UPPER LAFAYETTE ON THE MOVE Letter from Cherie Hebert: Vice President
January 2013 was a wonderful time to celebrate business
Upcoming Events Upper Lafayette Philanthropist of the Year March 19, 2013, 11:30 a.m. Focus on Oil and Gas Industry Fifth Annual Crawfish Boil April 18, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Couret Farms
ULEDF Board of Directors & Staff David Welch, President Cherie Hebert, V. President
Cherie Hebert, BBR Creative
Next year, Upper Lafayette will host a similar event,but we will also honor outstanding Employee Success Stories. We will be soliciting nominees for exemplary employees of companies in Upper Lafayette Parish, so please put on your thinking cap as to who might be a candidate for this award. Our foundation is focused on raising pride in our community, as well as touting your horn, so we need your help in assisting us in this fun and rewarding endeavor to celebrate success! In my role as Vice President of ULEDF, I bring my background in marketing to the table. Our foundation has a very important PR focus for 2013: Member services and marketing the opportunities in Upper Lafayette Parish. I encourage you to send stories of your business, news about your family’s church or school in Upper Lafayette Parish, or any information that your believe is newsworthy that should be spread to a wider audience. Jan Swift and Jennifer Thompson, our staff at ULEDF, are poised and ready to include this news on our website (www.upperlafayette.com), our Events Calendar, and/or our monthly newsletter which is published on the web and emailed to hundreds of people. The foundation exists as a community service to promote all the wonderful reasons Upper Lafayette Parish is a great place to live, work and invest. Please help us in our mission to tell the story. Contact staff at (337)769-7649 or email jennifer@upperlafayette.com.
March Meeting to Honor Paul Hilliard as Philanthropist of the Year
Todd Citron, Sec./Treasurer Amos Batiste
We are proud to announce that Paul Hilliard will be the recipient of
Adrian Baudoin
our Third Annual Philanthropist of the Year Award. Hilliard is well known for his civic involvement and generosity. Please join us as we honor Paul on Tuesday, March 19, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Petroleum Club. Our March meeting will also focus on the Oil and Gas Industry’s impact on our community.
Julie Dronet Don Dupuis Ed Krampe Donna Landry Kirk LaCour Beau Phares Dwight “Bo” Ramsay Herbert Schilling Bryan Tabor Jerry Vascocu Monty Warren
success in Upper Lafayette Parish. Each year, our foundation looks forward to the opportunity to highlight the accomplishments of businesses which provide outstanding examples of success, hard work and a passion to excel. Our honorees, Ace Plumbing and Breaux’s Mart, certainly fit the bill! On January 16 we hosted our third annual Upper Lafayette Success Stories luncheon where we enjoyed Gregg Gothreaux of LEDA share the heartwarming stories of these two fine businesses to an overflowing crowd at Acadian Companies auditorium on N. University.
Tickets are $35 each or $250 for a reserved table for eight. You may register online at www.upperlafayette.com under our Events section Paul Hilliard or mail payment to ULEDF, P. O. Box 53107, Lafayette LA 70505. Please contact Jennifer at 769-7649 or Jennifer@upperlafayette.com with any questions. Special thanks to our Sponsors, Lafayette Airport Commission/Fly Lafayette Club and Louisiana Oil and Gas Association.
Jan Swift, Director
Volume 50
February 2013
Printed by Lafayette Economic Development Authority
www.upperlafayette.com
Upper Lafayette Welcomes Newest Member: Excelerant! Excelerant is a proud new member of the Upper Lafayette Economic Development Foundation. In 2011 and 2012, Excelerant collaborated with ULEDF to moderate its Quest for Your Best personal development symposiums that focus on leadership qualities.
This year, Excelerant is celebrating 10 years in business facilitating individual and team executive leadership skills. In 2012, Leadership Excellence magazine named the company to the 500 Best in Leadership Development list, as one of the top U.S. firms providing leadership development services. Excelerant was the first Louisiana-based company to make the list. Excelerant partners with their clients throughout the Southern United States to develop their next-in-line leaders, facilitates critical meetings and conversations, and helps align the company’s business strategies with their most important assets – their people. To do this, Excelerant offers a variety of services, including executive leadership and team development across all
management levels of a company, meeting facilitation, training programs, leadership assessment and coaching, and succession planning. Upper Lafayette is so excited to welcome Excelerant to our growing list of community partners and supporters. For more information on this dynamic company with offices in Lafayette and Baton Rouge, please see www. exexp.com or call (337)344-4573 or (800)201-0155.
Above: Elise Bouchner moderating 2011 Quest for Your Best Left: Manuel Valencia moderating Quest for Your Best 2012
Volume 50, Page 2
February 2013
www.upperlafayette.com
UPPER LAFAYETTE CELEBRATES BUSINESS SUCCESS! Upper Lafayette launched the New Year with a
celebration of business success on January 16, 2013 at Acadian Companies’ auditorium located at 2916 N. University Avenue. Two well-known and beloved businesses, Ace Plumbing, Inc. and Breaux’s Mart, were honored by Upper Lafayette Economic Development Foundation at its third annual Success Stories event for their outstanding customer service and traditional family values which have enabled them to stay in business for decades. Breaux’s Mart was founded by Wallace Breaux and his family in 1959, and Ace Plumbing was founded in 1983. Gregg Gothreaux, CEO of Lafayette Economic Development Authority, presented an overview of the history of each business and the attributes which have led to their continued success. Lafayette CityParish President Joey Durel read a Proclamation commemorating the particular attributes of each entity. The overflowing crowd was inspired by touching remarks made by Bryan Tabor (Ace Plumbing) and Karl Breaux (Breaux’s Mart) as each shared their personal thoughts on receiving the recognition and their love of our community.
Above: Jan Swift, Gregg Gothreaux and Bryan Tabor Below: City Parish President Joey Durel, Chase Breaux and Karl Breaux of Breaux’s Mart, and Jan Swift
Top left: Arlene LeBlanc Mark Mouton and Jenny Krueger Above: Beau Box and Elise Bouchner Top right: Adrian Baudoin and Kevin Latiolais Right: Buddy Schilling and Jenny Krueger Left: Jerry Vascocu being interviewed by TV 3
Volume 50, Page 3
February 2013
www.upperlafayette.com
Pictured from left front row: Donna Landry, Beau Phares, Amos Batiste, David Welch, Bryan Tabor, Julie Dronet and Jan Swift. Back row: Jerry Vascocu, Kirk LaCour, Adrian Baudoin, Cherie Hebert and Todd Citron. Not Pictured: Monty Warren and Advisory Members Don Dupuis, Ed Krampe, Dwight “Bo” Ramsay and Herbert Schilling.
Dale Carnegie Training Opportunities For Workforce Development
$3,000 per employee, per fiscal year for standardized workforce training. Employees may be full-time, parttime, or interns. Ryan Lagrange, Director of Workforce at LEDA, is an invaluable resource for finding out about this program, and many other workforce training programs available to reimburse large and small businesses for employee training programs. Ryan may be reached at Ryanl@lafayette.org or by calling (337)593-1405.
Jeff Benton
Anyone who has ever taken a Dale Carnegie course
will confirm for you: it is fun and it works! The programs bring out the best in people by emphasizing practical principles that sharpen their ability to perform at the highest level. Students always walk away with enhanced knowledge and skills that are life changing, and are really stretched to get out of their comfort zone. Dale Carnegie Training is offered locally by Jeffrey Benton, a loyal Upper Lafayette supporter. The good news is that these courses are eligible for the Louisiana Small Business Employee Training (SBET) reimbursement program which covers up to 100% of the programs costs. Last year, Jan Swift, Executive Director of ULEDF, was fortunate to enroll in the 12 week Dale Carnegie Effective Communications and Human Relations course and the total out of pocket cost to the foundation was minimal. Todd Citron, of Hub City Ford, is also a recent Dale Carnegie graduate who blossomed under Jeff’s tutelage. SBET is administered by the Louisiana Workforce Commission. Businesses that have 50 or fewer employees and are in compliance with Unemployment Insurance tax obligations may qualify for up to Volume 50, Page 6
For a lifetime gift of great coaching and invaluable life changing “aha!’ moments, Dale Carnegie is your place to go. To enroll or visit on the specific skills that participants acquire, please give Jeff Benton a call at (337) 654-6548 or email jeff.benton@dalecarnegie.com. Jeff is offering three great Dale Carnegie courses in the upcoming weeks, which are listed below.
Effective Communications and Human Relations: 12 Evenings Beginning February 25th Dale Carnegie Immersion Course Effective Communications and Human Relations: 3 Fridays - Beginning April 2013 (8:00 AM to 4:30 PM) Sales Success Course: 3 Friday’s - Beginning March 2013 (8:00AM to 4:30PM)
February 2013
www.upperlafayette.com
TreesAcadiana Partnering with Lafayette Parish Schools to Beautify Surrey Street
Beautification of the Surrey Street area near the Lafayette Parish Airport, which many consider a main entry way into Upper Lafayette, will be a major focus of TreesAcadiana’s Arbor Day tree planting program. The area is currently unsightly and unfortunately, is the first view many tourists have of our region as they depart the airport or visit premier tourist sites such as Vermilionville and the Jean Lafitte Center. TreesAcadiana will be partnering with the Lafayette Parish School System to establish a buffer of trees to front the parking lot where school buses are stored on Surrey St. The multiphase project’s first planting will begin Saturday, 8:00 a.m. on February 16, and will include a variety of native trees. TreesAcadiana is seeking monetary support, as well as physical help in planting the trees on Arbor Day. The organization is a non-profit organization dedicated to planting and conserving trees, urban and community forests. They sponsor public tree plantings; provides education on the importance of planting and conserving trees and urban forests; and support the preservation of historic trees and green spaces. TreesAcadiana will also distribute trees and seedlings and educational materials to the following Upper Lafayette schools: n
J Wallace James Lafayette Middle School n Evangeline Elementary n Alice Boucher Elementary n
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For more information please visit their website: http://www.treesacadiana.org Donations may be mailed to Trees Acadiana, P. O. Box 51467, Lafayette LA 70505-1467. Our friend, Sarah Schoeffler, will thank you, and you will be greatly contributing to the much needed beautification of this highly trafficked area of Upper Lafayette.
Above: Sarah Schoeffler with Volunteers Right: Trees Acadiana Volunteers in Action Left: School board site to be landscaped Below right: Arbor Day 2012 Volunteers
n
Holy Family School Middle School n STEM Academy n Judice
February 2013
www.upperlafayette.com
February Community Events Feb 2, 11 am Carencro Mardi Gras Parade Starts at Carencro High http://www.carencromardigras.com
February 5, 8:00 am to 3:00 pm Career Connections
Cajundome Convention Center Contact Ryan LaGrange at 337-593-1405
Feb 3, 1 pm The Scott Mardi Gras Parade
February 14, 7:30 pm Upper Lafayette, On the Move!
Feb 5, 9 am Ribbon Cutting & Grand Opening
Feb 16, 8 am TreesAcadiana, Arbor Day Tree Planting
http://www.cityofscott.org
Goodwill Industries Carencro Retail Store 115 Derek Plaza Dr. Suite 111, Carencro
TV Show, Cox 16 & LUS 4 (AOC2)
Feb 25, 5:30 pm Upper Lafayette/Northside High Community Outreach Northside High Gym Contact 769-7649 for more information
Feb 28, 7:30 pm Upper Lafayette, On the Move! TV Show, Cox 16 & LUS 4 (AOC2)
Lafayette School Board, Surrey St.
Upper Lafayette Economic Development Foundation Mission Statement “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.”
For membership information or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Jan Swift at jan@upperlafayette.com or 337-769-7649
Special Thanks to Upper Lafayette Economic Development Foundation Supporters PLATINUM Members Acadian Ambulance Service, Inc. Acadiana Computer Systems, Inc. Aries Marine Corporation ASH/Badger Oil Company Couret Farms Cox Communications 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 Corporation Whitney National Bank GOLD Members Acadiana Rubber & Gasket Atmos Energy Beau Box Commercial Real Estate Home Bank Honda of Lafayette Omni Energy Services Opelousas General Health System Tobacco Free Living
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SILVER Members Ace Plumbing, Inc. Allstates Building Systems BBR Creative Edward Jones/Bob Crist Excelerant Guidry’s Uniforms Master Builders & Specialists, Inc. Oakbourne Country Club Rader Solutions Shelf Energy, LLC SLEMCO The Southwest Group Stirling Properties Walters Funeral Home BRONZE Members Acadiana Symphony Orchestra Advancial Federal Credit Union Aspen Clinic Associated Travel Jean C. Breaux, Jr. & Associates Bridge Ministry of Acadiana, Inc. Community Foundation of Acadiana Crawdaddy’s On-Site Catering Derek Development Corp., LLC Joey Durel ECGC Women’s Business Center Lynn Guidry, Architect John Paul The Great Academy Jolie’s Louisiana Bistro Lafayette Convention & Visitors Commission Lafayette Community Health Care Clinic
February 2013
BRONZE Continued Lee Verret/State Farm Insurance Agency Lowry’s Printing and Copying Flo Meadows, Coldwell Banker Melancon I-49 Storage Center Petroleum Club Rayne State Bank/Buddy Webb Ron J. Gaubert Realtors W. W. Rucks, III Second Harvest Food Bank Ken Simeral, Coldwell Banker Sylvan Learning Center Terry J. Rogers WorldPay SPONSORS PLATINUM IberiaBank Lafayette Airport Commission McDonald’s of Acadiana Schilling Distributing Company Stone Energy GOLD Hub City Ford LOGA Tobacco Free Living SILVER Acadian Companies Advancial Federal Credit Union BRONZE City of Carencro City of Scott Scott Police Dept.
www.upperlafayette.com