Baton Rouge Business Report [October 2023]

LINDA PEREZ CLARK, MANAGING PARTNER

78 Beyond the Blue horizon

The proposed sale of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana to Elevance Health is sparking fears across the state of future price increases.

82 Blitzing blight

Can a new data-focused approach change the trajectory in Baton Rouge?

84 Growing pains

The population explosion in once-rural Livingston Parish is raising development questions while putting a strain on schools and roads.

86 ‘Fed up with all these stupid texts’ Political campaigns are bombarding voters with text mess ages, but are they effective?

Learn the Secrets of the 2023 Best Places to Work

Photos courtesy AccuTemp Services, Home Bank, LaPorte CPAs Business Advisors, REV, AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana, Taylor Porter

Design: Hoa Vu

For life’s moments, big and small. We’re here with the strength of the cross, the protection of the shield. The Right Card. The Right Care.

Cultivating culture

IN MY CONVERSATIONS with CEOs

and other executives throughout the Capital Region, their biggest battle these days isn’t for market share or innovation. It’s fighting the war for talent.

As we went to press, Louisiana’s unemployment rate was at a  historic low: 3.3%.

Thegood news is, we know how to win the battle. And that’s what this edition of  Business Report is all about.

Success is not just about competing in the market. More than ever, it’s about competing for hearts and minds to build the high-performing teams essential for competitiveness.

I’m proud to say this is our 10th year celebrating the Best Places to Work in the Capital Region. I know that honoring those companies who have purposefully forged an exceptional work environment and sharing their strategies in these pages will inspire me and many other CEOs with ideas to reshape our own cultures for success.

Thisyear, a record 75 companies small, medium and large grace our list. You’ll note some familiar names (in fact, on page 68 we feature the only four companies that have made the list all 10 years) but also a number of new ones—a sure sign that the competition is more fiece than ever.

In reviewing this year’s winners, I noted several trends in what makes a Best Place to Work.

Looking at the employee engagement survey results for companies that made the list, two key areas stand out that underscore the importance of competitive benefitspackages and work-life balance in attracting and retaining top talent:

• Employees’ satisfaction with their benefits surged from 82% in 2022 to an impressive 89% in 2023.

• An overwhelming 91% of employees from winning companies reported being content

with their work-life balance, up from 86% the previous year.

Even so, it’s clear that it doesn’t matter how many incentives you offe—if you aren’t building the right culture, you’ll continue to lose the talent battle. From the survey:

• Doing things as a team is paramount. It’s heartening to see that despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the sense of togetherness has persevered. Of course, this is south Louisiana, so crawfishboils remain a beloved tradition. If you’re not hosting one, you’re in the minority. Other faves: Top Golf, escape rooms, and cheering on sports teams.

• When it comes to driving employee engagement, some factors prevail year after year. Employees thrive when they genuinely enjoy what they do and believe in their leadership. A commitment to producing high-quality products and services, making progress at work, and fair compensation have consistently ranked high on the list of engagement drivers. And, of course, having fun at work is essential.

But this year, we observed a noteworthy shift in priorities. “Being treated with dignity, not just as a number,” took the top spot as the No. 1 driver of engagement In short, it’s about respect

Peter Drucker is credited with musing that “culture eats strategy for breakfast.” I have to agree. As we know from those who have made it to the top of the Best Places to Work in the Capital Region, winning the talent war begins with a winning culture

Thebest is yet to come!

Publisher: Julio Melara

EDITORIAL

Chief Content Officer & Executive Editor: Penny Font

Corporate Media Editor: Lisa Tramontana

Managing Editor: Allan Schilling

Onlin e  New s  Editor: Deanna B. Narveson

Staf f  writers: Holly Duchmann, David Jacobs, Domenic Purdy

Digital Content Editor: Dillon Lowe

Multimedia News Producer: Oscar Tickle

Contributin g  writers: Sa m  Barnes, Emily Hebert, Maggie Heyn Richardson

Contributing photographers: Don Kadair, Tim Mueller, Collin Richie

ADVERTISING

Sale s  Director: Kelly Lewis

Account Executives: Emma Dubuc, Nancy Bombet Ellis, Meredith LaBorde, Ethan Shipp, Matt Wambles

Digital Operations Manager: Devyn MacDonald

Customer Success Manager: Paul Huval

STUDIO E

Director: Taylor Gast

Creative Director: Timothy Coles

Content Strategist: Emily Hebert

Account Executive: Judith LaDousa

MARKETING

Marketin g &  Event s  Coordinator: Taylo r  Falgout

Marketing & Events Assistant: Cadon Ardoin

Events: Abb y  Hamilton

ADMINISTRATION

Business Manager: Tiffany Durocher

Business Associate: Kirsten Milano

Office Coordinator: Sara Hodge

Receptionist: Cathy Varnado Br own

CREATIVE SERVICES

Director of Creative Services: Amy Vandiver

Ar t  Director: Ho a  Vu

Senior Graphic Designers: Melinda Gonzalez Galjour, Emily Witt

Graphic Designer: Ashlee Digel

Design Consultant: Carlin Mumphrey

AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT

Audience Development Director and Digital Manager: James Hume

Audience Development Coordinator: Ivana Oubre

Audience Development Associate: Catherine Albano

A publication of Melara Enterprises, LLC

Chairman: Julio Melara

Executive A ssistant: Brooke M otto

Vice President-Sales: Elizabeth McCollister Hebert

Chief Content Officer: Penny Font

Chief Digital Officer: Erin Pou

Chief Operating Officer: Guy Barone

Chairman Emeritus: Rolfe H. McCollister Jr.

Circulation/Reprints/Subscriptions/Customer Service

225-928-1700 • email: circulation@businessreport.com

Volume 41 - Number 15

Julio Melara, Publisher

Thank you to our team for voting us on the Best Places to Work in Baton Rouge!

BBP brings more than 30 years of expertise in instrumentation, analytical, valves and control systems to the Southeast region. Since our founding, BBP has upheld the values of like, trust, and commitment to our customers and employees. We partner with leading manufacturers to deliver Automation Innovation to thousands of customers across a wide variety of industries. Through personalized attention and superior responsiveness, we take pride in being a company our customers value doing business with. At BBP, our employees enjoy coming to work where they can solve new challenges daily. Learn more about our team on our website at bbpsales.com/careers.

5 THINGS to watch this month

WHAT

DOES IT take to lead in a crisis?

Business Report’s Strictly Business sits down with Dr. Craig Greene, a surgeon at Baton Rouge Orthopaedic Clinic who also represents the Baton Rouge district on the Louisiana Public Service Commission. Greene will share leadership insights into his work as a physician as well as his efforts to help navigate the PSC. Register at strictlybusiness. businessreport.com and get more information at businessreport.com/ events.

THE BATON ROUGE Area Chamber is inviting all of its investors to BRING IT!

To BRAC on Oct. 18. BRAC staff will be available to answer any questions about business and the Baton Rouge community and discuss the organization’s projects, initiatives and upcoming events. Get the details at BRAC.org/events.

ELEVANCE HEALTH’S ACQUISITION of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is still worth watching. The two health insurers withdrew their proposal to have Indiana-based Elevance acquire the state’s leading health insurer in a $2.5 billion deal in late September. The acquisition was set to go before the Louisiana Department of Insurance early this month after it was pushed back from August. Now, it’s up in the air again, with company officials saying they plan to resubmit the proposal at a later date. Read more on page 78.

THE WEST Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce is hosting a one-day event for Capital Region

manufacturers and distributors at the Crowne Plaza on Oct. 12. Supply Chain Baton Rouge 2023 aims to help businesses gain insight into industry trends, engage in conversations about business development, and get the latest on the changing supply chain landscape. Get more information about the event at bit.ly/SupplyChainB R.

LSU IS CELEBRATING

the 2023 LSU 100: Fastest Growing Tiger Businesses list at a gala Oct. 20 at L’Auberge Casino Hotel. While an unranked list has been out since late August, LSU will reveal at the gala how each company stacks up. The LSU 100 is a competitive annual program recognizing the 100 fastest-growing LSU graduate-owned or LSU graduate-led businesses. Companies must apply each year to be considered for the list.

Why integrity matters

SPEND JUST A few minutes on social media and you will see a lie that is pervasive in our society. Thelie says that your success, fame and fortune are the most important things about you, and that you need to achieve those things no matter the cost— even if it means compromising your morals, cheating the system or hurting others in the process.

Many people believe that pushing others to the side while elevating themselves to get ahead is just part of the process on the path to success. But what if there was a better way? What if you could be wildly successful without sacrificig your soul? What if there was a secret to true and lasting success?

I believe the secret can be found in a frequently overlooked and underutilized principle: integrity.

While it may seem counterintuitive, living with integrity and putting the needs of others above your own actually helps build trust and ultimately leads to your own success. Of course, you will need talent to succeed, but integrity and character maximize your talent and lead to the fulfillmet of your greatest potential.

Commitment to doing the right thing isn’t always convenient but your choices reveal your character and integrity, which determine the life and success you create.

Living with integrity isn’t always easy but it’s not complicated. Integrity is following through on your commitments. It’s saying what you are going to do and doing what you said. It’s living by core principles instead of an agenda that violates your principles. It’s being honest and truthful. It’s admitting you were wrong when the data and facts present themselves. Integrity is doing the right thing even when it doesn’t benefityou.

I want to encourage you not to sacrifice your principles for short-term gain. You may

win today but you’ll lose in the end.

Turn on the news and you’ll often hear the stories of leaders who achieved the pinnacle of success in their careers, yet their lack of integrity brought everything crashing down around them. Theripple effct of their wrongdoing damaged the reputation of their organization, destroyed their credibility and devastated relationships with the people they cared about most.

In my work with numerous individuals and organizations, it has become clear that integrity has never been more important. So much is at stake, and so many things improve when you do things the right way over time—reputation, legacy, fiancial success, upward mobility at work, team unity, family and relationships.

In this spirit, I want to let you know about a book I wrote with Alex Demczak called The Sale. Themain character, Matt, has an opportunity to make a multimillion-dollar sale that will make him rich. But to do so he may have to sacrificehis integrity. Thebook’s outcome and Matt’s future hinge on his decision.

JON GORDON is a top speaker and bestselling author of multiple books including The Energy Bus, The Power of Positive Leadership and The Power of a Positive Team. His clients include Campbell’s Soup, Dell, Publix, Southwest Airlines, Snapchat and Truist Bank as well sports teams such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Rams. Connect with him at JonGordon.com.

Unlocking your potential: The unsung heroes of everyday mentorship

AN INSPIRING, capable mentor is one of life’s great gifts.

Few of us will achieve our ambitions without the hands extended to give us a lift, without someone who has blazed a trail before us pointing out the hazards to avoid and the advantages to embrace.

Mentoring might be simply defind as modeling success. When I ask people to name someone who has been a meaningful mentor in their lives, the most common response sounds something like this: “Thee are so many. I don’t know where to start.” Likewise, many successful people want to mentor and do; the desire to “pay it forward” in some way is powerfully manifested through personal relationships, charitable enterprises, training initiatives, and other forms of mentorship for those traveling the path beside and behind us.

It’s a mistake to think that mentors are only in the workplace. I have had individuals name parents and grandparents who have been important educational, career and life mentors. Don’t overlook the example and encouragement of a grandmother or aunt who was the fist in the family to go to college, or a mother who was a career trailblazer in her time. The ground they broke may be diffeent than the territory we are conquering, but lessons in courage, patience, perseverance and resourcefulness transcend time and specificsituations. Talk to and about the women in your family who have faced barriers and sometimes broken them.

Likewise, fathers, grandfathers and uncles have often had better opportunities and broader experiences. Perhaps they model principles or behaviors you want to emulate. Talking to and about the experiences of the accomplished men closest to you can provide insight and encouragement to women as well as men.

Spouses/partners are also named as important mentors by many individuals. It’s not uncommon for us to findour life companions have abilities and experiences that

complement our own. Thy can be excellent sounding boards, advisers, guides and supports when we start a new job, face an unexpected challenge at work—or worse. Thoe nearest to us face the same experiences we face in the workplace.

Some of the most influetial mentoring we will receive in our lifetime occurred when we were much younger. Thinkabout how lessons learned from teachers, coaches and school counselors could be applied to a current situation. Did someone inspire a passion for a certain subject? How can passion for your work serve you now? Did you learn great discipline from a music teacher who expected you to practice an hour a day? How might better discipline help in your current role? Did a teacher or coach demonstrate the truth that there are consequences for actions, both good and bad?

Thelesson applies in the workplace.

A mentor can be a boss, particularly one early in our career. Consider the lessons you’ve learned from previous employers. The key attribute of a good mentor is development of strength, skill and values in others. Bosses who take an interest in their workers, help them identify their unique strengths and use them in their roles, and develop an understanding of their employees’ aspirations can be excellent mentors. Look for opportunities to work for and with such leaders and to emulate their practices.

Mentorship fillsa gap. It may be a gap in skill set, opportunity, courage or confidenc. As often as not, a mentor helps fillthe gap in our vision—our vision of what could be; our vision of what we could be. Thediffeence between making our mark on the world or not might be the mentor who helps us believe that we have a mark to make, and that making it will make a genuine diffeence.

One thing that great mentors teach us all: Theonly diffeence between another person’s great achievement and falling short might be me.

WHITNEY JOHNSON is CEO of leadership development company Disruption Advisors and has 1.8 million followers on LinkedIn. You can reach her at whitney@ thedisruptionavisors.com.

Scaling a new business concept

Taking a new concept for a business and scaling it for expansion can be tricky—especially if the growth you envisioned includes expanding your company’s footprint with new brick-and-mortar shops. Will Edwards, founder of Kolache Kitchen, shares lessons when it comes to expanding and franchising your business.

1 2 3 4

THE BIGGEST LEARNING curve came from the first expansion—going from one store to two. It was roughly two years after opening his first location of Kolache Kitchen off LSU’s campus that Edwards decided to expand with a second location in Baton Rouge in the spring of 2015. “For me, not being able to be in two places at once and monitor everything was a huge hurdle,” he says. “I quickly realized that after the first week of having the second store.”

IT’S ALL ABOUT the staff. Edwards suggests promoting someone from within the company to either step up as manager of the flagship location or at the new location. “For your own sanity, before you expand, you want to make sure you have someone who understands the brand and the concept to be able to make decisions when you can’t be there.”

EXPANDING WITH CORPORATE-OWNED stores in new markets tests opportunities. “After opening the second and third [corporateowned] locations, I felt confident that we would be able to franchise. Because we were able to replicate it in two different markets, I knew we could grow.”

Loadstar aspires to be the industry's premier product handling and site logistics provider. We perform at the highest level of safety and quality, while delivering operational excellence and innovation to our customers. Loadstar is proud to be recognized as one of 2023 Best Places to Work.

Through our knowledge, values and safety standards, Loadstar has earned the trust of leading companies across the industry.

A new leader for LABI

THERE’S A NEW leader for what is arguably the most powerful nongovernmental organization in the state: The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry.

Will Green (right) returns to LABI after having worked there on civil justice and employee relations for two years under former CEO Stephen Waguespack. Waguespack, who had led the organization since 2013, stepped down in March to run for governor.

Green, an attorney who practiced worker’s comp defense for about five years, departs his role as president and CEO at the Louisiana Automobile Dealers Association at a pivotal time for Louisiana business.

“I’m very fortunate to be walking into an amazing situation,” Green says, while praising LABI’s board and staff. “It’s an exciting time in the state.”

After Louisiana’s fall election, the state will have a new governor, plus

the turnover of nearly one-third of the Louisiana Legislature. LABI has a team that lobbies lawmakers when the Legislature is in session.

As LABI’s top executive, Green will also promote the association’s agenda throughout the state. He’ll also help LABI gear up for next year with a new, expansive agenda.

Last month, LABI released its new strategic plan, which calls for phasing out the state’s personal income tax and raising the gasoline tax. The plan contains a mix of familiar goals for the business lobby—including centralizing sales tax collection and tweaking the Industrial Tax Exemption Program—and new initiatives such as calling for a cabinet-level talent development office in state government.

At press time, a start date was pending. Jim Patterson, LABI’s vice president of government relations and longtime point person at the Legislature, has been filling in as interim president.

$181M

Money requests from the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness for disaster recovery spending that did not adhere to program rules, according to the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s office. A total of $963 million in local reimbursements were requested during the first half of 2023. The problem? Lack of sufficient documentation and requesting reimbursement for work outside of the approved scope of work.

MUST READ

There’s a reason Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones has been No. 1 on the bestseller lists of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Amazon and Audible. It’s billed as a comprehensive and practical guide on how to create good habits, break bad ones, and get 1% better every day. Who doesn’t want that? Author James Clear’s premise is that bad habits repeat themselves not because you don’t want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. A core philosophy of Atomic Habits is this: You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. A studied expert on habit formation, the author draws on elements of biology, psychology and neuroscience to offer tips for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible. What makes this book work is the stories of Olympic gold medalists, awardwinning artists, business leaders, physicians and star comedians who have used the science of small habits to master their crafts.

DIGIT

“Ego is the enemy, and relationships will always take you further than money.”

Richard Spears, Realtor and owner, Prime Properties Group at Keller Williams First Choice

Uniting Forces. Amplifying Success.

With local roots and a focus on quality client service, Postlethwaite & Netterville (P&N) has a long history of helping organizations innovate, transform, connect, and grow.

By uniting with EisnerAmper, we’re continuing to build on our strong foundation by expanding our local and global resources. Discover how we can amplify your success. Learn

Our team is excited to leverage the latest technology and additional resources to support our decades-long commitment to providing the highestquality service.

A LEGACY OF SUCCESS

For the past 74 years, Postlethwaite & Netterville (P&N) provided quality client services and resources in the ever-evolving Gulf Coast business landscape. As one of the fastestgrowing firms in the country, we have remained committed to delivering highquality, cutting-edge services over the decades.

Now part of EisnerAmper, we’re well positioned to provide our clients with additional resources that accelerate growth and opportunity – today and into the future.

Our combination brings many new offerings to EisnerAmper, including a variety of advisory, outsourcing, and technology services. As leaders in governmental consulting, disaster management and recovery, cybersecurity, tax, assurance, and settlement administration, we’re nationally recognized with clients from coast to coast.

GLOBAL RESOURCES & CONTINUED GROWTH

Challenges abound in today’s world. Organizations constantly need access to knowledge about opportunities for transformation, regulatory issues, and economic hurdles. With EisnerAmper, clients throughout Louisiana and the Gulf Coast have gained access to robust market insights—with firm offices in more major cities such as New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Miami, Minneapolis, and more.

Clients rely on EisnerAmper for comprehensive audit, accounting, advisory, consulting, and tax services. We base our approach on four professional principles:

• Responsive – We listen to client concerns and craft responsive solutions tailored to their needs.

• Accountable – We look for actionable solutions that produce tangible, measurable results for our clients. We focus on the practical.

• Principled – We uphold the highest ethical, regulatory, and legal standards of our profession.

• Relationship-oriented – We focus on building long-term relationships with our clients to help them grow, addressing their concerns at every step of their journey.

EisnerAmper professionals package experience, acumen, and industryspecific skill sets to deliver customtailored solutions. The firm provides a strong foundation for continued growth, including a breadth of experience in financial services, real estate, private equity, and more—along with expanding our resources and capabilities in tax and audit.

LOCAL LEADERS IN YOUR COMMUNITY

We have always been proud to call Louisiana and the Gulf Coast home. Now part of a Top 20 accounting and business advisory firm, our commitment to our clients and our local communities is stronger than ever. You can expect to see the same familiar faces and experience the same foundational values that you’ve come to expect from P&N.

As accounting and advisory leaders in the region, the Gulf Coast EisnerAmper team looks forward to providing impactful insights, creating innovative solutions, and focusing on the relationships that make the Louisiana business landscape unique.

We are ready, as always, to amplify your success.

Beausoleil Coastal Cuisine

BY MAGGIE HEYN RICHARDSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY COLLIN RICHIE

Address: 7731 Jefferson Highway

Phone (225) 926-1572

Website: beausoleilcoastal.com

Cuisine: Seafood

Owner: City Group Hospitality;

Executive chef: Nicholas Palmer

Scene: Business casual

Pricing: $$$

Veering from a lobster roll’s traditional blueprint, Beausoleil Coastal Cuisine takes the simple New England sandwich in a satisfyingly French-influenced direction. The kitchen stacks butter poached lobster claw meat into a brioche roll seared to an appropriate “BGD”—chef Nicholas Palmer’s shorthand for golden brown and delicious. The lobster is joined by crushed avocado and quarters of roasted tomato that have been marinated in garlic, thyme and shallots. Drizzles of tarragon aioli over the lobster-avocado-tomato amalgam add an element of herby creaminess without a mayo overload. The dish, on the menu since 2020, is one of several handhelds available this fall for lunch. Palmer has also added a new French dip, and toasts featuring the restaurant’s housemade ciabatta topped with avocado, burrata or smoked salmon.

$18.9 MILLION

$155 MILLION

Value of the investment ExxonMobil is contemplating for two innovative projects in East Baton Rouge Parish. A portion is allocated for manufacturing ultra-pure isopropyl alcohol used to clean microchips and microprocessors used in cars, computers and cellphones as part of an initiative to support U.S. microchip manufacturing; the other involves advanced recycling. Some $74.6 million will be eligible for the state’s Industrial Tax Exemption Program.

Barret Blondeau

Founder and CEO, Falaya

BARRET

BEGINNING OCT. 3, Business Report is accepting entries or nominations for its 2024 Business Awards & Hall of Fame. We’re looking for successful entrepreneurs, executives and companies to recognize, as well as longtime business professionals in the Capital Region for the Hall of Fame.

The awards pay tribute to individuals and companies, recognizing their many accomplishments. Categories include Businessperson of the Year, Young Businessperson of the Year, and two Company of the Year awards (one for those with 100 or more employees, and another for those with fewer than 100 employees). The Hall of Fame recognizes a lifetime of achievement.

This year’s honorees will be profiled in the March edition of Business Report and recognized at a special event March 20 at the Crowne Plaza.

All entries and nominations must be submitted online no later than 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 3. No exceptions to the deadline will be made. Previous recognition for the Business Awards does not prohibit someone from being recognized again.

Get the nomination form and see a list of previous honorees at businessreport.com/events

BLONDEAU IS a real estate investor

who has flipped numerous properties and also owns several rental properties across Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Blondeau saw a need in the market and created the web and mobile app Falaya to help homeowners take more control over the sales process. Since the Falaya launch two years ago, the online platform for selling houses has sold more than 200 homes, saving homeowners $1.2 million in the process. Falaya is located at the Nexus Louisiana Technology Park, and has participated in both the Idea Village’s (New Orleans) and Opportunity Machine’s (Lafayette) startup incubator programs, where it has won pitch competitions for its business concept. Falaya also participated last year in BREW’s $100,000 pitch competition.

WALK-UP SONG:

“Imagine Dragons,” by Thunder

PASSION/HOBBY:

“Running with my Varsity Sports crew.”

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

JORDAN HEFLER, photographer and owner, Jordan Hefler Photography

OUR GAME PLAN: DELIVER ELITE CARE

TOGETHER WE ROAR.

With our medical team behind them, every Tiger gets the outstanding care that sets them up for greatness.

1 toKeySuccess

Ross Armstrong

FOUNDER, 4thFLR CREATIVE

What they do:

Video campaigns

Website: 4thflr.com

ROSS ARMSTRONG FIRST started producing music as a middle school kid in Baton Rouge. That love of music would eventually lead Armstrong, along with a partner, to launch 4thFLR Creative in 2015 when he was in his mid-20s. The music production endeavor created songs for brands and organizations. In 2018, Armstrong picked up a camera to start producing videos for clients, beginning with Southwest Louisiana Credit Union in Lake Charles. His expansion into video production proved lucrative for his business, which he balanced at the time with raising a special needs child and working full time at the fire department. “At first, it grew organically and I didn’t realize how much time it was taking away from music production, the department and my child. We had to shift naturally and balance. We didn’t have a sales pipeline at the time—we were just creating something that people needed.”

In 2019, Armstrong pivoted and split from his previous business partner, essentially rebranding

the business to focus on video production instead of music. As a firefighter, Armstrong says it’s important for him to keep a “service-first” mindset and estimates that about one-fourth of the work he produces is done at no cost to organizations that need help. It’s a trade-off that he says has paid off. “Because we’ve done in-kinds for the right people, other organizations have taken the chance on us as a smaller company.” To date, he has made content for brands ranging from Delta Airlines to Baton Rouge-based businesses such as Bernhard Capital Partners and Epic Piping. To accommodate the company’s growth, Armstrong is moving 4thFLR out of its downtown digs into a new building he bought near Baton Rouge High School. “Everyone needs what we do. Instagram used to be a picture platform and now it’s filled with videos. We want to be able to showcase and entertain people, and add value to people’s lives.”

—By Holly Duchmann • Photography by Don Kadair

“There are dynamics in every story that you’re in. Music is just as dynamic as video storytelling—you bring people in and engage people into your story with your song or video. It helps dictate the emotions and feelings about whatever they’re about to walk into or seek to understand.”

—ROSS ARMSTRONG

Feeling like a workplace referee? Here's how to stop.

FEW LEADERS RELISH the task of refereeing between team members.

But business and workforce management expert Jo Anne Preston, author of Lead the Way in Five Minutes a Day: Sparking High Performance in Yourself and Your Team, says managing employee conflict comes with the territory.

Certain situations necessitate a leader’s involvement—when a standard of behavior has been violated or when emotions are dangerously high. But if you play referee too often, team dynamics like communication, trust and morale can be negatively impacted. Your involvement may even make things worse if you’re seen as taking sides or overreacting. "Leaders," Preston says, "need to learn how to empower employees to resolve these conflicts independently.”

Here are five ways to better manage employee conflict by being proactive on the front end.

LISTEN TO BOTH SIDES

By giving only one employee your ear, you unintentionally give that employee the advantage. Remember that there are two equally legitimate sides to each story. You almost certainly are not getting the full picture from an employee who has a grievance.

KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VENTING AND GOSSIP

Venting about the frustrations of a busy day is one thing. But a complaint session dedicated to griping about a co-worker is gossip and should be nipped in the bud. “Allowing a team member to gossip implies that you think gossip is OK,” Preston says. “It’s not. Suggest that the employee shift into problem-solving mode to turn it into a discussion that can get results.”

HELP EMPLOYEES DEVELOP CONFLICT MANAGEMENT SKILLS

It’s not enough to tell employees, “Talk to the

person yourself.” Offer some guidance: Clarify an employee’s understanding of what a colleague’s duties are, brainstorm possible solutions, provide sample scripts, and review what language is likely to escalate or de-escalate the situation.

AVOID COLLUSION

Maybe the complainer is your friend, or perhaps you even agree with them. That’s all the more reason to set clear boundaries and avoid taking sides. “Encouraging trust and a level playing field is crucial," Preston says, "if you truly want employees to manage their own conflict."

INCREASE YOUR PRESENCE

Sometimes we are so focused on our work that we miss our team’s interactions with one another. Pay attention to workplace dynamics. Reinforce the behaviors you want to see and coach your employees to do the same. It’s much easier to address an employee's potentially problematic behavior one-on-one before it begins to affect others.

Get ready for flu season

Flu cases in the United States are expected to rise in the coming weeks, and certain groups are at greater risk of serious complications.

The best way to reduce your risk is to get vaccinated every year, according to East Baton Rouge Emergency Medical Services, which responds to an increased number of calls each flu season from people experiencing cold and flu related symptoms. Read more about flu symptoms, who’s at a higher-risk and what you can do to lessen your chances of getting sick.

The level of flu can vary from year to year. But in past years, the flu has caused millions of people in the United States to get sick, with hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and tens of thousands of deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Certain groups, including the elderly, those with certain medical conditions and very young children, are at a higher risk of becoming seriously ill or even being hospitalized. The best way to reduce your risk from seasonal flu and its potentially serious complications is to get vaccinated every year.

A new CDC study, which looked at children and adults in five South American countries during

the 2023 winter flu season (our summertime) shows flu vaccine performed well there this year. This study found that people who had received a flu vaccine were half as likely to be hospitalized with flu compared to people who had not been vaccinated.

For everyone, but especially those at higher risk, there are everyday precautions you can take to reduce the spread of flu. You should avoid close contact with people who are sick. If you are sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.

It’s also important to cover coughs and sneezes. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcoholbased hand rub.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.

Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with viruses that cause flu.

More information about EBR EMS can be found online at brla.gov/EMS or by scanning the QR code.

FLU SYMPTOMS:

• Fever

• Malaise

• Headache

• Runny nose

• Sneezing

• Reduced sense of smell

• Metallic taste in mouth

• Chills

• Cough

• Body pain or muscle pain

• Sore throat

*If you are experiencing new, severe or persistent symptoms, contact a health care provider

PREVENTION:

• Vaccine/flu shot – A flu vaccine contains three influenza viruses: influenza (H3N2) virus, influenza (H1N2) virus and one B virus.

• Wash hands regularly with soap and warm water.

• Clean frequently touched surfaces such as keyboards, telephones and door handles regularly to get rid of the germs.

• Use tissues to cover the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.

HIGHER-RISK POPULATIONS:

• People 65 and older

• People with certain chronic medical conditions including asthma, diabetes, heart disease, the immunocompromised and pregnant women

• Children under 5, and especially children under 2

LOVE WHAT YOU DO!

Get to know Associated Grocers!

Over 600 professionals supporting local independent retailers since 1950.

#6 on the Top 100 Private Companies in Baton Rouge list!

CITY PARK: Golf course, park

or casino?

I’m reading the article in Business Report about repurposing City Park Golf Course. I know that Rolfe McCollister is behind this movement, as he was several years ago.

City Park Golf Course plays a significant role for golf in Baton Rouge. The historical significance of the course is remarkable, considering the lack of golf history in the Capital Region. If we repurpose City Park Golf Course, we might as well start removing other historical sites in the area.

Mr. McCollister needs to think long and hard before he starts this fight. I would hope the Business Report doesn’t support him in his efforts.

JAY BABB, via letter

Golf course needs to go. More room for runners and bikers, better park and splash pad for the kids, amphitheater, and outdoor exercise space. More space to spread out and enjoy the site is also needed.

MATTHEW CARROLL, via Facebook

It’s well-utilized now. Why try to fix something that isn’t broken?

RUSSELL SMITH, via Facebook

Casino and half profit back to the community.

BUR BUR, via Facebook

It’s perfectly suited and situated to be exactly what it is: a park. The9-hole golf course could really go. Might even consider an amphitheater!

GREGORY D. ALLEN, via Facebook

45%

Passenger volume for the American Airlines direct flight from Baton Rouge to Washington, D.C., in August. That’s significantly lower than the 68% recorded in July and 74% recorded in June, when the nonstop flight launched.

SOURCE: Baton Rouge Metro Airport

11%

Growth in the number of people working in construction in the Capital Region over the past 12 months

SOURCE: Baton Rouge Area Chamber, September 2023

BREWING INSPIRATION

Now's your chance to pass along wisdom and experience to the next generation of entrepreneurs or support those who do. NexusLA has issued a call for speakers to share their inspiring stories at the 2024 Baton Rouge Entrepreneurship Week as well as sponsors who want to support the entrepreneurial community. BREW is scheduled for May 6-10, 2024. Get volunteer and sponsorship details at celebratebrew.com

10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Secrets of the 2023

BEST PLACES TO WORK in Baton Rouge

Just four companies have made the Best Places to Work list all 10 years. Here’s how they did it.

Meet the 75 companies we’re honoring as the 2023 Best Places to Work in the Capital Region.

COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE

CITY PLAZA

II CITY PLAZA

BAYOU SHADOWS

HARVESTON

BAYONNE AT SOUTHSHORE

RIVERMARK CENTRE & THE RESIDENCES AT RIVERMARK

CHATEAUX DIJON

TIMBER RIDGE & SYCAMORE POINT

Here’s to a decade of Best Places to Work!

THIS YEAR, Business Report’s Best Places to Work in the Capital Region marks a celebratory milestone. We’ve now been showcasing exceptional workplaces for 10 years. This year, we honor a record 75 organizations in three categories by workforce size. In a region where countless employers offer decent salaries and basic benefits, and where great employers go the extra mile with additional perks and flexibility, selection for Baton Rouge’s Best Places to Work is no easy feat.

Many things have changed since we began this program, but the one that stands out is that in this postpandemic world, employees now hold more sway and demand a better work-life balance. That means it takes a lot more than the conventional to stand out.

The organizations featured on this 10th annual list consistently go above and beyond to prioritize their employees. They understand that a content and engaged workforce translates to employees taking pride in their work, safeguarding the brand, and bolstering the bottom line—a trifecta of paramount importance in a competitive job market with a growing willingness among employees to explore new opportunities.

This year’s selection process remains as rigorous as ever, thanks to our partnership with Workforce Research Group. Our objective is to discover what truly makes a workplace exceptional in our community while providing participating employers with valuable insights into their employees’ perspectives.

How does Workforce Research Group determine who belongs on the Best Places to Work list? It’s a comprehensive process that comprises two fundamental components. The first involves a detailed questionnaire for the organization itself, addressing company policies, practices, demographics and benefits. The second is an anonymous response from a randomly selected group of each company’s employees, who evaluate 60 statements on a five-point agreement scale. They also provide insights through open-ended questions.

Best Companies Group evaluates and ranks participating firms across nine  focus areas: core experience; job; communication and workplace

culture; relationship with manager; training, technology and professional development; diversity and inclusion; leadership; employee benefits; and work-life balance.

Through these surveys, employees provide valuable insights regarding the accessibility, honesty and clarity of their leaders’ communication, as well as the alignment of their leaders’ actions with their words. Additionally, employees report whether they feel respected as individuals, whether they receive training benefits, appreciation, wellbeing support, and opportunities for contribution. They also share their perceptions of the company’s fairness in compensation, profits, promotions, recognition, favoritism and opportunities. We get insights into their sense of pride in their work, their team, and the company, as well as their perception of making a meaningful difference through their work. Lastly, we discover whether employees enjoy working with their colleagues, feel cared for, and can authentically be themselves in the workplace.

To be considered, a company must meet the following criteria:

• Have at least 15 full- or part-time permanent employees working in Baton Rouge.

• Have a physical operation in the Capital Region, which includes the following nine parishes: Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, Tangipahoa, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana.

• Be a publicly or privately held organization, and be a for-profit, not-for-profit, or government organization.

• Have been in business for at least one year, at the program registration deadline.

Contract employees are not counted in employee figures or surveys. And in the pursuit of authenticity, organizations with fewer than 25 employees must achieve an 80% or higher response rate on the employee survey.

If your organization aspires to be featured in next year’s listing of the Best Places to Work, we encourage you to visit bestplacestoworkbatonrouge.com and sign up for notifications for the 2024 survey.

Everybody’s voice matters

Software development firm Hubley prioritizes inclusivity and collaboration over hierarchy.

BY MAGGIE HEYN RICHARDSON

SINCE ITS LAUNCH in 2015, Baton Rouge software development company Hubley has grown exponentially, with staffincreasing tenfold from four to just under 50 in eight years. Thefim has also experienced a 270% increase in revenue since 2020.

That sort of growth rate could rattle the workplace culture of many new operations, but for Hubley it has been a chance to double down on its founders’ guiding principle: to create a company where “everybody’s voice matters,” says partner John Walker.

“We all worked for bigger companies in previous lives and felt like those companies weren’t prioritizing the people who were making the organization run,” Walker says. “Our dream was to start something inclusive, not a stringent hierarchy.”

Founded by Walker, Cody Gros

and Michelle Bolda, Hubley is a software developer whose customizable intranet platform of the same name helps companies improve internal collaboration and communication.

Its name is a portmanteau of “hub” and “friendly,” reflcting an

GET TOGETHER:

The Hubley team not only works together, but frequently socializes as well, gathering regularly for ax throwing, happy hours or service projects.

easy-to-use interface in which employees can share ideas, follow up on projects, schedule meetings, upload photos and videos, and create discussion groups.

Theyoung company has more than 200 clients, including local institutions Our Lake of the Lake Regional Medical Center and LWCC, and more than a million users.

For its own team, creating an environment that balances fleibility with productivity has been a key objective for Hubley, particularly since the pandemic. Seventy-fie

percent of employees live in Baton Rouge, with the balance sprinkled nationwide. Local team members work in the offica minimum of one or two days a week, with some preferring to work there all week. Few rules are imposed on staff members as long as they remain productive, Walker says.

Monthly, interactive virtual events help employees stay engaged and form connections with non-remote workers. A recent event included a cooking class in which participants made hot sauce with a live chef using a DIY kit of ingredients mailed by Hubley in advance. Additionally, team members who don’t live in Baton Rouge are flwn in every December for holiday events. Local employees get together regularly for ax throwing, happy hours or service projects.

Most importantly, Walker says, Hubley has tried to ensure that employees feel comfortable speaking up.

“We’re super proud,” Walker says. “You can come here and do great things for your clients, but also enjoy your colleagues and express your opinions. I want everybody to feel free to share their thoughts on everything, whether it’s a small issue or a large issue, because that helps us improve.”

Support and Implementation

Manager Ashley Rodriguez says that Hubley has resisted the tendency of many tech companies to silo employees. While employees generally work within business units, they’re invited to contribute across projects based on their skills and strengths.

“Being goal-based puts us in a position to share work based on

SMALL COMPANIES

HUBLEY

WHO IS HUBLEY?

You know that intranet the management team keeps talking about? The one that hosts company communications, training videos, HR information, all your policies and procedures, employee engagement experiences and more? Hubley delivers those enterprise solutions globally from right here in Baton Rouge.

3 STANDOUT BENEFITS

• 3% 401(k) contribution with no match required, plus paid time off buyout that employees can elect to have deposited into their 401(k) at year’s end

• Employee participation in community service during normal business hours without losing pay or using vacation time

• Reimbursement of health care costs for employees who participate in the Humana Go365 wellness program

WHAT EMPLOYEES LOVE

• Moss wall art, where team members gather virtually for a happy hour and destress by making art

• The ‘shoutout’ section on the company intranet

• Extra bonus or gift card of their choosing for additional work or certification completion

• A December holiday party that lasts an entire week, with dinners, happy hours, free Uber vouchers, a white elephant gift exchange and high-priced giveaways

• Partially paid maternity and paternity leave

strengths and talents, rather than assigning tasks based on job title,” Rodriguez says. “Thislack of rigidity helps people overcome limitations, make meaningful contributions and learn. Everyone at Hubley is a teacher, and everyone is a learner.”

Rodriguez says developers can often be seen crowded around a desk or whiteboard in ad hoc learning sessions. Other workers might create cross-functional work groups.

“That would not be possible in an organization with silos and communication restrictions,” adds Rodriguez, a top performer who says Hubley’s work environment has allowed them to excel despite having ADHD.

“Working here has changed my life,” Rodriguez says. “Thisenvironment gives people who have different learning types the ability to excel.”

Thecompany has also elevated work-life balance by setting the expectation that working long hours or working on vacation shouldn’t be the norm. If an employee appears to be overloaded, management’s approach is to try to findout why, and even offload some of the work, Rodriguez says.

Employees are also encouraged to continually develop their skills. New employees have a peer mentor for their fist year of work who helps them identify strengths and areas for growth. Thy’re also invited to pursue employer-sponsored courses or certifiations and then bring these new skills to employee projects.

Along with a generous salary and benefitspackage, Hubley employees also have a chance to earn quarterly bonuses. Hubley’s partners issue a matrix of targets at the beginning of each quarter. Thee incentives are tied to individual, not group, performance, Walker says.

Rodriguez says that while it was the founders’ intentions to create a positive workplace, it’s the employees who are constantly findig ways to preserve and perpetuate it.

“A lot of companies say your opinion matters,” Rodriguez notes. “But here, there’s so much open collaboration and you don’t have to go through layers of approval. I’ve seen my ideas in action.”

SMALL COMPANIES

DAA MEDIA + MARKETING

WHO IS DAA MEDIA + MARKETING?

DAA Media + Marketing’s longtime clients include names such as Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, Baton Rouge General Medical Center, Louisiana Healthcare Connections, Shell and Window World. This integrated strategic and creative media partner provides marketing plans, managed omnichannel campaigns, and ongoing analysis and optimization. In the world of an ever-changing media landscape, DAA has continued to evolve in order to provide clients with full-service solutions, following the consumption trends and technology changes of the industry

Issue Date: OCT 2023 Ad proof #1

RECRUITING STRATEGIES: ‘THE ULTIMATE JOB INTERVIEW’

• Please respond by e-mail or phone with your approval or minor revisions.

“Internships have been the foundation to building a diverse and vibrant DAA team. Half of our current staff are former interns, from the CEO [34 years ago] and president [22 years ago] to our latest hire this summer. DAA supports student organizations and historically has offered two to four internships per year. This has given us the opportunity to assemble a staff that’s not only incredibly talented, but also has great chemistry. Internships really are the ultimate job interview and they’ve been key to building a company with unheard of employee retention in the advertising industry.”

• AD WILL RUN AS IS unless approval or final revisions are received within 24 hrs 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 © Melara Enterprises, LLC. 2023. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700

—CEO Nancy Steiner

Next time you’re in Nashville, don't miss the chance to visit the newly renovated Nashville Homewood Suites, a historic hotel beautifully completed by Wesley Construction.

Through the integration of the hotel with an attached retail space, we successfully relocated the main entr y, transforming the old entr y into the charming Frankie Rose Coffee Additionally, we introduced several new suites and an entirely new bar and lounge, making it an enticing destination for travelers Go and experience the transformation for yourself!

As a family owned and operated business out of Baton Rouge, L A since 1985, Wesley Construc tion takes pride in delivering quality ser vice that meets the unique needs of our clients across this great countr y!

FINANCIAL

Q&A: HOW DO YOU SEE GEN Z TRANSFORMING YOUR WORKPLACE?

“Young people want to feel like they are making an impact and also that their needs are heard at the workplace. We allow flexibility and are willing to empower the team to come up with incentives that they would like. We encourage a healthy work-life balance. We also spend time talking about why the work we do makes an impact in people’s lives, and we discuss those impacts when we see them.”

—Owner Steven Brooksher

COMMERCE

TITLE & ABSTRACT COMPANY

WHO IS

COMMERCE TITLE & ABSTRACT COMPANY?

This team of attorneys and support staff has provided residential and commercial closing services to the community for 40 years. Its mission: To make real estate closings “a piece of cake.”

Issue Date: Oct 2023 Ad proof #1

• Please respond by e-mail or phone with your approval or minor revisions. • AD WILL RUN AS IS unless approval or final revisions are received within 24 hrs from receipt of this proof. A shorter timeframe will apply for tight deadlines.

“[We provide] a place for employees to call home. We’re a family here. We legitimately care for each other and provide a safe space for everyone to be authentic. It goes beyond our dog- and kid-friendly policies and the generous amount of PTO our employees earn and use each year. When an employee is having a hard time professionally or personally, we rally together to see them through it. Most of the employees work remotely, but when we gather at our employee appreciation events throughout the year, it’s like we’ve never skipped a beat. When you care for one another and are all working toward the same goal, it’s easy to stay where you feel you belong.”

—Best Places to Work application

Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees.

HIRING AT ALL LOCATIONS!

“I’m thrilled to be the new Chief Operations Officer of the leading provider of sports medicine and orthopedic care in the greater Baton Rouge region. BROC is on a mission to redefine healthcare excellence in orthopedics using cutting edge technology and innovation, delivering compassionate care, and offering specialized healing services to our patients. We recognize our talented workforce is the cornerstone of being able to deliver on our patient-centric mission and believe in the power of teamwork! I’m proud to say we are continuing to expand our services in more areas and looking for more great team members to join our team!

— WENDY GAUDET

SECRETS OF SUCCESS: STAYING POWER

BEST ADVICE: ONE SIZE IS NOT A FIT

SMALL COMPANIES

BIENVENU, BONNECAZE, FOCO & VIATOR

WHO IS BIENVENU, BONNECAZE, FOCO & VIATOR?

This 15-attorney, full-service law firm prides itself on treating clients as partners, whether large corporations engaged in complex litigation or transactions, or individuals in search of basic legal services. Though small, the firm’s expertise is wideranging, including in the areas of cybersecurity, gaming, energy, mergers and acquisitions, and international business.

“Avoid the dog and pony show of micromanagement and a one-size-fits-all management paradigm. Creating the best place to work requires adaptability for individuals but also a commitment to true community in the organization and those served by the organization.”

—David Bienvenu, member

Best Places to Work

Team members and clients first in everything we do, creating an environment where all team member voices are heard

inclusive culture that embraces collaboration and innovation and prioritizes personal growth and well-being

Very pleasant place to work where a work/life balance is encouraged alongside hard work and integrity

working with one another to help the people of the community achieve their dreams

We

a law firm can produce the best legal services and also be the best and most comfortable place to work

missiondriven toward excellence, delivering the best customer service for LSU Athletics donors

to build a better

family

culture is enthusiastic, decisive, persevering, fun and dedicated

We are called to serve our clients and one another in all aspects of our job

collaborative environment with emphasis on open communication and employee growth and development

Exciting, fast-paced environment where team members are challenged and supported as they balance work and fun

Best Places to Work

Inclusive

where doctors and team members trust, support and motivate each other daily

knowledge are shared for the benefit of our clients, the project and our work culture

operating like a family and prioritizing

Culture is supportive and passionate about service to each other, leading to passion for our clients' cases

deadline-driven, but somehow relaxing and fun environment at the same time

individuality

collaboration, providing a space where professionals can grow, achieve and be recognized

fast-paced, family-oriented environment where everyone's contribution is valued

every day to live out the values of faith, family and care in everything we do

by Best Companies Group

Humble, hungry and smart

Building culture at Baton Rouge Physical Therapy Lake Rehabilitation Centers begins with hiring the right team.

“WE TREAT EVERY person like an athlete,” says Seth Kaplan, president and CEO of Baton Rouge Physical Theapy Lake Rehabilitation Centers. “It may be someone who wants to bike 100 miles, or a grandmother who wants to pick up her grandchild. Everyone’s an athlete in our mind.”

Founded 60 years ago, BRPT sees thousands of patients annually for orthopedic-related issues at fie regional outpatient clinics. What sets the practice apart, Kaplan says, is an organizational culture that prioritizes both time spent with patients and the personal and professional development of team members. Monthly continuing education, one-on-one mentoring and keeping caseloads manageable are all part of BRPT’s well-established playbook.

“Our whole culture is taking care of patients and taking care of each other,” Kaplan says. “And if we do those two jobs, everything falls into place.”

BRPT’s reputation for excellence is shown in more than 450 physician referrals, says Kaplan, a veteran physical therapist who still maintains his own patient load.

Theclinic is strategic about how it recruits employees. Theright composition, Kaplan says, creates an atmosphere in which staffcan communicate openly, seek mentoring and comfortably exchange best practices to ensure good patient outcomes. Thisrequires selecting new hires who are “humble, hungry and smart,” the three characteristics outlined in the book, TheIdeal Team Player by Patrick Lencioni. It’s required reading for managers, he adds.

“We’re not just looking for people with a license and a pulse,” Kaplan says. “We’re looking for people who are very humble. Thy know there’s a lot to learn. Thy’re hungry to learn, and they’re smart enough to be able to engage with physicians, patients and staff. We work real hard to get those types of people.”

An effctive on-ramp has been to

hire part-time students who work while they’re in physical therapy school. Depending on the educational institution, students might work with BRPT from eight weeks to six months.

“We get to test-drive them and they get to test-drive us,” Kaplan says. “We just hired four new therapists this summer and three of them were students with us.”

Once on board, each new therapist has a professional development plan and is paired with a mentor for six months. Thementoring program isn’t just lip service. Mentors and mentees sign a contract with each other that states they will meet weekly to ensure the mentee’s social and emotional intelligence and therapy techniques are continuously improving, Kaplan says.

In addition, all staffmembers, no matter how long they’ve been with the company, meet monthly with supervisors for one-on-one checkins to discuss further personal and professional development and how BRPT can help.

“I think it’s important to give the therapists what they’re looking for. We have a culture of learning and caring,” Kaplan says. “We’re not about just moving a bunch of patients through.”

In fact, the company deliberately limits patient volume, forgoing potential additional profitsto ensure therapists have adequate time to focus on patient outcomes, Kaplan says.

BRPT’s commitment to keeping its clinicians’ schedules manageable, rather than crammed with back-to-back appointments, makes a big diffeence in staffsatisfaction, say the company’s therapists.

“That’s something that brings patients in the door, that they know they’re going to get the attention they need,” says physical therapist Jacie McClure, a Brittany Drive clinic employee since 2022 who fist worked for BRPT as a student. “It makes me feel really good to know it’s something that was established years ago.”

BY MAGGIE HEYN RICHARDSON

WELL-ESTABLISHED PLAYBOOK: What sets Baton Rouge Physical Therapy Lake Rehabilitation Centers apart is an organizational culture that prioritizes both time spent with patients and the personal and professional development of team members.

Team cohesion is fortifid through monthly social gatherings like restaurant or bar meetups, and in larger community events like the Tiger 10K, where therapists are on hand to support runners, Kaplan says.

Continuing education is a major priority, he adds, with monthly trainings taking place to ensure team members can universally deploy cutting-edge therapies. For instance, all new clinicians are trained in Astym, a technique to break up scar tissue or damaged soft tissue, and dry needling, which helps alleviate pain by addressing myofascial trigger points. Thy also undergo additional classes to become certifid in

manual therapy and to earn their board certifiation as orthopedic clinic specialists.

“We train them up really quickly because if you come in as a patient, we want you to get a great product,” Kaplan says.

Brittany Drive clinic director Shea Rogers says BRPT’s workplace culture allows therapists to really feel like they’re making a diffeence.

“We just have such a great opportunity to impact people’s lives,” Rogers says. “Every person that comes in here, they’re hurting. And we’re able to actually make a positive change. It’s just so rewarding.”

MEDIUM COMPANIES

BATON ROUGE PHYSICAL THERAPY LAKE REHABILITATION CENTERS

WHO IS BATON ROUGE PHYSICAL THERAPY LAKE REHABILITATION CENTERS?

BRPT team members consider themselves whole-body specialists. Ranked in the top 3% in the nation for their treatment, they help patients reach goals whether they are recovering from an injury or surgery, or working toward personal physical goals.

3 STANDOUT BENEFITS

• Dollar-for-dollar 401(k) match up to 4% of compensation after one year of employment

• Adoption benefits, including paid time off and financial assistance

• Tuition reimbursement for advanced degrees, business education workshops, professional certifications, student loans

WHAT EMPLOYEES LOVE

• Quarterly all-staff gatherings such as family day at LSU and the endof-the-year celebration

• Monthly themed meals and competitions such as taco Tuesday, flapjack Friday and the Mardi Gras float

• The option to work a reduced full-time or part-time schedule

• Dinner with company leaders after completing board certification or other professional milestones

• Handwritten thank you notes from the CEO on work anniversaries and monetary gifts for milestones

,

INthe Excel Best Dressed Ball presented by Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute raised $1,700,000 toward local and national cancer efforts!

On behalf of the Excel Best Dressed Ball, Executive Board, Junior & Steering Committee, Volunteers and the American Cancer Society, we are humbled and grateful for your unwaivering support!

Thank you for shining a light on our community and STANDING WITH US so generously in the fight againt cancer.

WE COULD NOT DO THIS WITHOUT YOU!

To learn more, donate or inquire about sponsorship, visit www.BRBestDressedBall.com!

2023 Hope Story Fighter and Survivor, Cruz Capdevielle with his mom and dad

Photo: Joey Bordelon

SECRETS OF SUCCESS: EXIT INTERVIEWS MATTER

MEDIUM COMPANIES MAPP

WHO IS MAPP?

One sure sign of a much-loved place to work is that your employees collectively dub themselves with a nickname that incorporates the company name. That’s the case with MAPPies. This construction firm provides preconstruction and construction services for just about every sector, from retail to supply chain, and lives by these beloved official values: “Having fun, doing the right thing, finding a way, being different and raising the bar.”

A big piece of retaining our key talent is to ensure that there is a positive work environment, recognition and rewards, career development and personal development.

If we do lose any of our employees, we take exit interviews very seriously and work to swiftly adjust and make changes to ensure that our employees are always engaged and motivated, and truly enjoy being MAPPies! We want to promote from within and continue to develop the talent of those within our organization.

—CEO Mike Polito

MEDIUM COMPANIES TAYLOR PORTER BROOKS & PHILLIPS

WHO IS TAYLOR PORTER BROOKS & PHILLIPS?

Community service is an age-old tradition at this law firm founded in 1912, and one that continues today through its support of more than 100 community and nonprofit organizations. The full-service firm represents local, regional and national clients in complex transactions and litigation across a variety of industries.

make

BEST

PERK: IN TIMES OF CRISIS

“Although there are many, we feel that the best perk of working at Taylor Porter is the support the firm provides employees in times of crisis. This often includes additional paid leave, gifts, home-cooked meals and care packages.”

—Robert Barton, managing partner

MEDIUM COMPANIES

LAPORTE CPAs & BUSINESS ADVISORS

WHO IS LAPORTE CPA s & BUSINESS ADVISORS?

It’s one of the largest independent accounting and business advisory firms in the region, with a team of more than 180 in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Covington, Houma and Houston. It offers quite the array of services, with audit and assurance, estate planning, forensic and valuation services, strategic planning and risk advisory services, just to name a few.

Q&A: IF YOUR COMPANY HAD A THEME SONG THAT REPRESENTS ITS PER SONALITY, WHAT WOULD IT BE AND WHY?

“This may seem a little unusual for an accounting firm, but if I had to choose, “Raise Your Horns” by Amon Amarth would be our song. It touches on the theme of prevailing and battles bravely fought. As a company, we have a “Raise Your Horns” agenda item at our monthly staff meetings so we can highlight, recognize and raise our horns for any team member who has gone above and beyond in helping out a client or fellow LaPorte employee.”

—President and CEO Eric E. Bosch

MEDIUM COMPANIES THE PANGBURN GROUP

WHO IS THE PANGBURN GROUP?

This firm helps employers add “glue to the seat” to retain employees that are key to organizational success. It does this as a third party record-keeper and consultant for nonqualified deferred compensation plans established by companies to recruit, reward and retain a select group of mission-critical employees. Pangburn helps companies develop and design the strategy, then assists in maintaining its operation and ongoing compliance. It services over 2,000 clients, which include businesses, nonprofit organizations, and financial institutions in all 50 states.

Q&A: HOW DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE IS RIGHT FOR MANAGEMENT?

Geaux Team! Geaux Team!

“They lead without being asked to do so. They organically carve out the role for which they are best suited.”

—CEO Brian Pangburn

Best Places to Work

Fun, family-oriented company with team members encouraged and supported to grow and reach maximum potential

We exist to change the industry and people in it for the better in a fun-loving, family atmosphere

Achieve professional goals, be valued by co-workers and use flexible work environment to achieve work/life balance

Workplace culture is crossfunctional, high-performing, empowered, accountable, transparent, rewarding and fun

career development and flexibility to focus on personal priorities and relationships

Customer-focused, inclusive, dependable, team-oriented, innovative and family-friendly

with a genuine appreciation of and support for individuals

Best Places to Work

Companies with 50-249 U.S. employees

Welcoming to all, encouraging both individual and team, with a charitable, giving spirit

Supporting one another, our members and the communities in which we serve gracefully

Encourages employees to use strengths and opportunities for personal and professional success

Employee-owners focused on clients and the environment, doing cool work, making money and having fun

Collaboration, respect and continuous learning; everyone valued and empowered to contribute best work

Fair, collaborative and engaging work environment that empowers employees to reach their full potential and grow professionally

Encourages and recognizes excellence, collaboration and innovation; “work hard, play hard”

Vibrant and inclusive culture that celebrates collaboration, innovation and personal growth, empowering everyone to thrive

company culture where every employee feels accepted, valued and has a sense of purpose

A growth-minded company that gives employees opportunities to advance their careers and thrive in their roles

‘We try to make it fun’

Benny’s employees are at the center of a culture of continuous improvement.

BY MAGGIE HEYN RICHARDSON

JUST BEYOND THE bustling car wash and oil change bays at Benny’s Airline Highway location lies a corporate training center for the company’s new and current employees.

It’s not just back-officstaffwho findthemselves taking classes here. Thetraining center is where everyone, including part-time and seasonal workers, learns job fundamentals and communication basics.

On this particular day, a handful of new employees are playing a balloon game called “keepy uppy” under the direction of Benny’s corporate trainer Allison “Kip” Garon. Attempting to keep the balloon aloft, they recite the script for greeting oil change customers. Garon teaches the daylong class to prepare new employees for frontline work at one of Benny’s six oil change locations.

“Welcome to Benny’s. My name is Dylan,” says one new employee as he pats the balloon upward.

“Are you here for our drive-thru oil change?” says the next, giving the balloon another tap.

“Would you like a complimentary bottle of water while you wait?” the third says.

“Please pull your vehicle forward,” finishesthe next person, lightly punching the balloon again.

Garon tells the group to keep reciting, and members soon fall into a relaxed pattern. By the end of the day, the group will be prepared to start work at the drive-thru oil change. Such classes are part of a well-established culture of continuous improvement, says Allie Voiselle, director of training.

“We try to make it fun,” Voiselle says. “We want to make sure everyone is comfortable and prepared when they’re interacting with the public.”

Opened in 1953, Benny’s is a fourth-generation family business

with nine Greater Baton Rouge locations and two more in the works in Baker and Zachary. Well known across the country as a pioneer in the car wash industry, the company was the fist in the world to launch the “express wash” concept, a faster, drive-thru alternative to the standard full-service car wash.

Thecompany is run by brothers Justin and Jason Alford and their father, Ben “Benny” Alford. Justin Alford’s daughter Helen Alford, 23, joined the business this summer after earning an MBA from LSU with a focus in accounting.

Thecar wash business presents unique challenges for creating a strong workplace culture since more than half of Benny’s employees work in the fieldand not in an offi. Additionally, many are parttime workers, and there’s signifiant natural turnover from year to year.

Benny’s goes to great lengths to create an approachable culture that equips employees with the tools they need to be successful, even if they are teenagers working part time over the summer.

“We recognize that a lot of workers are moving on, and we want them to be successful when they do,” Justin Alford says. “And we want them to do a good job while they’re here.”

A hands-on management style is key in achieving this, he says. For decades, he and his father have made an 80-mile round trip every Saturday morning to visit all nine Benny’s locations. Now, they are joined by Helen Alford.

“We want to see and get to know our folks,” Justin Alford says.

It’s also a way to show support for site managers. Alford believes in investing in site managers and giving them the autonomy to build their team culture. Each manager is required to take the Dale Carnegie seminar to develop their leadership

and interpersonal skills. Managers also have a prepaid credit card for organizing monthly employee gatherings.

“Thy’re encouraged to spend that on their staffand do team-building events, whether it’s going bowling or going to dinner or whatever they decide,” says Katherine Barker, human resources director for Benny’s.

To foster cohesion across the

company at large, Voiselle and Garon introduced a folksy weekly video series called Benny Vision a year ago, which all employees can watch via the company’s online management system. Each installment announces birthdays and provides helpful company news, job tips and safety information. Employees are incentivized to watch each installment with hidden chances to win prizes.

COLLIN RICHIE

Benny’s also hosts companywide annual events, including a volleyball tournament and a crawfishboil, during which employees who have been with the company for multiples of fie years are recognized.

Helen Alford says that one of Benny’s standout features is its salary system. All workers, from parttime car wash greeters to full-time support staffmembers, are paid

by the hour. Thoe who work 30 or more hours are considered full time and are eligible for benefit.

“It’s so diffeent from the hierarchy mindset [in corporate America] that has everyone stepping on each other’s toes and working ridiculous hours to get to the next position,” she says. “Here, everyone is paid hourly, so if you work overtime, you’re getting paid.”

LARGE COMPANIES

BENNY’S CAR WASH

WHO IS BENNY’S CAR WASH?

Benny’s has been family and locally owned since 1951. Ask its owners to describe their business and they’ll tell you this: “We are a steadily growing team, with opportunities around every corner. We just happen to wash cars, change oil and pump gas, but we deliver the best customer service in Baton Rouge.”

3 STANDOUT BENEFITS

• On-site wellness visits that include biometric and cancer screenings, health coaching and multiple vaccinations regardless of medical coverage

• Access to the company’s financial consultant and training or additional resources at no cost

• Tuition reimbursement for advanced degrees, business workshops and professional certifications

WHAT EMPLOYEES LOVE

• Executive leadership program through the University of Notre Dame for senior leadership, and Dale Carnegie leadership course for all managers in training

• Annual family crawfish boil for employees and their families

• Employee breakfasts catered to each job site, and team-building events at Top Golf, Main Event and other venues

• Employee concierge services including car washes, chair massages and laundry service

TOP OF THE LIST: An employee favorite is Benny’s annual Haunted Car Wash, with proceeds donated to the Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital.

Issue

•

LARGE COMPANIES GRESHAM SMITH

WHO IS GRESHAM SMITH?

Roadways

Q&A: IF YOUR COMPANY HAD A MASCOT THAT REPRESENTS ITS PER SONALITY, WHAT WOULD IT BE, AND WHY?

A penguin would be a great Gresham Smith mascot. Penguins create thriving communities and are known for working together as a group so that each individual can succeed. Plus, our primary company colors are black and white, so a penguin would fit right in!

—Bert Moore, state transportation leader

LARGE COMPANIES

IEM

WHO IS IEM?

IEM is a global security consulting firm providing services to government agencies and private industry in such areas as emergency management, disaster preparedness, counterterrorism and software engineering.

SECRETS OF SUCCESS: THINK AND ACT LIKE OWNERS

“We empower our employees to think and act like owners by clearly communicating our company’s vision and goals. We grant autonomy, encourage decision-making, and invest in professional development. Recognizing and rewarding initiative, we establish transparent performance metrics, promote open feedback and lead by example at the leadership level. This approach helps create a culture where everyone takes ownership of their work and our client’s satisfaction, contributing to our overall success.”

—President and CEO Madhu Beriwal

PARKVIEW BAPTIST SCHOOL

LARGE

COMPANIES

HIGGINBOTHAM INSURANCE

WHO IS HIGGINBOTHAM INSURANCE?

Personal or business insurance. Employee benefits. HR services. Financial services. Higginbotham is a company majority owned by its 700plus employee shareholders, and it’s all about comprehensive solutions for business and consumers.

SECRETS OF SUCCESS: IF ONE, THEN ALL

“Our team atmosphere of idea sharing and collaboration is truly unique. Because we’ve built an employee-owned firm of entrepreneurs, our team buys into the concept of ‘If one succeeds, we all succeed.’”

—Executive Vice President Kase Gonzales

Q&A: IF YOUR COMPANY WERE A TRAVEL DESTINATION, WHERE WOULD IT BE, AND WHAT ATTRACTIONS WOULD IT OFFER TO POTENTIAL “TOURIST” EMPLOYEES?

LARGE COMPANIES ADAMS AND REESE LLP

WHO IS ADAMS AND REESE?

This multidisciplinary law firm with nearly 300 attorneys and advisers isn’t just in Baton Rouge. It’s strategically located throughout the U.S. and Washington, D.C. This isn’t the first list it has topped, either: The American Lawyer includes the firm on its distinguished list of the nation’s top law firms, and The National Law Journal also ranks it among the top 200 on its list of the nation’s 500 largest law firms.

“Grandma’s house, offering snacks, games, meals, individualized attention, and a sense of stability.”

—Susan Eccles, partner in charge, Baton Rouge

Partner with EBR Schools to o er high school seniors paid internships in their career of interest.

LEARN MORE HERE

Best Places to Work

Welcoming, optimal environment where everyone is respected, treated like family and encouraged to participate

Flexibility provides employees with work/life balance, while maintaining our culture and providing opportunities

Supportive of each other's goals, with positive outlooks and building each other up to our best potential

Entrepreneurial, diverse and inclusive culture where we respect one another, adding value beyond financial contributions

same direction

focused on rewarding and supporting team and individual contributions

Best Places to Work

Supporting employees so they are successful in their endeavors and recognized for that success every single day

One team: creating exceptional customer experience

Always doing the right thing with a proven commitment to core values

Value relationships, center our business on customers, do right by others, embrace inclusivity and create a great place to work

Welcoming workplace with an atmosphere conducive to innovation and creativity for service

and safety is put above all else

Team members choose to leave personal struggles at the door and surround patients with resources they need

Integrates a collaborative workplace environment with a supportive leadership system

Investing in people to enhance communities and providing innovative and sustainable solutions

Team members are inspired by an honorable mission of “Caring for Our Community, One Woman at a Time”

Culture of service and belonging, where employees demonstrate their caring for each other and the communities we serve Researched by Best Companies Group

RESEARCH WITH A NATIONAL IMPACT BUT A FOCUS ON YOU

BEYOND CANCER

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

What our 2023 Best Places to Work in the Capital Region look like 65,284

Industries Our Winning Companies Represent

The Employee Scorecard

How employees rate their company on key indicators. Percentage denotes positive responses.

95% CORE EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE The organization’s overall culture and quality

95% RELATIONSHIP WITH MANAGERS

Treatment and engagement with their supervisor

93% THE JOB Expectations, security, compensation and work conditions

91% TRAINING, TECHNOLOGY & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Guidance along a career path, performance recognition and the tools they need to get the job done

91% COMMUNICATION & CULTURE

Transparency from leadership, including financial status of the company

94% DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Whether the workplace is diverse and inclusive

91% WORK/LIFE BALANCE

Workload, flexibility and time off

Best Places To Work By The Numbers

LEADERSHIP THE BENEFITS

17% Female seniormost leader

11%

Ethnically diverse senior-most leader

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

55% No

62% Fully or partially paid maternity leave

45% Fully or partially paid paternity leave

29% No

43%

Percentage of workforce now working remotely

89% Family invited to workplace celebrations

Time-off structure Formal inclusion and diversity training

45% Yes

WORK/LIFE

Employees can work remotely

71% Yes

10%

Percentage of workforce working remotely prior to COVID

88% Flexible work hours

11% Sabbatical leave

39% Vacation/ Sick/Personal separate

61% PTO

TRAINING OR CAREER DEVELOPMENT

8% As needed

12% Three or more times a year

13% Semiannually

67% Annually

81% Mentoring

Ways in which employees are prepped for leadership roles

80% Leadership workshops

73% Job shadowing/ cross-training

SOURCE: Numbers based on applications submitted to Workforce Research Group

A Perfect 10

Baton Rouge Business Report began recognizing Best Places to Work in 2013. Just four companies have made the list every year since: Phelps, MAPP, Gresham Smith and Kean Miller. Here’s how they did it.

IN TIMES OF NEED

Our Baton Rouge office had several employees that were directly impacted by the 2016 flood. While our employees had always been generous in contributing to other locations affected by natural disasters, this was our chance to work together side by side to help our own.

Within one day, teams were formed and dispatched to the employees’ homes to tear down sheetrock and sort through damaged items. For two weeks, evening meals were delivered to each of those employees and their families.

Management was in constant communication with affected employees to assess their needs and assist where needed. The time those employees needed to regroup in the aftermath of the flood was completely covered by the firm.

This response was certainly appreciated by employees in their time of need but had a wider reach throughout our office. We saw what was possible when we come together. We saw that we were never alone and that the people sitting next to us were so much more than co-workers. They were willing to get in the trenches to help without any hesit ation.

People like that are the kind of people you want to surround yourself with. Our employees are aware of what a blessing that is and, as a result, many have established long careers at Phelps.

Ragan Richard, Baton Rouge managing partner, Phelps

REST & REFRESH

A combination of two benefits come to mind. For one, our unlimited time off. We have respect for the needs of our employees and know that giving them the ability to take off when they need to, whether it is for an urgent family matter or a personal vacation, should be allowed. This gives employees room to take care of their needs and in turn they are dedicated to giving their all when at work. In culmination with our time off, MAPP has also implemented a sabbatical. After seven years our employees are given one month to take a sabbatical that increases their quality of life and allows them to learn about something new. For example, they could head to Rome and learn about the history, the museums, and the famous architecture. MAPP contributes financially to this sabbatical as well.

—Mike Polito, CEO, MAPP

PROTECT THE CULTURE

In 2022, we had an opportunity to bring in a large group of lawyers from a firm in Houston. The firm was highly profitable; however, the leadership of the firm also had a reputation for being very difficult with their own employees and attorneys, abrasive within the legal community and in their dealings with opposing lawyers, and large egos. Kean Miller decided not to proceed with the combination because life is too short to work with people you don’t enjoy being around and the legal profession is stressful enough without the added strain of a dysfunctional addition who may be disruptive to the culture you have spent so much time, effort and energy building and maint aining.

—Mary Coghlan, chief human resources officer, Kean Miller

STRATEGIC RECRUITING

“We focus on identifying the people who will best complement our existing team and fill in any expertise gaps, so each of our team members knows their contributions are incredibly valuable. To help us recruit the best people, we collaborate with them to understand their vision for their professional development and career path, then share how the tools, training and resources we have available can help get them where they want to go. Their success is our success.”

—Bert Moore, state transportation leader, Gresham Smith

SHARED PURPOSE

Solidarity between our clients and our team tops the list. Our culture is built on providing superior service to our clients.  Our team has a shared sense of purpose to strengthen our clients and community.

—Ragan Richard, Baton Rouge managing partner, Phelps

ALL ONBOARD

“All new employees fly to Nashville for a two-day orientation at our corporate headquarters. They meet our firm’s leaders and other new employees who’ve joined the firm over the last month or two. Having the chance to get to know employees across multiple offices, markets and disciplines provides them a well-rounded foundational knowledge of our firm and is a great introduction to our culture.”

LEADERSHIP

I believe the most impactful aspect of our leadership has been staying true to our values. Nothing is more valuable than our people.

ALWAYS LISTEN

Anyone in our office can go to top management at any time to voice concerns or comments. Our doors are always open, and our leadership team truly takes time to get to know everyone on a personal level.

Our people drive our purpose. We are committed to their development and encourage innovative collaboration through a variety of programs and employee offerings:

Newly renovated, state-of-the-art office with on-site fitness center

Corporate wellness program

Annual employee incentive program

Competitive salary and benefits, including volunteer time off And more...

THE PERKS

It’s difficult to pick a single best benefit, but our pay, benefits, and paid time off are highly competitive.  We marry that with high-profile work for some of the world’s most respected companies and a culture of collaboration and camaraderie. And, we like to have fun—jeans day every Friday, a buffet breakfast every month, special treats and sports-themed events, pre-holiday early closures, and team building exercises designed for various departments.

THE ROAD AHEAD

As we press forward into the next decade, we will stay as committed as ever to our culture and employees. We will work to stay informed with current trends and ways we can continue to improve. We will invest in leadership development and employee training. MAPP will continue to prioritize employee well-being and ensuring our employees feel valued and heard. Our internal mission is to change the industry and the people in it for the better, and we will continue to do just that.

—Mike Polito, CEO, MAPP

Being included among Baton Rouge's "Best Places to Work" is just one way we're bettering Louisiana one business and one worker at a time. Learn more: lwcc.com/careers

We’re loyal to Louisiana. We’re loyal to LWCC Employees.

—Bert Moore, state transportation leader, Gresham Smith

—Ragan Richard, Baton Rouge managing partner, Phelps

—Mike Polito, CEO, MAPP

—Mary Coghlan, chief human resources officer, Kean Miller

What am I missing without managed IT?

Genesis 360 has built a solid reputation in the construction sector, and the company’s IT division is also growing tremendously. Its success with high-profile clients in the energy and insurance sectors demonstrates its capability to help your business too.

Founded in 2011, Genesis 360 encompasses four divisions –Construction, Grounds Maintenance, Building Maintenance and IT Services. Founder and President Craig Stevens has a degree in information technology, and he has extensive experience in IT as an officer in the Air Force.

“If information technology is not your full capability and what you do as a business, we offer multiple services for the client, managed and optimized services, even something as simple as email support,” Stevens says. “It’s one less thing you have to worry about, and you can then focus on growing your business and what you’re really good at.”

Visit online at genesis-360llc.com or scan the QR code to learn more about Genesis 360’s technology solutions, as well as its three other divisions.

Craig Stevens

are some of our services

can be customized to suit your business’ needs.

Cyber security

Each business has different needs in the cyber space, and Genesis 360 takes an individualized approach to making sure you and your business are covered. Along with phishing attempts or hacking that can compromise digital devices, and even entire networks, ransomware attacks have become another huge issue for businesses. Cyber security systems are a critical piece to keeping your business safe from such attacks.

Email & help desk support

These areas seem simple enough, but many smaller companies, as well as new companies, may not have dedicated staff members in these roles. Genesis 360 can step in and take this burden off your staff and place it into the hands of experienced IT professionals. From a business perspective, this move can also help you reduce your overhead costs.

Cloud services

Some companies still choose to store their own data despite not having expertise in this area. Genesis 360 can provide this service, eliminating the need for businesses to invest in and maintain physical servers, while providing a more flexible, secure and efficient workspace.

Staff augmentation

It’s not always financially sound for a company to take on fulltime employees for a short-term project due to onboarding costs, as well as the cost of providing fulltime employee benefits. Genesis 360 can provide qualified data analysts to provide those services for the length of the project.

Value added reseller services

Genesis 360 can help your business with the acquisition of the equipment you need to run a successful business. This includes servers, computers, cabling and other essentials. The added value comes from Genesis 360 completing the installation, consulting, troubleshooting and other services after the initial purchase.

here

that

Best Places to Work

Welcoming, optimal environment where everyone is respected, treated like family and encouraged to participate

Flexibility provides employees with work/life balance, while maintaining our culture and providing opportunities

is dynamic, inclusive, respectful and fun

Team members and clients first in everything we do, creating an environment where all team member voices are heard

Vibrant and inclusive culture that embraces collaboration and innovation and prioritizes personal growth and well-being

Very pleasant place to work where a work/life balance is encouraged alongside hard work and integrity

Fun, family-oriented company with team members encouraged and supported to grow and reach maximum potential

We enjoy working with one another to help the people of the community achieve their dreams

We believe a law firm can produce the best legal services and also be the best and most comfortable place to work

Supportive of each other's goals, with positive outlooks and building each other up to our best potential

exist to change the industry and people in it for the better in a fun-loving, family atmosphere

Entrepreneurial, diverse and inclusive culture where we respect one another, adding value beyond financial contributions

is pulling the wagon in the same direction

Supportive, high-energy, missiondriven toward excellence, delivering the best customer service for LSU Athletics donors

play hard!

seek to grow and improve our people, processes, and culture to build a better Louisiana

that is welcoming, flexible, encouraging and feels like a family

Best Places to Work

Our culture is enthusiastic, decisive, persevering, fun and dedicated

Achieve professional goals, be valued by co-workers and use flexible work environment to achieve work/life balance

We are called to serve our clients and one another in all aspects of our job

collaborative environment with emphasis on open communication and employee growth and development

fast-paced environment where team members are challenged and supported as they balance work and fun

Culture that is intentionally fun, safe, supportive and always centered on trust

Workplace culture is crossfunctional, high-performing, empowered, accountable, transparent, rewarding and fun

than just a workplace, we are a family!

Family-oriented organization focused on rewarding and supporting team and individual contributions

career development and flexibility to focus on personal priorities and relationships

inclusive, dependable, team-oriented, innovative and family-friendly

Extremely collaborative environment with a genuine appreciation of and support for individuals

Culture built upon family values, giving back to local communities and a sense of purpose for all employees

11|14|23

CROWNE PLAZA BATON ROUGE

12:00 PM

Learn about sponsorship opportunities and purchase tickets.

National Philanthropy Day 2023 Honorees

community.afpnet.org/greaterbatonrouge/home

Outstanding Leadership in Corporate Philanthropy

Neighbors Federal Credit Union

Outstanding Philanthropist

Betty Simmons

Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser

Michelle Hardy

Outstanding Philanthropic Service Organization

Home Builders Association of Greater Baton Rouge

Outstanding Professional Fundraiser

Judith Roberson

Board of Directors Award

Tammy V. Abshire, CFRE

Best Places to Work

environment built on respect that values strong work ethic

for career training and advancement, exceptional work/life balance and lifelong

encouraging both individual and team, with a charitable, giving spirit

operating like a family and prioritizing teamwork

one another, our members and the communities in which we serve gracefully

employees to use strengths and opportunities for personal and professional success

Employee-owners focused on clients and the environment, doing cool work, making money and having fun

Working collaboratively across offices to provide excellent service and create a positive and fun work environment

respect and continuous learning; everyone valued and empowered to contribute best work

Culture is supportive and passionate about service to each other, leading to passion for our clients' cases

Fair, collaborative and engaging work environment that empowers employees to reach their full potential and grow professionally

Supporting employees so they are successful in their endeavors and recognized for that success every single day

Encourages and recognizes excellence, collaboration and innovation; “work hard, play hard”

hardworking group that has fun and is here for each other, like family, at all times

One team: creating exceptional customer experience

doing the right thing with a proven commitment to core values

Vibrant and inclusive culture that celebrates collaboration, innovation and personal growth, empowering everyone to thrive

by Best Companies Group

Best Places to Work

culture where every

feels accepted, valued and has a sense of purpose

center our business on customers, do right by others, embrace inclusivity and create a great place to work

Team members choose to leave personal struggles at the door and surround patients with resources they need

a collaborative workplace environment with a supportive leadership system

individuality and collaboration, providing a space where professionals can grow, achieve and be recognized

people to enhance communities and providing innovative and sustainable solutions

A growth-minded company that gives employees opportunities to advance their careers and thrive in their roles

supportive and engaging

family-oriented environment where everyone's contribution is valued

every day to live out the values

in everything we do

Team

Beyond the Blue horizon

The potential sale of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana to Elevance Health is sparking fears across the state of future price increases.

MICHAEL JOHNSON WAS an executive with Blue Shield of California for 12 years. At one point, he says, he realized the company was evading its duties as a nonprofi, but the CEO dismissed his concerns, so he resigned and began speaking out publicly.

Johnson is now a self-styled advocate for nonprofitaccountability, and the pending sale of the currently nonprofitBlue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana to forprofitElevance Health raises alarm bells for him. His objections played a prominent role in a recent legislative hearing on the subject and helped fuel public pushback to the deal.

While the potential sale of the state’s dominant health insurer— not to mention the Capital Region’s largest company by revenue—was big news in Baton Rouge business circles when it was announced in January, most didn’t really start to pay attention until this summer, and now a lot of them are worried. Public concerns about the sale, which two-thirds of policyholders and the state Department of Insurance would have to approve, have caused the companies to put their proposal on hold, though they plan to try again after making a concerted effot to answer the questions stakeholders are raising.

“Theexecutives say, ‘We mean well, trust us,’” Johnson says. “The public deserves more than just the professions of good intentions of Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s executives.”

MARKET FORCES

Johnson points to a 2019 Harvard study that indicates previous conversions of nonprofitBlue Cross and Blue Shield insurers have led to average price increases of 13% when the insurer’s market share is greater than 20%, and BCBSLA’s market share is well beyond that threshold. While conversions don’t necessarily lead to higher premiums, for-profitinsurers are more likely than nonprofitsto exercise

market power when they have it, the study’s author found.

When lawmakers asked Dr. Steven Udvarhelyi, the insurer’s CEO, about that study, he stressed that its data predates the Affodable Care Act, which limits how much health insurers can spend on internal expenses, and its conclusions have not been replicated by other researchers.

With access to a larger company’s resources, Blue Cross will be able to offerservices it might not be able to develop on its own, Udvarhelyi says. Elevance Health has invested more than $4 billion over the past several years in behavioral health, complex and chronic care programs, and digital platforms, officials say.

As a smaller company, Blue Cross also runs the risk of being left behind.

“We’re not in desperate straits today,” Udvarhelyi says. “[But] the inevitable forces of consolidation will happen, and we will end up needing to consolidate from a position of weakness.”

Thugh Elevance would pay

BY DAVID JACOBS

almost $2.75 billion, only $307 million would be shared by about 92,000 eligible policy owners, which does not include self-funded plans, group plan members or HMO customers. Blue Cross has leaned on its outside advisers to justify those decisions, though experts retained by the insurance department have questioned the methodology.

Including a contribution of $667 million from Blue Cross’ surplus funds, the Accelerate Louisiana Initiative would have $3.1 billion to spend on its mission to “improve the health and lives of the people of Louisiana.” What that will entail is an open question, which is another sticking point for skeptics.

While the foundation’s board currently consists of four white men from the Blue Cross board, Tim Barfield,the current president, says foundation leaders eventually will represent a diverse cross-section of the state. Barfieldalso promised a “data-driven needs assessment” to discern how the foundation can enact scalable initiatives addressing public health, noting the state’s consistently poor health outcomes.

“We want to break the cycle,” he says. “We want to move the needle.”

JUST ONE SHOT

Elevance, doing business under the name Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, has been accused of engaging in business practices that could harm patients, providers and owners of self-funded plans, Louisiana Hospital Association President and CEO Paul Salles says in a letter to David Caldwell, Donelon’s executive counsel. Allegations include refusing to reimburse doctors in California for the emergency care of thousands of patients, denying self-funded plans access to claims data in Virginia and Connecticut, and “egregious delays” reimbursing more than $10 million in member services in Virginia.

“Based on these documented examples, a more comprehensive investigation by [the state Department of Insurance] is certainly warranted,” Salles writes.

Thedoctors who make up the Louisiana State Medical Society took their concerns a step further,

MAJOR CONCERN: While the potential sale of the state’s dominant health insurer was big news in Baton Rouge business circles when it was announced in January, most people didn’t really start to pay attention until this summer, and now a lot of them are worried.

OBJECTIONS NOTED

A brief primer on some of the objections skeptics have raised about the potential sale of Blue Cross Blue and Blue Shield of Louisiana to Elevance.

PRICES

The objection: If Elevance—a for-profit, publicly traded Fortune 500 company—takes over nonprofit Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, BCBSLA’s rates will have to go up to justify the investment for Elevance’s shareholders.

The response: Rates will go up because health care costs are rising, not because of the conversion, and economies of scale should provide new opportunities to control expenses.

JOBS

The objection: The jobs of BCBSLA’s 3,000 or so employees will be in jeopardy as the forprofit parent company looks to cut costs.

The response: No one will lose their job because of the transition, and the resources of the new company could allow Blue Cross to bring home functions it currently outsources, potentially leading to local job growth.

LOCAL CONTROL

The objection: With the company’s real bosses in Indiana, local insurance professionals and business leaders will no longer have direct access to the decision-makers.

The response: The company’s leaders, policies and contracts will remain in place. Elevance operates Blue plans in 14 other states and allows the local executives to run the business.

THE MYSTERY FOUNDATION

The objection: Instead of giving the sale proceeds to its members, the transaction will set up a $3 billion foundation unprecedented in scale for Louisiana and led by a board that is not accountable to policyholders or state leaders.

The response: The company’s founding documents don’t give members the right to profit from the sale, but they do mandate providing a public benefit. The foundation will work to improve public health, continuing the nonprofit’s mission “to improve the health and lives of the people of Louisiana” in a different form.

FOUNDATION STATUS

The objection: The Accelerate Louisiana Initiative is organized as a 501(c)4, which allows it to get involved in political activity, instead of a 501(c)3, which would not.

The response: A 501(c)3 nonprofit is required to give away 5% of its assets each year, which the Accelerate Louisiana foundation won’t be geared up to do right away. However, the founding documents say the foundation will adhere to the same rules regarding political activity as a 501(c)3 (though the board could change that later, critics note). Also, a 501(c)3 is subject to excise taxes that could cost the foundation about $2 million per year.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST?

The objection: Seven current members of the Blue Cross board are expected to serve on an advisory board for at least 10 years and be paid “not less than” $105,000 annually for their service, which gives them an incentive to support the transaction.

The response: The baseline of the advisory board’s stipend is less than their current compensation range of $119,000$165,000. Four BCBSLA board members would move over to the foundation’s board; it has not yet been decided whether that board will be paid.

THE DECISION-MAKERS

The objection: While Blue Cross serves some 1.9 million members, only about 92,000 policyholders get to vote on the sale, and only they will receive compensation (about $3,000 each to compensate for the loss of their voting rights) from the sale.

The response: Only owners of insured products have governance rights with the company—which Blue Cross officials aren’t at liberty to change—and that also applies to the sale. The compensation amount was deemed reasonable by outside experts Blue Cross retained.

pledging to vote “no” on the current plan. As a policyholder, the organization has only one vote, but its members’ views carry weight with other stakeholders.

“While we applaud your decision to delay any possible decision on the fial approval of the proposed acquisition, we still believe this is happening too fast and should be delayed even further,” LSMS President Dr. Richard Paddock writes in a letter to Donelon.

Elevance Health and its member companies have been cited 476 times by regulators for potential violations and paid almost $976 million in penalties since 2000, according to Good Jobs First, which “promotes corporate and government accountability in economic development.” Elevance did not respond to an interview request.

Some offials and members have argued that policyholders should get all the proceeds from the sale. But that would not align with BCBSLA’s founding principles, officals say, and starting at least one nonprofitwith the proceeds is typical for the conversion of a nonprofit

Blue plan.

Johnson, the nonprofitaccountability advocate, doubts the policyholders’ voting rights are worth anything, and suggests the compensation is to secure their votes.

“Blue Cross and Blue Shield has declared that it exists for the benefit of all the people of Louisiana,” he says. “So they have a legal obligation to put their assets into serving that mission.”

Theinsurance commissioner can

approve or reject the conversion, but he can also approve it with conditions. In theory, that third option could incorporate guardrails that address at least some of the skeptics’ concerns.

Donelon is not running for reelection and has expressed a desire to issue his decision before leaving offi. As a lame duck, he is probably not concerned about political pressure, says Jan Moller, who directs the Louisiana Budget Project,

which focuses on how public policy affcts low- and moderate-income families.

Along with addressing the potential for price increases, Moller’s organization wants to ensure the foundation truly serves the public interest and does not get involved in politics, and he’s happy the approval process is slowing down. In other states where this has happened, lawmakers have tried to have some oversight over the foundation, he says. Thisprocess is only going to happen once, he notes, so it’s important to get it right.

“We’re not in desperate straits today. [But] the inevitable forces of consolidation will happen, and we will end up needing to consolidate from a position of weakness.”

STEVEN UDVARHELYI, CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana (right)

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Blitzing blight

BY HOLLY DUCHMANN

Can a new data-focused approach change the trajectory in Baton Rouge?

IT TOOK A city-parish crew roughly 40 minutes on an early morning in September to filla dump truck with mattresses, a rotting couch and other trash collected from behind an abandoned apartment complex offFlorida Boulevard.

Thebuilding, with most of its windows busted and rusty nails hiding in the waist-high grass, is one of thousands in the city that have been reported to authorities as blighted or abandoned.

Previously called “Baton Rouge’s Vietnam,” the city has long grappled to tackle blight, litter and other visual pollution, and previous Mayors Bobby Simpson and Kip Holden repeatedly “declared war” on the issue

New advances in technology and data collection, however, are empowering the current administration to take more intentional swings in the fight against blight

Thecity-parish’s Department of Development initiated a blight survey last year and sent inspectors out across the city to grade every parcel of land—nearly 6,000 inspections. Thehigher the score, the worse the blight—with anything

scoring higher than 50 points considered condemnable and anything over 75 declared an emergenc y.

“We think of blight as a cycle, where happiness and health is in the middle,” says Rachael Lambert, city-parish director of development.

“Thebeginning of the cycle is construction, while at the end is condemnation and demolition back to a blank slate property.”

Theblight survey—which will be updated annually—was conducted as part of the city-parish’s partnership with the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance. Bloomberg Philanthropies last year tapped 22 cities across North and South America for its initial cohort to help the cities implement a comprehensive data strategy and performance management practices

For the program, Baton Rouge chose to focus on blight and Mayor Sharon Weston Broome dedicated $4.5 million of American Rescue Plan money toward her blight elimination initiative. Some $2.75 million is dedicated to clearing condemned properties

while another $1.5 million is dedicated to junk, trash and debris cleanup. Thecity-parish has spent about $1.2 million of the funds through early September

While the Department of Development is responsible for code enforcement regarding blight and manages the teams dispatched to deal with problematic properties, Marlee Pittman with the Officof Community Development says her offictries to identify and address the root causes of blight in the community to prevent new blight from forming.

Pittman points to overwhelmed homeowners, natural disasters and convoluted successions after a death as systemic causes of blight

in the community. Her department has helped repair more than 320 homes since 2018—with 17 homes in the pipeline to be repaired this year—and has hosted six clinics to help families clear titles to access ownership of blighted properties.

Pittman’s officalso championed the Blight Redevelopment Pilot last year, a city-parish program aimed to create a low-cost and quick way to clear convoluted titles. Though the program, a blight lien is placed on the property instead of a traditional tax lien. Thepilot, which has a $400,000 budget, was inspired by a similar program that’s been running in New Orleans since 2016.

Thee’s more than just a cosmetic value to redeveloping blighted properties—LSU researchers have previously linked the proximity of both blighted properties and convenience stores to increases in crime

In a 2019 study, LSU researchers found that the risk of homicide increases fie-fold if you are within a three-and-a-halfblock radius of a convenience store. Therisk increases by 13 times if you live within twoand-a-half blocks of a blighted building. Baton Rouge Council member Darryl Hurst has lived in District 5 for most of his life and says he started noticing an increase in blight and crime

See an exclusive video that brings this story to life.

CLEANUP: A Baton Rouge city-parish crew cleans up an abandoned apartment complex off Florida Boulevard last month.

in north Baton Rouge and pockets of Old South Baton Rouge as a teenager

Changing a neighborhood’s culture and changing neighbors’ mindsets, he says, is key to addressing blight in the city long term

“When you grow up in an environment that’s blight driven, it becomes the norm,” Hurst says. “You have to change what the norm looks like. … Removing blight changes reflctions in the mirror; you can change how an individual looks at that place and at themselves.”

Last year, the Metro Council took its own steps to address blight in the city-parish. It adopted the International Property Maintenance Code for residential properties and passed an ordinance allowing the Department of Development to issue finesfor properties where blight is not severe enough to warrant a condemnation.

Still, Hurst says there’s more work to be done. TheDepartment of Development is down some 250 positions, he estimates, and one way to help fillthose vacancies is for the city-parish to conduct a longawaited pay study and raise positions within the government to a “livable wage.”

Therequest for proposals for the pay study was released late summer and Hurst is hoping the study can get underway by the end of the year or in the fist quarter of next year

“Thee’s so much blight in the city, but we don’t have the manforce to do what we want to do,” he says. “We have to make sure we have tools and resources, where Baton Rouge is a place people want to invest.”

Valeri LeBlanc, a consultant who heads Broome’s Brighten Up Baton Rouge blight and litter initiative, also says that a cultural shift is

needed when it comes to addressing and preventing blight

Brighten Up Baton Rouge, which is ramping up for a “90-day sprint” this fall, isn’t supposed to be an initiative that basically functions as an organization, LeBlanc says. Theinitiative is trying to disperse effots to tackle blight by connecting existing organizations and adding blight remediation into their focus.

To build environmental awareness in the community, initiative partners recently developed digital story maps for children, which will be shared with the library and school systems as well as BREC for distribution.

“People don’t really understand how complex litter is,” LeBlanc says. “A lot of people fold their arms and suggest the city is responsible but it’s more complex than that. It takes citizen activism, a form of culture change, and not being willing to accept what’s happening and taking action to create change.”

Marie Constantin, a citizen activist, works with the Louisiana Stormwater Coalition to stop blight that’s created from rain washing litter and trash offthe streets into the waterways. In the past couple of years, the organization has collected nearly 2,450 bags of trash out of the beleaguered Capitol Lake as well as 344 tires, two toilets and a couch

She points to effots by cities such as Greenville, South Carolina, and cities in Florida as having processes in place to help tackle blight as a community.

“What we desperately need is litter patrol offics,” Constantin says. “A full-time position that [addressing blight] is all they do—other communities have them. … We need to rethink everything we do and pivot.”

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Founded • Please respond by e-mail or phone with your approval or minor revisions. • AD WILL RUN AS IS unless approval or final revisions are received within 24 hrs 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 © Melara Enterprises, LLC. 2023. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 Our culture of care starts from within. AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana is proud to be selected as one of the “best places to work” for eight years in a row. careforla.com 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 83 Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, October 2023

Marlee Pittman with the Of fi ce of Community Development is tasked with identifying and addressing

the root causes of blight in the community to prevent additional blight from appearing.

WHEN JOHN BLOUNT got into the construction business in 1987, Livingston Parish was a sleepy, mostly rural parish that a little over 70,000 people called home.

At the time, short of a few local mom and pop grocers and eateries, Baton Rouge was the place to go for everything, whether it be health care, restaurants or retail.

Today, the parish is bustling with a growing wave of its own amenities: Our Lady of the Lake’s ER marked its 10-year anniversary this

Growing pains

The population explosion in once-rural Livingston Parish is raising development questions while putting a strain on schools and roads.

BY WILL SENTELL

year, and both it and North Oaks Health System have medical complexes there.

Thee is a growing retail corridor along Juban Road at Interstate 12—anchored by developer Stephen Keller’s Juban Crossing— where construction is underway on a roundabout to ease congestion at U.S. 190. And the selection of restaurants and entertainment now includes some Baton Rouge favorites.

Thegrowth in Livingston Parish is accelerating year by year, with a population that has more than doubled since those earlier days. Its pace—up 4.3% since 2020—now rivals that of Ascension Parish.

And the controversy over development is building even faster.

In the past 12 months, the parish has found itself in federal court twice over its attempts to slow a

rising tide: First when it enacted a moratorium to prevent global manufacturer Air Products from testing in Lake Maurepas related to carbon storage for a planned $4.5 billion hydrogen manufacturing complex; and again when it went up against a planned 2,000-lot development called Deer Run. A judge ruled against it in the fist case; it settled in the second one.

At the end of August, the Livingston Parish Council unanimously approved and parish President Layton Ricks signed a 160-day moratorium on new residential developments to allow the council time to work on a zoning strategy.

Blount, a lifelong resident of the parish and owner of John Blount Construction, and others insist that the explosive growth is fueled by good schools, affodable homes and easy access to Baton Rouge.

“In my opinion,” Blount says, “the school system was always the largest driver of young people coming out here.”

NEIGHBORING DEVELOPERS

BY THE NUMBERS

Four key metrics of Livingston Parish growth

• Enrollment in the Livingston Parish School District, long among the top-rated school systems in Louisiana, is up 10% over last year, to 27,224 students

• Permits for single-family homes shot up 61% from 2021 to 2022.

• The population of Livingston Parish, with just over 147,000 residents, has risen 4.3% since 2020 while Louisiana’s overall population has slipped 1.4%.

• The parish population is up 55% since 2000.

Thesigns of growth are everywhere—in school enrollment, commercial business, and residential and single-family homes. Thelarge plywood signs painted white with black lettering announcing a new development planned for a site are ubiquitous, adorning swaths of acreage along major thoroughfares and back roads throughout the parish.

As evidenced by the contentious council meetings where bitter disagreements over zoning tend to be commonplace, the parish is struggling to manage the growth being driven to a large extent by developers from Baton Rouge and other communities. Heightened concerns about worsening traffic, elevated flod risk and overcrowded schools have yet to be addressed in a substantive way.

One of the booming areas lies in the easternmost part of the parish in and around Springfield,and a high-end golf course community known as Carter Plantation.

Thee, Baton Rouge’s Level Homes has a heavy presence, offering lots and homes that start at $428,000. Thecompany is also behind the high-end waterfront

SUIT SETTLED: In August, Livingston Parish of ficials and the developer of a planned 2,000-lot subdivision near Denham Springs settled a zoning lawsuit, smoothing the way for construction to go forward while imposing some limits favored by opponents of the new neighborhood.

development Bruce Harbor, along the Blood River, where homes start at $366,000.

Its director of sales, Jennifer Waguespack, says the parish appeals to families who want access to Baton Rouge without the drawbacks.

“I think they just probably want to get out of Baton Rouge,” she says. “Thy probably want more land. Thy want a larger lot. Thy want more bang for their buck.”

“You are getting that in Livingston,” she adds. “You are not in the hustle and bustle of the city.”

John Buzzell, managing partner for Bearing Point Properties, is another Baton Rouge developer who has taken part in the Livingston Parish building boom.

Creekside Crossing in Walker, which comprises 168 apartment homes, opened in 2017 just fie months after the 2016 flod. Magnolia Landing in Denham Springs, built in 2008, features 32 two- and three-bedroom apartment homes.

Buzzell says the widening of I-12 through Livingston Parish helped open the suburban market. “The cost of living and schools is what brings people out of Baton Rouge.”

Livingston Parish is also in the middle of what state transportation offials call the biggest growth corridor in Louisiana: I-12 between Baton Rouge and Slidell.

Blount, a Livingston Parish native, understands the growing demand for planned zoning and likes

the idea of putting limits on growth. “Every area that has been successful has proper zoning,” he says.

EDUCATIONAL IMPACT

As many note, the Livingston Parish School District in large part is driving the building boom, and it, too, is working hard to contend with the rapid growth. Thee are just some of the expansion projects completed in recent years:

• Blount’s fim handled the construction of the new Denham Springs Elementary School, which cost around $17 million.

• Thefist-ever athletic facilities at Denham Springs High School were just completed.

• New classrooms and a new cafeteria are planned for Springfield High School at a cost of $5 million.

• A new science, technology, engineering and math center, which will also include a medical center, is under construction at Live Oak High School at a cost of $6 million.

• Construction on a new cafeteria and classrooms will soon get underway at Albany Upper Elementary School.

“We are a growing parish,” Superintendent Joe Murphy says. “Do I anticipate us to continue to gain enrollment? Yes I do, I certainly do.”

Housing blueprints affirm that certainty. Plans are on the books for 1,799 new homes near I-12 in Walker, up to 300 at Juban Crossing,

2,000 at Deer Run in Denham Springs and about 170 in French Settlement.

Murphy, who is leaving his post shortly after the end of the current school year, says enrollment gains of 10% or so annually are manageable. “If we start getting more than that we are going to have an issue,” he notes.

In 2022, the district fell from the top 10 in the Louisiana Department of Education’s district performance scores, coming in at No. 11 with a “B” rating. In a November press release, Supervisor of Instruction Kelly LaBauve blamed it on larger class sizes and the inability to provide additional instructional support leaders to help teachers.

While the East Baton Rouge Parish school system has been plagued with transportation problems, the Livingston Parish School District has 344 bus drivers and only fie vacancies.

However, the district has been embroiled in controversy since the failure earlier this year of a 1-cent sales tax hike to boost teacher pay. “We know that our people compared to surrounding districts are not paid as well,” Murphy says.

Teachers are set to get $2,000 pay boosts on Oct. 12 because of action by the Legislature. Thy will also receive a $2,000 supplement from the Livingston Parish School District in early May. A consultant is studying the district’s organization, including pay. That report is due in late January.

TRAFFIC ISSUES, TOO

With rapid growth comes trafficcongestion. Nearly two-thirds of its residents in the workforce are employed outside the parish. Massive backups on I-12 and Florida Boulevard, which drops to two lanes throughout much of the parish, are typical.

According to data from the Louisiana Department of Transportation, about 110,000 vehicles on I-12 travel between the Amite River and the I-10/I-12 split daily.

New lanes in each direction on I-12 between Satsuma and Baton Rouge have helped. But long-discussed plans to craft high-occupancy lanes from the parish to near the I-10/I-12 split face an uncertain future.

Shawn Wilson, former secretary for the state Department of Transportation and Development, long touted the possibility of converting inside shoulders on I-12 into HOV lanes, which could ease travel time for cars and trucks with two or more passengers.

DOTD Secretary Eric Kalivoda says construction costs have more than doubled since 2020 and the HOV plan now carries a price tag of about $100 million, including costs to strengthen the shoulders and the construction of some sound walls along the route. That means the HOV project is on hold indefiniely.

“Every area that has been successful has proper zoning.”

JOHN BLOUNT, owner, John Blount Construction

“I think [people] just probably want to get out of Baton Rouge. They probably want more land. They want a larger lot. They want more bang for their buck.”

JENNIFER WAGUESPACK, director of sales for Level Homes, on a construction site in Livingston Parish

DON KADAIR

DON KADAIR

‘Fed up with all these stupid texts’

BY DOMENIC PURDY

LIBRARIAN RANDA MORGAN was frustrated and confused when she received unsolicited campaign text messages from JeffLandry’s gubernatorial campaign.

An outspoken critic of Landry, she promptly unsubscribed from the candidate’s messages.

Morgan is not the only one annoyed at receiving political text messages from candidates, with others taking to social media to share their aggravation with what they see as spam.

“I am 100% not voting for anyone who has sent me a text,” a Reddit user with a similar experience said in a post.

Others report receiving texts from candidates whose party they don’t affiate with.

But regardless of party affiation, the messages can feel like an invasion of privacy to those who have no interest in receiving them and run the risk of bringing more harm than support to a campaign, according to LSU political communication professor Robert Mann.

“Am I pissing offmore people than I’m helping?” is the question campaigns need to be asking when sending these messages to wide swaths of voters, Mann says.

Despite their frustrations with the text messages, the recipients’ numbers were obtained through an entirely legal channel—the Louisiana Secretary of State’s offi.

Most widely sent text messages, political or otherwise, are sent to numbers sourced from bulk voter records available for purchase from the offi.

“When you buy a full voter list, you get party, race [and other demographic information] in addition to the numbers, names and all that,” says Joel Watson, deputy secretary of state for outreach services. “All of that is public record, anyway.”

Watson adds that campaigns can buy lists such as voter records by parish to target specific demographics.

Despite selling the numbers to political campaigns and other organizations, the secretary of state has no authority to enforce how messages are sent, Watson says. That falls to the FCC.

According to FCC rules, political messages, via both phone and text, are exempt from requirements related to the National Do Not Call Registry, but the FCC requires that political campaigns honor opt-out requests.

Robotexts—text messages generated through autodialing—and robocalls require prior consent to be sent to a recipient. But political text messages can be sent legally without the recipient’s prior consent if the message’s sender manually dials the number. It is this loophole that frustrates those who say they did not provide prior consent to receive messages.

Professionals who work on campaigns and with polling see text messaging as an effctive and efficiet way to reach voters as well as a wide number of individuals to poll.

John Couvillion, owner and founder of Baton Rouge-based polling company JMC Analytics, says people are more likely to be receptive and respond to polls if they’re delivered via text message.

“It’s basically as effctive, if not more so, than live operator dials because you’re talking about a whole generation of people that won’t pick up the phone,” Couvillion says. “But they are amenable to taking a text survey.”

Part of this culture shift comes from young, technologically savvy people becoming more dominant in decision-making, observes Southern University professor of political science Albert Samuels.

“[Texting] is their world,” Samuels says. “That’s how you reach them.”

Texting provides campaigns, polling companies and even commercial businesses unprecedented access to this potential audience. According to Dave Maher, chief digital officeat Zehnder Communications, people check their texts within fie minutes,

Political campaigns are bombarding voters with text messages, but are they effective?

making it an effctive way to market and maximize engagement levels.

Essentially, it’s a more effctive medium to get messaging past spam filers than something like email, Maher says.

“You can cut through the clutter,” he adds. “Thy just don’t want to be spammed.”

But these messages can be effective only if organizations, political or commercial, finda delivery sweet spot of messages—not too many and not too few.

Maher says that, from his experience, this sweet spot is around one message per week. Thiskeeps the idea of an organization in someone’s head without annoying them to the point where they block the number sending them messages.

Thereplacement of live operator calls with text messaging has also allowed polling, a fieldCouvillion has been in for 13 years, to become a much quicker operation. Text-based polls sent on behalf of both political and commercial bodies can be completed in about two days, Couvillion says. Thisis down from about a week with call-based polling.

Political organizations are also employing text messaging to disseminate information about campaigns and elections with more efficiey than in the past.

Political text messaging is a signifiantly cheaper alternative to antiquated methods like sending campaign messaging via mail, Mann says.

“Text messaging is cheap. If you

send it to the wrong person, it’s not a big deal,” Mann adds. “You lost a penny, not 150 pennies [like with a mail-based campaign].”

It’s also more nimble, Mann says.

“If something happens right now, I can craft a text message and push it out to 200 or 200,000 people like that,” he says, snapping his figers.

Text messages, however, might not be as effctive at convincing undecided voters to support a spe cificcandidate, especially if the re cipient is like Morgan and already has a preconceived notion about a candidate or party, Mann suggests.

“Thee aren’t that many unde cided voters,” he adds. “Voter be havior is what it is and it’s pretty easy to predict.”

Where political texts can be most effctive, Mann says, are in provid ing important election dates and other civic engagement informa tion, describing them as “get out to vote” measures.

“I think some people are cynical and say that politicians have carved out exceptions for themselves so they can do robocalls and stufflike that,” Mann says. “I think it’s a good exception in the public interest that people get political messages. And if they get political messages that they don’t agree with, they have the right to hang up or throw the piece of mail away or block the caller.”

Representatives from Jeff Landry’s campaign, as well as several other gubernatorial campaigns, did not provide comment about their use of text messaging in time for publication.

“I think it’s a good exception in the public interest that people get political messages. And if they get political messages that they don’t agree with, they have the right to hang up or throw the piece of mail away or block the caller.”

ROBERT MANN, professor and Manship chair, LSU Manship School of Mass Communication

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IN GOOD COMPANY

This year’s Best Places to Work winners share many of the same common values—teamwork, accountability, customer commitment, and shared goals. In this special advertising section, several of them talk about their history, their purpose, and the company culture that motivates them to always strive to be the best!

FOUNDED IN 1984, Faulk & Winkler has provided audit, tax, outsourced accounting and retirement planning services to the Louisiana community with a focus on delivering an exceptional client experience for almost 40 years. What started off small has grown to become a trusted CPA firm of 7 partners and 45 professionals. Team members have individual goals and work in an environment designed so that they can achieve those goals in a way that works for them.

The firm values each person’s unique

skills and personalities and it’s evident in the company’s culture and the way in which clients are served. Faulk & Winkler does not simply provide a product, but positively affects the lives of its clients and staff.

As for professional growth, there is no limit to how far employees can go. Hard workers with positive attitudes are rewarded with every opportunity to learn and progress in the business.

According to the firm’s leadership, “If you start as an intern and you dream of becoming a partner, you can!”

Faulk & Winkler lives by the mission to proactively impact the well-being of its clients.

Customerfocused, inclusive, dependable, team-oriented, innovative and family-friendly.

FIRST NATIONAL BANKERS BANKSHARES, INC. was established in 1984 by a group of Louisiana bankers to serve as a non-competitive correspondent banking partner for community financial institutions. Today, FNBB is owned exclusively by the same financial institutions that it serves in more than 30 states around the nation. The company is organized to be a profitable and well-capitalized financial services corporation providing high-quality correspondent services that facilitate the growth and success of our shareholders and clients.

We are committed to the success and growth of community banking by being extremely

customer-focused, inclusive, dependable, team-oriented, innovative and family-friendly. There is a kindred spirit between employees in our company relative to furthering our company’s mission and commitment to community banking.

We care about our employees as family members and recognize them in a variety of ways, including company-wide notifications of new business successes, intranet posts of achievements, core value awards, compensatory awards, promotions, opportunities to participate on critical projects, recognition in all-employee meetings and old-fashioned “thank yous” for a job well done.

LEGION CLAIMS is a catastrophe property adjusting and national claims administration firm that was founded in 2019 by Steve Brown, whose family has been in the business for more than 50 years. This third-generation firm serves the insurance, industrial/ environmental and governmental sectors.

The company is unique in that it offers the experience, personnel resources, and diverse suite of claims-related services of a national corporation, but with

the management accessibility, relaxed corporate culture, and commitment to community service of a local family-owned business.

Beyond monetary rewards and personal expressions of “Thank You” for a job well done to employees, Legion Claims’ management team finds thoughtful ways to show appreciation. This includes catered lunches, food trucks/snowball trucks, and tickets to LSU athletic events and other cultural activities.

A company culture that promotes professional growth and career advancement for all employees.

FORMED IN 2013, SITECH Louisiana grew out of a partnership between Spectra Measuring Systems and Louisiana Machinery (the Louisiana Caterpillar machinery dealer). It is a Trimble technology dealership and maintains a fully operational component service repair department, which Trimble designates as a Level 3 Service Facility, Trimble’s highest rating. What sets the company apart is its dedication to learning and development. The team encourages risks and sees mistakes as opportunities to learn and grow.

SITECH has funded a variety of professional certifications and degrees for its team of lifelong learners. Its core values are to put customer needs first, to empower customers and team members through education and development, and to grow profitably through teamwork. SITECH practices gratitude and recognizes individuals who have gone above and beyond. Kudos stories are shared at the monthly All Company meeting to demonstrate that SITECH values its staff and their contributions to the success of the team.

The company culture embodies lifelong learning, continuous education, and operational excellence in order to build a better Louisiana.

ESTABLISHED OVER 75 years ago, LaPorte is the largest independent accounting and business advisory firm headquartered in Louisiana with over 190 personnel in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Covington, Houma, and Houston, Texas.

For more than 20 years, LaPorte has invested in ongoing learning programs for team members. These include Impact Coaching, Professional Growth Plan, and LaPorte U, which focuses on well-rounded skills needed to be successful—presentation skills, emotional intelligence, networking, managing work/life balance, etc.

Team members have a clear path to achieve their professional goals, one where they feel valued by their co-workers and can use the flexible work environment to achieve meaningful work/life balance.

The company creates a culture of recognition that includes shout-outs at monthly meetings for individuals or groups that perform above and beyond. In addition, LaPorte frequently nominates highperforming employees for business awards and leadership programs.

LaPorte’s Baton Rouge director group: Micah Stewart, LL.M; John Murray, CPA, CGFM; Wendi Berthelot, CPA, MBA; Richard Hill, CPA; Candace Eldridge, PHR, SHRM-CP; Thomas Freel, CPA

Team members have a clear path to achieve their professional goals.

ESSENTIAL WAS chartered in 1972 by a small group of Dow Chemical employees who were dedicated to building a financial institution that would provide outstanding financial services at the lowest possible cost. Today, with more than 46,000 members and $378 million in assets, Essential serves the Greater Baton Rouge community.

The company culture at Essential is marked by servant leadership and a focus on maintaining an ideal work-life balance in a family-oriented work environment. To that end, Essential offers flexible scheduling and hybrid work for backoffice employees, competitive pay with next day Earned Wage Access, Retirement Plan with 100%

match for contributions, over 11 paid holidays, tuition reimbursement, personal and professional development opportunities, a wellness program, comprehensive benefits, paid time off and gym membership reimbursements.

Employees are recognized with annual merit increases, service awards, internal and social media recognition, a company incentive/bonus program, promotions and public acknowledgment of top performers at the company’s annual employee banquet. Essential also hosts an annual Family Day to show appreciation for employees and their families.

FOUNDED IN BATON ROUGE IN 2006, b1BANK has grown to over $6.5 billion in assets and has the largest deposit market share of Louisiana-headquartered banks. With nearly 800 employees and operations across Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi, b1BANK remains committed to serving its communities and offering the best client experience possible.

Mindful of the effects rapid growth can have on a company culture, b1BANK focuses on five guiding principles: relationship-driven teamwork, thoughtful, disciplined decision-making, meaningful

communication, doing the right thing the right way, and striving to be the best through continual improvement. These principles effectively incorporate new perspectives and people into a culture that continues to renew as the Bank grows.

Employees participate in the company’s b1COMMUNITY program and special events like the recent NOLA Picklefest (benefiting the Brees Dream Foundation). This gives them an opportunity to share their time and talents, and provides a fun way to build relationships with fellow team members.

Community outreach plays an important part in the b1BANK culture.

ESTABLISHED IN 1927, Gallagher is a worldwide insurance brokerage, risk management, and consulting firm. With a significant presence globally and in Baton Rouge, Gallagher is an exceptional company with a steadfast dedication to innovation and client-centeredness. Its proactive approach, combined with ethical conduct, cements its leadership by redefining industry standards and inspiring others through its visionary strategy.

Gallagher nurtures a dynamic and inclusive culture that values innovation, collaboration, and integrity. With a commitment to ethical practices, it

encourages employee growth and client focus. This vibrant culture empowers teams to embrace challenges, inspire trust, and drive excellence in delivering tailored solutions and outstanding service.

A publicly traded company, Gallagher blends its global culture with local vibes, prioritizing employee engagement. Events like a crawfish boil and Thanksgiving potluck foster both personal connections and professional growth. The annual employee summit spotlights talent, while Employee of the Quarter celebrates year-round excellence, creating a supportive work community.

Seamlessly merging modern solutions with personalized, human-centric service.

FOR MORE THAN 15 YEARS, AccuTemp Services has proudly served south Louisiana’s home comfort needs by providing quality A/C, heating, electrical, generator, and plumbing solutions. As they’ve grown over the years, their commitment has remained the same: Service to the Highest Degree. AccuTemp believes in investing in each team member and promoting opportunities for individuals to develop the best version of themselves. This includes regular training and continuing education opportunities, team engagement activities, community service events and more. The workplace culture encourages employees to leverage strengths,

share ideas and pursue excellence within the company and as individuals, in order to achieve personal and professional success.

In 2020, AccuTemp launched its apprenticeship program which gives individuals with varying HVAC experience an opportunity to build a career in the trades. This paid inhouse training program provides prospective technicians with industry knowledge, field experience with senior technicians, and handson learning. In 2024, AccuTemp will launch an expanded state-of-the-art apprenticeship laboratory and training facility to support the future of Five-Star home services.

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hubley has transformed work experiences for over 1 million employees across hundreds of organizations

Thank you to our team members for making hubley a

IT’S DECISION TIME for Louisiana. Early voting began Sept. 30 and runs through Saturday, Oct. 7. Election day is Oct. 14. Your future—as well as that of this state—is at stake and you have many choices to make on the ballot.

In the September issue of Business Report, I shared my choice for governor, Stephen Waguespack. Your destiny—and that of your children and grandchildren—is in your hands. Louisiana needs a bold governor with solid character and a visionary plan to lift all residents of this state. We need an inclusive governor, rather than someone who tells those who disagree with him to move elsewhere. A leader who governs with ideas, not intimidation. Thisis a crossroads moment. We must make the right choice.

Determine our destiny by voting

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

wants these issues to be very clear for the courts, providing extra protection. And one proposed amendment on this ballot was twice approved as a statute by legislators, only to have the governor veto the measure each time. Now the voters get to make the call.

Here is how I will vote:

1. PROHIBITING DONATIONS TO CONDUCT ELECTIONS: YES

PAR notes that Louisiana voters enacted a similar constitutional amendment in 2012 requiring any judicial review of the right to keep and bear arms to be subject to strict scrutiny.

3. SURPLUS SPENDING ON RETIREMENT DEBT: NO

Editor’s Note: This is the opinion of the author only and does not constitute an endorsement by Business Report. Business Report does not endorse candidates for political offi.

Thee will be four amendments on the October ballot and another four on the ballot in November. I appreciate the nonpartisan guide that the Public Affais Research Council provides voters; I am sharing portions here. You can read PAR’s complete guide at ParLouisiana.org.

As I routinely note, and PAR echoes, that since voters ratifid the Louisiana Constitution in 1974, they have been asked to decide 308 amendments, a number that will grow to 316 this year. That averages out to seven proposed amendments a year since the fist round hit the ballot only a few years after the constitution took effct. So far, 209 changes have earned voter approval.

PAR notes, “Louisiana’s election code currently doesn’t contain a provision about receiving private funds or other contributions from outside groups or donors. That leaves a legal gray area over whether such donations are allowed. Theamendment would prohibit Louisiana election officials from accepting money, goods or services from a nongovernmental organization or a foreign government to administer any election or election function unless Louisiana’s secretary of state authorizes the use and that use is explicitly allowed in law.” This measure has been associated with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who donated nearly a half-billion dollars to election officeacross the nation post-pandemic to help with outreach. Some associated a political agenda with the offe. About half the states now have such a law that requires the state to pay for its own elections. I agree.

2. PROTECTION FOR WORSHIP IN CHURCHES: YES

With a lot of federal dollars rolling into state coffes, Louisiana has recently found itself with some large surpluses, raising the question of how to spend it. We have a rather sizable unfunded liability for our public retirement systems. (Reform is a whole other issue to debate.) Current law requires that 10% of any surplus be utilized to pay down this debt through 2029. Thisproposed amendment would increase the allocation to 25% while also removing the 2029 sunset. Separately, there’s an already existing mandate requiring 25% of any surplus to flw into the “rainy day fund” until it reaches a cap. So this amendment could mean 50% of any surplus is effctively restricted. That’s not a great idea, given the huge infrastructure and coastal protection needs as well as other pressing concerns facing our state. Let’s leave it at 10%—and address pension reform, too.

4. PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTIONS FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS: NO

Rolfe McCollister Jr. is chairman emeritus of Business Report and a contributing columnist.

It’s fair to wonder: Given the more than 200 approved changes to the 1974 Constitution, is it time for a new convention to revisit the much-altered document and clean it up for today’s 21st century world?

Some will argue that a handful of the proposed amendments are covered in the U.S. Constitution and a few others could be best handled by statute. But the Legislature

In explaining this measure, PAR references Louisiana pastor Tony Spell’s actions during the pandemic. “Louisiana’s restrictions were challenged by a local pastor who was arrested after repeatedly violating the governor’s executive orders and holding church services. TheLouisiana Supreme Court dismissed the charges against the pastor in a 5-2 ruling that applied the strict scrutiny standard. However, there was a lack of consensus among judges, and lower courts had diffeing opinions.” TheLegislature wants to make it clear, “Under strict scrutiny, the regulation would be presumed unconstitutional unless the rigorous test criteria are met to justify its existence.” I support that position.

PAR explains, “Theamendment would authorize local governing authorities to remove the property tax exemption when a nonprofit leases its property as housing to others and the property has been found to endanger public health or safety because of repeated code violations.”

I understand the intent of not wanting to reward a nonprofitthat violates the law. But there are laws and those laws should be enforced. Under the proposal, three violations would have to occur before the tax break could be removed. If taxes increase, what is the likelihood the organization can affod to fixthe property? And if it fies it, can we presume it is likely to raise the rent and pass on the cost to the tenant? Not an easy solution. My view is that the locals should enforce the law to address this matter.

1920 2022 Gain over 102 years

A WAKE-UP CALL FOR LOUISIANA

Axios recently reported on the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey, writing that it is one of the best resources for a quantifid look at American life. Thebig takeaway: Incomes are falling, we’re getting older, and people are moving to states like Florida, Idaho and South Carolina (and also Texas, Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina.)

While Florida experienced the greatest growth—its year-overyear population grew 2.1%—the top losers were New York (-0.8%), Louisiana (-0.7%) and Illinois (-0.7%). Thenationwide median household income fell to $74,755. Louisiana’s is at $58,330.

Population loss isn’t a new concern here at home. It’s been a problem for more than a century. Look at the chart above, which compares the past 102 years. What is the deal? We got left in the dust. Shocking. Wake up, Louisiana.

LABI WILL TRAVEL LA23 INTO THE FUTURE

Should Louisiana decide to wake up to the declining trends and elect strong leaders, the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, or LABI, believes it knows the road to travel to a successful future: LA23.

Thepro-business organization recently released this strategic plan, developed over the past year by expert consultants, that concentrates

on four key areas: education and workforce development, tax and business climate, economic development, and safety and resiliency.

“LA23 focuses on fiing what’s truly holding our state back,” says Jim Patterson, LABI’s interim president and CEO.

Thelead consultant, Ted Abernathy, managing partner of the Economic Leadership LLC, has developed strategies for several states, including North Carolina. “For the past generation, most economic indicators show Louisiana lagging other states,” he says. “In fact, Louisiana is ranked near the bottom. Without immediate new thinking and bold action, you can expect greater job and population losses and to be a state young people increasingly choose to leave for better opportunities in other, more successful Southern states.”

LABI is the natural choice to lead this initiative for the private sector, representing more than 2,000 Louisiana employers of all sizes in multiple industries across the state.

“LABI is no stranger to bold reform,” says Jude Melville, who chairs the LABI board and is president and CEO of b1Bank. “Our outreach and advocacy during the last election cycle helped to usher in a wave of freshmen legislators joining incumbents ready to make meaningful decisions, leading to progress in the adoption of tort and tax reform legislation. This cycle, with high turnover in the Legislature, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, and

REFLECTIONS

ARMOR OF GOD NO. 1: THE BELT OF TRUTH

statewide elected offials, including the governor’s offi, we have many additional important decisions to make and an even greater opportunity to enact signifiant change. We believe the ideas and aspirations included in LA23 collectively serve as a bold but necessary starting point for that conversation and we look forward to helping lead our state on what will be a tough but potentially immensely rewarding journey forward.”

CITY PARK CONVERSATION CONTINUES

Thesignatures on the petition continue to grow and so does the interest in a conversation about the “highest and best use” for the City Park property, including the ninehole golf course.

Jenni Peters has been doing TV and radio interviews discussing this idea for our Capital City and momentum is building as almost 900 East Baton Rouge taxpayers from 20 diffeent ZIP codes have signed the petition; many of their positive comments are listed at right. If you want to sign and comment, go to change.org/ createacentralparkinBR.

• “Thisgem belongs to the whole Baton Rouge community. Thedesign is a wonderful way for everyone to be able to enjoy the grounds and lakes like never before.”

• “I am signing because our city deserves a beautiful community space like this.”

• “It’s a great idea! And this city needs to pursue a few of those.”

• “I live near City Park. I would much rather have my family be able to all enjoy this park instead of it being a golf course.

• “I believe a central park that is multi-use would be a true addition to the city.”

• “Just because it was a golf course in the past doesn’t mean it should be a golf course in the future.”

• “Thisspace could be so much more than it is. More people should be able to enjoy it, not just the handful who do so now.”

• “Our city needs to be a beacon of progress, rather than one that’s stuck in the past and resistant to change for the better. We lose young talent EVERY DAY and we have to make changes if we want to break that cycle.”

• “Great complement to the lakes project.”

THE FIRST PIECE of armor is the belt of truth. Ephesians 6:14 says, “Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH … .” First and foremost, truth is a Person and His name is Jesus. As Jesus says of Himself, in John 14:6: “I am the way and the truth and the life.” He is not a truth; He is the truth; His person is the essence of truth. Therefore, what He says in Scripture is true and consistent with His personhood-character. Notice it girds up our loins. In other words, it girds us up in strength

in our central inner organs. When we are confident in Jesus-Truth who lives inside of us, we can stand firm in life with confidence. The first piece of armor is the person of Truth, and the last piece is the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God; written and spoken truth. The enemy is best known as a liar and deceiver! So the truth is what sets us free from lies and deception. So gird up and take your first piece of armor, fellow warriors.

—Jeff Mitchell, Retired COL and Army Chaplain

This feature is a tribute in honor of Business Report founders, Rolfe McCollister Sr. & Rolfe McCollister Jr.

(Source: Wikipedia)

“As a wise person once said, a great park is the soul of the city.”

—Baton Rouge Resident

Private high schools

1 1 Catholic High School 855 Hearthstone Drive, Baton Rouge 70806 225-383-0397 | catholichigh.org

2 2 St. Joseph's Academy 3015 Broussard St., Baton Rouge 70808 225-383-7207 | sjabr.org

3 3 St. Michael the Archangel High School 17521 Monitor Ave., P.O. Box 86110, Baton Rouge 70817 225-753-9782 | smhsbr.org

4 4 Parkview Baptist School 5750 Parkview Church Road, Baton Rouge 70816 225-291-2500 | parkviewbaptist.com

5 5 Episcopal School of Baton Rouge 3200 Woodland Ridge Blvd., Baton Rouge 70816 225-753-3180 | episcopalbr.org

6 6 The Dunham School(1) 11111 Roy Emerson Drive, Baton Rouge 70810 225-767-7097 | dunhamschool.org

7 9 Ascension Christian School 14408 EA Academy Road, Gonzales 70737 225-622-2800 | aclions.org

8 7 Catholic High School of Pointe Coupee 504 Fourth St., New Roads 70760 225-638-9313 | catholicpc.com

9 10 Silliman Institute 10830 Bank St., P.O. Box 946, Clinton 70722 225-683-5383 | sillimaninstitute.org

10 11

11

Catholic Diocesan Regional High School 311 St. Vincent St., Donaldsonville 70346 225-473-9227 | acbulldogs.org

Mayes

Steakley

UPCOMING LIST: Nov. Law Firms Convention & Meeting Facilities

laptop program, innovative STREAM (science, technology, religion, engineering, arts and mathematics) curriculum that embraces a holistic hands-on approach to learning

Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, mission pillars: faith development in the Catholic tradition and academic excellence

than 20 sports programs and 30 clubs and organizations, advanced placement and dual enrollment courses, campus ministry

enrollment/AP classes, mission trips, 26 MS/ HS sports teams, vocal/instrumental music instruction, outstanding theater productions, highly competitive robotics team

honors and dual enrollment courses; signature honors thesis and lab-based ESTAAR programs; global learning journeys; award-winning robotics team

Harkness, leadership, advanced placement, dual enrollment, fine arts, athletics, small classes, personalized attention

13

16 16 Family Christian Academy 8919 World Ministry Ave., Baton Rouge 70810 225-768-3026 | fcacademy.net

17 18

18 22

Greater Baton Rouge Hope Academy 15333 Jefferson Highway, Baton Rouge 70817 225-293-0141 | hopeacademybr.org

Brighter Horizon School of Baton Rouge 1896 Wooddale Blvd., Baton Rouge 70806 225-927-2521 | brighterhorizonschool.org

Christopher Granier Principal

Sharon Moore Interim head of school 25

Anwar Hamdi Principal 13 $7,150 Coed

Pre-K-12

DBA-doing business asDNR-did not respondNR-not rankedTo be featured in Business Report's Listmakers, private high schools must have at least one campus in the nine-parish Capital Region and have information available about their programs from the school, the National Center for Education Statistics or other Business Report research. The Business Report presumes the provided information is accurate. Information about 19 schools will be available to subscribers on our website. To be considered for next year's list, please contact Alaine Keisling at research@businessreport.com. Published October 2023.

(1) Baton Rouge Christian Education Foundation Inc.

eDynamic online elective courses, Beta, 4-H, most sports, career courses like welding and hospitality

enrollment

therapy and therapeutic instructional strategies

Co-curricular programs in athletics, arts, and service organizations; dual enrollment in math and English; state-of-the-art teleproductions class; Mac computer lab

Research-based techniques customized to meet the needs of children with mild/moderate learning challenges, autism, Asperger’s syndrome, ADHD, learning disabilities and other special needs

1996 Islamic Islamic studies, Arabic, competitive soccer

Researched by Alaine Keisling

WEBSTER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

FOUR YEAR FULL TUITION

The Webster Scholars Program provides full tuition scholarships each year to rising ninth grade students who reflect – in their academic and leadership talents –exceptional achievement. To learn more, please visit: episcopalbr.org/admission/scholarship-opportunities

Submit your 2024-2025 Application Today!

Episcopal is now accepting applications for the 2024-2025 school year. For more information on the opportunities Episcopal can provide your child, or to schedule a private tour, visit episcopalbr.org or contact the Admission Office at (225) 755-2685.

Episcopal School of Baton Rouge admits students without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national and ethnic origin, or disability. Episcopal does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sexual orientation, gender identity, national, or ethnic origin in the administration of our educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and tuition assistance programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

SPONSORED BY:

A Deep Dive into Artificial Intelligence: Find These Resources in EBRPL’s Digital Library

Artificial intelligence has long been the plot of science fiction novels and horror movies, but today, it is also becoming a common topic in the workplace. As companies grapple

LINKEDIN

LEARNING

• AI Trends

• GPT-4: The New GPT Release and What You Need to Know

• Introduction to Artificial Intelligence

• Ya Xu: How to Turn AI from a Buzz Word to a Business Tool

O’REILLY

• Artificial Intelligence Business: How you can profit from AI

with using AI to improve their efficiency and ease their workload, they must also set standards and guidelines for its ethical use. The East Baton Rouge Parish Library has a multitude of resources in

GALE PRESENTS:

UDEMY

• AI for Business Leaders

• ChatGPT Marketing: Create Complete Campaigns w/ Chat GPT AI

• ChatGPT: Complete ChatGPT Course for Work 2023

• How to use Artificial Intelligence - A Guide for Everyone!

TREEHOUSE

• ChatGPT for Designers

the Digital Library, as well as an upcoming speaker this month, to help you better understand and use this emerging technology. Here are just a few examples:

LIBBY

• Four Battlegrounds: Power in the Age of Artificial Intelligence by Paul Scharre

• Human Compatible: Artificial Intelligence and the Problem of Control by Stuart Russell

• I, Human: AI, Automation, and the Quest to Reclaim What Makes Us Unique by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic

• Robot-Proof: Higher Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence by Joseph Aoun

STATISTA

• Artificial Intelligence 2023 Report

THE RISE OF AI: HOW EVERYONE CAN BENEFIT

• Artificial Intelligence for Dummies

• ChatGPT: Possibilities and Pitfalls

• Everyday Innovation: Leveraging ChatGPT in Our Daily Lives

• Artificial intelligence (AI) deployment status in organizations in the United States in 2022

Visit the Main Library Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. to hear from accomplished businessman and speaker Henry Hays. Hays spent 20 years in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry, most notably building the commercial team at Avanir Pharmaceuticals, where it reached peak sales of $110 million a year. Avanir was purchased for $3.5 billion, the highest multiple in the history of that industry. Hays’ new mission became spreading the power of disruptive innovation coming to all aspects of business around the world. Currently, he is the co-founder and CEO of DisruptReady, a disruptive upskilling company that educates on emerging technology, particularly artificial intelligence.

ACCREDITATION CERTIFICATION

Mark Matthews, La Capitol FCU’s chief operations offic, has earned the Certifid Chief Executive designation from the CUES CEO Institute. During his 28 years at La Cap, Matthews has served as chief operations offic, vice president of information technology and senior vice president of IT and operations.

Matthews

AWARDS HONORS

Baker Donelson earned multiple top 20 recognitions in Vault Law’s 2024 rankings. In the Best Law Firms to Work For list, the fim was ranked 13th for technology and innovation, and 20th for transparency. In Best Law Firms for Diversity, it ranked 12th for diversity for women and 17th for racial and ethnic diversity. In best summer associate programs, the fim ranked 17th overall and was 14th for social experiences and 19th for attorney interactions.

Baton Rouge General is one of 18 hospitals in the country and the only one in the Baton Rouge area to be recognized with the Price Transparency Champion Award from the nonprofitPatient Rights Advocate. Thisaward recognizes U.S. hospitals and hospital systems for their commitment to fully complying with federal price transparency requirements.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation has announced the 2023 recipients of The Angel Award, honoring Louisianans who have demonstrated exceptional dedication and service to the state’s children. Honorees from the Capital Region include Murelle Harrison, executive director of The Gardere Initiative, which delivers services, after-school education, meals and safe play spaces to the children of Gardere; and Chantelle Varnado, founder of Launch Theapy Center, a nonprofitthat offers speech, physical, and occupational therapy in Livingston Parish. A $25,000 grant is awarded to the Louisiana-based nonprofitof each

honoree’s choice.

DNA Workshop and Cox Communications were the winners of this year’s Diversity Star Awards from the Baton Rouge Area Chamber. DNA Workshop received the award in the small business category, and Cox Communications received the award in the large business category.

Feigley Communications earned Best of Show awards from the Southern Public Relations Federation. Themarketing and public relations agency received top honors for its Vax Matters podcast at the Southern Public Relations Federation’s annual awards banquet. Theagency also took home a Lantern Award and Top Tier Best in Show Award for the podcast— an educational series on vaccines produced in partnership with the Louisiana Department of Health’s immunization program.

John Maxwell Hamilton, professor of journalism at the LSU Manship School of Mass

Communication, was named the 2023 recipient of the Sidney Kobre Award for Lifetime Achievement, the American Journalism Historians Association’s highest honor.

Hamilton is LSU’s Hopkins P. Breazeale professor of journalism and founding dean of the Manship School of Mass Communication. He is a global fellow at the Wilson Center and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Hamilton’s bestowal of AJHA’s highest honor follows the release of his nationally acclaimed 2020 book, Manipulating the Masses: Woodrow Wilson and the Birth of American Propaganda.

Bridget Kaigler has been named a Diversity MBA Top 100 Under 50 Executive Leader for 2023. Kaigler, a CPA, specializes in taxation and regulatory reporting in the health care and manufacturing sectors. She is the founder/CEO of Bringing Leadership Back.

Kaigler

Jack Kellerman was honored with SEN Design Group’s 2023 Innovation Award for his unique household invention: the Zip Quicker. Kellerman is the former owner of Kellerman Kitchen & Bath. He retired in 2016 due to his progressing multiple sclerosis. Harnessing his creativity, Kellerman developed the Zip Quicker, an acrylic stand available on Amazon and his offial website. Theinvention eases the task of pouring and storing cooked foods into zip-close bags. To honor Kellerman’s innovative spirit, the award is being renamed the “Jack Kellerman Innovation Award.”

Kip Knight and Joaneane Smith have been named to the 2023 Hall of Distinction by the LSU E.J. Ourso College of Business. In addition, this year’s Outstanding Young Alumni Award recipient is Jacques Bourque. Knight is the operating partner at Thovest Ventures, a $500 million venture capital fund based in the San Francisco Bay area. In addition, he serves as a board member at Netbase Quid, a

leading consumer analytics company. Smith is the president and CEO of Global Commerce and Services and has more than 25 years of experience in management and consulting with information technology deployment. Bourque was named chief fiancial officeof Catalyst Bancorp, the parent company for Catalyst Bank, in February 2022, making him the youngest public bank CFO in the country.

Neighbors Federal Credit Union has been honored by Forbes with inclusion on the magazine’s list of Best-In-State Credit Unions for 2023. Thelisting by Forbes is in conjunction with Statista Inc., the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider.

rising stars from 29 convenience store industry retail, distribution and supply companies. After several years working part time, Raetzsch joined Lyons full time in 2021 after graduating from LSU in business management. He works in both purchasing and operations management.

Kenneth Schafer, Ball Family distinguished professor in physics and astronomy, has achieved the rank of Boyd professor—the highest and most prestigious academic rank at LSU—following a vote by the LSU Board of Supervisors. Schafer is the 79th Boyd professor named at LSU since the honor was established in 1953 by the LSU Board of Supervisors after brothers David and Thoas Boyd, former faculty members and presidents of LSU. Schafer joined the LSU physics department in 1995 as a promising scientist and has long served as a leading researcher and pioneer in ultrafast laser and X-ray physics.

Porter has been selected as a member of the Committee of 100 for Economic Development Inc. for 2023. Barton serves as Taylor Porter’s managing partner and as a member of the fim’s executive committee. His practice includes representing local and national businesses in matters involving commercial litigation and transactions, regulatory and compliance matters, and general litigation. He is co-chair of the fim’s business and commercial litigation group and a mediator with The Patterson Resolution Group.

Wilson Raetzsch of Lyons Specialty Company has been named to the 2023 Class of Future Leaders in Convenience by Convenience Store News. Theclass is made up of 36

Raetzsch

APPOINTMENTS MEMBERSHIPS

Robert “Bob” Barton of Taylor

Chief of Minds CEO  Lakeisha Robichaux is the new board president for the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce. Robichaux will oversee the organization’s commitment to fostering an environment that promotes innovation, collaboration and economic prosperity as part of the its offial relaunch.

Barton

Dr. Vincent Shaw Jr., family medicine physician at Baton Rouge General, has been appointed to Louisiana’s Commission on Perinatal Care and Prevention of Infant Mortality. Shaw has practiced medicine for 20 years and serves as the program director for BRG’s family medicine residency and sports medicine fellowship programs. He also serves as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve and is a team physician for LSU and Southern University.

Southeastern Louisiana University President William Wainwright has been selected as a member of the Committee of 100 for Economic Development Inc. for 2023. The committee serves as Louisiana’s business roundtable, promoting public policy that makes the state more competitive in retaining

existing business and industry and attracting more innovative businesses.

PHILANTHROPY GRANTS

REV and CoBank recently teamed up to provide $20,500 to four local south Louisiana nonprofit. Theannual Sharing Success program from CoBank provides matching funds to enhance partners’ donations. Nonprofits who received funding were ALS Association Louisiana-Mississippi Chapter ($2,500), Hammond Air Show Foundation ($10,000), Upside Downs Inc. ($4,000) and The Whitney Institute ($4,000).

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP

This statement of ownership, management and circulation is being made pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 3685.

The Greater Baton Rouge Business Report (publication number 721890) is published 14 issues per year by Melara Enterprises LLC, 9029 Jefferson Hwy., Suite 300, Baton Rouge, LA 70809. Annual subscription price is $96.00. The mailing address of The Greater Baton Rouge Business Report is 9029 Jefferson Hwy., Suite 300, Baton Rouge, LA 70809.

The publisher of The Greater Baton Rouge Business Report is Julio Melara. The Chief Content Officer & Executive Editor is Penny Font. The Managing Editor is Allan Schilling. The mailing address for all is 9029 Jefferson Hwy., Suite 300, Baton Rouge, LA 70809.

The Greater Baton Rouge Business Report is owned by Melara Enterprises LLC. Principal stockholders in Melara Enterprises LLC are Julio Melara, Hillary Melara, Jonathan Melara, Jordan Melara and Manuel Fajardo, Jr.

The mailing address for all stockholders is 9029 Jefferson Hwy., Suite 300, Baton Rouge, LA 70809.

Information on the extent and nature of The Greater Baton Rouge Business Report’s circulation is included in the accompanying chart.

EXPANDING WITH EXCELLENCE

Taylor Porter is honored to be recognized as one of the Best Places to Work in Baton Rouge and is thankful for the people who make our workplace one of the best. We are proud to be expanding our team and look forward to working with each of these experienced attorneys to continue to provide excellent legal services to our clients.

Charles A. Schutte, Jr.

Imelda T. Frugé

Stephen Dale Cronin

Andrew Wallace Eversberg Sean P. Avocato

BANKING & FINANCE

Hollie Apple-Kratzberg has been promoted to director of mortgage for OnPath Federal Credit Union while Rachel AdamsBolanos has been promoted to director of marketing. AppleKratzberg joined OnPath in 2013 as a mortgage loan offic, bringing her extensive experience in banking and customer service. She moved into mortgage operations in 2022 as mortgage operations manager and has played a key role in the growth and success of the mortgage team and department. Adams-Bolanos joined the OnPath marketing department in October 2022 after 25 years in the media marketing and

sales sector as a marketing operations manager.

Douglas Dupont has been promoted to executive vice president for Bank of St. Francisville. Under his leadership as market president, the bank has seen substantial growth in Baton Rouge. In 2022, the bank opened a branch on Highland Road, and Dupont is overseeing plans for a second location on Jeffeson Highway.

Mark Juneau III has joined JD Bank as vice president commercial lender in its combined loan and deposit production officon Jeffeson Highway. An experienced banker, Juneau will serve the personal and business fiancial needs

of Baton Rouge and the surrounding region. Juneau has worked in the Baton Rouge market since 2009. His expertise is in helping businesses of varied backgrounds and sizes achieve fiancial stability and success.

Tom Kuslikis is the new chief executive officefor EFCU Financial. Kuslikis spent the last 10 years with the University of Michigan Credit Union, most recently as chief fiancial offic. UMCU is a $1.4 billion credit union that serves more than 114,000 members. He was involved in the community, serving on multiple boards and industry-related committees. Kuslikis is a certifid public accountant and certifid

internal auditor.

Jamie White has been promoted to chief operating officefor the Bank of St. Francisville. She started with BSF in 2000 as a teller and has been promoted six times, most recently serving as senior vice president of operations.

EDUCATION

Bradley Ives has been selected to lead LSU’s Institute for Energy Innovation. Theinstitute was established last year through a $25 million investment from Shell focused on advancing reliable, affodable and environmentally responsible energy. Theinstitute coordinates LSU’s research and development,

Grateful for 60 years of service and being voted Best Places to Work.

HOLLIE APPLEKRATZBERG OnPath Federal Credit Union

RACHEL ADAMSBOLANOS OnPath Federal Credit Union

DOUGLAS DUPONT Bank of St. Francisville MARK JUNEAU III JD Bank TOM KUSLIKIS EFCU Financial JAMIE WHITE Bank of St. Francisville BRADLEY “B RAD” IVES LSU NINA DUSANG Woman’s Hospital

service and outreach effots related to the energy transition and serves as a single access point to the university’s energy resources for Louisiana industry, government and communities. Ives’ experience working with traditional oil and gas companies on emerging energy technologies supports a successful transition to lower-carbon sources of energy across the Gulf Coast.

HEALTH CARE

Nina Dusang has joined Woman’s Hospital as chief fiancial offic. In her new role, Dusang oversees the hospital’s fiancial framework and supports the executive team in achieving its strategic plan, growth

initiatives and annual fiancial goals. Dusang has dedicated most of her career to executive fiance and health care, holding her fist CFO position with Health Management Associates at age 26. Most recently, she served as senior vice president and CFO of DCH Health Systems in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Dr. Elizabeth Hayes has joined North Oaks Surgical Associates in Hammond. As a general surgeon, Hayes is certifid in minimally invasive interventions like da Vinci robotics surgical techniques. She specializes in the diagnosis of and surgical intervention for complex health conditions such as breast and colon cancers. During her residency

in general surgery through Ascension St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit, she was honored with the 2019 Resident Teacher Award for Wayne State University School of Medicine—also in Detroit.

ENGINEERING & CONSTRUCTION

Multi-industry veteran Michael Ellis has joined Bonton Associates as a fim partner. He will serve as principal engineer for water resources and environmental projects and services. Ellis joins Bonton with more than 25 years of professional experience, most recently as vice president of strategic environmental affais at U.S. Sugar. Immediately prior, he served as executive director

of the state’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, a position he was appointed to by Gov. John Bel Edwards in 2016.

LAW

Five seasoned litigators have joined Taylor Porter. Charles Schutte Jr., Andrew Eversberg, Stephen Dale Cronin, Sean Avocato and Imelda Frugé recently joined the fim from the law fim of Schutte, Richardson, Eversberg, Cronin, Judice & Avocato. Thisstrategic addition brings decades of litigation, transactional and trial experience, enhancing Taylor Porter’s capabilities to serve its clients in all major areas of practice.

Building a safe, secure and resilient world.

For over 38 years, we have been on a mission to create a culture of preparedness and build resilient communities. Our team — now 1200 strong — makes that mission a reality. We thank each member of Team IEM for their dedication, collaboration, and continued commitment to exceptional customer service.

DR. ELIZABETH HAYES North Oaks Surgical Associates

MICHAEL ELLIS Bonton Associates CHARLES SCHUTTE JR. Taylor Porter ANDREW EVERSBERG Taylor Porter

STEPHEN DALE CRONIN Taylor Porter

SEAN AVOCATO Taylor Porter

IMELDA FRUGÉ Taylor Porter

and

Renita Williams Thomas

Principal

CEO, In Loving Arms HealthCare for Kids

“Traveling takes me out of my 9-to-5 and gives me the opportunity to get away and refocus my energy.”