election, the potential incorporation of St. George will have its proverbial day (literally a week) in court. WHY IT MATTERS: Supporters say St. George will have better services and schools than residents could ever hope for when they were relying on city-parish government. Detractors see a misguided effort to splinter the parish along geographic, racial and class lines that might spell the end of the consolidated parish government. THE BACKGROUND: The St. George movement started out as a quest for an independent school district, but state lawmakers—led by then-Sen. Sharon Weston Broome—were reluctant to create a new school district without a new city. Voters who live in the proposed 6

municipality approved incorporation by a margin of 54%-46% in an October 2019 election. • While the quest for an ISD launched this odyssey, time— and changing political demographics within the parish—has also made this about creating a more right-leaning hamlet, with greater control over self-generated tax dollars, in an increasingly left-leaning East Baton Rouge Parish. WHY IT’S HAPPENING: A successful election is only one step in the incorporation process, and Broome, now mayor, and Mayor Pro Tem LaMont Cole have sued to stop it. Ad Hoc Judge Martin Coady, filling in for the recently retired William Morvant, will consider: • Whether the incorporation petition complied with the law.

• Can the proposed municipality provide services in a reasonable amount of time. • Whether incorporation itself is reasonable, which includes looking at the possible financial harm it might cause to neighboring communities (the city of Baton Rouge). THE ARGUMENT: Broome and Cole’s attorneys say the petition that voters in the St. George area approved in 2019 does not include a plan of government or budget information. Incorporation supporters intend to rely primarily on city-parish services but have not entered into any agreements to that effect. Opponents also worry about the city-parish losing tax revenue. BUT, BUT, BUT: Supporters counter that a basic budget outline has been published,

they’ve made clear what’s believed to be “reasonable” compensation for the use of city-parish services and, most importantly, they’ve done everything the law requires to incorporate. PLAYING CATCH-UP: Probably the biggest takeaway from the pretrial hearings was that Coady ruled unconstitutional a provision of the East Baton Rouge Parish plan of government limiting the number of cities in the parish, which means a parishwide election would not be necessary for incorporation if the defendants prevail and the ruling is upheld. WHAT’S NEXT: The trial was scheduled to start May 2 at the 19th Judicial District Court in Baton Rouge and last for a week. Regardless of the result, the loser is likely to appeal.

BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022 | BusinessReport.com

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Influential women are how our University began 99 years ago. As we approach our centennial, we remember those courageous women who came before us, who had a vision and mission to serve and change our community for the better.

5414 Brittany Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70808 | (225) 768-1700 | franu.edu Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022

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BATON ROUG E

ED K N A R AREA HOSPITALS ARE

TO THE BATON ROUGE HEALTHCARE COMMUNITY! “In the midst of uncertainty, these hospitals acted quickly to deploy strategies to support staff and provided top-notch care for their patients and community.” –HEALTHGRADES

Baton Rouge General Mid City – With The Baton Rouge Clinic’s Hospital Medicine Group

BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022 | BusinessReport.com

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STARTUP

EXECUTIVE BRIEFING

3 THINGS TO KNOW:

KENNETH CAMPBELL CEO, New Schools for Baton Rouge

Kenneth Campbell is a former U.S. soldier. Following high school, Campbell enlisted in the Army, serving eight years active duty in Europe and the U.S. and another 13 years in the reserves. After leaving active duty, Campbell began working at an educational organization similar to New Schools, in Washington, D.C. “I’ve been doing this kind of work since 1991,” he says. Campbell retired from military life at the rank of captain in 2005.

Campbell spent three years in Qatar converting public schools to charter schools. During his experience in the Middle East, he saw the need for community leaders to take responsibility for local educational programming. “It’s very complex, but I love that business leaders are rolling up their sleeves, getting hands on, contributing money and thinking, ‘How do we fix this?’”

DON KADAIR

While new to the executive team, Campbell has been on the board for New Schools for Baton Rouge since 2015. In his new role as CEO, he wants the organization to work collaboratively with the local school district and other organizations to solve staffing issues. “I would love to see us, as a city, take a run at a new tax plan to fund early childhood education.”

Juban’s Restaurant “I haven’t been since they closed. I’m excited to see the new offerings and the new space.”

Cooking “I like experimenting with new dishes. I do a lot of work on the grill, but inside I make shrimp and grits, and pork chops.”

Traveling “I love being able to get on a plane and see a new community.”

COURTESY KENNETH CAMPBELL

ISTOCK

COLLIN RICHIE

FAVORITE THINGS:

Reading “When I traveled, I used to bring three or four books with me. The invention of the Kindle was great.”

‘Radical Candor’ by Kim Scott “This is the best book about receiving and giving feedback and caring deeply about those you work with.”

His back patio “I just extended my patio. It’s a great spot to relax.”

Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022

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Carefully check this ad for: CORRECT ADDRESS • CORRECT PHONE NUMBER • ANY TYPOS ADVE RTI S E M E NT This ad design © Louisiana Business, Inc. 2022. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329

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Sarah Gardner

The Flores MBA program enhanced my leadership skills and poised me to be a better presenter in the professional workplace by connecting me with competitive speaking opportunities. The program equipped me with the confidence to network with C-suite leaders in our community and gave me the opportunity to direct teams firsthand on multinational projects through in-depth, realworld projects with classmates from around the US and around the world.

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THE PERKS ARE GREAT. LSU’s Flores MBA professors are invested in their students success in the professional world beyond graduation. While Gaylynne and Sarah were students in the MBA program, both demonstrated extraordinary leadership skills. They were actively engaged in the classroom, and involved in numerous student activities. It does not surprise me that they have taken their skill sets to the next level in their respective professions, while significantly improving our community. —J. S. Fargason LSU Flores MBA Program Lee D. and Cynthia C. Bloch Professor

BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022 | BusinessReport.com

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STARTUP

ENTREPRENEUR

Jacob Bennett

Founder, Agenda Trading Company

WHAT THEY DO:

Branded apparel and accessories

WEBSITE:

agendatradingcompany.com

NEXT GOALS:

Improve marketing and increase branded sales

DEFEND NATURE Jacob Bennet grew up in Denham Springs skateboarding and jamming out to punk rock. He first began experimenting with screen printing shirts as a teenager while in a band and working at a print shop for a short time after graduating high school. At 23, Bennett returned to screen printing and went to work for a print shop in Clinton, where he worked for the next decade while slowly getting his own custom printing company off the ground. “When I started it, it was just me. I had never made a brand, so it’s evolved over time and it’s continuing to grow.”

TAKE A HIKE In 2015, he quit his full-time job to focus on his business, and the next year he launched his brand, Agenda Trading Company. Originally, Bennett didn’t have a grand vision of what he wanted Agenda to be and calls the brand’s aesthetic a combination of his interests—the outdoors, traditional tattoos and punk rock. “While brainstorming the brand, my wife asks me, ‘What’s your agenda?’ That’s where the name comes from.” Along with apparel, Bennett also designs stickers, patches and hats.

‘FOREVER THE WANDERER’

“I have two little boys, and working from home, I can see them all day long. As an entrepreneur, I make my own schedule and there’s a ton of added family time, like long lunch breaks to walk to the park.”

Over the years, as sales of his branded products have increased, Bennett has cut down on custom screen printing orders for clients. “Starting my own business was the one thing I always knew I wanted to do. I don’t like working for other people, so out of necessity I had to become my own boss.” In the future, he wants to expand Agenda by offering camping supplies such as hammocks and backpacks. While his products are in a few local stores, Bennett says most of his business comes from online sales—the majority from his Instagram—and local pop-up markets. “I think the pandemic has changed how people will do business in the future. People are now considering entrepreneurship—you can work from home.” —By Holly Duchmann • Photography by Collin Richie

Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022

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STARTUP

INSIGHT WHAT ON E TH I NG…

Worries you about business or the community? You must choose between seeing the glass half empty or half full. I choose half full. By seeing it half empty, you worry and may miss out on wonderful opportunities that may be in front of you. Do not focus on things outside of your control. There is nothing you can do about it.

COLLIN RICHIE

Tupac de la Cruz, founder of Roofing Solutions, left Costa Rica at age 16 and now runs one of the nation’s largest commercial roofing companies. De la Cruz was honored as Young Businessperson of the Year by Business Report and Junior Achievement at the 2022 Business Awards & Hall of Fame banquet in March. —Julia-Claire Evans

Dream without boundaries

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DATA BANK

assurance - consulting - tax - technology

Numbers tell the story +9.5% Number of businesses in the Capital Region compared to before the pandemic

ISTOCK IMAGES

1,575

Number of new businesses in East Baton Rouge Parish compared to before the pandemic

2nd

Louisiana’s ranking on list of states as being most dangerous for bicyclists

$10

Karen Breaux Human Resources Director

MILLION

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$9,748

Annual cost of feeding a family of four in Louisiana

-17%

Decrease in annual average property tax bill in Louisiana

$760 | $1,024

Median weekly earnings of women working in Louisiana versus earnings of men, as of 2020

SOURCE: Baton Rouge Area Chamber, Personal injury law firm Dolman Law, Daily Report, The Center Square, Economic Policy Institute, ATTOM, Bureau of Labor Statistics

BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022 | BusinessReport.com

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EBR Parish students will benefit from new Focus Choice schools partnership programs

edical school is notoriously competitive. Aside from grades and test scores, candidates who can demonstrate their interest and commitment to medicine from an early age stand out in the sea of applicants. Preparing for the medical field means looking ahead, and the East Baton Rouge Parish School System is expanding its portfolio to offer students a cohort of Focus Choice Schools for the 2022-2023 school year. For students who know they want to enter medical or environmental fields, and even for those who don’t, EBR Focus Choice Schools will enhance problem-solving and criticalthinking skills essential to future success in any field. EBR’s new Focus Choice Schools are small eco-models focusing on specialized themes on a smaller scale. The programs are heavily influenced by agreements with postsecondary institutions, hospitals, businesses, or industries, assisting the district with implementation, providing systemic, direct support for students and teachers.

EXPLORING WITH PURPOSE Focus Choice Schools are designed to provide parents with options to expand those currently offered by the district. Students at these specialized schools will benefit in several ways with the opportunity to: • Choose programs centered around their interests. • Graduate from high school with an associate degree and a high school diploma ready for a demanding market. • Better prepare to enter the workforce with high-level skills and knowledge. • Access to a number of differentiated K-12 specialized programs with postsecondary institution or specialized industry partnerships.. Park Elementary transitions to a new exploratory model, Park Medical Academy Elementary. A partnership with the Baton Rouge General Medical System creates a strong foundation and helps students develop and apply leadership, social, civic, and health care skills in a professional setting. 16

“Baton Rouge General is excited to help students build an educational foundation that will not only prepare them for the future, but ensure they have the knowledge, resources and skills necessary to achieve their employment goals in medicine, healthcare or other industries.” EDGARDO TENREIRO CEO, BATON ROUGE GENERAL MEDICAL CENTER

Phase one begins in the 2022-2023 school year with a PK-6 phase-in approach that will provide a year of planning for the district and the medical center to adjust and redefine the instructional process to meet the needs of students as they matriculate to high school. The project-based exploratory model will include courses in forensics, medical technology, pharmaceutical, nursing, and clinical studies, which will serve as a catalyst for theme-based opportunities aligned with programs at the high school level. The Eva Legard Center for Coastal and Environmental Studies will play a key role in addressing the current and future needs of the environmental industry. Through a partnership with LSU, the Focus Choice school will offer courses in environmental erosion, wetlands conservation, soil and native ecosystems, mitigation, and conservation efforts. Students who graduate from the program will be guaranteed admission into LSU. LSU and the Water Institute of the Gulfare helping to design the rigorous, project-based outdoor model to engage students in a STEM-focused environment. The goal of the

“LSU is enthusiastic to take on this challenging and important project. The College of the Coast and Environment, can offer students a unique educational opportunity. This Focus Choice model has the potential to be an excellent example for other school-university partnerships to emulate.”

“Our families have a lot of choices when it comes to education. Our goal is to become the premier educational choice for the Capitol Region. By creating Focus Choice schools across the district, we’re creating unique, individualized and tailored educational experiences for our students where they can explore and grow their talents and passions in an enriching environment.” SITO NARCISSE, ED.D. SUPERINTENDENT, EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM

program is to develop and expand the pipeline of scientists and researchers knowledgeable about the environmental issues and challenges in Louisiana. Students will be introduced to fundamental problems utilizing the thematic, expeditionary, and exploratory learning practices taught by trained LSU teachers and staff. Visit ebrfocus.org to learn more about these exciting programs.

CHRISTOPHER F. D’ELIA, PH.D. PROFESSOR AND DEAN, COLLEGE OF COAST AND ENVIRONMENT LSU

BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022 | BusinessReport.com

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STARTUP

REAL ESTATE

DESIGN

THE LODGE AT LANE

6170 Carpenter Road, Zachary PHOTOGRAPHY BY TIM MUELLER

Owner: Hometown Healthcare Management Architects: Ritter Maher Architects Contractor: Milton J. Womack Cost: $14.4 million Date completed: March 2022 Use: Senior living FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION: “It was important for us to have comfort, safety, convenience and an at-home feeling to our facility. We have three distinct units under one roof—assisted living, a memory care unit, and a long-care and skilled nursing unit. In our assisted living unit, we have beautifully decorated common areas, accessible courtyards and centralized dining and recreation areas.” —Tamara Dayton, director of The Lodge at Lane

1. The recently opened Lodge at Lane senior living facility, located near Lane Regional Medical Center in Zachary, offers assisted living, memory care and long-term care within separate areas of the campus. 2. The spacious main lobby with a gas fireplace conveys a warm resort atmosphere, providing a relaxing place for families to gather. 3. A bank of windows opening to a courtyard allows plenty of natural light to fill the main dining room. Warm tones and open space impart a simple, country feel. 4. The theater offers large, comfortable seats, a 90-inch TV and sound-dampening walls.

Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022

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STARTUP

REAL ESTATE

Residential market is extremely strong

TOM COOK THE COMMERCIAL investment division of the Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors produces the annual TRENDS seminar. There is a wealth of information provided on all property types in both the seminar and the publication that is presented that day. For the past few years, I have been privileged to chair the residential committee and write the published report. This year’s seminar was scheduled for April 28.

The amount of research done, and work put in, to provide an outstanding seminar and publication is immense. This column is a brief overview of what was to be presented in the residential portion of the seminar and publication. The data studied includes all sales reported to the Greater Baton Rouge Area multiple listing service, which includes East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Livingston, Ascension, Iberville, Pointe Coupee, East Feliciana, and West Feliciana parishes. Sales reported to the MLS represent over 80% of the residential real estate transactions in the Baton Rouge metropolitan statistical area. The study includes nearly $3.8 billion in sales reported by more than 3,500 members and affiliates. The study applies to market data from January 2015 to January 2022. The Greater Baton Rouge residential market continues to be extremely strong. Dramatic

increases in sales volume and median sales prices, along with decreases in inventory and the time it takes to sell homes, indicate strong demand for residential housing. While the average annual increase in dollar volume for the previous four years was 4.99%, it rose 21.18% from 2020 to 2021 after increasing 21.95% the previous year. Residential markets in most sectors have been healthy, showing increases in volume, but the increase from 2019 to 2021 was much higher than previous years. Total sales volume reported to the Greater Baton Rouge MLS was $2.57 billion in 2019 and rose to $3.79 billion in 2021. The median home price also increased from $220,000 in 2020 to $239,000 in 2021, an 8.64% jump, while increases from 2015 to 2019 averaged 2.59%. Meanwhile, inventory decreased, with the median months of supply dropping 54.29% from 2020 to 2021 after falling 28.57% the year before.

The average change in median months of supply from 2015 to 2019 was an increase of 2.4%. Homes also sold more quickly, dropping from a median number of days on market of 26 in 2020 to just seven in 2021. Supply chain problems, political turmoil and the pandemic shutdown don’t appear to have adversely impacted the Greater Baton Rouge residential market to any great degree and most indicators point to its strength. Dollar volume and median prices have risen significantly, while inventory and the time a home stays on the market have drastically fallen. This all points to a strong sellers’ market and agents are reporting that homes in good locations are getting multiple offers, some of which are above list price. Tom Cook of Cook, Moore, Davenport and Associates has been an independent real estate appraiser for more than 20 years.

Congratulations

Dr. Catherine O’Neal! 2022 Influential Women in Business Honoree

We are proud to have you on our team.

BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022 | BusinessReport.com

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STARTUP

ECONOMY

East Baton Rouge Parish unemployment rate in February 2022

13.0 12.0 11.0 10.0 9.0 8.0 7.0 6.0 5.0 4.8 4.6 4.4 4.2 4.0 3.8 3.6 3.4 3.2

UNEMPLOYMENT TRACKER

$255,000

Median home sale price for East Baton Rouge Parish for March 2022

M A M J

A S O N D J F 22 2021

Tax dollars (millions)

21 20 19 18 17 16 15 SALES TAX 14 TRACKER 13 • Please respond by e-mail or fax with your approval or minor revisions. Sales tax collections in 12 are received within 24 hours • AD WILLBaton RUN AS Rouge IS unless Parish approval or final revisions East J FforM M J J A S O N D J from receipt of this proof. A shorter timeframe will apply tightAdeadlines. for January 2022 • Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees. 2021

$17.1 MILLION Issue Date: May 2022 Ad proof #1

66 64 62 60 58 56 54 52 50 48 46 44 42 40 38 36 34

RIG TRACKER

REAL ESTATE TRACKER

A S O N D 2021 13-month comparison

F M ’22

CASINO REVENUE TRACKER

Rigs operating inland and offshore Louisiana (as of April 22)

26 25 24 23 Collective revenue (millions)

3.6%

Unemployment percentage

The latest indicators giving insight on how well Baton Rouge’s economy is performing. BY HOLLY DUCHMANN

Sales price (thousands)

The bottom line

270 265 260 255 250 245 240 235 230 225 220 215 210 205 200

22 21 20

$25.7 MILLION

19 18 17 16 15 10 0

Total revenue earned by Baton Rouge’s three riverboat casinos in March 2022 A

S O 2021

F M 22

13-month comparison M A M J

J A S O N D J 2021

F M A 22

SOURCES: U.S. Department of Labor, Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, East Baton Rouge Parish Finance Department, Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors, Louisiana Workforce Commission, Louisiana Gaming Control Board.

CONGRATULATIONS

Beverly Sequitur Consulting! WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU!

MOORE INVESTMENTS LLC

BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022 | BusinessReport.com

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STARTUP

TASTE

JUBAN’S RESTAURANT BY MAGGIE HEYN RICHARDSON • PHOTOGRAPHY BY COLLIN RICHIE

BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, it was a foregone conclusion that the average Baton Rouge suit would have, at some point, had lunch at Juban’s. The 40-year-old, family-owned Creole restaurant at Perkins and Acadian cultivated a reputation for hosting refined business lunches as well as midday meetings for scores of professional organizations. Its large footprint and reliance on private events made staying open unsustainable during the pandemic, and the restaurant’s owners, the Juban family, decided to temporarily close. The hiatus provided time to rebrand, remodel and bring the iconic eatery into Baton Rouge’s more competitive hospitality landscape. It reopened April 4. The new design, created by Dyke Nelson Architects and X Design, is luminous and gilded, a modern version of celebratory New Orleans institutions like Commander’s Palace and Brennan’s. The main dining room, now the Hallelujah Bar, features dining tables, a large bar and an outdoor patio. The Tigre Room, a sultry “library,” behind a trick wall, is set off in rich teals, dark wood and burnt orange. It’s wallpapered in bright, colonial tigers and peacocks, while the beloved visages of Joe Burrow, D-D Breaux and others are hidden in heroic portraiture. On the plate, it’s equally old-meets-new. Chef de cuisine Chris Motto, formerly of Mansurs on the Boulevard, runs the kitchen, while managing partner and executive chef Peter Sclafani occupies a leadership role. Motto has updated Juban’s enduring dishes such as Hallelujah Crab, Redfish Adrian, and mango tasso shrimp. Among his new additions is the Ora King salmon, a buttery sustainably farmed salmon from New Zealand. It’s served with ratatouille, sautéed spinach, smoked tomato coulis and chive beurre blanc, and is topped with homemade salmon crackling that Motto prepares by dehydrating and deep frying salmon skin. “It’s one of the best fish available,” Sclafani says. “The flavor and moisture are just insane.”

Traditional favorites like the Hallelujah Crab (background) remain on the menu, but a new dish attracting attention is the Ora King salmon, a buttery, sustainably farmed salmon from New Zealand. The Victorian explorer-inspired Tigre Room is generating excitement for its sultry vibe, animal skin rugs, and a series of “paintings” of famous LSU sports personalities. A temporary closing during the height of the pandemic allowed for a complete rebrand and redesign of the iconic eatery.

ADDRESS: 3739 Perkins Road PHONE: 225-346-8422 WEB: jubans.com CUISINE: Creole fine dining CHEF/OWNER: Executive Chef, Peter Sclafani; Chef de Cuisine, Chris Motto; managed by Making Raving Fans Hospitality SCENE: Newly renovated eatery with multiple private rooms, large Atrium Bar and patio dining PRICING: $$-$$$

BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022 | BusinessReport.com

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Issue Date: May 2022 Ad proof #2 • Please respond by e-mail or fax with your approval or minor revisions. • AD WILL RUN AS IS unless approval or final revisions are received within 24 hours from receipt of this proof. A shorter timeframe will apply for tight deadlines. • Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees.

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BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022 | BusinessReport.com

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COVERSTORY

2022 INFLUENTIAL

WOMEN IN BUSINESS HONORING 9 WOMEN LEADERS WHO ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE CAPITAL REGION.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY COLLIN RICHIE

espite the many challenges, they find a way to make it all look so easy. The high-pressure careers. The growing families. The service on local boards and volunteer efforts at area nonprofits. Operating on the national stage. The 2022 Influential Women in Business balance all these demands—and more—though it hasn’t been a leisurely climb for any of this year’s nine honorees. And while their personal and career paths are varied, there are a few common threads

that emerge when speaking with the honorees about how they’ve reached this point in their lives. They take risks. They persevere in the face of failure. They have strong support networks. They believe in themselves. Participating in athletics has played a critical role for several. And at the end of a long day, they know how to decompress and recharge for the next challenge that awaits them. For 25 years now, Business Report has been honoring the incredible women in our community who are

making the Capital Region a better place to live, work and play. As you’ll learn in their profiles on the following pages, this year’s honorees have already achieved much, but they’re not anywhere near the finish line. Along with the profiles, the 2022 Influential Women in Business will be celebrated at a special luncheon on May 10. Tickets are on sale now at www.eventbrite.com/e/2022-influential-women-in-business-luncheon-tickets-266318424577.com. Individual tickets are $65; a reserved table of 10 is $650. Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022

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COVERSTORY

KAREN

BREAUX

HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR, POSTLETHWAITE & NETTERVILLE

BIO

Hometown: Baton Rouge Age: 61 Family: Daughter Whitney Breaux, son Don Breaux II, and grandchildren Jason DeCuir Jr. and Don Breaux III Years with company: 11 years

MILESTONES

1982: Earns a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from University of Louisiana at Lafayette. 1996: Becomes a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Greater Baton Rouge Society for Human Resource Management (GBR SHRM) 2011-2014: Serves on the GBR SHRM board of directors. 2015-2016: Serves as president of the Greater Baton Rouge Society for Human Resource Management. 2018-2020: Appointed as a council member for the Louisiana Society for Human Resource Management. 2018: Serves as a board director for the Cristo Rey Baton Rouge Franciscan High School. 2021: Becomes state director-elect for the Louisiana Society for Human Resource Management.

Q&A

Needed workplace changes for women It is critical we remember that the glass ceiling does not exist in the abstract. For Baton Rouge in particular, I want to see more allies for women in the workplace. Women need to receive recognition for their achievements—as wonderful as it is that women are rising to leadership positions, those achievements should be celebrated, not kept under wraps. Only when progress is made transparent to the public can other young women look in and think, “Hey, that could be me!” Best advice Ships don’t sink because of the water around them; ships sink because of the water that gets in them. Don’t let what’s happening around you get inside you and weigh you down. Hardest lesson learned Diversity in thought is key. By consistently bringing in diverse perspectives to learn from, I have been able to accomplish many of the things I have sought to achieve and more. All of us want to write our own story, but what we sometimes forget is that storytelling is a collaborative process, and no story can be complete without the voices of others.

BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022 | BusinessReport.com

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“Question the norm, don’t be afraid to surpass the status quo! Above all, invest in yourself, because you are strong, you are capable, you are powerful. You can and you will rise.”

or Karen Breaux, life is a series of moments, which, if you play them right, can teach you everything you need to know to move forward, even if the lesson isn’t immediately obvious. As the human resources director at Postlethwaite & Netterville, where she has worked for the past 11 years, Breaux is often in a unique position to help staffers navigate those moments. “When I mentor or coach people, sometimes I refer to (these) different points because there’s something typically of value that has happened that helps explain something, gives some motivation, some inspiration that helps them take another step,” she says, “because that’s how I took my steps.” One of Breaux’s first such steps was at the very beginning of her career when, after

graduating from what was then the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette), she was offered an administrative human resources role in Baton Rouge. “I came in and I worked really hard, and the people I worked with and worked for saw that, and I very quickly began my journey in HR,” Breaux says. That work ethic was something instilled in her early by her grandmother Fannie Jack, who Breaux calls a “praying woman of God.” “She instilled Christian values in all of us at a young age,” Breaux says. Another moment came some years later when she was laid off. “I’m typically the catalyst that guides those things, but it happened to me,” she says. “I couldn’t have said ‘I understand what you’re going through,’ to someone until it truly happened to me.”

The impact of that moment was at once sobering and enlightening, and it has informed Breaux’s perspective ever since when she’s in the difficult position of informing an employee that their position has been eliminated. Most recently, the moment that stands out for Breaux is one that happened not to her but to someone she dearly loves: Her daughter, Whitney, a global marketing executive for Eli Lilly and Co., was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in February 2020. The timing of the diagnosis—just before the world shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic—meant Whitney was left to handle chemotherapy and radiation appointments on her own while hospitals prevented extra visitors. Today, Whitney is doing well, but the experience, Breaux says, gave everyone in the family a new perspective, and it’s something

that has forever changed the way she thinks about work. “You do what you need to do to get the job done—being a good steward for your employer, right? And sometimes those are the important things, and they are,” Breaux says. “But there are also other important things, like taking care of self, because when you take care of self, you can be even better at what you do every day.” All of these moments have impacted Breaux in both obvious and sometimes not-so-obvious ways, and, ultimately, have driven her success at work and at home. “Life is short. When you lay down at night, there are no guarantees you’ll get up the next morning,” Breaux says. “Not knowing that, what are you doing to get the best out of each and every day?” —Chelsea Brasted

Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022

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COVERSTORY

LAUREN

MCCALL FITCH

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, HANNIS T. BOURGEOIS

BIO

Hometown: Baton Rouge Age: 38 Family: Spouse, Derek, and three children, Beckett (10), Rivers (8) and Adley (4) Years with company: 2 years

MILESTONES

2009: Graduates magna cum laude from Southern University Law Center and passes the Louisiana Bar exam. 2010: Focusing on downtown revitalization, works on two complex tax credit-funded development projects while serving as general counsel to an organization with stimulus funding administered by Louisiana Housing Corporation. 2012: Becomes a local accounting firm’s first chief operating officer at age 29. 2014: Opens Jolie Pearl Oyster Bar with husband and partners in downtown Baton Rouge. 2016: Earns Forty under 40 award from the Baton Rouge Business Report. 2019: Serves on the national board of directors for the Certified Public Accounting Firm Management Association. 2020: Becomes chief operating officer of Hannis T. Bourgeois, a nearly 100-year-old public accounting firm with offices in Baton Rouge, Denham Springs, New Orleans and Hammond.

Q&A

First experience as a leader I’ve played sports my whole life. As a setter on the volleyball team, the job is to direct the passers to send the ball over so that I could then call the play and set the ball up for the attack or spike. Always gravitating toward the shot-caller positions, I was also the pitcher on the softball team and the point guard for basketball. In each of those jobs you are under pressure to perform. Sports are a great way to prepare you for the real world as no one works completely alone; you must rely upon others to get the job done. Lesson for young people You must be resilient in your career and don’t leave too quick. Sometimes your work will need correcting and sometimes you will face a negative person in the workplace. Sometimes you must miss special moments to meet a deadline. Some people “peak” later in life and take longer to get the promotion. It’s not one isolated event or person that should direct your attention to make a rash change. Look for patterns and be patient. Follow your gut and be strategic when you are seeking out a change.

BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022 | BusinessReport.com

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“I’m a tenacious person. Don’t tell me, ‘It can’t be done,’ because I will find a way.”

f Lauren Fitch ever tells you the story of how she got to be chief operating officer at Hannis T. Bourgeois LLP, a regional CPA firm with offices across southeast Louisiana, one thing quickly becomes clear: If she knows what she wants to do, she will find a way to make it happen. That attitude is obvious even from the time before she got into law school at LSU—because she didn’t get accepted at first. “My dream was to go to law school,” she says. “Unfortunately, I’m not very good at standardized tests.” When the rejection came in, Fitch says, she scheduled a meeting with the chancellor and made her intentions known: “I said, I’m going to apply until I get in, so you might as well let me in.” And soon enough, Fitch was starting her first day of classes. “That failure of not getting in drove me to lengths I never would have done,” Fitch says. “I was an average student (in college) and I ended up graduating magna cum laude. … That failure drove me more than I think anything else would.” It turns out, it was also a good lesson in dusting herself off and getting back up, something Fitch had to do soon after graduating from law school in 2009, when most firms were laying people off in the face of the economic recession. “I ended up going to an organization and I basically told them, I’m going to be your attorney,” Fitch laughs. That organization was the Center for Planning Excellence, and what followed was a threeyear stint working for nonprofit

organizations, which ended rather abruptly. “I had to lay off the entire staff and then myself,” Fitch says. “I was like—I think I’m done with nonprofits. That was not easy, and I was very young. It was another failure.” That’s when she got an email from a friend suggesting she consider a position as COO of a CPA firm—something for which Fitch says she didn’t feel qualified to take on at the time—but she went for it anyway. “I’ve been through so many things, you can throw any fire at me and I can handle it,” Fitch says. She got the job, and for the next eight years she served as COO for Faulk & Winkler before eventually landing at Hannis T. Bourgeois, a larger firm where she’s been on the leadership team since 2020. “I’m a tenacious person. Don’t tell me, ‘It can’t be done,’ because I will find a way, which is why a COO position is where I needed to be,” Fitch says. “You’re constantly making decisions and those decisions affect the entire organization and people under you.” That’s perhaps why, Fitch says, when she considers the most impactful moments of her career, it all comes back to her first chapter when she was running into brick walls. “Even if I didn’t realize it at the time, the failure and the fact that I realized very quickly that it didn’t matter what you knew, but who you knew, and not just who you knew, but what they thought of you—that’s the most important thing,” Fitch says. “Be likable, make people smile, and be a positive person.” —Chelsea Brasted

Visionary leadership AT&T salutes the women who lead the way by always seeing beyond tomorrow — in leadership and in life. Congratulations to Commissioner of Higher Education Dr. Kim Hunter Reed for being named one of the “most inﬂuential women in business” by the Baton Rouge Business Report.

© 2022 AT&T Intellectual Property. AT&T and Globe logo are registered trademarks and service marks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T aﬃliated companies. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022

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Why do business and industrial leaders consistently place their confidence in Kean Miller? HERE ARE 72 REASONS THEY TRUST KEAN MILLER AS THEIR COUNSEL.

We are proud to recognize them in this special issue of the Baton Rouge Business Report.

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BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022 | BusinessReport.com

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COVERSTORY

BEVERLY

HAYDEL

PRESIDENT/CEO, SEQUITUR CONSULTING

BIO

Hometown: Monroe Age: 40 Family: Spouse, Dr. Justin Haydel, and two children, Marion (5) and Wilson (3) Years with company: 5 years

MILESTONES

2004: Obtains undergraduate degree in economics from Harvard University. 2004: Works on Wall Street at Goldman Sachs as an analyst in the investment banking general counsel’s office. 2009: Earns a law degree from Stanford University and begins a federal appeals court clerkship on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. 2012: Serves as an associate general counsel for the Mitt Romney for President Campaign, working on ballot access and Election Day operations 2013: Returns to Louisiana, becoming a policy adviser to Gov. Bobby Jindal, focusing primarily on health care policy. 2014: Becomes director of civic leadership initiatives at the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, helping spearhead major philanthropic and economic development projects in south Louisiana. 2017: Launches consulting business, Sequitur Consulting, focusing primarily on state and federal public policy and government relations work. 2019: Earns Forty under 40 award from the Baton Rouge Business Report.

Q&A

Needed workplace changes for women There are still many organizations or forums that many professional women view as reserved for men. Women have a unique role to play in our business community and in moving our city forward in the right direction. I hope we continue to see more women stepping up for leadership roles and taking advantage of opportunities to have input. Worst advice At 5’1”, pick another sport besides basketball. I heard that from more than one person along the way to playing college athletics. Basketball opened a lot of doors for me and more importantly, taught me how to be a leader. Hardest lesson learned That most big things take time to achieve. I am a fast mover and like to see results quickly. But over the years I’ve grown to learn that timing is everything and persistence is often more important than speed when it comes to getting things done.

Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022

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COVERSTORY

“Outwork the competition. You can’t control what talents you have, but you can control how hard you work.”

s a former collegiate basketball player, Beverly Haydel considers herself competitive by nature, a trait that has paired well with her career in political consulting. Haydel founded Sequitur Consulting in 2017 to combine her experience in both law and policy. She calls it a mix of academic work, in which she’s able to dig into issues to understand their complexities, as well as knowing what political levers can be pulled to make a difference. “I like being able to see results and a winner, and in the political world you see that,” Haydel says. “Did you win what you were trying to win? Did you make a change?” The Monroe native attended Louisiana Tech before transfering to finish her collegiate

basketball career at Harvard. Upon graduation, she began working on Wall Street in the legal office for an investment bank. That first taste of legal work, as well as being inspired by an uncle who is a federal judge, led her to pursue a law degree. She went on to complete a one-year clerkship for Judge Janice Rogers Brown, an appeals judge in Washington, D.C. Following that, she joined a D.C. law firm doing corporate litigation. But working at a law firm, where she was clocking hours most weekends, began to seem like an unsustainable career path incompatible with her desire to start a family. A former fellow clerk recruited Haydel to take a leave of absence from her law firm to work on the 2012 Mitt Romney presidential campaign, her first foray into

politics. The importance of being on a great team and working alongside people that share the same work ethic were lessons that stuck with Haydel once she stepped off the campaign trail. “It’s like going through war together,” Haydel says of the experience, which allowed her to travel the country. “You work long days but there’s a sense of team and everyone’s invested in seeing the candidate win. You want to be in the war bunker with people who share your values.” Following the election, Haydel returned to Louisiana to serve as special assistant and counsel to then-Gov. Bobby Jindal. A year and a half later, she went to the Baton Rouge Area Foundation as director of civic leadership initiatives. But it was the dream of starting a family that inevitably led Haydel to go into business

for herself and launch Sequitur Consulting in 2017. “At first, I didn’t even have a business plan with a client list and projections,” Haydel says. “My business grew organically, with people I had worked with previously calling looking for help.” Haydel says Sequitur hit its stride about two years ago, at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, Ochsner Health and the Louisiana Coalition for Access to Autism Services are among her clients. “I want to continue to be asked to work on issues that are really relevant,” Haydel says. “In the political world, next year is a big year for elections, so I hope I can be part of the dialogue and help guide those conversations.” —Holly Duchmann

BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022 | BusinessReport.com

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Issue Date: May/2022 Ad proof #2

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Doctor Open Health Care Clinic

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Regional Manager Baton Rouge Area First Guaranty Bank

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VP of Business Development Dynamic Construction Group

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President U.S. Fusion & Specialty Construction

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Regional Property Manager Wampold Companies

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Chief Operating Officer Louisiana Department of State Civil Service

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COVERSTORY

GINGER

LAURENT

CEO, LOUISIANA BANKERS ASSOCIATION

BIO

Hometown: Morganza Age: 60 Family: Spouse, Keith Miller Years with company: 22 years

MILESTONES

1992: Earns an MBA from University of Louisiana at Lafayette. 1993: Graduates as class president of the Graduate School of Banking at LSU. 1984–’99: Works as a banker in the Acadiana region. 1997: Volunteers for several statewide roles, beginning with president of Louisiana Young Bankers, University of Southwestern Louisiana Alumni board president in 1988, and state director for Louisiana Society for Human Resource Management in 1999. 2000: Joins the Louisiana Bankers Association, becoming COO in 2007 and CEO in 2022.

Q&A

A life-changing experience Working through several mergers, the process of merging cultures, operations and staff allowed me to see how decisions and the communications of those decisions affect people. Those experiences made me a better communicator. Inspiration or mentor I have worked with some incredible people, all of whom shared wisdom, helping me see different perspectives and allowing me to grow from working with them. I really try to learn from every person I meet.

BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022 | BusinessReport.com

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Issue Date: April 2022 Ad proof #1 • Please respond by e-mail or fax with your approval or minor revisions. • AD WILL RUN AS IS unless approval or final revisions are received within 24 hours from receipt of this proof. A shorter timeframe will apply for tight deadlines. • Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees.

“I have this quote posted in my office: ‘Look for something positive in each day, even if some days you have to look a little harder.’”

t all started with a phone call. Ginger Laurent’s career in banking began one summer when she was looking for some part-time student work. At just 15, her options were a little limited, but that didn’t stop her from calling the Bank of New Roads, setting an appointment with the bank president and asking for a job. It worked. “I think about that now, and how I just called the bank president and asked for a job?” Laurent laughs. “Prior to that, I didn’t think of banking as a career option.” That kind of plucky resolve has followed Laurent ever since, and today she is CEO of the Louisiana Bankers Association, working on behalf of an industry she has loved quite literally since she was a teenager. “It really has been just a tremendous opportunity all the way around,” Laurent says. “When I worked at a bank, it was an awesome experience because you got to work with a team of people, and you got to help make a difference in clients’ lives supporting the community.” For Laurent, a community-driven approach is something that comes naturally thanks to the years she spent growing up in Morganza watching her father operate and manage his welding and farm supply business. Her father had a clear focus on customer service, doing the right thing for customers and serving as a partner to them. “Customers would knock on the door and no matter what time of day or day of the week,

he’d take care of them,” Laurent recalls. “He knew they needed his piece to fulfill the thing they were doing, so if a farmer needs to get crops out of the field, then he needs to do that welding on a piece of equipment.” In the end, as Laurent explains it, she came to see work as being an integral part of a community, and that’s perhaps why her role at the LBA feels so natural, where the organization advocates on behalf of the industry, providing educational opportunities for its professionals and acting as a resource to create connections between banks and the vendors that can help them work more efficiently. “If we can provide value to the bankers who have been our partners, that is success,” Laurent says. “If we can help them with legislation, regulation, education, resources and we provide that value to them, then I think that’s why this association was created 122 years ago.” And in those 122 years, Laurent is the first woman CEO. “There’s only been about five or six CEOs before (me),” Laurent says, recalling their names on a plaque within the organization’s boardroom. But to be the first woman? “I don’t look at it that way,” she says. “I look at it as, I need to keep working hard to keep the mission moving forward and keep partnering with our bankers and making a difference. … This is my responsibility now. I need to treat it with the respect and professionalism and expertise the bankers expect and deserve.” —Chelsea Brasted

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COVERSTORY

KIM

MULKEY

HEAD WOMEN’S BASKETBALL COACH, LSU

BIO

Hometown: Hammond Age: 59 Family: Son Kramer Robertson and daughter Makenzie Fuller Years with company: 1 year

MILESTONES

1984: Plays for Team USA and becomes an Olympic gold medalist. • Only person in college basketball history—men’s or women’s—to win national championships as a head coach, assistant coach and a player. 2022: Wins 650th game as a head coach, becoming the fastest coach in men’s or women’s Division 1 college basketball history (758 games) to reach that milestone. 2021-22: In first season at LSU, leads the greatest single-season turnaround by a firstyear head coach in SEC history with a 26-6 record after taking over a team that went 9-13 the previous season. • Nine-Time National Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year. • Coached 20 players who have earned AllAmerica honors by various entities. • Student-athletes, throughout her head coaching career, have a 100% graduation rate.

Q&A

Proudest business achievement Influence young women by being a leader they want to follow. Giving them confidence in what they are doing. And lastly, show them how to handle success and failure. Hardest lesson learned How to deal with things out of your control, like death, divorce and discrimination as a 12-year-old playing baseball with boys. Best advice Always be you! Learn from other leaders and incorporate it into your own leadership style.

BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022 | BusinessReport.com

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Issue Date: May 2022 Ad2 proof #5 • Please respond by e-mail or fax with your approval or minor revisions. • AD WILL RUN AS IS unless approval or final revisions are received within 24 hours from receipt of this proof. A shorter timeframe will apply for tight deadlines. • Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees.

“You just have to know what you’re doing, and you must believe in what you’re doing.”

hey might do it through gritted teeth, but the LSU faithful usually extend a new coach a little patience. It takes time to build a winning team, fans begrudgingly concede, and a turnaround doesn’t happen overnight. Unless the coach is Kim Mulkey. Hired last April, Mulkey took the languishing LSU women’s basketball team from winning nine games during the 2020-21 season to a 26-6 record this past season. The team finished second in the SEC and secured a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament. It was the Lady Tigers’ best record since 2007-08—an about-face that earned Mulkey AP Coach of the Year for the third time. Moreover, the fun-to-watch Mulkey also accomplished what LSU Athletic Director Scott Woodward expected when he hired her: She put fans in seats. Sure, they came to watch the Lady Tigers win, but they also came to see Mulkey’s fiery energy, her balance-defying sideline squat (in heels) and her iconic courtside fashion. Mulkey’s first season brought record-setting attendance. Basketball fans nationwide know Mulkey from her decades-long career—as a collegiate player, a 1984 Olympic gold medalist and a wildly successful coach. Her 21-year career at Baylor University yielded three national championships. She also earned two as a player and one as an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech, making her the country’s most successful player-turnedcoach in college basketball history. Only Dean Smith and Bobby Knight also earned national titles as both players and coaches. For her scores of accomplishments, Mulkey will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, in May. That would be plenty to energize the fan base, but Mulkey’s status as a home state girl gives

her additional currency. The Tickfaw native and former Lady Techsters point guard says part of her decision to take the LSU job was because she wanted to make a difference in Louisiana. “I just wanted to do something positive for the state,” Mulkey says. “I knew my state and LSU, and they’re hungry. They’re passionate people.” Her success, she maintains, doesn’t come from anything mysterious. “You just have to know what you’re doing, and you must believe in what you’re doing,” she says. “When I step before those young ladies, I have to know what I’m doing and I have to believe what I’m telling them. You can’t lead somebody if you just get up there and go through the motions. People can see through it.” Mulkey says her characteristic confidence stems from her early days on the court, as a small point guard who needed to command respect from teammates and opponents alike. “If you’re going to lead somebody and you’re my size (Mulkey stands 5 feet, 4 inches), you’ve got to have them follow,” she says. “You’ve got to have them believe in you as a player, and then it carries over into coaching, or anything I’m doing.” Throughout the long basketball season, Mulkey grinds away nonstop, planning, strategizing and adjusting. She says she’s a stickler for loyalty from her staff. She requires little sleep and maintains a lifelong practice of not consuming coffee or alcohol. In the offseason, she likes to spend time with her grandchildren and work in the yard. Only recently did she stop mowing her own lawn. Looking back on her inaugural season, Mulkey is quick to share credit with her players. “You can’t be a leader if people don’t follow you,” she says. “I’m only as good as my players, and I’m forever indebted to my first group of players at LSU.”

Congratulations LAUREN M. FITCH HTB’S CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

2022 Infl flu uential Women in Business Honoree We are proud of your commitment to our fifirrm and our community including YMCA of the Capital Area’s Metro Board & Rotary Club of Baton Rouge.

www.htbcpa.com

Issue Date: MAY 2022 Ad proof #5 • Please respond by e-mail or fax with your approval or minor revisions. BATON • DENHAM SPRINGS • NEW • HAMMOND • AD WILL RUN ASROUGE IS unless approval or final revisions are received withinORLEANS 24 hours from receipt of this proof. A shorter timeframe will apply for tight deadlines. • Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees.

CONGRATULATIONS BEVERLY Our Board Vice Chair, on your accomplishment of being named a 2022 Influential Women in Business Honoree!

—Maggie Heyn Richardson

Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022

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COVERSTORY

CATHERINE

O’NEAL

CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER/ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF CLINICAL MEDICINE-INFECTIOUS DISEASE, OUR LADY OF THE LAKE REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER

BIO

Hometown: Mamou Age: 45 Family: Husband, Hollis O’Neal, and three children (16, 13 and 10) Years with company: 13 years

MILESTONES

2009: Completes fellowship in infectious disease from Vanderbilt University. 2012: Becomes medical director of infection prevention for Our Lady of the Lake. 2018: Develops a citywide mycobacterial clinical case conference to address clinical gaps in the treatment of mycobacterial infection in the Baton Rouge region. March 2020: Is named chief medical officer for OLOL. 2020: Serves on the Louisiana Legislative Advisory Task Force on Economic Recovery. 2020-’22: Is a co-leader of the SEC medical task force.

Q&A

Proudest accomplishment My work over the past two years regarding COVID-19, helping to ensure the safety of health care workers by establishing protocols and securing supply lines and adequate PPE. Life-changing experience My grandmother was on hospice in our home when I was in high school. That experience helped me understand the importance of a medical home and of wraparound medical services that help families provide comfort to their loved ones while continuing the necessities of their everyday lives (like going to work and school). That was the most fulfilling medical experience I’ve had in my lifetime. Inspiration or mentor My college agriculture teacher, who taught me to work hard to achieve what many small-town kids feel is impossible. Also, my infectious disease and infection control mentor, Dr. Tom Talbot. He is a true mentor who continues to look out for opportunities for my own growth and answers my phone calls when I am panicked. He also told me to be ready for pandemic!

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“I’ve learned repeatedly in my career that being accessible and being there for others has provided some of the most rewarding experiences of my life.”

s a kid on a family farm outside the town of Mamou, Catherine “Katie” O’Neal had no idea that her career direction would be influenced by the birth of a calf. Her uncle had fallen gravely ill months after assisting the calf’s delivery. Bedridden for weeks, he was weak, tired and too sick to work. Relief came only after a retired physician friend stopped by for a visit, and diagnosed him with brucellosis, a rare bacterial infection that can sometimes transfer from infected farm animals to humans. Two weeks of antibiotics restored his health, and the event became a cautionary tale among O’Neal’s family. “My dad would say, ‘if you’re not wearing gloves, you’re not helping,’” O’Neal recalls. Science captivated O’Neal, who would go on to attend medical school at the LSU Health Sciences

Center. But it was the early exposure to infectious disease on the family farm that drew her to the study of infectious disease. O’Neal completed an infectious disease fellowship at Vanderbilt University, later returning to Baton Rouge to serve as an associate professor at LSU, as well as a clinician and medical director of infection control and prevention at Our Lady of the Lake. Then on March 3, 2020, she was named the regional medical center’s chief medical officer. Within weeks of her promotion, of course, life changed dramatically. O’Neal and her colleagues knew what to expect from the spread of the novel coronavirus; she’d studied the infectious disease process for years. Still, it didn’t prepare her or her colleagues for the level of planning, care and strategy that was required to get Louisiana through the next year and a half. Nor did O’Neal predict that she would

become the state’s most impassioned advocate for the COVID-19 vaccine, even as many Louisianans practiced defiant resistance. Now, with the worst of the pandemic in the rear view, O’Neal has only recently begun to reflect on the period. “It was a whirlwind, and we’ve only just been able to look back and think about it,” O’Neal says. “I cannot say enough about our team. They were just incredible.” Managing care related to the coronavirus will remain a focus for O’Neal, but she has many other items on her agenda, too, including major initiatives to expand cancer and neuromedical care. The hospital system is also heavily focused on fortifying the workforce pipeline for health care workers. OLOL has invested significantly across several institutions, including FranU, LSU and Baton Rouge Community College,

to expand the number of future qualified health care workers badly needed by Louisiana hospitals. O’Neal also keeps clinic hours one day a week, treating patients suffering from infections. “I do it because that’s where my heart is,” she says. “And I can go into a conference room informed about what our clinicians need.” O’Neal has also found time to create an enviable bucolic home life. She and her husband, Bud, a critical care pulmonologist, and their three children live on their own small family farm, complete with chickens, a few livestock and a recently born calf. The family gets up at 5 a.m. for work, school and a lumberjack breakfast. And on weekends, there are plenty of chores to do. “Being out there relieves stress,” O’Neal says. “I’d rather work out a problem in my head pulling weeds than anything else.” —Maggie Heyn Richardson

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COVERSTORY

KIM

HUNTER REED

COMMISSIONER OF HIGHER EDUCATION, BOARD OF REGENTS

BIO

Hometown: Lake Charles Age: 56 Family: Husband, Henry Reed, and daughter, Bre Years with company: 12 years

MILESTONES

1987: Begins broadcast journalism career as a reporter for WBRZ-TV in Baton Rouge, followed by an anchoring stint at KPLC-TV in Lake Charles. 1992: Serves as Gov. Edwin W. Edwards’ press secretary during his final term, then the youngest press secretary in the state’s history. 2004: Serves as state policy director, managing policy, legislative affairs and communications, including response efforts to Hurricane Katrina, for the state’s first female governor, Kathleen Babineaux Blanco. 2008: Returns to the Board of Regents as chief of staff to the higher education commissioner, creating policy designed to increase student access and success at a time, beginning in 2010, when higher education was experiencing significant state funding cuts. 2016: Becomes deputy undersecretary at the U.S. Department of Education and acting director for the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) during the Obama Administration. 2017-18: Is named Colorado’s commissioner of higher education, leading an agency with a $3 million operating budget and 120 employees and succeeding in increasing educational attainment and increasing higher education funding to a historic level to support the statewide strategic plan. 2018: Returns to Louisiana, serving as commissioner of higher education, focusing on talent development, erasing equity gaps and doubling the number of credentials earned annually in Louisiana by 2030.

Q&A

Proudest business achievement Making the case for and successfully winning record reinvestments in higher education to support the development of talent in two states—Colorado and Louisiana. Hardest lesson learned The stifling grip of poverty on our people here in Louisiana. I am working every day to move people from poverty to prosperity—education and employment are the pillars to address that. Worst advice As a 20-something I was told by a respected leader that leadership opportunities come around when you are in your 50s, so you have to wait your turn. No way was I going to wait around to “age into” the next great opportunity to serve others and make a difference.

BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022 | BusinessReport.com

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“As a young student leader, I was eager to do a good job and to please everyone. I quickly learned that you cannot do both.”

arly in her career as a journalist and press secretary, Kim Hunter Reed was asked the same recurring question by her grandmother. “She’d say, ‘When are you going to join the family business?’” The family business was education. Coming from a long line of college graduates and educators, Reed was expected to reach the highest level of education possible, and to improve the system for others along the way. “I know what it means to have doors open to you because of education,” Reed says, “and, ultimately, I saw it as a place where I could make an impact.” Beginning her career as a broadcast journalist in her hometown of Lake Charles, Reed later served as press secretary to Gov. Edwin Edwards in his final term, and then as a policy and communications staffer for Gov. Kathleen Blanco. It was in state government that Reed began to see firsthand the importance of education policy in moving Louisianans from poverty to opportunity. In 2008, she became chief of staff to then-Commissioner of Higher Education Joe Savoie, helping the Board of Regents navigate the biggest cutbacks to higher education in more than a decade. By then, the education hook was set. Reed would go on to serve as a U.S. Department of Education undersecretary in President Barack Obama’s administration, where she also led a White House task force on historically black colleges and universities. Following that, the state of Colorado recruited Reed to serve as its commissioner of higher education, where she focused on eliminating equity gaps and increasing statewide

educational attainment. By that time, Reed had earned a doctorate from Southern University in education policy. “My grandmother expected me to earn a Ph.D. because she had her master’s degree,” Reed laughs. “In her mind, I had to take the next step.” Reed was asked to lead the Louisiana Board of Regents in 2018. As the state’s commissioner of higher education, she heads up a team of 253 with a $484 million operating budget. In 2021, she led efforts to secure more than $100 million in additional state funding for higher education. Under her leadership, the board adopted an ambitious master plan for higher education called Louisiana Prospers. One of the plan’s biggest objectives is to increase the number of adults who have a degree or a credential of value to 60% by 2030. Currently, the rate is 48.1%, but it’s up from 44% in 2019, despite dramatic challenges caused by the pandemic. To reach 60%, Reed says the agency is “putting down big bets” on strategies aimed at both high school students and adults. She and her team are promoting the redesign of high school curricula to include more opportunities for students to earn dual enrollment credits or even graduate with an associate degree, she says. And for those in the workforce who never completed degrees or credentials, the board is creating more opportunities through programs like the MJ Foster Promise, which offers financial assistance. “We are really leaning into those bookended strategies,” Reed says. “They’re opportunities that will help Louisiana move from poverty to prosperity.” —Maggie Heyn Richardson

Congratulations BEVERLY HAYDEL

Sequitur Consulting is proud to congratulate our President and Founder for being named a 2022 Infuential Woman in Business! Helping clients develop ideas, execute solutions and manage success.

LEARN MORE

CELEBRATING WOMEN IN BUSINESS

www.fw-cpa.com | 225.927.6811 6811 Jefferson Highway Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022

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W WE CAN KEEP YOU HEALTHY. BUT ONLY YOU CAN TELL US WHAT KEEPS YOU YOUNG.

Half of your healthcare is in the stories you share with us. Because before you’re a patient, you’re a person – and what you’re thinking, feeling, and hoping for can help us to personalize your recovery and improve your outcome. ololrmc.com/WeListenWeHeal

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COVERSTORY

RENITA

WILLIAMS THOMAS

PRINCIPAL AND CEO, IN LOVING ARMS HEALTHCARE FOR KIDS

BIO

Hometown: Alsen Age: 58 Family: Spouse, Oliver Thomas III, and six children— Kori Thomas Fontenot, Kreig Thomas, Kendal Thomas, Kohl Daniel Thomas, Kollin Tyrese Thomas and Kai-Lai “Sissy” Thomas Years with company: 10 years

MILESTONES

2012: Opens pediatric day health center, licensed for 15 patients, in an abandoned church building. 2014: Purchases a day care center building, expanding service delivery to 25 patients. 2016: Expanding the center enables service delivery to 40 patients. 2017: Opens a traditional day care center on the same campus, offering “one-stop shopping” to moms of children who are differently abled. 2019: Expansion of operation at Harding Boulevard location increases service delivery to 70 patients; two expansion projects are slated for 2023.

Q&A

Inspiration or mentor Inez Thomas, or “Muh,” short for mother, was tall, strong, confident and a true leader. Although she did not earn a college degree due to financial hardships, she made sure that we did. Exposing me to a love of reading, through those books we traveled to faraway places. After reading them she’d tell me, “You can go anywhere you want and be anything that you set your mind to.” Worst advice Being told, “You’re great at what you do, but as an African American woman you cannot be the face of your company and expect to be successful. You’ve got to hire someone who physicians are comfortable sending their patients to.” As a result, I paid someone to be the face of my brand for many years, spending unnecessary money. First experience as a leader It was a dismal failure. I went into an organization that had a lot of people who had been there forever, with a predetermined way of doing things. I was “that person” brought in to change things and move my department in a different direction. I had been given an impossible task and was essentially thrown to the wolves as no one wanted the changes, and I was not supported in the change process. I learned the importance of listening as the wisdom of the group taught me that it was the leadership that needed the change. Although I was exiled, the experience helped me to better approach other insurmountable tasks.

Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022

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COVERSTORY

“Rather than taking the path less traveled, create your own path.”

ne of the biggest decisions working parents make is choosing a child care provider. That decision is exponentially more complicated when a child is medically fragile. Renita Williams Thomas knew firsthand what this felt like. After raising three children, Thomas, a pediatric nurse, and her husband made the life-changing decision to adopt an infant born premature with medical complications. Bringing their daughter home was a joy, but when Thomas got ready to return to work, she couldn’t find a day care center that could accommodate her daughter’s needs. It planted the seeds for an idea that would later take root. Within a few years, Thomas launched In Loving Arms HealthCare for Kids, a prescribed pediatric extended care, or PPEC, facility that cares for medically fragile children in an environment specifically designed to

meet their needs. The facility provides care for children up to age 12. In Loving Arms marks its 10th anniversary this year. The center, which started small with just a handful of children, was originally located on North Foster Drive. Demand for services prompted Thomas to grow steadily. In 2019, the center moved to a larger facility on Harding Boulevard, with Thomas converting the North Foster facility into a traditional day care center. Cheerful and serene, In Loving Arms features well-maintained classrooms, a cafeteria and kitchen, outdoor play area and clinic rooms where children can receive breathing treatments, care related to tracheotomies, tube feeding and more. Skilled nurses meet the children’s individual needs throughout the day, while physicians drop by as needed. The center also facilitates visits with social workers, physical and occupational therapists,

nutritionists, speech pathologists and other specialists to support a child’s healthy growth and development. “We’re basically a small hospital,” Thomas says. Many of the families who use In Loving Arms work hourly jobs that provide no paid leave. Being able to bring their children to the Medicaid-funded facility allows them to earn a wage, while also providing their children a high level of care. If not for the center, families would have to rely on home health services in homes that are often congested and not set up for intense medical needs. It’s a relief to parents, who juggle a variety of stressors, to have the support of the center, Thomas says. “So maybe there’s not a true place in that home for the child to get the care they need,” Thomas says. “We’re a skilled nursing facility and our staff is going to intercede every day in that child’s life to give them what they need.”

The center accepts children with a wide range of conditions, from seizure disorders and cardiac disease to complications from prematurity to genetic disorders. And though In Loving Arms focuses on clinical care, it also helps children reach developmental milestones through early education. Each child receives an educational assessment and is supported by a certified teacher to help them leave the center school ready. For children whose medical needs are severe or terminal, mainstream school may not be a future option. But for others, there’s a bright light at the end of the tunnel and their chances of reaching it are maximized thanks to Thomas and her team. “That’s our promise,” Thomas says. “That we will work to make sure each child reaches his or her highest potential.” —Maggie Heyn Richardson

Gordon McKernan | Baton Rouge | LA-22-13339

COACH MULKEY KEEP GETTING IT DONE! Influential Women in Business Honoree AP Coach of the Year Love the fit!

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COVERSTORY

JANE

VERRET

PRESIDENT AND CEO, CAMPUS FEDERAL CREDIT UNION

BIO

Hometown: Petal, Mississippi Age: 51 Family: Spouse, Ted Verret, and daughters, Rachel and Helen Grace Years with company: 24 years

MILESTONES

1992: Graduates from the University of Southern Mississippi and moves to Baton Rouge, working as an internal auditor for Premier Bank. 1997: Joins Campus Federal Credit Union as internal auditor. 2005: Is promoted to vice president of internal audit at Campus Federal. 2008: Creates a risk management department to ensure the financial stability of the credit union and protect member data. 2014: Becomes chief administrative officer and member of the credit union’s executive team. 2019: Is named president and CEO by the credit union’s board of directors. 2020-’22: Continues the credit union’s digital transformation, including investments in digital banking, opening the Interaction Center at Long Farm Village and breaking ground on the Siegen Lane Mortgage and Business Center.

Q&A

Life-changing experience While a senior in college, my dad had a massive stroke at age 45. He was a successful, type-A business owner who was active in our community. At that time, my mom had not worked outside the home since my younger brother was born. They lived in a large home, drove nice cars, and lived a great life of travel and social involvement. All of that changed quickly as my mom got a job and became the sole caregiver. Watching my mom’s resiliency and faith through such a drastic lifestyle change instilled in me the importance of the things that money cannot buy. Needed workplace changes for women I love what Yolanda Dixon said last year when honored as an Influential Woman in Business: “The day when gender is not a factor in who serves in the highest levels of office or in companies.” Hardest lesson learned How to balance accountability and standards with grace and flexibility.

BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022 | BusinessReport.com

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“Be quick to listen and slow to speak.”

ane Verret never anticipated she would one day be a CEO and lead a credit union. With nearly three decades of experience under her belt, Verret was tapped in 2018 to lead Campus Federal Credit Union, the second-largest credit union in the region, after serving as the organization’s chief administrative officer for five years. “Even the morning the committee made their decision, I didn’t think it would be me,” says Verret, regarding the twoyear internal company search for a new leader. Verret grew up in Petal, Mississippi, outside Hattiesburg. After earning her accounting degree from the University of Southern Mississippi, she accepted a position in 1992 at Premier Bank in Baton Rouge and planted her roots in the Capital Region, where her career has since flourished. “I took a leap of faith,” she says of the move to Louisiana. “I wanted an adventure, to move somewhere different.” After five years of working in the internal audit department at Premier Bank, the bank began merging with Bank One and Verret’s future with the institution looked hazy. Verret took another leap of faith and accepted a position at Campus Federal Credit Union as its internal auditor. “At the time, I didn’t even understand how credit unions were different from banks,” Verret says. “But Campus Federal proved to be a welcoming environment to learn and be involved in issues in areas that would be more siloed in a

larger organization.” Noting trends in the industry, Verret began pushing for a risk management function at the credit union. After presenting her ideas to other members of the executive team, she helped transform the audit department and became vice president of risk management for the organization. She oversaw risk management for Campus Federal for nearly 17 years before becoming chief administrative officer in 2014. She credits her ability to focus on the most important aspects of the business rather than the things that don’t ultimately matter to watching strong women in leadership roles. Her leadership style, she says, is driven by her personal values, which helps her work with integrity. “My parents, first and foremost, were my mentors who shaped me and my values—resilience, faith and work ethic,” Verret says. “They set high standards for my brother and I.” She says that the next generation of successful leaders will come from those who are open to criticism and hard truths and who don’t get offended by peers and mentors. People can’t see their own blind spots, she says. At the same time, she encourages women to be true to themselves and their values. “Be true to who you are and what you believe in, and don’t deviate,” she says. “Be moldable in that you can learn, but don’t change who you are or what you stand for because ultimately at the end of the day, you won’t be happy and fulfilled if you’re trying to be something you’re not.”

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C E L E B R AT I N G

YEARS J O I N T H E C E L E B R AT I O N T H I S S E P T E M B E R !

BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022 | BusinessReport.com

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COVERSTORY

Never seek the spotlight, do good work and make people feel good. People like to do business with people they like so keep building relationships. Give generously of your time and when you get the opportunity to attend any event, just say yes and go—a lifelong mentor, friend or untapped opportunity could be waiting there. If you aspire to be a leader, get comfortable being uncomfortable. Leaders must make the hard decisions and have the difficult conversations. Don’t let fear paralyze you from making decisions or take a leap in a new direction, there is no mistake that cannot be fixed. Learning from mistakes is the experience every employer is seeking.

Focus on impact, not influence. That’s the most important thing. The rest will come. —KIM HUNTER REED, commissioner of higher education, Board of Regents

When you find a areer that you truly love, you’ll never truly work another day in your life. —RENITA WILLIAMS THOMAS, principal and CEO, In Loving Arms

HealthCare for Kids

—LAUREN MCCALL FITCH, chief operating officer, Hannis T. Bourgeois

Get involved. Having a seat at the table and being in a position to weigh in on important issues doesn’t happen overnight and it doesn’t come about by just talking about what you want to happen. Take on leadership roles when the opportunity presents itself. Be willing to speak up. And be proactive about what you want to see happen.

ASPIRE TO BE INFLUENTIAL? Advice from this year’s class of Influential Women in Business

—BEVERLY HAYDEL, president/CEO, Sequitur Consulting

• Know what you are doing. • Believe in what you are doing. • Have a presence when presenting what you are doing. —KIM MULKEY, head women’s basketball coach, LSU

Find a great mentor for yourself and be a mentor to someone else. Find someone who you can learn from and someone who will invest in you and, in return, find someone who you can then invest in and return the favor.

—CATHERINE O’NEAL, chief medical officer, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center

Be true to yourself and your convictions; don’t compromise what you believe in. Strive for excellence in everything you do, no ma er how small. Take advantage of every opportunity. Don’t play the victim. —JANE VERRET, president and CEO, Campus Federal Credit Union

Work hard, do the right thing, be available when there’s an opportunity and be kind. —GINGER LAURENT, CEO, Louisiana Bankers Association

Focus on what makes them grow, avoid what will push them down. Cultivate connections, build a strong network of allies who will lift you up and support you in your goals. Seek sponsors or mentors, as they can give you the keys to doors you otherwise might not have access to on your own. Question the norm— don’t be afraid to surpass the status quo! Above all, invest in yourself, because you are strong, you are capable, you are powerful. You can and you will rise. Never doubt that. —KAREN BREAUX, human resources director, Postlethwaite & Netterville

Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022

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Issue Date: May 2022 Ad proof #1 • Please respond by e-mail or fax with your approval or minor revisions. • AD WILL RUN AS IS unless approval or final revisions are received within 24 hours from receipt of this proof. A shorter timeframe will apply for tight deadlines. • Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees. Carefully check this ad for: CORRECT ADDRESS • CORRECT PHONE NUMBER • ANY TYPOS This ad design © Louisiana Business, Inc. 2022. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329

DIRECT ACCESS TO BATON ROUGE’S

TOP 100 COMPANIES Deliver your message to CEOs with spending power.

2022 TOP 100 PRIVATE COMPANIES Coming in July For more information on advertising in this powerful issue, contact Kelly Lewis at klewis@businessreport.com or 225.421.8154

BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022 | BusinessReport.com

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S P E C IAL ADVE RTI S I N G S E CTI O N

WOMEN

2022

LEADING the WAY

LEIGH MOSS is the owner and founder of Highland Road Realty, a high end boutique Real Estate company in Baton Rouge. Leigh and her real estate agents specialize in residential real estate with a focus on resale, new construction and land. An exceptional and unrivaled client experience is their main objective when going through a Real Estate transaction. Their goal is to have every client smiling on closing day and referring their family and friends for life. The company was named Highland Road Realty because Highland Road is a historic corridor in Baton Rouge with some of the most iconic homes in our city. It is known for its beauty and strong Louisiana styled architectural roots that will be around for many generations to come. Simply put, Highland Road is a Baton Rouge tradition. Follow along with us on Instagram at LeighMoss_ Highland_Road_Realty or our website at www. highlandroadrealty.com or call us at (225)267-7079.

Highland Road Realty

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Owner and Founder

DR. AMIN is a Baton Rouge native and has been serving the community for over 20 years prior to opening TRIO Eyecare in 2019. An expert in Dry Eye Disease, Myopia Management, and specialty contact lens fitting, she is dedicated to her patient’s treatment success. She is passionate about giving back and participates in several community hospital and school screenings. Recognized for her service in the LHCR Underserved Diabetes Project, Dr. Amin is a proud member of the Optometry Association of LA, The New Orleans Contacts Lens Society, The American Optometric Association, and Vision Source: Premier Network of Independent Optometrists. Away from the office, she enjoys traveling with her three boys and husband, baking, reading, and attending cultural events in the community. Dr. Amin is fluent in Spanish, Gujarati, and conversational in Hindi.

LEIGH MOSS

Issue Date: May 2022 Ad proof #3

TRIO Eyecare

Optometrist/Owner

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RESHMA AMIN, OD

Issue Date: May 2022 Ad proof #3

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Issue Date: May 2022 Ad proof #3

This special section salutes Baton Rouge business women who demonstrate leadership and set a positive example through hard work and dedication. Part of their success is inspiring and encouraging other women to reach their own professional goals.

GABRIELLE MCKELLAR Owner/Realtor

McKellar Realty GABRIELLE MCKELLAR is a Real Estate Professional at MWIII Realty Services Inc. Born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Gabrielle has come to have a passion for Louisiana and has achieved tremendous success including starting her first business at 22 years-old, one of the most successful hair salons in Baton Rouge, Studio Gabriella. But she didn’t stop there. With her passion for real estate, Gabrielle founded McKellar Realty to serve the real estate needs of people throughout Louisiana. With the help of Carolyn Webber, President of the Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors, Gabrielle has been able to serve people from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. Carolyn knows Gabrielle’s goal is to take care of her clients and treats them like she is buying with them. Carolyn says, “Gabrielle is a wonderful person. She has the drive to make her one of the greats.”

Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022

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LORETTA BARBER

Senior Vice President of Deposit Operations

Bank of Zachary LORETTA BARBER is Senior Vice President of Deposit Operations at Bank of Zachary. She leads the bank’s Account Services department, a crossfunctional team responsible for deposit compliance, custodial care of records, electronic banking, and the bank’s debit card program. The Account Services departmental responsibilities also include helping customers understand banking and the importance of keeping their information safe. Loretta began her banking career in 1976 at Baker Bank as a Cooperative Office Education participant. As a strong advocate of this program, she continues to participate as an employer and hire students when needed from local community schools. Loretta attended Louisiana Bankers Association’s Leadership School in 2017. She also graduated from the Barret Graduate School of Banking at Christian Brothers University in 2021. After 46 years in the banking industry, Loretta’s emphasis on education and leadership has paved the way for future generations to succeed in the banking industry.

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Issue Date: May 2022 Ad proof #1

RUTHANNE OAKEY-FROST is an experienced legislative attorney and liaison that leverages her skills to promote sound public policy and advocate for Louisiana’s youngest children. Guided by her counsel, the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children has achieved great success for children aged birth through four, including securing sports betting revenue for the Louisiana Early Childhood Education Fund, partnering with state officials to appropriately distribute COVID-relief funds and guiding the efforts of Ready Louisiana Coalition – an instrumental advocacy group. Currently, amid the 2022 legislative session, RuthAnne is working alongside state leaders on several key pieces of legislation. She’s involved from start to finish, working with lobbyists and stakeholders to help ensures Louisiana’s youngest children remain a top priority.

OCTAGON MEDIA, a name inspired by a Sunday school class, is one of the fastest-growing advertising and marketing agencies in Louisiana, and Maranda White is the mastermind behind it all. After 13 years of working with big industry names, White officially launched her own media-buying firm in 2012 which soon blossomed into a full-service advertising agency and marketing firm. Maranda has won many awards for her work on various advertising campaigns, was appointed to Baton Rouge Mayor-President, Sharon WestonBroome’s transition team in 2016, serves on numerous boards including Special Olympics of Louisiana and is a member of Junior League of Baton Rouge. After successfully executing marketing projects and even running for office herself, White’s business continues to grow. In the summer of 2021, she purchased a new, larger office space to accommodate her growing staff of ten. To learn more about Maranda White and Octagon Media, visit www.octagonmedia8.com

Louisiana Policy Institute for Children (LPIC)

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Octagon Media

Policy Director and General Counsel

Owner

RUTHANNE OAKEY-FROST, J.D.

Issue Date: May 2022 Ad proof #3

MARANDA WHITE

Issue Date: May 2022 Ad proof #4

CANDACE WEBER has a successful history of leading teams in a variety of industries and brings a vast skill set to the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children, ranging from finance and operations to marketing and project management. Candace has dedicated her career to educational equity to achieve social justice for communities and families. This motivation has proven successful to her role at the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children, where she develops and leads strategic partnerships to bolster statewide coalitions of early care and education advocates. Currently, Candace is launching an online workforce calculator tool that will show a business the specific, financial impact of early care and education breakdowns. This tool is already used by organizations such as Louisiana Association of Business & Industry and Entergy Louisiana, garnering support for Louisiana’s youngest children from all levels of business.

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Louisiana Policy Institute for Children

Director of Partnerships

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CANDACE WEBER, M.B.A.

Issue Date: May 2022 Ad proof #1

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• Please respond by e-mail or fax with your approval or minor revisions. • AD WILL RUN AS IS unless approval or final revisions are received within 24 hours from receipt of this proof. A shorter timeframe will apply for tight deadlines. • Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees. • Please respond by e-mail or fax with your approval or minor revisions. • AD WILL RUN AS IS unless approval or final revisions are received within 24 hours from receipt of this proof. A shorter timeframe will apply for tight deadlines. • Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees.

Issue Date: May 2022 Ad proof #1

Issue Date: May 2022 Ad proof #2

S P E C IAL ADVE RTI S I N G S E CTI O N

DOMINIQUE RICHARD Trust Officer

Argent Trust Company RESOURCEFUL IN HER CAREER, Dominique Richard has 15 years of experience in Professional Trust Management services. Dominique joined Argent Trust Company’s newly launched Baton Rouge office in 2019, and as a Trust Officer she focuses on growing Argent’s presence throughout the Baton Rouge metropolitan and surrounding areas while building relationships with clients and estate planning partners. Always the guru amongst her colleagues over the years, Dominique carries with her a notable background of exceptional client service, an extensive knowledge of trust and estate administration, Louisiana trust laws, as well as comprehensive investment management strategies. Active in her community, the Baton Rouge native and LSU graduate is also a member of the Estate and Business Planning Council of Baton Rouge. In Dominique’s spare time, she and her husband remain busy cruising the state of Louisiana with their son’s travel baseball team. For more information, please visit ArgentTrust.com.

HEATHER KLEINPETER Business Development Manager

Vantage Contractors HEATHER WORKS with municipalities on behalf of Vantage. She maintains government relations for Vantage’s Disaster Response & Recovery and Construction divisions. Raising three boys kept her busy, but Heather makes time to ensure the betterment of her community. Hailing from a family with longtime Baton Rouge roots, she is the ninth generation to grow up in Baton Rouge. Heather expresses her love for the city through civic and community involvement. She is the founder of BUST Breast Cancer, an organization that holds an annual bra art fashion show, chef showcase, and auction. The organization’s events support the Woman’s Hospital Mammography Services and breast cancer services. She also maintains board and volunteer positions throughout the community.

BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022 | BusinessReport.com

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MARSHARAE CAGE

Founder and Chief Executive Officer

The H.E.A.R.T Academy LLC. MARSHARAE CAGE has been a force in the nursing field for 17 years. Before opening The H.E.A.R.T Academy (Healthcare Education and Resource Training), and allied health school offering entrylevel educational and clinical practice options for aspiring healthcare professionals, Marsharae held multiple leadership positions including Director of Nursing and Clinical Nurse Manager to name a few. With a passion for leadership and education, she decided to share her knowledge and positively impact the community by opening a school to provide healthcare education such as Certified Nurse Aide to individuals interested in becoming part of a growing medical field. This in turn would help alleviate some of the stress placed on the healthcare system for qualified staff demands. Marsharae is a University of Louisiana Lafayette graduate with a BSN in nursing and a proud mother of two.

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REBECCA LALA truly embodies what it means to do your job well in all technical facets while doing it with the utmost care and conviction. After graduating from LSU in 1999, she then went on to earn her certification as a Professional Engineer and then her certification as a Professional Traffic Operations Engineer. With over two decades of multifaceted experience as both a project engineer and project manager, Rebecca possesses a vast amount of technical knowledge concerning traffic and transportation engineering. Since joining the Quality Engineering & Surveying team back in 2020 as a Traffic Engineer, she has played an integral role in the company providing expertise and reliability every step of the way. With her expansive knowledge of her field paired with her approachability and care about her work, Rebecca is truly a leader in the workplace. Beyond the countless triumphs in Rebecca’s professional life, she proves time and time again to be an involved wife and mom to her two sons, a pillar in her family.

Issue Date: May 2022 Ad proof #2

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Quality Engineering & Surveying

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SUSAN G. KOEDERITZ THRIVES on using her vision, skills and resources to make beautiful, livable spaces come to fruition for her clients. She loves incorporating smart Continental and American antiques, crisp contemporary and eclectic elements, and high quality rugs to create richly layered, inviting rooms. Vibrant colors or serene neutral palettes are also utilized to create the client’s ideal nurturing aesthetic. Custom elements include one-of-a-kind pillows, hats, handbags, sandals, and jewelry. Susan is a wine ambassador for small boutique California wineries that produce amazing products that are well received and sought after. These vintages are to be experienced and savored! Susan coordinates wine dinners to present the wines in this region and coordinate distribution. In addition to business projects, Susan dedicates time as a fundraising ambassador to local and U.S. organizations To find out more, contact Susan G. Koederitz at Susan G. Koederitz Interiors, 4607 Bluebonnet Blvd., Ste. A, Baton Rouge, LA, 70809, sgkoed1@icloud.com, (225)921-0960.

Traffic & Transportation Manager

Susan G. Koederitz Interiors

REBECCA LALA, PE, PTOE

Issue Date: May 2022 Ad proof #2

SUSAN G. KOEDERITZ

Creative Designer/Wine Ambassador

Issue Date: May 2022 Ad proof #1

JENNIFER BUTLER is the first person to serve as Director of Disaster Management and Recovery at Postlethwaite & Netterville—a Top 100 U.S. accounting and business consulting firm. Jennifer moved to Baton Rouge shortly after Hurricane Katrina, having served nearly 20 years in executive leadership roles at organizations dedicated to preparing, mitigating, and recovering from natural and man-made disasters. Here, she knew she could follow her passion and make a significant positive impact for communities in the Gulf South. She devotes her experienced insight to guide agencies and communities to respond with efficiency and empathy whenever and however disaster strikes. Jennifer views her role at P&N as an opportunity to affect how people receive assistance, recover, and respond to disasters. Jennifer demonstrates all the characteristics of a mentor, businesswoman, and community leader. She continuously sets quality standards for her field of work and inspires others to influence their communities in positive ways, no matter what obstacles must be overcome.

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Postlethwaite & Netterville (P&N)

JENNIFER BUTLER

Director of Disaster Management and Recovery

Issue Date: May 2022 Ad proof #2

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Issue Date: May 2022 Ad proof #2 Issue Date: May 2022 Ad proof #3

S P E C IAL ADVE RTI S I N G S E CTI O N

KELLY NAQUIN ANDERSON, LUTCF, CLU, CHFC, RICP Financial Advisor

Northwestern Mutual WHAT DRIVES US? Women value financial security, yet successful women and other servant leaders often put themselves last taking care of the day-to-day. This can lead to decision fatigue and a confidence gap for women achieving wealth goals. Times have changed. Planning goes beyond a portfolio. Good plans can be made great! Business and Personal Financial Planning can intersect and create energy rather than drain it. Everyone needs a team they can trust and go to when times are good or uncertain. Empowering others to realize their potential, providing strategies to conquer challenges, and relieving financial anxiety drives Kelly and her team. Defining goals, seeing possibilities, and providing clarity in action for other business leaders arms them to make financial decisions aligned with visions for their household, family, and business. What drives you? Message Kelly at kelly.anderson@ nm.com to share your vision or common interests like community initiatives, sports, outdoors, or gardening.

ANDI E. KIRKPATRICK Chief Financial Officer

Trade Construction Company ANDI LEADS every aspect of her life with passion and grace. She is a wife, mother of three, and an Owner and CFO of Trade Construction Company. As a successful woman business owner in an industry primarily comprised of men, Andi is a great influence for women in construction. Her leadership and expertise have been crucial to the continued growth of Trade. Not only does she encourage community involvement within Trade but she always finds the time to give back to the community outside the office. Andi serves on committees with Mary Bird Perkins Gala, University Lab School Foundation and Alliance Safety Council. Andi makes such a positive impact on all those she encounters. Trade and the community are better because of her. Learn more about Andi and Trade at www.tradeconstruction.com.

Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022

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LAUREN CARBALLO Human Resources Manager

Lipsey’s LAUREN CARBALLO began working with Lipsey’s in 2013 as the organization’s first Human Resources Manager. Her 15 years of HR experience and consulting prepared her well for what was to be a monumental task as the company has nearly tripled in size during her tenure. Lauren is a SHRM Certified Professional, holds an LSU Professional Certificate in Human Resource Management, is HRCI Professional in Human Resources certified (PHR), and has a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from LSU. In addition, Lauren is a member of both the National Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) and the local chapter of the Greater Baton Rouge Society for Human Resource Management. When the phrase “she wrote the book on it” is used, that is exactly the case with Lauren. She created and organized all HR policies and procedures for Lipsey’s and continues to be on the cutting edge of best practices in the modern workplace. She’s also the unofficial captain of Lipsey’s many employee led charity events and community outreach programs. Lauren loves reading, cooking, and spending time around the pool or at the beach with her family.

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Issue Date: May 2022 Ad proof #5

SAYE JOINED Gallagher as an account manager almost 15 years ago. In addition to being an expert in providing tailored services to Scholastic Programs, Public Entities, Charter Schools, and Nonprofits, Saye is proficient in both risk control and client service management. She currently serves as the Client Service Supervisor over the Public Entity and Healthcare account management teams while maintaining her own book of business. Saye earned her B.A. in Family Resource Management Studies from Southeastern Louisiana University and is a loving wife and a mother of an active 7-year-old boy. Saye is vital to the Gallagher Baton Rouge office culture with her positive attitude and enduring leadership.

NICOLE BONVILLAIN, brings years of experience to Lipsey’s with an extensive credit management background in the construction industry. Nicole was excited to join the Lipsey’s team in 2020 and ramped up quickly while getting to know customers and partners and finding new ways to help them grow. A graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a degree in Accounting, Nicole’s customer-centric approach was a welcome addition in leading Lipsey’s growing credit department. Nicole has been a big supporter of industry credit associations including serving as the chair for the local affiliate of the National Association of Credit Management (NACM). She’s also currently a member Credex, a division of the National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW). Nicole enjoys spending time outdoors hunting, fishing, and camping with her husband and two girls.

Gallagher Global Brokerage, Inc.

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Lipsey’s

Client Service Supervisor

Credit Manager

SAYE MCCANTS

Issue Date: May 2022 Ad proof #2

NICOLE BONVILLAIN

Issue Date: May 2022 Ad proof #1

EDUCATION CHAMPION Sarah Turner expands nonprofit facilities work within and beyond Baton Rouge as founding CEO of New School Facility Partners. In 2016, Sarah joined New Schools for Baton Rouge to establish its facilities organization. Her leadership led to $150 million in community investment and attracted best-in-class schools to Baton Rouge, like Great Hearts Academies opening next year: “Great Hearts is deeply grateful for the expert support of Sarah in the creation of our founding campus in Baton Rouge,” Dan Scoggin, Great Hearts Co-Founder said. “Sarah has been an indispensable advisor and partner at every turn … she brings a spirit of goodwill, deep intelligence, and can-do attitude to her work.” Sarah obtained her MBA from Tulane after teaching first grade in Nashville and graduating with honors from Vanderbilt University. Now in Houston with her family, Sarah looks forward to creating more opportunities for students through NSFP’s launch this summer.

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New School Facility Partners

CEO/ Founder

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SARAH TURNER

Issue Date: May 2022 Ad proof #1

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Issue Date: May 2022 Ad proof #1

S P E C IAL ADVE RTI S I N G S E CTI O N

JEN RACCA, J.D. Benefits Consultant

Gallagher Benefit Services, Inc. IN FEBRUARY 2016, Jen Racca joined the Gallagher Baton Rouge team. Today, she works with businesses of all sizes and industries to support each other unique goals and challenges. Jen and her talented team of professionals specialize in developing creative and custom solutions for each client. Jen graduated from McNeese State University, Louisiana State University and Southern University Law Center. She is a licensed attorney and member of the Louisiana Bar Association and Baton Rouge Bar Association. Jen also serves her community as a Metro Council member and has recently campaigned for District Court Judge. Jen was awarded 2021 Gallagher Gulf States Mentor of the Year. Her mindset of “no challenge, no change” powers her personal and professional growth but also inspires the young professionals within Gallagher that Jen mentors.

KRIS CANGELOSI Owner

Cangelosi Dance KRIS CANGELOSI IS the Capital area’s expert for dance education and the performing arts. She is the artistic director of Cangelosi Dance Project where she trains students daily ages 8 through 18 in classical ballet, contemporary dance and engages students in choreographic projects through stage, outreach programs and dance competitions. Kris was selected one of the 2014’s Most Influential Women in Business and received the 2014 Arts Leadership Award from the Louisiana Office of Cultural Development. In addition, Kris received the Esprit de Femme award and the Power of 9 award by WBRZ Donna Britt. She loves Mardi Gras season where she is 2022 Queen of Orion, 2016 Queen Artemis, 2017 KKDL Ball Captain, 2015 KKDL Duchess, 2013 Krewe Mystique Ball Captain and past Queen for Krewe of Mystique. She is honored to be selected for 2022 Baton Rouge Best Dressed Ball to help fight against cancer where she is 19 years cancer free. Kris continues to be active in the community with Big Buddy Dancing with the Stars, Dancing for a Cause, and other charity community projects.

Dance PROJECT

CANGELOSI

SCHOOL & COMPANY

BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022 | BusinessReport.com

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NEWS

RESOURCES

Troubled waters

The Southern Hills Aquifer is a critical Capital Region asset, but overuse has it under threat from saltwater intrusion. BY DAVID JACOBS ISTOCK

EVERYBODY LIKES Baton Rouge water. It tastes good, it’s cheap, and, unlike in some Louisiana communities, the people who drink it generally don’t have to worry about boiling their water. Not everyone realizes the Capital Region’s easily accessible groundwater also buoys the local industrial base. The Southern Hills Aquifer is a much more affordable source of water for industrial uses than the Mississippi River. “It’s hard to overestimate how important that aquifer is to the Capital Region,” says William Daniel, who represents East Baton Rouge Parish on the Capital Area Groundwater Conservation Commission. “It’s the second-most valuable asset in the region aside from the people.” But decades of overuse has taken a toll on that asset. As more than 50 billion gallons a year are pumped out, salt water is creeping in. That’s a problem

for residents and industrial users alike, says Alyssa Dausman, senior vice president and chief scientist with The Water Institute of the Gulf. Everyone who knows anything about the aquifer agrees something should be done. The Water Institute is charged with helping to find science-based solutions amid what has become a very contentious process, with the aquifer’s most prominent user suing the regulatory commission it helped found. THE RIGHT TO KNOW The Louisiana Legislature recognized the need to regulate the aquifer in 1974 when it established the Groundwater Conservation Commission. Leo Bankston, the founding chairman, was an executive with the Baton Rouge Water Company. The groundwater commission has long been accused of being too cozy with the aquifer’s

industrial and commercial users. “The Commission does not effectively regulate the withdrawal of water from the Southern Hills Aquifer so that saltwater encroachment can be reduced and the supply of fresh groundwater can be sustained,” the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office stated in 2019. The commission didn’t know how much water 2,225 of the 2,600 wells under its jurisdiction were capable of pumping, to name only one finding in the LLA’s report. Users have been allowed to self-report how much water they’re taking, and are required to do so only once every quarter. Meanwhile, employees of regulated entities were allowed to serve on the commission, in apparent violation of state ethics laws. Five members stepped down after the Louisiana Environmental Action Network filed an ethics

complaint. Last year, Gov. John Bel Edwards vetoed a bill that would have allowed employees of regulated companies to serve, though he indicated he might sign legislation that is more narrowly tailored, and a similar proposal was filed this year. Brett Furr, an attorney with Taylor Porter, says other state boards have their own exceptions, though members have to recuse themselves from decisions that affect them directly. While users can suggest someone for the commission, finding someone with deep expertise that’s also willing and able to serve is harder than you might think, he says. Furr is representing Baton Rouge Water in the private, forprofit company’s lawsuit against the commission, seeking to stop its effort to take users off the honor system and install meters on their wells. “If you have nothing to hide, Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022

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NEWS

RESOURCES

DON KADAIR

SCIENTIFIC METHOD: Alyssa Dausman, senior vice president and chief scientist with The Water Institute of the Gulf, is looking for science-based solutions to problems impacting the Southern Hills Aquifer.

transparency is a wonderful thing,” says Marylee Orr, LEAN’s director. “I think the people of our area who get all their water from this aquifer have the right to know.” Dausman says quarterly reports don’t cut it when the flow model The Water Institute and LSU are developing could handle data on a daily and maybe even hourly basis. “For us, working on trying to develop the science to support decision-making, the voluntary reporting just doesn’t provide us the data, and the timing, and the level of accuracy,” she says. “It creates a gap and increases uncertainty for the commission to be able to make decisions.” Baton Rouge Water is “all about saving the aquifer,” Furr stresses. But the meters the commission plans to use won’t work on the company’s wells, President and CEO Patrick Kerr says. Moreover, the contract with Sustainability Partners violates state bid law, Kerr argues. Citing an attorney general’s opinion about a different contract, the “design-build” deal with SP improperly combines 56

different aspects of the public works project into a single contract, Kerr says in a letter to the commission. Forcing well owners to allow for the permanent installation of metering equipment on their land amounts to “an unconstitutional taking of private property,” Kerr argues. He says there’s no reason to think anyone is fudging their numbers, and the commission could audit users for a fraction of the cost of installing meters. In a contentious April 22 meeting, the commission voted 8-4 to more than triple what it charges for water from $20 to $65 per million gallons. The cost of the water itself is only a small fraction of a water bill, and for the average user the charge will be about 42 cents per month even after the price hike. “I wish we were spending the money on something that would make a difference,” Kerr says in an interview. The lawsuit questions the emergency rule-making process the commission is using. “The contracts require payment by this fall,” says Gary Beard, the commission’s executive director,

noting that rule-making through the normal process can be slow and “tedious.” “The emergency rule just lets us proceed with business while the regular rule-making process is going on.” Beard says the contract with SP is worth up to $10.4 million and represents the lowest of three bids. While state government’s Division of Administration had issues with the original version of the contract, he says, the document was tweaked based on cooperative endeavor agreements the attorney general’s office has approved. GATHERING THE SCIENCE Beard says the ultimate goal is to “preserve and protect this aquifer for drinking, bathing and cooking” and wean industry off the aquifer as much as is practicable. But it costs more to use the river, and new expenses could make the local industrial sector less competitive, Daniel says. “I think everybody is entitled to be able to get water from the aquifer,” he says. “The goal is to gather the science and make decisions.”

Building a Mississippi River water clarifying plant through a public-private partnership is one possible solution, though it wouldn’t be cheap. But it also could be costly for industry if salt water reaches their wells, Dausman says, noting that the commission has the authority to issues bonds. Tighter regulation of certain sands, repurposing treated wastewater for irrigation, and a public campaign to encourage water conservation all could be in the solution mix. In the meantime, industry already has decreased its dependence on the aquifer. ExxonMobil has spent $12.9 million since 2006 on new equipment and technology to reduce withdrawals from the Baton Rouge primary drinking water aquifers and now operates 70% of its refinery and chemical plant cooling towers on river water, the company says. While the saltwater intrusion problem is serious, Dausman says, the worst-case scenario is far from imminent. While we don’t know for sure how much time we have to fix the problem, we know there’s still time.

BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022 | BusinessReport.com

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Congratulations

JANE VERRET

PRESIDENT & CEO OF CAMPUS FEDERAL CREDIT UNION for being named one of the

2022 Influential Women in Business

As Louisiana’s Top Business Credit Union, we’re here to help maximize your business success. We offer a full suite of business products and personal service. Business Loans

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Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022

4/28/22 1:14 PM

Issue Date: May 2022 Ad proof #3 • Please respond by e-mail or fax with your approval or minor revisions. • AD WILL RUN AS IS unless approval or final revisions are received within 24 hours from receipt of this proof. A shorter timeframe will apply for tight deadlines. • Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees.

F HEALTH CARE EXCELLENCE CELEBRATING 10 YEARS O

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BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022 | BusinessReport.com

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VIEWPOINT

MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE

CATS has too many lives—and should privatize

ROLFE MCCOLLISTER JR. ON THE OCTOBER ballot last year, CATS asked you to renew a 10-year property tax that accounts for much of the bus system’s annual $30 million budget. While acknowledging a city needs mass transit, I recommended a “no” vote to send a message: Clean up your act and get a solid plan and management with results. I’ve long advocated for city-parish government to contract out the management of our bus system, much like Baton Rouge partners with ASM Global on operational management of the Cane’s River Center. The concept of privatizing the management of CATS is hardly new. Neither is the violent opposition to the idea from unions and big government lovers who defend the status quo and the absolute control of the associated jobs. Let’s admit it, government-run services usually stink. Privatization is not always a magic solution, but with the pace of change and need for innovation, it often offers an improvement in government-run services. Admittedly a pretty low bar when it comes to CATS and how it has

REFLECTIONS

A 5-STAR IDENTIFICATION This feature is a tribute in honor of Business Report founders, Rolfe McCollister Sr. & Rolfe McCollister Jr.

been run. (Imagine if Chick-fil-A took over the operations of CATS? Now you see my point.) Despite the legacy of questionable—at best—operations of CATS, the mayor, BRAC officials and many others very publicly came out in support of the tax plan, and it easily passed. Less than six months later and Bill Deville is out as CEO, removed by a CATS board that’s allowing him to continue “earning” his $190,819 salary—dollars that come from Baton Rouge and Baker property owners—while doing nothing. Another top CATS executive was fired for failing a drug test that was kept quiet until WBRZ reported the news. CATS board member Patrick Downs told The Advocate, “We’ve had too many … unforced errors, lapses in management and judgment and those have played out in the news, and I think most of the things have been preventable. I think we owe it to the taxpayers and the riders to do a better job managing the system.” Where was this perspective last fall when voters were making their decisions on a tax renewal? Linda Perkins, board vice president, said, “I don’t have a clue what the board has in terms of what comes next.” Nice to know the truth mere months after CATS and its advocates conned—er, convinced— voters to give them millions in tax dollars for the next decade. These comments from Downs and Perkins strengthen my belief that pursuing private management should be the next step by this board, mayor and BRAC. Sadly, this executive team and

this board are in way over their heads when it comes to running a bus system. Their sole collective talent seems to be hiding dirty laundry until after tax elections. We got ripped off and those who lobbied hard in support of the renewal owe all of us some answers. Mayor Sharon Weston Broome, an ardent and loud tax supporter, has suddenly gone silent. Asked for her take on the CATS mess, spokesperson Mark Armstrong offered this weak take: “CATS is in the hands of the council and the CATS board. We trust, at the end of the day, they’re going to find the right outcomes for this situation.” Oh really? Fool me once, shame on CATS, the mayor and BRAC. Fool me twice … IS THERE A WILL? I have always believed where there’s a will, there’s a way. Yet I had a different belief after reading a recent story in The Advocate on crimes at the OYO Motel: “What the hell is going on in Baton Rouge that this can’t be stopped?” The article said that in “a 15-month stretch, records show Baton Rouge police responded to 11 shootings, 11 assaults, 13 burglaries, seven weapons-related ‘disturbances,’ four fights, 28 overdoses and a hit-and-run at an OYO Motel just off Interstate 12.” Is this for real? The story goes on to say these crimes attracted “scrutiny from city-parish leaders as they struggle to enforce a 2018 ordinance meant to curb sex trafficking, drug use and other crime at local motels. A log of 911 calls from the OYO’s address shows

IDENTIFICATION HAS TO do with being in union with and being in the likeness of something or someone. The basis of this view is 2 Corinthians 5:17: “If anyone is in Christ Jesus, he is a new creation, the old is gone, behold all things have become new.” The first two parts of one’s identification is of the old being gone. The person who existed before coming to Christ is dead and buried. That’s the first part of the Good News. Romans 6:6 states, “Knowing this our old self crucified and buried with Him in order that our body of sin may be done away with.” The other three parts of our identification have to do with the new self being in the

that since the start of 2021, 523 incidents at the motel drew a police response—a rate of about 1.1 calls per day.” Why do we tolerate this and allow the business to remain open? That is unacceptable. Where is the will to stop this? Solve the problem … or heads should roll. MUSK TO THE RESCUE Say what you want about Elon Musk, but the man has bold ideas and chutzpah! I love that Musk has basically said, “In your face, there’s a new sheriff in town,” to the liberal establishment that owns most of the social media platforms and acts as thought police and censors. In announcing his purchase of Twitter, Musk declared, “Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated. I also want to make Twitter better than ever by enhancing the product with new features, making the algorithms open source to increase trust, defeating the spam bots, and authenticating all humans. Twitter has tremendous potential—I look forward to working with the company and the community of users to unlock it.” Who knows how it will work out as Musk takes Twitter private. We will all have to wait and see. For now, however, I am pleased that he has upset the apple cart and I’m amused that he has so many in California, New York and Washington, D.C., upset. Good for him. Tweet that.

likeness of His resurrection, ascension, and seated reigning. Ephesians 2:6-7 says, “God raised up with Jesus and seated up with Him in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come—now, He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness towards in Christ Jesus.” These identifications take the good news to the level of best news. Bottom Line: The old person, a sinner before coming to Christ and receiving Him, is dead and buried; the new person—raised, ascended and seated with Christ—is experiencing amazing grace. What a union, what a likeness! —Jeff Mitchell, Retired COL and Army Chaplain

Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022

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VIEWPOINT

RANDOM THOUGHTS

The curious case of Bodi White

JR BALL IT’S HARD TO believe Bodi White really wanted to be the mayor of Baton Rouge and the president of this parish. Given how hard the powerful state senator from neighboring Central works against Louisiana’s second-most important city, why in the name of all things Red Stick did he ever want to be its chief executive officer? Please tell me it’s for reasons other than Eddie Rispone put him up to it. Perhaps his spate of head-scratching legislative antics are payback to the highfalutin, city-dwelling snobs responsible for his 2016 loss to Sharon Weston Broome. Dismiss the notion if you want, but a cadre of Baton Rouge influential types, including a few who spend a fair amount of time schlepping the halls of the state Capitol, believe the animus is real. White’s spite isn’t reserved for the creative and eclectic types who call places like Spanish Town, Mid City and Southdowns home. He’s also none too pleased with the Bocage and Highland Road business crowd who not only didn’t support his campaign but also cast a rather condescending eye—apparently—toward the more rural and less diverse city of Central. The problem with this theory is that White was sticking it to Baton Rouge long before its moneyed, moderate white voters crushed his mayoral dream. Maybe he simply sees himself as a white knight, protecting his minions by fending off the hoity-toity, big city elites. 60

Which might help explain why Central and Zachary as it does in he 1) extorts BREC every decade Baton Rouge. #Facts. or so by threatening to create his Parochialism is why White can own parks department unless the wrangle an eye-catching $10.9 parishwide agency ponies up for million in federal American some pet youth baseball project Rescue Plan dollars for the city he in Central, loves so much yet now plays po2) Worked overtime to crush the litical shenanigans with money northern bypass segment of the the governor wants allocated for Baton Rouge Loop Project when a new bridge over the Mississippi the preferred route was not to his River. Does he honestly believe liking, and his beloved hometown won’t ben3) Plays a role in routinely efit from the project? fracturing the Capital Region His consistently myopic viewLegislative Delegation—annupoint is how he can file a bill ally costing the area millions— proposing to redraw the school while other regional delegations, boundaries for Central, removlike the one from New Orleans, ing Black and lower-income resmanage to remain unified long idents from the district, and be enough to rake in the largesse. oblivious that it comes off as racIn fairness, there were legitist. White could not care less that imate arguments against the such a move won’t play well with northern bypass—pitched as researchers or knowledge-based a public-private toll road—but companies being recruited to those had zero to do with White’s move into East Baton Rouge objections. His were purely Parish—not to mention this repersonal. gion’s quest to attract and retain White, a lifelong resident of the young, educated professionals. hamlet known as Central, is the The tragedy in all this is no city personification of the challenge or unincorporated region can facing Baton Rouge. We’re a parsurvive on its own. White may not ish with a colossal number of culbe willing to admit it, but a thrivtural divisions (racial, religious, ing Baton Rouge is truly a good economic, political, yadda yadda thing for its bedroom community yadda) and getting people to see neighbor to the northeast. a picture beyond their own paroIncredible research being chial view is nearly impossible. done at LSU, the Pennington It’s why the supBiomedical posedly small Research Center, government, anThe Water ti-tax Republican Campus, numerhas no problem ous health care steering $2 milfacilities and area lion from the state petrochemical budget to the plants have the Central Athletic potential to enrich Foundation but everyone in the retook a handsgion—not just the off approach on city that calls these $32 million for places home. phase one of the Entrepreneurs University Lakes creating new ideas, renovation and is knowledge-based actively working innovations, against commithigh-paying jobs State Sen. Bodi White ting the dollars and, yes, wealth necessary to finish for the successful this critically imrisk-takers benefits portant quality of life project. Central—even if none of those Maybe it would help if White enterprisers chooses to live there. checked the data indicating the Here’s the bottom line: East lakes project polls just as well in Baton Rouge Parish will never

live up to its incredible potential if White and so many others—including a great many people from Baton Rouge—remain so stubbornly insular. With White, love means having to say you’re sorry, so … Dear Bodi, On behalf of everyone residing in the city of Baton Rouge—and especially the business community—we’re sorry. Our bad for not supporting you en masse during your run for mayor-president. Forgive us for not hurling cash at your campaign, endorsing you (Thanks, Rolfe) or voting for you. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa if we big city folks give the impression of looking down on the good people of Central. On a personal note, Central residents are fabulous—especially Melanie at Central Pools and Jessica at Caliente Mexican Craving. Two finer people you’ll never meet. They’re even nicer than your baseball park in Central. Boy, that’s quite a sports Taj Mahal. It’s way better than anything Baton Rouge has got. And now turf fields are on the way? Well done by you, sir! If you want, I’ll come over and help run a lacrosse clinic to assist Central’s team. But I digress. Even if you can’t bring yourself to help improve Baton Rouge, can you at least stop working overtime to hurt the city that makes it possible for you to do what you do? Anyway, for not voting for you and for all the other slights we’ve heaped your way, we humbly apologize. Let me close by quoting the late John McKeithen, another notable country-born Louisiana politician, “Won’t ya’ hep me?” Sincerely, Baton Rouge

BUSINESS REPORT, May 2022 | BusinessReport.com

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2022

2022 Honorees

KAREN BREAUX

Human Resources Director, Postlethwaite & Netterville (P&N)

LAUREN MCCALL FITCH Chief Operating Officer, Hannis T. Bourgeois, LLP

GINGER LAURENT

CEO, Louisiana Bankers Association

BEVERLY HAYDEL

KIM MULKEY

President / CEO, Sequitur Consulting

Head Women’s Basketball Coach, LSU

KIM HUNTER REED

JANE VERRET

CATHERINE O’NEAL

RENITA WILLIAMS THOMAS

Commissioner of Higher President & CEO, Campus Education, Board of Regents Federal Credit Union

Chief Medical Officer, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center

Principal/CEO, In Loving Arms Health Care for Kids

Join us for a special panel discussion with the 2022 honorees.

MAY 10, 2022 • CROWNE PLAZA

11 a.m. Doors Open • 11:45 a.m. Luncheon & Awards FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO PURCHASE TICKETS, VISIT BUSINESSREPORT.COM/EVENTS

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