Upper Lafayette On The Move www.upperlafayette.com October 2016 Volume 94
UPPER LAFAYETTE SEPTEMBER MEETING RECAP
Supreme Court Justice Candidates Forum Beau Bassin Cafe Opens in Carencro
Brenda Foulcard of SMILE Speaks to Upper Lafayette on the Move LUS Opens New Customer Service Center
and more.....
Volume • October 2016 • www.upperlafayette.com Printed by 94 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
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.
P.O. Box 53107 Lafayette, LA 70505
On the Web www.upperlafayette.com
On the cover: The historic storefront of Beau Bassin, a new cafe located in downtown Carencro, Louisiana. Located in the historic Bank of Lafayette building, former state representative and local architect Stephen Ortego provides coffee, gelato, and other sweet treats to the people of Carencro. Photo taken from Beau Bassin Café Facebook page.
For membership information or sponsorship opportunities, contact Jan Swift at jan@upperlafayette.com.
Volume 94 • October 2016 • www.upperlafayette.com
A Letter from the Executive Director With the first hint of Fall in the air, October is always a welcome time here in Acadiana. The cooler temperatures are a reminder of the wonderful holidays coming up on the horizon, and also a reminder of the importance of relationships with special people in our lives that we celebrate with on those occasions. The recent flooding has also been a stark reminder of the importance of relationships and our dependence on the help of others when we are hit by life’s inevitable struggles. It has been incredibly heartwarming to witness the outpouring of support and compassion extended to those impacted by the August flood. Every time I learn of the kindness of strangers helping flood victims, whether it is local high school football players or retirees from up north who have traveled down here on church missions, I stop and honor the depth and beauty of the human spirit. And just as wonderful, the selfless helpers also seem to be positively impacted by their actions! As Ralph Waldo Emerson stated, “It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.” So, in this delightful time of the year, let us delight in the many good relationships that we cherish, both old and new! Here at Upper Lafayette, we certainly cherish our members, sponsors and friends! We hope you enjoy this issue, and may God bless you and your families.
Save the Date
Quest for Your Best: The Art of Negotiation! Please join us at Oakbourne Country Club on November 17, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., where we will welcome guest speakers Phyllis Arceneaux of Excelerant, and Senator Fred Mills, as they discuss the “Art of Negotiation: How to Get What You Want While Helping Others Get What They Want.”
QUEST FOR YOUR BEST!
The Art of Negotiation
Ms. Arceneaux is an award-winning consultant and certified coach with 25 years of experience as an entrepreneur in both business-to-business and consumerfocused industries that allows her to make powerful connections and generate instant rapport. She works both as a coach for executives and their teams, and as a coach’s coach. Phyllis works with an international clientele and specializes in Facilitated Executive Group Coaching.
How to Get What You Want While Helping Others Get What They Want
Featuring: Phyllis Arceneaux Excelerant
Senator Fred Mills
NOVEMBER 17, 2016 | 11 AM TO 1 PM Oakbourne Country Club | 3700 E Simcoe Street Tickets are $35 each | $300 for a reserved table for 8 Tickets available at upperlafayette.com/events
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:
Senator Fred H. Mills, Jr. represents District 22 of the state of Louisiana, and is the President/CEO and Director of Farmers Merchants Bank & Trust in Breaux Bridge, as well as the owner and licensed pharmacist of Cashway Pharmacy in Parks. Senator Mills is a beloved friend to all, and always brings a touch of humanity and humor to every endeavor he undertakes. He has been recognized and awarded innumerable times for his extensive community involvement and is a well-known humorist and public speaker, lending his talents in service of others. Tickets are $35 each or $300 for a reserved table for eight. This is certainly an event you will not want to miss! Registration may be made online at upperlafayette.com/events. Email jan@upperlafayette.com if you need further assistance.
www.upperlafayette.com • October 2016
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Upper Lafayette Welcomes Supreme Court Justices for a Candidates Forum Upper Lafayette hosted a Supreme Court Justice candidate forum on September 21st to allow our members to get to know Judges Marilyn Castle and Jimmy Genovese before the election on November 8th. District 3 covers eight parishes in the southwest portion of the state, from Calcasieu to Avoyelles. Marilyn C. Castle currently serves as Chief Judge of the 15th Judicial District Court, which encompasses Lafayette, Vermilion and Acadia Parishes. She was first elected as judge on November 3, 1998 and was re-elected in 2014 for a term expiring December 31, 2020. Castle received her J.D. from LSU Law Center and began her career in 1976 as an assistant district attorney. She then worked as a private practice lawyer, focusing on business and commercial litigation, from 1979 until her election to the district court in 1998. Judge Castle has served as president of the Lafayette Parish Bar Association, and currently serves as President of the Louisiana District Judges Association. She is a member of the steering committee of the Citizen’s Summit on Justice Reform, a Fellow of the Louisiana State Bar Foundation and a Founding Master of the John M. Duhe Chapter of the American Inns of Court. Judge James (“Jimmy”) Genovese currently sits on the Third Circuit Court of Appeal, having been elected to the seat in 2004. Previously, Genovese served as a judge for the 27th Judicial District Court from 1995 – 2004. Genovese received his J.D. from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law in 1974. He began his career as a trial attorney in South Louisiana, and served as an Ad Hoc Judge in Opelousas City Court from 1975 to 1989.
Photos, clockwise from top: Judge Jimmy Genovese, Jan Swift, and Judge Marilyn Castle; Judge Marilyn Castle introduces herself to the audience; Judge Genovese speaks to the crowd.
Judge Genovese has served as Vice President and Secretary/ Treasurer of the St. Landry Parish Bar Association. He serves on the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal committees on Information Technology, Costs, Security, Building, and Continuity of Operations and Emergency Preparedness. He also serves on the LA Supreme Court’s Trial Court Committee to Review the need for Judgeships and Chair of its Long Term Subcommittee, and on the LA Law Institute’s Summary Judgment Subcommittee. Please remember to vote on November 8th!
Photography by Greta Gerstner.
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www.upperlafayette.com • October 2016
Jones Walker team
Robert Mitchell of SLEMCO and Chris Rader of Rader Solutions
Judge Marilyn Castle and John Swift
Reggie Dupre, Mr. Dupre and Loren Carriere
www.upperlafayette.com • October 2016
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Stephen Ortego opens Beau Bassin in Downtown Carencro Many know Stephen Ortego for his past service as a State Representative for the Carencro community. Now he is becoming just as well known for his delightful offerings at the Beau Bassin Café, located at 203 E. St. Peter Street in Carencro, which opened in April 2016.
Service with a smile!
The historic Bank of Lafayette building, built in 1906, provides the perfect setting for Beau Bassin, and was restored to its original elegance by Ortego, who is also an architect. The café showcases delicious menu offerings such as French Toast with blueberries, Vanilla Cappuccino, an assortment of crêpes (such as sweet potato and praline, or chocolate and berry), and a sweet assortment of gelatos.
According to its website, “Beau Bassin is named after both the coulée that runs through Carencro and the region to the east of Carencro. Here Louis Pierre Arceneaux, prototype of Longfellow’s Gabriel, established a ranch in 1765 near the Vermilion River, naming it Beaubassin, after the Acadian town in Nova Scotia, Canada.” The quaint restaurant definitely exudes charm and the historic values of our region: it is worth a trip to check it out if you haven’t already done so! Beau Bassin is open Monday – Thursday, 6:00 am – 7:00 pm; Friday, 6:00 am – 7:00 pm; Saturday, 8:00 am – 9:00 pm, and Sunday, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm. Check it out at 203 E. St. Peter in Carencro or visit www.beaubassincafe.com.
Emily V’s pottery on display in the café
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Latte art and a muffin from Beau Bassin café
www.upperlafayette.com • October 2016
Dexcomm Acquires Answering Service Subsidary of EATEL Corp. Dexcomm Answering and Communication, headquartered in Carencro, has acquired the Telephone Answering Service division of Vision Communications, a subsidiary of EATEL. All other service divisions of Vision Communications will remain unchanged. “We look forward to building relationships with even more customers in Louisiana and across the country,” commented Jamey Hopper, President of Dexcomm. “Our new customers can expect award winning customer service delivered on state-of-the-art technology with a personal, compassionate touch.” Tessie Toups will continue as the primary Vision account representative. “I am excited to work for a prestigious and professional company, and look forward to providing the best possible service to all of our customers,” Toups said. Customers needing more information about their account, or transitioning to an updated answering system can contact Karl Schott, Dexcomm Customer Service Manager, at 337-268-6874 or Tessie Toups, Dexcomm Supervisor, at 985-242-4845. Dexcomm is the largest telephone answering service headquartered in Louisiana, with 75 employees serving over 1200 customers in 40 states. Services offered include traditional answering, call center, virtual receptionist services, and emergency preparedness solutions.
LUS Celebrates New Location at 2709 Moss Street! Lafayette Utilities System hosted a ribbon cutting and grand opening of its new Customer Service Center located at 2709 Moss Street on September 8, 2016. A large crowd gathered to celebrate LUS’s new convenient way for its customers to pay bills and receive assistance. On hand to commemorate the occasion were Terry Huval, Director of LUS and LUS Fiber; Lafayette Parish Mayor-President Joel Robideaux; and Kenneth Boudreaux, Lafayette City-Parish Council District 4 Representative. The site is owned by MidSouth Bank and Rusty Cloutier, CEO of MidSouth, was also on hand to cheer on the decision by LUS to locate in Upper Lafayette. The location will be a magnet for other much needed services such as restaurants and commercial developments along the Moss St. corridor. Upper Lafayette is proud to partner with LUS and welcomes its newest facility to our community! For more information, please visit www.lus.org or call (337) 291-8280. LUS Director Terry Huval greets crowd at grand opening
For more information, please visit their website at www.dexcomm.com or call 800-252-5552.
www.upperlafayette.com • October 2016
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Hub City Ford Opens Allstate Agency at Dealership Hub City Insurance Agency recently opened Saturday, October 1, 2016. This Allstate Insurance Agency, located inside the Hub City Ford dealership, is a full service agency providing auto, homeowners, life, and health insurance. They would love to provide you a free quote, and as you have known for years, “You’re in good hands with Allstate!” We encourage you to drop by the agency located at 2909 NW Evangeline Thruway and meet the team. Ashley Citron serves as Exclusive Agent and may be contacted at ashleycitron@allstate.com. Other employees joining Ashley include John Reed (Sales Manager) johnreed1@allstate.com, Glenn Courville (Sales Agent) gcourville@allstate.com, and Carmen Ojeda (Sales Agent) carmenojeda@allstate.com. Best wishes to Hub City Insurance Agency, and Upper Lafayette is proud to welcome this new addition to our community!
Hub City Insurance team in front of dealership
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Glenn Courville, Ashley Citron, Carmen Ojeda, John Reed and Todd Citron
www.upperlafayette.com • October 2016
Northside High’s Academy of Legal Studies Off to Yale for National Moot Court Competition! Delonda Richardson, director of Northside High’s Academy of Legal Studies, is excited to take Northside High’s mock trial team to Yale University for a nationwide competition in early October 2016. Accompanying the team is long-time director Liz Tullier who set up the program at its inception and just recently retired. The invitation-only competition will allow nine Northside students to perform mock trials against 24 other teams from across the country. “It’s a criminal case,” Richardson said. “The students have to prepare both sides of the case, so they have to know everything about the plaintiff and the defendant. Once we arrive at the competition, we have no idea who we will be competing against. We don’t know if we’ll be the defendant or the plaintiff. The students have to be prepared for either side, and make sure they have all the evidence and questions prepared.” When not competing, the Northside students will have a chance to learn from Yale’s national award-winning mock trial team. “They will be the ones to coach the students and the other teams,” Richardson said. “Once they have finished the competition, they will go to some seminars and receive pointers on things they can do better. It’s going to help all of the students, including those who are looking at pre-law or criminal justice. They can all take these pointers and apply it to other cases.” We will follow up with the results of this competition in our November newsletter, but for now, we want to congratulate the accomplished students who so skillfully represent our region in national mock trial! We are so proud to have sponsored Northside High’s Academy of Legal Studies’ trip to Yale in New Haven, Connecticut and look forward to many more stories on their successful endeavors!
Northside High Mock Trial Team at Upper Lafayette September Meeting. Photo by Greta Gerstner.
www.upperlafayette.com • October 2016
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Rotary Club of Lafayette North to Host Trivia Contest
Fantabulous Acadiana Championship of Trivia (FACT) is a new event from the Rotary Club of Lafayette North premiering this fall. Held at the Frem Boustany Convention Center in the middle of Lafayette, this casual adult-only event promises to offer good clean fun and challenging competition, with cash prizes and trophies to the winners. The event will offer great food provided by local restaurants, a cash bar selling beer, wine, frozen margaritas and Jello shots, and a local DJ playing for your entertainment, with dancing until midnight following the competition. There will be a silent auction, a 50/50 raffle, and much more! Teams of up to six individuals will compete against others in a challenging but fun trivia competition. Plans are to have twelve varied categories of ten questions each that will strain your brain and test your knowledge, but in a fun sort of way! Come help us determine the smartest trivialists in Acadiana. The event is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Lafayette North. Proceeds will fund projects such as establishment of local children’s parks, scholarships to area high school students, youth programs in local schools, and global polio eradication. For more information call 337-255-5015, or email rotaryFACT@gmail.com. Registration is now open and the registration form may be downloaded here.
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www.upperlafayette.com • October 2016
On the Move Welcomes Brenda Foulcard, Interim CEO of SMILE Community Action Agency With great passion and conviction, SMILE Chief Financial Officer Brenda Foulcard has been busy continuing the National Community Action Promise: “Community Action changes people’s lives and embodies the spirit of hope, improves communities, and makes America a better place to live. We care about the entire community, and we are dedicated to helping people help themselves and each other.” A Lafayette resident who relocated from Augusta, Ga., Foulcard is just as committed to enforcing SMILE’s tri-parish mission statement: “SMILE Community Action Agency empowers people and communities for economic independence through education, human and social services.” Serving in Leadership roles, Foulcard currently serves as SMILE’s Interim Executive Director, and has served as Chief Financial Officer and Assistant to Chief Executive Officer, and oversaw its $22 million budget for programs, which help the disadvantaged of St. Martin, Iberia and Lafayette Parishes to become more self-sufficient. She was elected state treasurer for the Association of Community Action Partnerships of Louisiana (ACAPLouisiana), and represented SMILE with the La. Association of Non-Profit Organizations (LANO) and the National Community Action Partnerships. Foulcard has also served as a member of the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce’s Policy Committee and the Workforce Investment Board’s SOS Committee. She represented SMILE as a member of the Salvation Army Taskforce Commission, which completed its community Jan Swift and Brenda Foulcard, Interim CEO of SMILE strategic plan. A graduate of USL, and University of Phoenix (MBA) have assisted non-profits in building stronger communities for over 20 years. She also has work for companies such as General Electric, Georgia Power Company, and Augusta Bottling Company. Foulcard has been recognized by “Top Female Executives,” and received the “Hero Award” for outstanding innovative leadership. Upper Lafayette is fortunate and grateful to have Brenda Foulcard as one of our cherished board members. Thank you, Brenda, for your outstanding service and commitment to making our community great! For more information on SMILE Community Action Agency, please visit www.smilecaa.org.
Brenda Foulcard with Monty and Emma Warren at annual crawfish boil
www.upperlafayette.com • October 2016
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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
Gold Members 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
Silver Members 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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Silver Members Oakbourne Country Club Prejean Creative Rader Solutions Refinery Downtown Arla Slaughter, Van Eaton & Romero SLEMCO SMILE Therapy Center of Carencro Universal Sign & Manufacturing Company Walters Funeral Home
Bronze Members Acadiana C.A.R.E.S. Advancial Federal Credit Union Anytime Fitness Upper Lafayette Jean C. Breaux, Jr. & Associates Crawdaddy’s On-Site Catering Lynn Guidry, Architect Jay Castille Construction John Paul The Great Academy Lafayette Animal Aid Lafayette Community Health Care Clinic Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission Lafayette Youth Soccer Association Lee Verret/State Farm Insurance Agency Lowry’s Printing and Copying Mailing Systems Inc. Melancon I-49 Storage Center Phyllis Coleman Mouton One Acadiana Petroleum Club Proree, LLC Ron J. Gaubert Realtors Schools of the Sacred Heart Summit Physical Therapy John Swift Teche Electric Supply, LLC WorldPay
Sponsors IBERIABANK LEDA
PLATINUM
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
SILVER Acadian Companies Advancial Federal Credit Union Schilling Distributing Company
City of Carencro City of Scott Mele Printing
BRONZE
A special thanks to the Lafayette Economic Development Authority (LEDA) for being our Program of Work partner for 2016.
www.upperlafayette.com • October 2016