Upper Lafayette on the Move WWW.UPPERLAFAYETTE.COM
December 2016 Volume 96
LOOKING BACK AT 2016... Upper Lafayette Elects Officers for 2017 Shop Local this Holiday Season Northside High Hosts Big Dave Classic Top Five Tips for Financial Planning Success
and more..... Printed by Lafayette Economic Development Authority
Published by
Upper Lafayette Economic Development Foundation
Printed by
Lafayette Economic Development Authority
Board of Directors
Monty Warren, President Cherie Hebert, Vice President Todd Citron, Secretary/Treasurer David Welch, Past President Zachary Barker Adrian Baudoin Kevin Blanchard Chad Cole Brenda Foulcard Donna Landry Pastor Ken Lazard Kirk LaCour Herb Schilling Bryan Tabor Jerry Vascocu
Honorary Advisory Board Don Dupuis Dwight “Bo” Ramsay
Staff
Jan Swift, Executive Director Emily Carline, Graphic Designer
Mailing Address P.O. Box 53107 Lafayette, LA 70505
On the Web www.upperlafayette.com
Upper Lafayette Economic Development Foundation is an association of proactive individuals and business leaders joined together to be a catalyst for change. The Foundation’s mission is to enhance and direct the positive, planned growth of Upper Lafayette, focusing on quality of life, while participating in the overall development of the Greater Lafayette Metropolitan Area. On the cover: Christmas decorations adorn the staircase of Jolie’s Bistro, from Upper Lafayette’s 2014 Holiday Social. Photograph by Elsa Dimitriadis
For membership information or sponsorship opportunities, contact Jan Swift at jan@upperlafayette.com.
Interested in advertising in our 2017 newsletters? Please contact Jan Swift for more details and to discuss opportunities. jan@upperlafayette.com | (337) 769-7649
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Volume 96 • December 2016 • www.upperlafayette.com
A Letter from the Executive Director What a year 2016 has been! Where does the time go? And most importantly, are we enjoying the time we spend on our various endeavors as we go through our day, week, month, and year? I can attest that the time I get to spend with Upper Lafayette members and guests throughout each year is time very well spent! It was fun going back through our 2016 events and realizing how much I have learned from each of our meetings. We have been blessed with great speakers that have done an incredible job of sharing their knowledge. Highlights from our events may be found on page 7 herein. I encourage you to include your friends and family at our upcoming meetings so that they can to know us, see what we stand for, and learn about the work that Upper Lafayette does! Speaking of meetings, we will focus on the heroes among us at our January 18, 2017 luncheon meeting to be held at Acadian Companies auditorium. I need your help in identifying heroes that helped those in need after Lafayette Parish’s August 2016 flood. So many people stepped up and we want to acknowledge their compassion and service. Please email me at jan@upperlafayette.com to discuss your thoughts. Happy holidays to you and yours. May this be a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Save the Date
January 18 Meeting- Honoring Local Heroes Please save the date for January 18th Meeting to Honor Local Heroes! It is with great anticipation that we plan our January 18th luncheon to take place at Acadian Companies auditorium at 2916 N. University Avenue. August 2016 will long be remembered for the great flood that tragically affected so many of our family and friends. Upper Lafayette is proud to have this opportunity to honor the heroes among us who stepped up to assist others who were in great need of a helping hand. We thank Acadian Companies for assisting in our efforts! Please join us in recognizing these esteemed volunteers and contributors who make our community great. Tickets are $25 each or a reserved table is $200. Register online at upperlafayette.com/events. Contact jan@upperlafayette.com or call (337)769-7649 with any questions.
Photo, right: Teurlings Catholic High School Cross Country Team stepped up to volunteer in the relief efforts Photo, bottom: Convoy of Hope volunteers organized by Crossroads Church, 150 Verona Drive, in Upper Lafayette
We are soliciting feedback from you as to persons or organizations who should be recognized. Please email jan@upperlafayette.com to discuss your thoughts.
Volume 96 • December 2016 • www.upperlafayette.com
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Upper Lafayette Elects Officers for 2017! Upper Lafayette is proud to announce its new line-up of officers serving as officers for the upcoming two-year terms in leadership. Chad Cole, CEO of Universal Sign Company in Scott, has been elected to serve as President. Married to Angela Garcia Cole, Senior VP at JP Morgan Chase Bank, Chad grew up in Lafayette, and graduated from USL where he majored in Mechanical Engineering. Chad purchased Universal Sign in September 2012 and under his leadership, the company has enjoyed impressive growth. He is also the owner of Suite Relief in Port Allen, and recently purchased Bay Area Imaging in Houston, Texas. We welcome Chad Cole as our new President and look forward to his entrepreneurial spirit of leadership! Todd Citron, General Manager of Hub City Ford, will serve as Vice President. Todd is married to Jill Schexnaildre Citron, and has three daughters. He is well known to our membership, having served as a founding member of Upper Lafayette and for his long-term commitment to ensuring the prosperity of residents and businesses in Upper Lafayette Parish. Todd is currently serving as President of the Louisiana Auto Dealers Association. We are grateful for Todd’s dedication and his service to our community. Zachary Barker will serve as Secretary-Treasurer. Zach serves as Executive Director for the Opportunity Machine, an entrepreneur acceleration initiative of Lafayette Economic Development Authority (LEDA), where he has served over 100 startup entrepreneurs in 18 months with over $1M in funding being received by his clients. Zach is married to Nancy Dubuisson Barker, a Lafayette Anesthesiologist. We would also like to thank and acknowledge our current board of directors for their service to Upper Lafayette: Monty Warren of Beau Box Commercial Real Estate and our 2015-2016 Board President; Cherie Hebert of BBR Creative and 2015-2016 Vice-President; Adrian Baudoin of Acadiana Computer Systems; Kevin Blanchard of Southern Lifestyle Development; Brenda Foulcard of SMILE Community Action Agency; Kirk LaCour of Acadian Companies; Donna Landry of Our Lady of Lourdes; Pastor Ken Lazard of Destiny of Faith Church; Herbert Schilling of Schilling Distributing; Bryan Tabor of Ace Plumbing; Jerry Vascocu of IberiaBank; and David Welch of Stone Energy. Photos top to bottom: Upper Lafayette’s Chad Cole, 2017 President Elect, and Monty Warren, 2015-2016 President, photo by Greta Gerstner; Todd Citron, photo by Robin May; Zacchary Barker; Board of Directors meeting in 2016 (not pictured: Chad Cole and Herb Schilling)
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Volume 96 • December 2016 • www.upperlafayette.com
Upper Lafayette Member Holiday Social We thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to visit after hours at our Christmas Social held on December 8 at 117 Keelingwood Lane in Couret Farms. Thanks to all who attended, as well as to all of our members and sponsors who make our work possible. We are grateful to Schilling Distributing for contributing the beverages, Sean Trcalek for providing the wonderful musical entertainment, and to Southern Lifestyle Development and Shivers Homes for opening up their model home for our party. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!!
Volume 96 • December 2016 • www.upperlafayette.com
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What is Upper Lafayette?
Jan Swift with Councilwoman Liz Webb Hebert
The iconic crossroads of Upper Lafayette Parish
Happy holidays! I wanted to share an article I wrote for Face Magazine earlier this year which captured an audience who was unfamiliar as to what “Upper Lafayette” is. I hope you enjoy this and please pass this article to those who may want to get involved with our group! Many of you have heard the term “Upper Lafayette” and may wonder what this means. Is it just an attempt to rename the “Northside” of Lafayette? In fact, Upper Lafayette Parish includes not only North Lafayette, but Carencro, Duson, Scott and the unincorporated areas of our parish located north of Cameron Street. Upper Lafayette Economic Development Foundation was chartered in the fall of 2006, and we exist because our early founders understood that Upper Lafayette Parish is a wonderful place in which to live, work, and enjoy a meaningful way of life. Our founders included Herbert Schilling, Bo Ramsay, Ed Krampe, Todd Citron and Don Dupuis. Original community organizations supporting our mission and still actively involved include Acadian Companies, Hub City Ford, IberiaBank, Republic National Distributing, and Whitney Bank, among many others. Our Board includes prominent business people, the oil and gas industry, longtime residents of North Lafayette, and pastors of local churches. Upper Lafayette is a membership organization similar to a Chamber of Commerce and we are dependent on member dues and support of the community. We are not a government agency. We focus on improving the economic climate, educational outcomes, and focus on promoting our members and their businesses. We work to positively affect our gateway into Lafayette which improves the quality of life for all in our community. Upper Lafayette’s meetings and social events are held every other month. We attract the best speakers addressing topics of interest to our community. The large crowds attending our events afford a great opportunity to make new connections and develop meaningful relationships. We really enjoy ourselves, and host a yearly crawfish boil in April and a Christmas Holiday Social to thank our supporters. Non-members are welcome to our business events and we invite you to join our upcoming luncheon on January 18, 2017, where we will honor local heroes among us for their efforts to help those in need during the August 2016 flood. Registration may be made online at www.upperlafayette.com/events. Please check out our website www.upperlafayette.com where you can read all of our monthly newsletters and view our television show, “Upper Lafayette, On the Move,” which also airs on Acadiana Open Channel. Members’ benefits include being advertised in our monthly newsletter and all TV show credits. Please contact me at (337)769-7649 or email jan@upperlafayette.com for more information.
Nathan Norris, E. J. Krampe, Michele Ezell and Jan Swift
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Guests enjoy 2014 Upper crawfish boil held at Farm d’Allie in Carencro
Volume 96 • December 2016 • www.upperlafayette.com
Looking Back at 2016... January began with our seventh annual “Upper Lafayette Business Success Stories” event held at Oakbourne Country Club where we had the pleasure of honoring Don Dupuis, founder of Acadiana Computer Systems! March 2016 brought our next gathering to the LITE Center, where we focused on the I-49 Lafayette Connector. Our guest speakers included the CEO of Lafayette Utility System, Terry Huval; Louisiana Secretary of Transportation, Shawn Wilson; Kenneth Boudreaux, District 4 Council Member; Carlee Alm-LaBar of Lafayette Consolidated Government; and Bill Neef, an LUS contract engineer and advisor to Mr. Huval’s department, who all spoke on the many reasons to support completion of I-49 through Lafayette.
Photos, from top to bottom: Don Dupuis with his family at our January Success Stories luncheon; (Left to Right) Shawn Wilson, Terry Huval, Bill Neef, Carlee Alm-LaBar, Jan Swift, Monty Warren and Kenneth Boudreaux at the LITE Center March 2016; Jerry and Bo Ramsay at our April crawfish boil at Vermilionville
Vermilionville served as the lush setting for our eighth annual crawfish boil in April, deliciously catered by Seth Citron’s Crawdaddy’s! It was delightful night enhanced by the musical entertainment provided by Sean Trcalek! In May, we met at Acadian Companies where we heard from Jill Meaux of Excelerant about “Resiliency – The Key to Surviving and Thriving in Challenging Times.” July’s meeting was held in the beautiful Petroleum Club’s banquet room and we focused on transportation in Lafayette Parish. We enjoyed hearing from a variety of speakers including Lafayette Airport Director Steven Picou; LCG Director of Public Works, Tom Carroll; and Ben Berthelot, Executive Director of Lafayette Convention & Visitors Commission. September’s meeting was held at the LITE Center and was the first community forum in the state to provide the opportunity to learn more about the candidates for Louisiana Supreme Court Justice: Judge Marilyn Castle and Judge Jimmy Genovese. We enjoyed assistance from four local law firms who questioned the candidates on their positions on a variety of topics. Our eighth annual Quest for Your Best symposium held in November at Oakbourne Country Club. Our presenters, Phyllis Arceneaux of Excelerant, and Senator Fred Mills spoke on “The Art of Negotiation.” Senator Mills, as always, delighted the crowd with his compassion and sense of humor! Thanks to all who contributed throughout this past year with your time and service, and thanks to our members and sponsors who support our foundation. Your community investment is inspirational. We hope you have enjoyed our 2016 programming as much as we have. Thanks for being a part of Upper Lafayette. Happy Holidays and may your New Year be prosperous and abundant! (Continued on pages 8 and 9)
Volume 96 • December 2016 • www.upperlafayette.com
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Photos, clockwise from left: Superintendent Don Aguillard and his wife, Karen, and Andre Breaux, at our April crawfish boil; (Left to Right) Mary Nain, Barbara McCarty, Arlene LeBlanc and Jill Meaux at our May meeting; Mike Roberts, Councilman Kenneth Boudreaux and Lafayette City Police Officer Dugas at July meeting, photo by Robert Tarleton
Tom Carroll, Jan Swift, Ben Berthelot and Steven Picou at July Meeting, photo by Robert Tarleton
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LCG Director of Public Works, Tom Carroll, being interviewed by media at our July meeting, photo by Robert Tarleton
Volume 96 • December 2016 • www.upperlafayette.com
Photos, clockwise from left: Judge Jimmy Genovese at September meeting at LITE Center; Judge Marilyn Castle speaks at September 2016 meeting; Phyllis Arceneaux, Senator Fred Mills and Jan Swift at Quest for Your Best; Senator Fred Mills shares a light moment at Quest for Your Best. Photos by Greta Gerstner.
"What the new year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the new year." - Vern McLellan Volume 96 • December 2016 • www.upperlafayette.com
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Northside High’s Basketball Team Hosts 2nd Annual “Big Dave Classic” Tournament! Northside High’s Basketball Team Hosts 2nd Annual “Big Dave Classic” Tournament! Ross Rix, Northside High’s Head Boys Basketball Coach, and his father, Coach James Rix, are determined to engage community support for their highly accomplished and passionate team. Following on the heels of last year’s successful inaugural “Big Dave Classic” Basketball Tournament, the second annual tournament was held at Northside on December 7th - 10th. The son and father power combo envision making these four days the absolute best high school basketball tournament in the state of Louisiana! This year’s line-up included schools with premiere basketball programs such as McKinley High, Washington Marion, Grambling High, Peabody, GW Carver High, Lafayette High, New Iberia High, Union Parish, David Thibodeaux and of course, Northside High! The tournament is named after the late Dave “Big Dave” Thibodeaux, Acadiana high school sports legend and ESPN 1420 sports radio talk show host, who passed away in April 2014.
Both Ross and James Rix, as well as their team, have a sincere desire for our community to galvanize and support their program. We encourage you to attend a Northside High School basketball game. Tell others in the community about the Rix’s goals for the future of the Northside program. Tell your friends that Northside’s team has three seniors who will sign for college scholarships and all will qualify academically. Collectively, the team’s grade point average has increased as a result of after-school tutoring and a focus on academics. It is routine to delay practice to ensure that school work is addressed; in fact, one Junior player is the #1 student in his class as well as the entire school! The team also routinely participates in community service projects. It’s time to change the perception and share the wonderful news of this team and its dedicated coaches! If you are interested in contributing to the program financially, please contact Coach James Rix at james.rix1@yahoo.com. The team schedule can be found at www.northsideathletics.com.
The community has blessed the team with financial assistance. Glenn Armentor Law Firm serves as a tournament and season sponsor, and with his assistance, the gym floor will be refinished to restore it to glory. The American Cancer Society has also contributed financially, and was on hand at the tournament to share information to raise cancer awareness. LCVC stepped up by assisting with printing expenses and events associated with the tournament. Many other local vendors, such as Breaux’s Mart, Popeye’s, and Walmart contributed to ensuring a successful and comfortable event for the visiting teams. Photo courtesy of The Advertiser
Photo courtesy of The Advertiser
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Senator Gerald Boudreaux speaking at Big Dave Classic kickoff. Photo by Adrian Baudoin
Volume 96 • December 2016 • www.upperlafayette.com
Lafayette:
One of America’s Top Holiday Towns! By Ben Berthelot, Director of Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission
Happiest City in America, Best Food City in the United States, Tastiest Town of the South, Best All American Vacation, and No. 2 College Town in America are just some of the awards and recognition that Lafayette Parish has received over the last few years. And now, just in time for Christmas, you can add one of America’s Top Holiday Towns, thanks to a recent USA Today piece, which featured Lafayette Parish’s Cajun and Creole Christmas. Here’s what USA Today had to say: “Expect dozens of events with Acadian flair, like bayou boat parades and gumbo cook-offs, throughout November and December in Lafayette and nearby communities. Take a peek into the region’s past during the Old-Time Christmas Dec. 13-21 at Lafayette’s Vermilionville, a living history museum and park dotted with original settlement structures dating from 1765.” Our Cajun and Creole Christmas has continued to evolve over the years, and now the heart of Cajun & Creole Country is transformed into a winter wonderland throughout the months of November and December. From light shows to parades, tour of homes, performances, carolers and much more, you can be sure to find something to get the family in the holiday spirit. The latest national recognition, which comes at a time when our community is still seeing the effects of low oil prices, is also a great reminder of the importance of tourism to our community as an economic driver. According to a 2014 Louisiana Visitor Study, roughly 3 million people visit Lafayette Parish each year, and the average visitor spends nearly $400. That’s new money coming into our economy, and into tax coffers. Equally as important, over 22,100 people are employed in the Hospitality Industry in the Lafayette MSA. We certainly have much to be thankful for during this holiday season, and we appreciate Upper Lafayette, and all of our community partners that help to make our community such a special place. All of us at the Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Volume 96 • December 2016 • www.upperlafayette.com
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SHOP LOCAL THIS
SEASO
N
With the holiday season already upon us, some of us may be scrambling to find that perfect gift for our loved ones. Out of convenience, some people will jump online to find what they are
looking for. However, when you shop online you can miss out on a lot of things that shopping local has to offer. Our neighbors, families, and friends own the businesses that are the foundation of our community. When you shop local, money stays in our community to support schools, safety, streets and jobs.
48%
of revenue from independent retailers is recirculated in the community^
65%
of revenue from independent restaurants is recirculated in the community^
Every dollar you spend at a local store has a higher chance of being spent at another local business
27,000 Retail Jobs
22,000
Hospitality & Leisure Jobs
Nearly a quarter of the region’s workforce is employed in the Retail or Hospitality & Leisure sectors
$981 million
Projected Holiday Shopping Season in Lafayette Parish (Nov. & Dec.)
U.S. consumers plan to shop or eat in an independently82% ofowned store or restaurant on Small Business Saturday* Small Business Saturday is November 26, 2016 www.lafayette.org
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^Source: Civic Economics; *Source: American Express
Volume 96 • December 2016 • www.upperlafayette.com
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU Shop
l a c o L
*
More of your money stays in our local economy For every $100 you spend at locally-owned businesses, $48 stays in the community. What happens when you spend that same $100 at a national chain? Only $14 stays in the community.^ You nurture community Local business owners know you, and you know them. Studies have shown that local businesses donate to community causes at more than twice the rate of chains. You embrace what makes our community unique You wouldn’t want your house to look like everyone else’s in the U.S. So why would you want your community to look that way? You conserve your tax dollars Shopping in a local business district means less infrastructure, less maintenance, and more money available to beautify your community. Also, spending locally instead of online ensures that your sales taxes are reinvested where they belong— in our community! You create local jobs Local businesses are better at creating higher-paying jobs for your neighbors. When you shop locally, you help create jobs for teachers, firemen, police officers, and many other essential professions. You took advantage of their expertise You are their friends and neighbors, and locally owned businesses have a vested interest in knowing how to serve you. They’re passionate about what they do. Why not take advantage of it? You invested in entrepreneurship Creativity and entrepreneurship are what the American economy is founded upon. Nurturing local business ensures a strong community. You help the environment Buying from a locally-owned business conserves energy and resources in the form of less fuel for transportation and less packaging. You create more choice Locally owned businesses pick the items and products they sell based on what they know you like and want. Local businesses carry a wider array of unique products because they buy for their own individual markets. You made our community a destination The more interesting and unique your community is, the more we will attract new neighbors, visitors and guests. This benefits everyone! *Source: www.independentwestand.org; ^Source: Civic Economics
Volume 96 • December 2016 • www.upperlafayette.com
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John Paul the Great Academy Celebrates its Tenth Anniversary! On the feast of its patron, Pope St. John Paul II, the school community invited Bishop Deshotel to celebrate Mass, and they had a beautiful Eucharistic procession, a faculty vs. student soccer game, traditional Polish hot dogs, and a performance of one of John Paul II’s dramas. The school loves to celebrate the feast days of the Church! John Paul the Great Academy is a private, PK-12 independent Roman Catholic school that offers a classical, college-preparatory curriculum. Founded in 2006, the school is nestled in a beautiful spot of heaven at 1522 Carmel Drive in Lafayette. Part of the mission of the school is to make Catholic, classical education available to all – not just to those who can afford it. To help raise money for tuition assistance in a fun and exciting way, the school has created the Collarnary Cook Off, a wonderful community event that benefits the St. Joseph Scholarship Program providing tuition assistance to JPG families who would otherwise be unable to receive this education. Each year, more than 30% of the students require tuition assistance in order for them to attend JPG. The event is a gumbo cook off like you have never seen before – the chefs are Diocesan priests and JPG alumni seminarians. This year Father Bryce Sibley, pastor of Our Lady of Wisdom Catholic Church and Student Center in Lafayette was the winner, and all 500 people in attendance had a blast! The goal of the classical education offered at JPG is to cultivate virtue and wisdom by presenting what is true, good, and beautiful to students. This model includes small classroom sizes, socratic and mimetic instruction, an emphasis on primary texts and the “Great Books” of Western Civilization, and an integrated curriculum. The curriculum also includes Logic, Speech and Debate, Poetry, and Latin.
Headmaster Peter Fletcher comments, “Education is the formation of the soul, the training and directing of the will, the ordering of the passions, the development of discipline and courage, and the cultivation of the imagination! It is the enriching and widening of the soul… All of which orders the human person to seek the true, good, and beautiful in the ONE who is Truth, Goodness, and Beauty Himself.” Faculty members at John Paul the Great Academy are expected to be models of Christian virtue and holiness, mentors to students, and master teachers in their respective disciplines. Through this model of education, John Paul the Great Academy seeks to be co-educators with parents, who are the primary educators of their children. Fletcher continues, “The JPG classroom is more than just 16 desks in a room. At John Paul the Great, the classroom may be out among the oaks, in a technology lab at UL Lafayette, on the football field or volleyball court, on the shores of Lake Martin, in a nursing home in New Orleans, high in the Blue Ridge Mountains, or among the ruins of the Roman Coliseum. What do all these places have in common? They each give out students a chance to learn about life, to discover their gifts, to find true friendship, and to seek God's will for their lives.” To learn more about the mission of John Paul the Great Academy and its Catholic, classical education, visit www.jpgacademy.org or call 337-8895345. Open Houses will be held on December 15, 2016 and February 2, 2017. Photos, clockwise from top: Father Patrick Broussard at Collarnary Cookoff; Eucharist Procession at celebratory Mass on feast of its patron, St. John Paul II; Open House Flyer for 2016 and 2017
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Volume 96 • December 2016 • www.upperlafayette.com
Group Seeks to Revive McComb-Veazey Neighborhood BY KAILEY BROUSSARD | Special to The Advocate The McComb-Veazey Neighborhood Coterie hosted an event on December 3, 2016 featuring gumbo and greens. The gathering provided an opportunity to discuss ways to preserve the historic neighborhood and featured live cooking demonstrations by the LSU Agriculture Center, brainstorming sessions for neighborhood projects, and presentations by community members. “With things like this, if the community doesn’t have ownership in the project or they don’t feel like this project reflects them or reflects the community, Clifton Chenier, zydeco legend who was it’s hard to get that community born in McComb-Veazey neighborhood buy-in,” said Tina Bingham, executive vice president of the McComb-Veazey Neighborhood Coterie. The cooking demonstration was accompanied by questions of how the community can promote healthier diet options and promote community engagement. Ideas included junior chef competitions, a map of McComb detailing where people can find healthy food alternatives, and creating sustainable gardens. Leonard Viltz, a McComb-Veazey resident and avid promoter of local culture, studied Pontiac Point’s map as he wrote notes on a survey sheet. “Without culture, there is no point of living because you don’t look forward to anything,” Viltz said. “People who practice their culture are more reliable; they enjoy life more. I want to see what I can do to provide some answers to … reimagining Pontiac Point.”
The neighborhood was picked for the AARP’s Best Places Award in 2015 for its attempts at preserving its heritage and the coterie’s efforts to improve the neighborhood. Their latest plan includes creating a Creole Arts and Culture District. The coterie is also vocal in discussions surrounding the I-49 connector conversation that may cut through the neighborhood. The McComb-Veazey group is focused on improving the neighborhood’s safety and linking North and South Lafayette while maintaining each region’s culture — the latter of which Viltz said locals haven’t accomplished. “I would say African-Americans … don’t talk about it, don’t acknowledge it and they don’t realize how much they provide culture to everybody,” Viltz lamented. “Without knowing that, you’re creating a big void, and they don’t know that they’re responsible for a lot of the culture that surrounds them.” The next community dinner is set for 5 p.m. Jan. 13, 2017, at the Heymann Recreation Center at 1600 S. Orange St.
The event was funded by the Kresge Foundation’s Fresh, Local and Equitable (FreshLo) Initiative, which awards 26 organizations with $75,000 each to plan and create food-oriented developments. The neighborhood coterie was created to rejuvenate a once-vibrant neighborhood that was home to such prominent African-American figures as Zydeco musician Clifton Chenier, civil rights advocate Helma Constantine and Paul Breaux, a son of former slaves who was the principal of Lafayette's first public school for blacks after reconstruction. Bingham said gatherings like Saturday's are “a way for us to kind of validate what we proposed originally in our grant and get the community’s feedback on some things and move forward in the community.”
Tina Bingham, V. P. of McComb-Veazey Neighborhood Coterie
Volume 96 • December 2016 • www.upperlafayette.com
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TEAM Link Hosts Inaugural Meeting for Business Professionals at Hub City Ford
Sarah D’Avy, Jan Swift and Anita Link at Hub City Ford showroom
TEAM Link, an Upper Lafayette initiative, has been established to provide a healthy forum for business owners to interact, learn and advance together to enhance economic growth. In order to achieve this vision, bi-monthly success summits will be held in which distinguished professionals will share innovative practices, vital knowledge and wisdom, applicable personal experiences, and crucial business and communication skills. On December 1, 2016, Sarah D’Avy and Anita Landry Link, founders of TEAM Link, hosted an interest meeting at Hub City Ford with key stakeholders, interested business Crowd engaged in Team Link organizational meeting professionals and their guests to provide an overview of their vision of what TEAM Link can offer and the benefits of getting involved. Attendees included Casey Rawlings of Hilton Restaurant Supply; Todd Citron of Hub City Ford; Carolyn Ward of Paradisus Oasis; Wendy Howell of eXp Realty; Michelle Vallot of Zydeco Foods; and Stacey Judice of Community Chronicles. Topics of interest discussed by the crowd included the most useful tools in your “professional tool belt” and how to fill a need of your clients; the biggest challenges we face day to day, such as balancing work and family and having good employees; and helpful advice that participants had been given that made the greatest positive impact in their careers. Member fees are $100 annually and will include at least six professional development events, one social and a philanthropic event. The next event is expected to take place in February 2017. Anyone wanting more information on TEAM Link may phone (337)377-0711.
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Sarah D'Avy leading Team Link meeting in Hub City Ford conference room
Volume 96 • December 2016 • www.upperlafayette.com
Lafayette Parish Schools Show Great Improvement By Jan Swift, Lafayette Public Education Stakeholders Council (LaPESC) Effective school board governance is critical to the successful turnaround of Lafayette Parish’s public school system. The recent announcement of the 2015-2016 school performance scores by the Louisiana Department of Education underscores the tremendous strides successfully being undertaken here in Lafayette Parish, which have resulted in Lafayette posting a 7.1 point gain in our district performance score. The Lafayette Public Education Stakeholders Council (LaPESC) is proud to partner with Superintendent Donald Aguillard, our nine elected school board members, school principals, teachers and administrative teams working on behalf of and with our students and their families. LaPESC is grateful for the dedication displayed by our educational professionals and commend their determination to provide each student with a quality education. LaPESC’s vision is to ensure a world-class education for every student in every public school with sufficient resources to unlock their transformative abilities so that 100% of our students reach their full potential and graduate from high school prepared to succeed. We believe that LPSS’s stated commitment that students be college and career ready after graduation, as reflected in Vision 2020, holds the key to our district’s continued success and improvement in scores. We stand ready to offer assistance to the Lafayette Parish School System. We believe that community engagement and involvement are critical to successful educational outcomes in our district. LaPESC is honored to recognize our newly elected officers for 2017: President, Susannah Johnson Malbreaux, representing the State of Greater Black Lafayette; Vice-President, Carlos Harvin, representing the Lafayette Charter Foundation; Secretary, Bree Sargeant, and Public Policy Chair, Gerd Wuestemann, both representing the Acadiana Center for the Arts. We also want to acknowledge our outgoing leadership team for their service: President, Jay Jackson, representing One Acadiana; Vice-President, Dr. Ray Baranco, representing 100 Black Men of Greater Lafayette; Secretaries, Susannah Johnson Malbreaux, the State of Greater Black Lafayette & Ella Arsement, representing Concerned Citizens for Good Government; and Public Policy Chair Chip Jackson, of 100 Black Men of Greater Lafayette. The Lafayette Parish Public Education Stakeholders Council (LaPESC) is a coalition of independent education stakeholder groups with a common commitment to improve overall academic achievement, to eliminate the achievement gap and to increase the high school graduation rates of children living in poverty, especially African American students, and to ensure that all students graduate from high school on time. Together, we represent over 6,000 community stakeholders in Lafayette Parish, and our member groups are as follows: 100 Black Men of Greater Lafayette Acadiana Center for the Arts A+PEL (Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana) Citizens' Action Council Concerned Citizens for Good Government Greater So LA Black Chamber of Commerce Lafayette Charter Foundation Lafayette Parish School System Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office One Acadiana Parents Empowered Pugh Family Foundation State of Greater Black Lafayette The 705 United Way of Acadiana University of Louisiana Lafayette Upper Lafayette Economic Development Foundation For more information on LaPESC, please email Susannah Johnson Malbreaux at smalbreaux@aol.com or visit www.lapesc.com.
Volume 96 • December 2016 • www.upperlafayette.com
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5 Tips to Improve Your Listening Skills By Tyler Winner, President of The Dale Carnegie Team of Middle Louisiana/East Texas 10988 N. Harrell's Ferry Rd, Suite 3 , Baton Rouge, LA 70816. Toll Free: (800) 256-9222 Good listening skills are key to effective communication in our social and professional lives. If you are a good listener, it means that you are noticing the subtle cues that help you better understand the duties you must perform to succeed. Whether you are an owner, IT professional, HR director, or sales pro, listening to what people are saying should be high on your list of skills to master. Tip #1: Maintain Focus - If you are glaring down at your computer screen or out the window, you just are not paying attention. With all the hustle and bustle of business activities, it can be easy to be distracted by your surroundings. Avoid this problem by eliminating external distractions. Try to have meetings in quiet places or schedule them during off-peak hours. Be attentive, but relaxed. If possible, have an outline before going into a meeting to keep discuss on topic. Tip #2: Key In On Body Language - Spoken words only communicate part of the message. To understand the full picture, you should also be making mental notes of their body language, hand gestures, and the emotion behind the words. Tip #3: Avoid Interrupting - From an early age, we are taught that it is rude to interrupt. That still holds true today. Interrupting a speaker can send a number of messages, and none of them are positive. Ultimately, interruptions decrease effective communication on everyone’s end. Consider the other person and allow them to finish speaking before responding. Tip #4: Keep An Open Mind - When listening to another person speak, do not judge them based on your own personal values. Avoid jumping to conclusions, and instead, make an effort to see things from the other person’s point of view. By doing so, you will remain connected to the conversation at hand, rather than drifting off into a judgmental daydream. Tip #5: Provide Regular Feedback - Demonstrate that you have been listening and understand the speaker’s message by reflecting the speaker’s feelings. Nod and use facial expressions to communicate understanding. Occasionally offer a brief summary of the message back to the person. This reflective listening technique allows you to remain actively engaged with the speaker. Executive Summary: In today’s high-speed society, we seem to spend less and less time listening to each other. By simply providing a speaker with your undivided attention and making note of verbal and non-verbal cues, you will improve your listening skills immediately. Another technique to use is providing the speaker with feedback, such as nodding and paraphrasing their message to show them that you are connected and understand what they are saying. It is also helpful for you to keep an open mind and avoid interrupting someone.
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Volume 96 • December 2016 • www.upperlafayette.com
Financial Food for Thought: Top 5 Tips for Financial Planning Success 1.
Don’t procrastinate; it’s the assassin of opportunity!
Lack of planning defaults you to results of circumstance. The biggest mistake business owners make: putting off financial planning. We understand that it can feel overwhelming. Have you ever found yourself saying you’ll get to it “someday?” Well, someday is not a day of the week. Eventually you’ll be faced with a mess; the bigger the mess, the more likely you are to procrastinate. It can be a smooth and manageable process if you have an advisor team working with you; reducing the compulsion to procrastinate. 2.
Understand your foundation and avoid cracks. Start where you are with what you have! We’ve seen businesses at every level of success, financial frustration and uncertainty. These feelings can lead to confusion on where to start. However, before you begin, you need to think about where you currently are and where you want to be. What does your business look like today? 5, 10, 20 years? An architect drafts a blueprint before the foundation is poured for a house. The same is true for your business financials. For a solid foundation, an advisor needs to draft your financial blueprint before products are implemented. Otherwise, you may face major repair work from a cracked foundation.
3.
Focus on your strengths, outsource the rest. A financial advisor is to your future as a doctor is to a diagnosis/treatment. If you take on areas of your business that you’re not an expert in, problems develop. Don’t try to do it all! You have a micro team (e.g. CPA, realtor, banker, attorney, etc.) in place. We say micro because they are task specific. However, financial planning requires a macro perspective. Your advisor brings the micro pieces of the puzzle together for the bigger picture. Using a buffet of website knowledge as a financial planning resource is comparable to a screen door on a submarine… makes no sense!
4.
Clean out the financial junk drawer. You must be organized and efficient with every dollar. How many of you have a junk drawer? This drawer represents most people’s financial situation. They put money into various financial products, such as a 401K or savings account, that aren’t working cohesively. Products are a start. To create financial cohesion, an open mind is essential. Ask yourself “how important is it to build, protect, and enjoy my wealth?” Let’s be honest, you cannot save your way to millions and the hope method isn’t a viable option…maximizing every dollar in your financial plan is!
5.
Financial strategies aren’t one-size fits all. One size fits all: Great for socks, bad for financial planning. The sections in a store for “big,” “tall” and “petite” emphasize the point that one size does not fit all! Your financial strategy should be as unique as your fingerprint. Greater Summit, A.G.S. uses an open architecture planning system that encompasses everything in your financial world; like a financial MRI. You don’t want your doctor suggesting surgery without hearing the symptoms and running tests. The same is true for your financial plan.
If you had cracks in your financial foundation, how soon would you want to know about it…now or later? What do you have to lose in learning? Contact us today for a free financial analysis!
Sarah D’Avy
(337)849-0236 Sarah@greatersummit.com
Matt Hightower
(985)789-5013 Matt@greatersummit.com
Volume 96 • December 2016 • www.upperlafayette.com
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Thank you for your generosity... Platinum Members Acadian Companies Acadiana Computer Systems, Inc. ASH/Badger Oil Company Couret Farms Cox Communications Delta Media Home Furniture Hub City Ford IBERIABANK Lafayette General Medical Center McDonald’s of Acadiana MidSouth Bank Our Lady of Lourdes Republic National Distributing Company Schilling Distributing Company Stone Energy Whitney National Bank
Silver Members Oakbourne Country Club Prejean Creative Rader Solutions
Sponsors PLATINUM IBERIABANK Lafayette Airport Commission LEDA
Refinery Downtown Arla Slaughter, Van Eaton & Romero SLEMCO SMILE Therapy Center of Carencro Universal Sign & Manufacturing Company Walters Funeral Home
Bronze Members
GOLD AT&T Beau Box Commercial Real Estate Billeaud Companies Broussard & David Dwight Andrus Insurance Honda of Lafayette Island Operating Company Jones Walker Lafayette Surgical Specialty Hospital NeunerPate Rader Solutions SMILE Community Action Agency Van Eaton & Romero
Acadiana C.A.R.E.S.
Gold Members
Advancial Federal Credit Union Anytime Fitness Upper Lafayette Jean C. Breaux, Jr. & Associates
Acadiana Rubber & Gasket Aries Marine Corporation Atmos Energy Beau Box Commercial Real Estate Dupré Logistics, LLC Farm D’Allie Gibson Energy Services Gulf Coast Bank Home Bank Van Eaton & Romero
Crawdaddy’s On-Site Catering Lynn Guidry, Architect
SILVER Acadian Companies Advancial Federal Credit Union Schilling Distributing Company
Jay Castille Construction John Paul The Great Academy Lafayette Animal Aid Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission
BRONZE City of Carencro City of Scott Mele Printing
Lafayette Youth Soccer Association Lee Verret/State Farm Insurance Agency Lowry’s Printing and Copying Mailing Systems Inc.
A special thanks to the Lafayette Economic Development Authority (LEDA) for being our Program of Work partner for 2016.
Melancon I-49 Storage Center
Silver Members
Phyllis Coleman Mouton One Acadiana Petroleum Club
Ace Plumbing, Inc. BBR Creative Coburn’s Supply Company Edward Jones/Bob Crist Hilton’s Restaurant Supply Master Builders & Specialists, Inc.
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Proree, LLC Ron J. Gaubert Realtors Schools of the Sacred Heart Summit Physical Therapy John Swift Teche Electric Supply, LLC
Volume 96 • December 2016 • www.upperlafayette.com