5th & Main — Fall 2022

WE BELIEVE IN LOUISIANA.

As Louisiana continues to recover from the pandemic, New Orleans & Company, the state hospitality industry’s largest private destination marketing and sales organization, remains dedicated to rebuilding our state tourism economy to benefit every citizen from every parish, on every street, in every neighborhood.

Supporting tens of thousands of employees from ten parishes, and bringing billions of dollars in visitor spending state wide, New Orleans’ tourism plays an integral role in Louisiana’s economy. As the state’s largest and most successful economic development corporation, we have one of the industry’s most experienced teams ever assembled, working on behalf of our members and our industry. We represent the passion and the originality of this centuries young state. We will forever remain focused on results. Learn more at NewOrleans.com.

Expert care when it counts

Thank you to our patients, physicians, employees, volunteers, donors and the entire Gulf South community for making Ochsner Medical Center, Ochsner Baptist and Ochsner Medical Center – West Bank Campus the number one hospital in Louisiana by US News & World Report. Ochsner Hospital for Children was also named the top Children’s Hospital in the state. Making Ochsner one of only 10 hospitals in the country that ranked #1 in Adult & Pediatric care in their state. When it comes to creating a healthier community, we only have one reason for doing what we do: You.

For more information, visit ochsner.org/schedule

LONG LIVE YOU

JEANNIE FREY

tion the validity and very existence of a concrete plan to solve Louisiana’s largest challenges. Even more troubling, some are questioning whether it is realistic to think such a mission is achievable.

Guts and a good GAMEPLAN

I’ve been thinking a lot about goals lately. Do I, as a professional and individu al, have the right ones? Do my employees know our organizational goals? Do I know theirs? Do we collectively, as a state, have many at all?

French pilot and best-selling author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry once said, “A goal without a plan is just a wish.”

Sometimes it feels Louisiana, despite all the wonderful things that make us so unique as a state, is short on economic goals and simply content to depend on wishes instead of plans.

If Louisiana does indeed have a specific goal, does it also have a targeted plan to get there, or are we all just wishing for a better economy filled with jobs, opportu nities and more of our kids staying here to one day raise their own families close to home? If Louisiana does have a strate gic plan to get there, is it worth the paper it’s written on?

I fear that a growing number of people in this state are starting to quietly ques

Perhaps it’s a good thing folks are thinking that way, because it just might lead to the wake-up call needed to prepare everyone for the critical choice that lies just around the corner. Next year, the statewide election cycle provides a tremendous opportunity to set specific goals for Louisiana greatness—a detailed plan for how to get it done and a robust opportunity to put the best team possible on the field. This opportunity cannot be missed next year, and every step between now and then must remain laser-focused on that main event. Here at LABI, we will be a loud, passionate voice over the next year for the strategic plan and specif ic steps that can put Louisiana on the economic path it deserves, in hopes that these principles will drive and stimulate the economic master plan this state so desperately needs our leaders to adopt.

That’s right, the goal is big. Economic greatness is what Louisiana deserves. Cultural greatness alone no longer cuts it.

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking we can never have schools or roads as good as others, that our legal system will never drastically improve or that we just can’t shake that economic boom-or-bust men tality. We’ve got this. Economic greatness must become the clear goal of this up coming election cycle, and voters across Louisiana must become comfortable with demanding it. If so, success is there for the taking with the right plan and strong leadership.

Still a naysayer? Don’t think Louisiana greatness is possible? Get out of here with that fatalistic attitude. Move to Mississip pi already.

This edition of 5th and Main is focused on getting down to the serious business of fixing serious business problems. The cover story zeroes in on the workforce challenge and reminds us that it is a ho listic pipeline that leads to the end result we all crave.

You want a dependable worker with strong soft skills? It starts with a respect able child raised with good manners and work ethic. You need more skilled labor for today’s jobs? Do your part to work with your local elementary and high schools to ensure those students have the mentoring, internships and strong skills necessary in reading, science and math. Quality mid-career training programs are easy to find, offering life-changing oppor tunities that can lead to higher pay, better work hours and a higher quality of life… but those opportunities are all too often unseized due to headwinds like unreli able childcare and undependable travel options. It is all connected. For the work force pipeline to flow freely, everything must be in sync, because one clogged artery can back the whole thing up.

The solutions are there, the need is paramount and the goal couldn’t be more worthy. It just takes some guts and a good gameplan.

Louisiana economic greatness is not only possible, but I think it is our destiny at this time in America’s history since families and businesses are currently leaving hostile states like California and New York in droves and looking south to set up shop. Supply chains are com ing back home. The need for affordable, reliable and clean energy is obvious, and we are the go-to state for today’s ener gy markets, as well as the best place to develop the modern technologies, energy workforce and know-how of tomorrow.

Louisiana is primed for greatness—it’s

STEPHEN WAGUESPACK

When it comes to performance at the highest level, we know a thing or two about the dedication it takes to foster a growing community. As our neighborhoods, our companies and our people recover from tumultuous years, we have our sights set on transforming industrial construction beyond the standards set in the Gulf South.

We build better so we can revitalize our state’s economy. We build better to equip a workforce of thousands of employees with advantageous careers. We build better for a constantly advancing industry. And most importantly, we build better for a better tomorrow.

PRESIDENT’S VIEW

just time for us all to raise our expecta tions. This state desperately needs a big, audacious goal…a clear plan for success… and strong leadership that won’t accept failure— or status quo—as an option. You damn right this is possible if we the peo ple refuse to stand for anything less. Why settle for a chicken in every pot when we can have steak on every plate if we play our cards right?

Channel your inner Nelson Mandela who said, “It always seems impossible until it is done.”

Then channel your inner Larry the Cable Guy and just, “Git-er-done!”

Meanwhile, some timely progress has been made on this path to greatness. This year’s legislative session, and more specifically how it fit into the overall term agenda, was part of the master plan for greatness also.

Unfortunately, in Louisiana, second terms of governors are usually short on big historic reforms by tradition. While that trend has largely continued this term as well, thankfully the Legislature forced pockets of success along the way. Two years ago, legal reform and other pro tections for business during the COVID economic shutdowns were helpful. Last year, tax reforms passed to lower income tax rates and the long-needed dedication of recurring dollars to infrastructure be gan. This year, targeted education reforms passed (though a few were frustratingly vetoed by the governor), and additional one-time funding was secured for critical infrastructure projects and to stabilize the unemployment trust fund. Each year this term, the ball was moved further down the field while defending against a slate of harmful mandates and regulations intend ed to hurt an already damaged economy.

While the bar will be raised and incre mental wins will no longer be the expec tation in the next term, it is important to celebrate the good work done during this year and term by a scrappy, tenacious leg islature refusing to be satisfied with just treading water until a new reform-minded era is ushered in. These legislators have squeezed out some impactful wins along the way, and this year’s scores reflect that.

Once again, LABI’s annual Legislative Scorecard is here to highlight those issues that are helping families and businesses in this state, explain their importance to Louisiana’s economy and celebrate the policymakers that helped make it all hap pen. The key bills identified and scored were done so by our skilled team and with the input of our members through the Issue Council process and in compliance with the Program of Work developed an nually by our membership. This process is inclusive, collaborative and complex by design. We take pride in this mem ber-driven method, which allows LABI and our issue experts to truly serve as the voice for Louisiana’s job creators.

Included in this edition of 5th and Main is the 2022 Legislative Scorecard. Take some time to wrap your head around the issues at hand. This is not only to appre ciate the job well done by so many, but more importantly to come to terms with the true task that lies ahead. Next fall is the most important election Louisiana has had in generations. Term limits will guarantee a new governor, opportunity will provide numerous other openings throughout the Executive Branch and Leg islative leadership. The decisions made by you, the voter, next fall and the plan dis cussed throughout the election cycle will have tremendous impact on Louisiana’s future, as well as on your family.

Are you ready to do your part? Are you ready to demand a higher standard with more results than ever before? If so, don’t just make a wish upon a star for a better Louisiana, take definitive action. Help spread the goal of Louisiana economic greatness and demand to see the plan to get there from anyone running for anything next year. The time for boldness is now, but the plan doesn’t go anywhere without your voice. Hopefully this maga zine gets you singing the right tune.

A Publication by Louisiana Association of Business and Industry

PUBLISHER

Stephen Waguespack

EDITOR

Ashley Gordon

PRODUCTION/DESIGN

Kenli Lacassagne/Natalie Rabb

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Marie DesOrmeaux Centanni, Emily Kern

Hebert, Mariah Manuel Hernandez, Mary Beth Hughes, Jeffery Roedel

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Jeannie Frey Rhodes, Collin Richie

STEPHEN WAGUESPACK President & CEO, LABI

President & CEO

Stephen Waguespack

Communications

VP of Marketing & Strategic Communications: Ashley Gordon

Director of LABI’s Free Enterprise Institute & Public Affairs: Marie DesOrmeaux Centanni Political Operations Manager: Mariah Manuel Hernandez

Graphic Designer: Natalie Rabb Communications Manager: Mary Beth Hughes

Membership

Director of Membership: Elena Lacour

Policy

VP of Government Relations, Director of Taxation & Finance, Employee Relations and Transportation & Tourism: Jim Patterson

Director of Development: Courtney Baker

Director of Health Care, Education and Workforce Development: Lauren Gleason

Director of Political Action Committees, Governmental Reform, Technology and Small Business: Bo Staples

Administration

Chief Financial Officer: Wanda Allphin

IT Director: Andre Forbes

Director of Financial Operations, Office Manager: Tabitha Guidry

Senior Projects Manager: Claire Shirley Receptionist: Sheila Saniford

5th & Main is produced by Louisiana Association of Business and Industry and will be published biannually. Printing by Baton Rouge Printing. All rights reserved by LABI.

Louisiana Association of Business and Industry labi.org

Sportsman’s Paradise

LOUISIANA HAS LONG been considered a Sportsman’s Paradise (just check out our license plates), due to its many bayous, swamps and coastal marshes which provide excellent fishing and wildlife opportunities. We have abundant natural resources, which are vital to our economy. And they enhance the statewide hunting and fishing as well as kayaking, camping, birdwatching and bike riding.

The team at Honey Brake Lodge outside of Jonesville has been involved in the enhancement and restoration of its land and wildlife habitats for quite a while, and the efforts are showing. It is the largest Wetland Reserve Easement in the United States: restoring previously farmed wetlands to its natural habitat. Its 20,000 acres now attracts ducks, geese, deer, alligator, hogs and birds of all kinds. Read more about their story on pg. 66.

LAUNCH WE LOVE Old School Charm

As the Chief Nut Officer of CANE RIVER PECAN COMPANY in New Iberia, Jady Regard knows a thing or two about going nuts. His family has been involved in the pecan industry since 1969. And two decades ago, Jady honed the company’s focus by offering gourmet pecan gifts to companies across the country interested in strengthening their corporate relationships.

Recently, Jady expanded the brand even further by renovating a vacant depart ment store in New Iberia and converting it into a quintessential, cozy café. Pie Bar offers everything from gourmet coffees and quiches to chicken salad and grilled cheese sandwiches. Plans are underway to offer a cocktail service. And of course, there is pie.

“The pie is to the pecan what the bikini is to the beach,” says Jady, laughing, noting the many Cane River Pecan options available at Pie Bar. “Honestly, I’ve been thinking about creating a café for almost 10 years. It’s a natural extension of our brand, and it was very important that it was on Main Street in the historic district. I wanted an old-time environment, no drive through, where people would come inside and experience community.”

The locals love it and the city of New Iberia is thrilled with the added bustle to downtown. With a 55-car parking lot, Pie Bar can host plenty of tourists traveling Bayou Teche country on their way to visit Tabasco, just 10 miles down the road.

“I’m really proud that we were able to cre ate this new option in New Iberia,” says Jady, “because the response from the locals has been nothing but tremendous.”

GOOD WORKS

Leading coastal restoration efforts

LABI members are working in tandem to solve one of the biggest environmental issues plaguing Louisiana: coastal erosion. Last year, DANOS completed four coastal restoration projects in south Louisiana on behalf of SHELL PIPELINE COMPANY. The work will provide shoreline protection through a combination of customized 3D printed modules, nicknamed “Cajun Coral,” and advanced satellite image monitor ing with partner Natrx, Inc. The project designs and installation procedures were tailored to local site conditions to enhance biodiversity and shoreline stability. “Lou isiana’s coast is vital to our industry and our environment,” says Paul Danos, CEO of Danos. “Using technology to help restore the ecosystem is one way Danos is living our purpose of solving big challenges for our customers and our communities.”

MOVING FORWARD Here We Grow

MID SOUTH EXTRUSION will increase its footprint in Monroe by investing $4.9 million to increase its production of polyethylene film for food packaging. Established in 1986, Mid South Extrusion manufactures products that serve the agri culture, consumer products, e-commerce, food and beverage and industrial sectors.

Custom molding manufacturer ASH INDUSTRIES is investing $5 million to ex pand its operations in Lafayette. Plans for the 31-year-old company include doubling its shop floor, adding state-of-the-art equip ment and creation of 85 new direct jobs.

REFURBISHED FOR USE Tank transition

KINDER MORGAN is spending $60 million to retrofit 30 tanks at its 100acre terminal in Harvey for the storage of materials that will be processed into renewable fuels. Kinder Morgan, an energy infrastructure company which operates over 83,000 miles of pipeline and 141 terminals in North America, expects the tanks to be brought online in the first quarter of 2023.

Deere & Company announced a $29.8 million expansion of its JOHN DEERE THIBODAUX facility. The new manu facturing line will include production of new cotton harvesters which will deliver innovative and technologically advanced solutions to its customers. In addition to housing a design center for sugar har vesting and earthmoving equipment, the Thibodaux plant manufactures various agriculture and construction products.

RED RIVER BANK secured two proper ties in the Greater New Orleans area to further its expansion into the Crescent City market. Two full-service banking cen ters will be Red River’s first in this area, including a location on Baronne Street and one—currently under construction—on Veterans Memorial Boulevard.

FUTURE FOCUSED Healthy Minds

OUR LADY OF THE LAKE has commit ted $170 million to LSU over the next 10 years to set a new standard for healthcare delivery, research and education. This level of investment establishes OLOL as LSU’s exclusive Championship Health care Partner. The system is investing $85 million each in academics and athletics-fo cused initiatives. This includes $40 mil lion to the LSU Student Health Center; $20 million the LSU School of Medicine-New Orleans Branch Campus; $15 million to construct the LSU Interdisciplinary Sci ence Building; $10 million to establish a healthcare-focused research fund; and $85 million to advance student-athlete health and wellness. It’s a long-term investment with an even longer-term impact on the future of Louisiana.

MOVING FORWARD Joint Venture

EXXONMOBIL and CF INDUSTRIES are part nering in a carbon capture and storage initiative that is a first for ExxonMobil’s new Low Carbon Solutions division. The company has agreed to capture and store up to 2 million metric tons of CO2 emissions annually from CF Industries’ manufacturing complex in Donaldsonville. CF Industries has plans for a $198 million CO2 dehy dration and compression unit at this complex to enable captured CO2 to be transferred and stored. ExxonMobil will transport the captured CO2 for permanent storage in Vermillion Parish. Exx onMobil also signed an agreement with EnLink Midstream to use its transportation network to deliver the CO2.

“Louisiana’s chemical industry is at the fore front of reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” says Greg Bowser, Louisiana Chemical Association president. “For 50 years, carbon capture and stor age has proven to be a safe way to prevent carbon emissions from ever reaching the atmosphere.”

UP

MID

DOWN

BEYOND

At Bradley Murchison, we do it all.

BRADLEYFIRM.COM

Cool and efficient

ALLIANCE COMPRESSORS is investing $45 million to expand its as sembly facility in Natchitoches to keep pace with increased global demand for energy efficient air conditioning. The project is expected to result in 174 new direct and indirect jobs while also retaining 520 existing jobs. The company estimates the reconfiguration of its production flow will result in a 30-percent increase in efficiency and productivity. Completion is slated for March 2023.

“Not only is this company a key driver of the Natchitoches economy,” says Natchitoches Mayor Ronnie Williams Jr., “but they have also proven themselves time and time again to be tremendous community supporters.”

KUDOS Entrepreneurial Spirit

Every year, Inc. magazine produces a list of the fast est-growing privately held companies in the United States. Called the Inc. 5000, this distinguished editorial award celebrates innovation, a network of entrepreneurial leaders, and an effective public relations showcase. The Inc. 5000 ranks companies by overall revenue growth over a three-year period. And all 5,000 honoree companies are individually profiled on Inc.com. Two LABI members made the 2022 Inc. 5000 list: GENESIS 360 and EMERGENT METHOD. Genesis 360 ranks 1,754 on the list, with a growth of 351%. This maintenance and construc tion company provides federal and commercial construction, facility and grounds maintenance and janitorial services across the United States. Emergent Method saw a 94% growth and ranks 4,614 of the fastest-growing companies in the country. Emergent Method is a management consulting firm focused on helping companies and organizations innovate, grow, improve their performance and achieve their missions. Congrats to these two trailblazers!

COMP

We know what it’s like to be passionate about what you do, it’s how we feel about workers’ comp. For over 30 years we’ve been helping employers protect their businesses, and most importantly, their employees. We focus on your insurance coverage so you can stay focused on doing what you love.

we’re made for WORKERS’

JOB CREATOR

Source:

Hammond Makes it Happen

IF YOU COMPILE the last 30 years of Hammond history and hit fast forward, you wouldn’t recognize the Hammond of the ‘90s compared to the high-res 2022 ver sion. What was once run-down storefronts and vacant space has been transformed into a gleaming, award-winning Main Street in the heart of a small town.

Lifelong Hammond resident Chelsea Tallo-Little took off for college in Lafayette over a decade ago with plans to return following graduation. There might be no place like home, but she recognized that sometimes home needs a little sprucing.

“Twenty years ago, Hammond was vacant and scary with nothing going on,” says Tallo-Little. “People didn’t want to venture downtown.”

As luck would have it, when Tallo-Little was looking for jobs in Hammond, a posi tion opened at the Hammond Downtown Development District (HDDD) office. She went in for an interview but had so many changes and ideas that she didn’t expect to get the job. She was wrong.

Since Tallo-Little's hiring as executive di rector seven years ago, the HDDD has built a $1 million railroad park, a new stage, and it has painted a huge mural in the downtown area. In 2019 the HDDD, with input from residents, business owners and community changemakers, implemented a 10-year master plan filled with economic development and revitalization projects to

be completed over the next decade. They checked off their first master plan project a this year with the construction of a new public park behind the HDDD office.

"The support we’ve seen from our com munity has amazed me,” said Tallo-Little. “We used to have a problem recruiting people to be on our committee. Now there’s usually a waiting list to serve.”

When asked why people should make a home in Hammond, Tallo-Little said Hammond has a taste of the world with a small-town personality.

“We like to call Hammond “historically hip,” said Tallo-Little. “We have over 44 restaurants downtown but despite our growth, we still manage to have that small-town feel which our residents love.”

In May of 2022, Hammond was recognized as one of three winners of the 2022 GREAT AMERICAN MAIN STREET AWARD which is the nation’s top award recognizing communities for their excellence in comprehensive, preser vation-based commercial district revital ization.

“Hammond’s commitment to community engagement is key to their success,” says Main Street America President and CEO, Patrice Frey. “Their significant outreach efforts have ensured that the revitalized district is reflective of the diverse resi dents, business owners, and visitors in the area.”

Louisiana Association of Business and Industry labi.org

SET FOR GROWTH Worth its salt

A Breaux Bridge salt processing facility is about to get $34 million worth of improve ments. CARGILL, a major international supplier of food, agriculture and industrial products with operations in 70 countries, is upgrading its St. Martin Parish facility that produces food, water conditioning and salt products. The modernization project to replace dated equipment and add safety enhancements will enable Cargill to retain 70 jobs at the facility.

BUSINESS FOCUSED On the Grid

AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER (AEP) is developing a $100 million transmission control center in Shreveport which should result in 83 direct and indirect new jobs in the area. AEP manages the nation’s largest electricity transmission system and will develop the 77,000-square-foot facility on 30 acres. The facility will sup port the real- time operational technology hardware and software required to assess, monitor and support the entirety of AEP’s national transmission grid.

“This is an exciting announcement for the city of Shreveport,” says Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins. “American Electric Power’s investment in Shreveport gives our residents access to new high paying jobs and addresses long-term needs for our community.”

ON BRAND Golden Arches Gain

Ajay Patel and his family, owners of PATEL MCDONALDS based in southwest Louisi ana, won the highest honor for a McDonald’s franchisee—the Fred L. Turner Golden Arch Award—at the 2022 McDonald’s Worldwide Con vention. Patel moved to the U.S. from India in 1978 and studied business at the University of Southwestern Louisiana while working for the local McDonald’s as a cook to pay tuition. Today, Patel and his three sons own and operate 43 McDonald’s restaurants and employ more than 2,000 staff members across Louisiana, Georgia and South Carolina.

“I was proud and humbled at the same time when I heard that I was going to be awarded the Fred L. Turner Golden Arch Award,” says Ajay. “The award ceremony was even more special because I was surrounded by my wife Bindu and my three sons who are also franchi sees of this amazing brand.”

MAKING AN IMPACT Community Commitment

The Civic 50 recognizes the 50 most community-minded companies in the nation each year, and LABI is proud to highlight our members who are receiving this impressive accolade.

BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD OF LOUISIANA, ENTERGY, JOHN DEERE, CVS HEALTH, DOW, FREEPORT-MCMORAN, DELOITTE and UPS were selected based on their investment, integration, insti tutionalization and impact concerning their community engagement. Marking its 10th year, The Civic 50 provides a roadmap for companies committed to leverag ing their time, talent and resources to drive social impact in their business and communities.

SMART WORKS

Diamond Vault

CLECO is investing $900 million to build a carbon capture and sequestration facility for its largest electricity plant in Rapides Parish. It will store the emissions in a geological formation under the Madison-3 plant at Brame Energy Center. The company has named the project “Diamond Vault” and estimates it will create 30 to 40 direct new jobs plus an average of 1,100 construction jobs in central Louisiana over a three-year period. “Cleco’s Project Diamond Vault will ensure a clean and sustainable power solu tion for Cleco customers, while creating and retaining jobs for the communities we serve,” says Cleco Chief Executive Officer Bill Fontento. “It’s the site of the next evolution of power generation in Louisiana.”

JOINING FORCES Better Together

Optum, a UNITEDHEALTH GROUP owned diversified health services com pany and Lafayette-based home health provider LHC GROUP will combine to strengthen their shared ability to advance value-based in-home health care. The $5.4 billion acquisition is expected to close by the end of this year.

With its acquisition of biofuel produc er RENEWABLE ENERGY GROUP, CHEVRON has created Chevron Re newable Energy Group. This new sector was established to grow the company’s renewable fuels business and it will focus on providing lower carbon solutions for the transportation sector.

Baton Rouge-based POD PACK INTERNATIONAL has acquired Joe’s Garage Coffee, a Kent, Washington-based roasting and manufacturing services provider. Pod Pack is a full-service co-manufacturer of single-serve coffee and tea pods and cups operating out of a 75,000-square-foot facility. “We have complimentary prod ucts and complimentary customer bases,” says Marion Gray, CEO of Pod Pack. “We have tremendous respect for what Joe’s Garage has done on the West Coast in the last 10 years, and we are excited to work together.”

RESPONSIBLE

NATURAL GAS DEVELOPMENT

As one of the leading natural gas producers in the country, Southwestern Energy works to secure America’s low-carbon future, sourcing natural gas responsibly and efficiently from the two premier natural gas basins in the U.S. For us, this means minimizing impact to the environment and protecting the health and safety of our people and our communities. At Southwestern Energy, long-term value starts with everyday performance.

From Fortune. © 2022 Fortune Media IP Limited All rights reserved. Used under license. Fortune and Fortune 500 are registered trademarks of Fortune Media IP Limited and are used under license. Fortune and Fortune Media IP Limited are not affiliated with, and do not endorse the products or services of, Southwestern Energy Company

NEWGENERATION

Cody Bauman grew up in Covington but moved to Monroe for college and set down roots in the part of the state best known for its rolling hills, pine trees, picturesque lakes and abundant wildlife. And, of course, its amazing people.

“There’s southern hospitality, and then there’s Louisiana hospitality. I absolutely loved growing up in St. Tammany parish,” says Bauman. “But north Louisiana is where I call home.”

North Louisiana was the stage for many of Bauman’s biggest milestones. He was

MARY BETH HUGHES

Catching up with LABI’s Emerging Leaders Council Chair Cody Bauman

recruited at ULM to play football, graduated with a degree in chemistry and met his wife Leslie at the church they both attended. After they got married, Bauman returned to school, this time to Louisiana Tech for an engineering degree. Bauman and Leslie have three kids, Henry Todd, Nell and Joanie.

Today, Bauman is capitol engineering manager for Drax Biomass, headquartered in Monroe. The company manufactures com pressed wood pellets which allow electric utilities to reduce their dependence on coal, lower carbon emissions and provide new sources of safe, reliable and affordable power. With operations across the southeastern Unit ed States, Drax promotes sustainable forestry and invests in local economic development.

“I started at Drax in 2018 and, at that time, the company was expanding rapidly,” says Bauman. “Now we’ve gone from almost a small business to double our size in four years.”

Drax Biomass is a member of LABI, win ning a LABI Free Enterprise Award for Manu facturer of the Year for More than 100 Employ ees 2021, so Bauman got quickly involved in LABI’s Emerging Leaders Council. This year he is serving as chair and has been an asset at meetings and events around the state.

“We have a chance to bring in young business leaders and understand what the next generation will need in business,” says Bauman. “ELC gives us a chance to meet with Wags, Terry and other board members on what the world will look like in the business community.”

In his role he’s also looking forward to bringing more north Louisiana representation to LABI and the Capitol.

“The people in north Louisiana are really faith and family focused,” says Bauman. “There’s so much opportunity there that peo ple often overlook, and I’m excited to tap into some of that potential.” 

A R D D A T A

I N S I G H T S

O N N E C T I O N S

C o m m i t t e d t o c l i e n t s t r a t e g i e s t h a t a r e a t t h e f o r e f r o n t o f i n t e g r a t e d i n f l u e n c e c a m p a i g n s f o r p r o j e c t s o f a l l s i z e s

SOUTH LOUISIANA RAISED; north Louisi ana made.

How do we envision a better world for the future?

Our people, internal and external, are what make us great. Our company is built on 125 years of founders, innovators and creators who put people at the forefront of everything we do

We strive to be the most innovative, customer centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company in the world. From innovation to customer experience, and sustainability to inclusion - we will continue to collaborate with our customers, communities and shareholders to build a better future together

Together, we can Imagine Better.

POINTS OF LIGHT

Thank you, Blue Cross employees, for being Louisiana True.

Because of your hard work in the community, our company has been recognized as one of the 50 most community-minded companies in the country by former President George H.W. Bush’s Points of Light organization. This is the fourth year in a row you’ve won this honor.

Last year, Blue Cross employees volunteered more than 30,000 hours to neighbors and communities in Louisiana.

bcbsla.com

FROM THE BOARD

01MK7087 07/1 Blue Cross and Blue Shield

most community by former Light organization.

By volunteering the homeless, performing employees throughout Last year, hours and

POINTS OF LIGHT

Skilled WORKFORCE

LABI board members reveal the qualities they value most in employees

BY MARY BETH HUGHES

“An employee should have excellent communication and critical thinking skills while operating in a team environment. They must also exhibit a commitment to the goals of the organization.”

MICHAEL EASON, Vice President,

Merrill Lynch

“At Taylor Porter the skill we value most in our employees is a commitment to providing our clients with the highest level of representation with honesty and integrity.”

BOB BARTON, Managing Partner, Taylor Porter

“In recent years, businesses and residents in Louisiana have faced an array of new challenges. Solutions that worked in the past, haven’t necessarily resolved these new challenges. Louisianians have had to be creative and nimble. We expect the same out of our teams. It is essential that our employees understand the value of teamwork and have the ability to work across a broad group of community leaders, policy-makers, business owners, and area residents.”

SONIA PÉREZ, President, AT&T Southeast States

“As an employer throughout my career, I sought in all of my key employees a passion for service to others, with a sense of urgency and a keen attention to detail.”

J. H. CAMPBELL, JR., Manager, Client Consulting Services, LLC

“At HNTB, we recognize no two employees are the same and are at the same place in their careers. We have refined, over our 108year history, a list of 17 necessary characteristics of HNTB leaders—from summer interns to the CEO. At the very foundation of valuable skills HNTB employees possess are commitment to technical excellence, being success-oriented and empathetic in everything we do. As employees progress and develop, being courageous, having sound judgement and a bold vision for the future distinguish HNTB’ers from our industry peers.”

BRYAN JONES, Gulf Coast Deputy Office Leader, HNTB Corporation

“A passion to grow and add value, while delivering on customer commitments.”

JAY GUILLOT, Senior Vice President, Hunt, Guillot & Associates, LLC

“At Turner Industries, that would have to be flexibility and courage. No matter your position, two days in this business are seldom ever the same. It can be the scariest and the most exciting thing you ever get to experience. We need flexibility to adapt and find solutions on the fly, and the courage to execute the work and stop anything that they would feel unsafe.”

STEPHEN TOUPS, President and CEO, Turner Industries Group, LLC

One of LWCC’s core values is learning, and we seek inquisitiveness and a commitment to continuous learning in all of our employees. We recognize that our ability to be a catalyst elevating Louisiana’s position in America requires us to constantly think about things differently and challenge ourselves to innovate. It is important that every team member embrace that mindset, and share their learning with each other in the spirit of driving us forward.

KRISTIN WALL, President and CEO, LWCC

“The skill most valued is a strong organizational ability so that work is appropriately prioritized and performed in a timely and quality fashion. Those who have that skill save time, effort and money by not requiring others to have to provide reminders to them and continually follow up.”

E. FRED PREIS, JR., Senior Partner, Breazeale Sachse & Wilson, LLP

“Initiative—while every employee has value and numerous qualities which contribute to the success of the individual and the company; showing “initiative” however, typically separates these individuals from the pack. I believe this definition explains it best: “The power or opportunity to act or take charge before others do.”

BRYAN HANKS, President, Beta Land Services, LLC

“Creativity and resourcefulness are essential talents for every employee in this rapidly changing workplace and world.”

FRANK

NEUNER,

Managing Partner, NeunerPate

“I take pride in each Advantous team member’s ability to adapt to any circumstance or challenge that is thrown in their direction. As our services continue to expand, adaptability allows our team to better serve and assist our clients with any tax-related issue they may have.”

JASON DECUIR, Partner, Advantous

“We look for honesty and dependability in all job applicants. I have found that an honest and dependable person who is willing to learn can go far in almost any aspect of the business world. I have also found that kindness is a huge component. An honest, dependable, and kind person will overcome most obstacles and make an excellent team member.”

TOM O’NEAL, President,

O’Nealgas, Inc.

Louisiana Association of Business and Industry labi.org

“More than a skill, I value a trait the most: ownership. Over the course of my career, I have worked with many people who can identify problems, but far fewer who are willing to take ownership for developing and implementing solutions.”

JOE ZANCO, President and CEO, Catalyst Bank

“Integrity is the foundation for all expectations of an employee. I believe the majority of remaining skills, training and success is bolstered by that simple trait.”

SCOTT

POOLE,

President and CEO, MARTCO, LLC

“All employers value honesty and integrity, but the ability to listen carefully and communicate well are still the essential skills.”

CHRIS KINSEY, CEO, Kinsey Interests, Inc.

“What I value most in a team member is fit – specifically culture fit. Similar to many organizations, we have long standing values to inform and direct every decision and our subsequent actions. Team members who understand and authentically live these values will help the organization thrive well into the future.”

KEVIN COOK, COO, Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System

“There is no one skill I value most. What I look for in an employee is curiosity, drive (or energy), and integrity.

If you have those attributes, you can learn any skill and you will be an asset to any team.”

LAUREN GIBBS, CEO, Gibbs Construction, LLC

“The qualities I most value in team members are kindness, loyalty and independent thinking. The basis for all human interaction and the foundation of the hospitality industry is based on kindness, so that is an essential quality to find in each employee. A loyal team member does everything in their power to ensure they commit to a job well done and ensure the success of the company. Couple that with an independent thinker and you have someone that is truly dedicated to the organization and will find innovative and resourceful solutions to any problems or puzzles they may encounter along the way.”

SCOTT BALLARD, Owner, Ballard Brands, Ballard Hospitality & Ideation Hospitality

“One of the foundations that Crest Industries is built upon is having the right people in the right seats—finding people who not only fit the job description but also fit our culture and the values we share as a team. So beyond the typical skills required for a position, the most valuable and important attribute we look for in a candidate is the ability to “walk-thetalk” and showcase their commitment to doing the right thing, winning together, questioning the status quo and rising to the challenge in the work they do each day.”

JOHN DOGGETT, CAO, Crest Operations

FROM THE BOARD

“What is the skill you value most in an employee? Within my organization, the 3 skills that I value most are proactiveness, prioritization, and time management. If an employee has these 3 and understand the vision of the company, they will grow as well as the organization.”

CRAIG STEVENS, President, Genesis 360

“I believe in today’s climate, the skill I value most in an employee is a strong work ethic coupled with an internal drive for excellence. As Vince Lombardi said, “The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.” Close seconds would be dependability, reliability, and responsibility.”

MATTHEW MANN, Partner, Porteous, Hainkel & Johnson

“We value teamwork, initiative, and humility. The energy industry has a multi-generational workforce where communication and experience is critical to operations. When people first step foot out there, it’s important they’re prepared, listening, and safe.”

TYLER GRAY, Director of Government Relations, Placid Refining Company

“Adaptability—We’ve made more changes at Golfballs.com in the last two years than in the previous twenty. Our best team members have been those most competent at quickly changing direction with enthusiasm.”

TOM COX, President,

Golfballs.com

to

and want to make a positive difference in the lives of the people we serve. We can teach people about our business, but we need them to be team players who are both flexible and resilient. People with those skills can go far in our company.”

DR. STEVE UDVARHELYI, President and

“The obvious strong work ethic aside,

think

and

to be a team plyer is extremely valuable. Universal respect for others and the ability to communicate is equally important as I want all our team members to respect and be able to interact with CEOs, the people who empty the trash, and everyone in between.”

WAYNE FONTANA, Shareholder, Roedel, Parsons, Fontana, Blache, Balhoff & McCollister

RONNIE EVANS,

“While communicating effectively is paramount, successfully bringing a project from concept to completion truly sets employees apart. This ability, along with “thinking outside the box,” is a proven pathway to success.”

I

the ability

desire

“We are looking for smart, motivated people with high integrity, who are committed

our mission

CEO, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana

JOHN WALTERS, Senior State Government Affairs Representative, Chevron U.S.A., Inc.

“We value a high energy person who can think logically so that when a task is at hand or when confronted with a problem, a good outcome is achieved.”

Owner, International Packaging Company, LLC

“The skill set(s) I value most in an employee is their ability to understand the importance of their role and how that impacts the organization, while maintaining a positive attitude and a willingness to embrace change. This combination results in an employee who is able to collaborate with team members to improve the organization and successfully navigate challenges.”

TEE BROWN, President, GMFS, LLC

“Every employee has a unique blend of skills and I value many but if I had to be pinned down to one, I would say curiosity. People that are curious don’t just ask questions—they care about the answers. In my book caring is more important than knowing.”

JUDE MELVILLE, President and CEO, b1BANK

“The skill I value most in an employee is authenticity, it is your true north, especially when under pressure. Authenticity promotes empathy, creates safe space for difficult discussions and supports an environment for further skill and personal development.”

FRED PALMER, State Government Relations, Manager – Southeast U.S., Shell USA, Inc.

“While everyone is unique, a common trait that helps our company and the individuals succeed is having a positive attitude. We have learned that a positive attitude is a bedrock for many desirable attributes, such as work ethic, teamwork, reliability, curiosity, and creativity. A positive attitude helps to learn a new task and motivates everyone around you.”

TODD PERRY, Principal/Senior Geologist, PPM Consultants

“We place a high value on the ability to think analytically and then work logically to obtain answers or solve problems. We have found no matter the industry or position, employees who possess the ability to analyze a situation and apply clear and logical thinking always excel and provide great benefit to the organization.”

TERRY BAUGH, CFO, D

&

J Construction Company

The values that most impress me in a potential candidate for employment are strong work ethic, integrity and willingness to learn. Another important quality would have to be one’s ability to work with others and various personalities.

AJAY

PATEL, Owner, Abnar Inc.

“We place a great value on employees that take initiative and ownership of their job. We aren’t looking just for people to clock in and out, but want bright people that think of better, different ways of addressing problems that will inevitably improve our operations, sales and marketing, and distribution. Just because its always been done that way, doesn’t mean it’s the best way!”

MICHAEL UFFMAN, CFO, Marucci Sports

BY MARIE CENTANNI

FRESH

PERSPECTIVE

Edgardo Tenreiro shares his Venezuelan experience and the importance of free enterprise

Edgardo Tenreiro, President and CEO of Baton Rouge General, grew up in Venezuela in the 1970s during what he calls the heyday of democracy. “It’s a time we’ll never go back to in terms of freedom and prosperity in that country.” Stephen Waguespack caught up with Tenreiro recently while recording an episode of LABI’s podcast, “The Biz.” In it, Tenreiro speaks on everything from free enterprise, the economy and hospital operations to the war in Ukraine. Read the excerpt from the podcast to be inspired:

Edguardo Tenreiro, President and CEO of Baton Rouge General

Tenreiro began his career with Baton Rouge General during the historic flood of 2016, what he calls a “Black Swan” event–a metaphor for an unpredictable oc currence characterized by extreme rarity, with profound impact. Waguespack asked him about taking the lead during such a crisis. Tenreiro’s answer: de-centralized management that forces a CEO to “stay out of the way.”

“How do you make an organization anti-fragile? It’s not just robust which re sists anti-stress, but it’s one that becomes stronger with stress. So I always thought, ‘How do I stress, internally, my system and my team to make sure that when unex pected events happen like the flood, we’re ready to react, and that after the flood we’re actually stronger than we were before the flood?’ That kind of philosophy was al ready in the DNA of the organization, and

it’s almost the opposite of what you typically think a CEO does – making the organization stronger by making sure that everybody who’s inside the organization is working at their maximum capability, without central control and direction. They know the mission, where we’re going, your job at that point is to stay out of the way.”

and breaking barriers if you have to break them, but for the most part you have to stand back.”

Waguspack, President and CEO of LABI

Waguespack probed this concept a bit more in terms of leadership style, and Ten reiro explored the similar ity between capitalism and good manage ment, not just in business.

“I think it’s true of a lot of things. It’s true of the economy as a whole, and that’s why I think capitalism is better than socialism and a centrally directed economy, because no bureaucrat at a central office can know all the intricacies of what’s happening at the lowest level of the economy.”

“If you have that philosophy and you apply it to your management style and your management team, you can accom plish things you wouldn’t with a centrally managed system. And that gives people a chance to display what they’re best at. Your role is then nurturing talent and cre ating systems and structures that allow that talent to flourish. And then when the flood happens, you simply put a command center in place and you let the team take over. At that point, you’re more of a nui sance: You’re up there cheering people on

Tenriero then reflected on his teenage years in Venezuela, where his parents were heavily involved in politics, and the main forces at play were left-leaning polit ical parties with very little free enterprise approach. He came to the U.S. with that same left-leaning foundation, but after seeing in his own country what slowly evolved—from nationalization to full-blown socialist-communist dictatorship—and noticing seeds of that socialism here, he grew cautious, and vigilant.

“It was a full-blown dictatorship with all the negatives that come with that –the whole capital structure destroyed, capacity to produce oil and refine oil was destroyed, and there was a lot of cronyism and corruption. That’s what you get.”

“In the U.S., I began to see more and more of these left-leaning philosophies of government intervention, both the left and the right wanting to intervene, cen tralizing power in Washington for their own profits. It’s this relentless movement towards centralizing things in Washing ton and to more and more government intervention until it eventually destroys what’s great about this country. It might not happen right away. It took 30, 40 years in Venezuela, but I see the situation and it worries me.”

Ultimately, that worry is what caused Tenreiro to become active in LABI, after he visited Waguespack and shared his story, his concern and his desire to be part of a team upholding the principles of free enterprise here in Louisiana.

“Wow, this organization was built to promote free enterprise. It’s at the core of your DNA so I thought, ‘I want to be a part of that, because I think it matches my management philosophy, and I think the board and other CEOs understand that there’s something there to protect.’” 

Stephen

Listen to this full podcast and others on “The Biz” by going to labi.org. Learn more from Tenreiro on Baton Rouge General’s partnership with Park Elementary School, creating opportunity in North Baton Rouge by paving a pathway to careers in health care.

THE PIPELINE

WORKFORCE

LOUISIANA EMPLOYERS PARTNER WITH COLLEGES TO PREPARE THE EMPLOYEES OF TOMORROW FOR SUCCESS

BY MARIE DESORMEAUX CENTANNI

ON THE BANKS of the Red River in downtown Alexandria, in a building that once housed the Town Talk newspaper, Don Robinson gives his mouse a few clicks. Across the room, motors begin to whir, and a panel of wires and indicators jumps to life.

He gestures to a large monitor as he continues clicking and moving the mouse at the podium. “Now see, this is the instrumentation coming back real time from the device. So, we’re running the speed, and now we’re gonna run it up, okay?” He uses the mouse to slide a digital lever on the monitor, the motors respond, whirring louder. Robinson speaks up. “And we can speed, and we can make it run faster, but ideally, that’s normally enough to generate enough flow volume to operate anything that we need.”

Robinson, an engineer with a lifelong career in this field, is enthusiastically showing off the instrumentation and electrical classroom of Central Louisiana Technical Community College’s (CLTCC) Cleco Manufacturing Center for Excel lence. Those in attendance are members of LABI’s Emerging Leaders Council, in town for a two-day session considering re gional workforce development challenges and solutions. Led by Dr. Heather Poole, CLTCC’s Executive Vice Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs, they walk through the manufacturing center’s var ious training areas: including everything from HVAC to welding, each program defining a direct pathway to a specific career in Central Louisiana.

“We are proud of this facility, we moved here right before the pandemic,” says Poole. “And if you saw where we were pre viously, I’ll just go ahead and say it looked like a prison. We had barbed wire and

everything, it was about 60 years old.”

But thanks to a $1 million investment from Cleco, one of the area’s major employers with its own workforce needs, students are training in a modern, profes sional setting on the same equipment and concepts they’ll use once employed.

Poole enjoys giving the public a peek inside the state-of-the-art training center, especially high school counselors who can steer students her way—if they can just get past the outdated stigma associated with technical training compared to a four-year degree, she says.

“They have a concept out in the public that it’s dirty or it’s kind of the old votech,” says Poole. “And of course, it’s totally different than that. There’s a huge disconnect between what the public thinks and this reality. When you say to a high school student, ‘do you want to major in manufacturing,’ first of all they don’t even know what that means. And then,

secondly, they have this vision of this old blue-collar position. And what we’re try ing to do is show the world and educate our community—and a lot of parents—that this is not blue collar. It’s new collar.”

This kind of partnership with Louisiana employers is paving new pathways at all levels of education, even making its way into high school. In Lafayette, South Louisiana Community College Chancellor Dr. Vincent June spends his time ensur ing his supply is helping to meet regional demand, by paying attention to economic trends, the area’s employment needs and his own student population’s particular barriers and hurdles—in a way, playing matchmaker.

“We’re intentionally looking at our workforce programs that directly and seamlessly connect to the priorities of the state as well as our region,” says June. “We are having to retool and work directly in that space to make sure our programs

Engineer Don Robinson, center, teaches a class of students at Central Louisiana Technical Community College.

COURTESY CLTCC

are aligned with demand, and that we create opportunity for our students, even addressing affordability to ensure they’re able to access and complete programs and go to work in that space. It’s been a lot of fun recharting that territory, but also sitting at the table with business and industry partners to talk about what that looks like.”

One of his largest sector demands, and a strong opportunity for partnership on pathways, is health care. June has coor dinated heavily with Ochsner Lafayette General, in particular, on training a work force that fills all aspects of health care delivery, starting with students in high school. SLCC has its own dual enrollment high school on its campus, the Early Col lege Academy, where graduates leave the institution with a high school diploma and a two-year associate degree. The Lafayette Parish Public School System is another key partner, defining an additional pipe line through its Health Care Academy at Lafayette High School, part of its Schools of Choice concept.

“We’ve partnered on strategic plans in terms of impact and health care expan sion, because the pandemic shifted our thoughts and direction,” June says. “That means recharting how we can assist them and how they can assist us to ensure we’re meeting those demands in specific health care spaces—allied health or nurs ing in general. So, we’re talking current program expansion, new programs to add. And we’re looking at how can we intro duce high school students to health care pathways in advance and leveraging those programmatic efforts where students are able to start somewhere in that education al space and complete that program once they graduate.”

Innovation like this is taking place in classrooms and training centers across Louisiana, with new pathways and pipe lines to opportunity being laid left and right. Louisiana Community and Techni cal College System President Dr. Monty Sullivan says it’s critical to, not only, keep relevant and robust pathways in place, but to make them more accessible,

affordable and therefore effective. He says that this challenge is being met through an infusion of state and federal funding, but also through changing how employers think about training their workforce.

“The most important ask,” says Sul livan, “is we need industry partners to ensure that when they hire someone, that employee continues to get that next level of skills. That allows us to invert degree programs.”

Sullivan grows animated at the mention of an inverted degree—the idea of taking the traditional timeline and curriculum for an associate degree and flipping it so the student begins with a credential or “money-making” component first, often in as little as eight weeks, rounding out the rest of the degree once employed and stable with a steady income.

“They can change their life in eight

Louisiana Association of Business and Industry labi.org

COLLIN RICHIE PHOTOGRAPHY

“This is not blue collar.

It’s new collar,”

says Dr. Heather Poole, CLTCC’s Executive Vice Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs, addressing

the stigma that community colleges have carried since the old vo-tech days.

weeks. Their biggest issue is not fractions and decimals, it’s time. They have to be able to support their family over time to reach their goal—all they have to do is tread water for eight weeks.”

One of those new sources of funding allowing this kind of spot-training for fast certification is the M.J. Foster Promise Program, injecting $10.5 million in state funds. Named after former Gov. Mike J. Foster, the program will provide financial support for students to earn credentials that align with high-demand jobs in grow ing industry sectors.

below 300 percent of the federal poverty level, have earned a high school diploma or be pursuing a high school credential, and have not previously earned an asso ciate or undergraduate degree. And they must commit to stay and work in Louisi ana one year after earning their creden tial, performing 20 hours of community service.

there are people out there not working. So how do we get them filtered into the right pipeline, to get them to the point where they’re ready, willing and able to work?”

Employer engagement is gaining trac tion in other areas of higher education as well. Commissioner of Higher Education Dr. Kim Hunter Reed says it’s a critical component of matching student aptitude with careers that await them—and show ing them new paths altogether.

“If I had a magic wand today,” says Reed, “I would embed a work-based learning experience into every discipline regardless of what it is. It’s the applica tion of knowledge at the same time you’re learning – it’s both the relevance and the way we ensure success for students moving forward. That combination is im portant, it happened in many disciplines, but not all. Teachers go into classrooms. Nurses do clinicals. There are places it’s built-in, but it should be universal.”

COURTESYDR . VINCENTJUNE

That’s a piece of the workforce puzzle Reed and Louisiana’s Board of Regents is continuously evaluating as it focuses on talent development in higher educa tion. Are Louisiana’s public colleges and universities supplying the talent to fill high-demand jobs here? She says there’s room to grow. Louisiana colleges produce 88% of the nurses hired in the state (80% public), 88% of teachers (79% public) and 85% of software engineers (80% public)—all areas in which Louisiana has traditionally competed well. But in cyber fields, only 65% of those hired in state are Louisiana grads (59% public), and only 51% of data science hires (47% public) are home-grown.

“From the Regents perspective,” Reed says, “we have always been a coordinat

Dr. Vincent June, South Louisiana Community College Chancellor

COURTESY DR M O N YT NAVILLUS

Dr. Monty Sullivan, Louisiana Community and Technical College System President

ing board focused on policy and advocacy. In the past few years, we’ve been much more engaged in what our direct role is in addressing workforce shortages. Are we producing cyber experts, stem experts and diverse workers in those fields? How do we think about addressing teacher and health care shortages? There’s been an evolution of expectation that higher education should not just produce grads savvy in these relevant fields, but should engage in improving production in these critical shortage areas. How do we come together with health care experts and cyber organizations to ask how do we partner? What’s the full court press we can bring to bear around upscal ing and rescaling to address these issues?”

Reed is looking to deepen partnerships with employers, offering students very early exposure to careers, before they get too far down the road and realize they’re on the wrong path. “We do know from research that if students see relevance in their time and work, they’re more likely to complete their credential. Connectivity to a business allows students early on to apply their skills, deepen their knowledge, connect with a network of individuals that could hire

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Louisiana Association of Business and Industry labi.org

Dr. Kim Hunter Reed, Commissioner of Higher Education

COURTESY DR. KIM HUNTER REED

them moving forward, and allow them to get experi ence to model what excellence looks like in the world of work.”

But it’s more than changing individual lives—Sulli van believes this kind of creativity and flexibility will revolutionize the state’s budget and its economy. The key, he says, is growing that innovation, investment and partnerships outside of traditional educational and training pathways to solving what he calls a de mographic problem. According to Sullivan, there are about 4.6 million residents of Louisiana, 2.3 million are working age adults, and 1.1 million have a high school diploma or less.

“That defines the problem. We get caught up in this adult population that does not have skills for the current day economy. This is why we have the budget challenge every spring in Baton Rouge; not enough people contributing to the economy to maintain government and services for 4.6 million people. The only way you can is to make sure those folks have the skills they need to compete in the job market,” says Sullivan. “And we are figuring out how to do this every day.”

Smarter

We know our customers depend on us to keep the lights on and their lives moving. We’re committed to providing Louisiana with safe, reliable and affordable electricity for generations to come. That means upgrading equipment to increase reliability and implementing new technology to prevent outages before they happen. We’re building a stronger power grid for a stronger Louisiana. Learn more at entergylouisiana.com/brightfuture

technology. Greater reliability. Brighter future.

COURTESY CLTCC

M.J. Foster Promise Program

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

1. Meet a family income that does not exceed 300% of the Federal Poverty Level or be unemployed or underemployed for six months prior to receiving grant.

• Household of 1 = $38,640

• Household of 2 = $52,260

• Household of 3 = $65,880

• Household of 4 = $79,500

• Household of 5 = $93,120

To view the most updated poverty thresholds and for households of six or more, visit the U.S. ASPE webpage for more information.

2. Have earned a high school diploma or equivalent or co-enroll in a qualified program of study and in a program to earn high school credential.

3. Have not previously earned an undergraduate degree at the associate level or above.

4. Be a Louisiana resident and U.S. Citizen.

5. Commit to reside in Louisiana one year after completion and to perform 20 hours of community service, an internship, or a mentorship annually to maintain the award.

www.lctcs.edu

Incarcerated individuals and those who have been convicted of any crime of violence as defined in RS 14:2 are prohibited from receiving M.J. Foster Promise funds.

The actual burial sites are on the grounds of BASF’s manufacturing plant and include graves of the Minor family, the property owners, on top of Indian Mounds on the right along with detected graves of hundreds of enslaved people to the left in this photo.

BY JEFFREY ROEDEL

The SOIL of the

BASF UNCOVERS THE HISTORY OF ITS GEISMAR PROPERTY AND HONORS THE ENSLAVED PEOPLE BURIED THERE

THE BEEP COMES suddenly and from the dark. Even as senior manager of Germany-based BASF’s Southeast Communications Hub—in Louisiana in charge of crisis management across the region—a 2 a.m. alert on Blythe Lamonica’s cell phone is a little unusual.

Turns out, she doesn’t need to rush.

It’s just two of her partners, excited and up late, sharing new details of recent discoveries. Their team is working on something deep under the undeveloped fields of rural Louisiana, inside small-town courthouses and across stacks and stacks of dusty archival texts.

Alerts like this have become commonplace now.

Afterall, they are bringing back the dead.

But this is no emergency.

This is Project Periwinkle. All along the Mississippi can be found a familiar quartet: Former plantation, largely African American community, an industrial site, and a church or cemetery. Always all four in close proximity.

On roughly 2,300 acres south of Jackson near Port Hudson, BASF’s Louisiana holdings include the site of Linwood Plantation, a Spanish land granted sugar cane farm and Tuscan-columned home formerly sustained by the efforts of innu merable enslaved laborers of African descent. Changing hands among chemical companies since the 1950s, the area’s full history, and the names of its enslaved inhabitants, has been largely neglected—until now.

COURTESY BASF

In 2019, BASF’s operations in Ascen sion Parish began preservation work on the family cemetery at Linwood. Lamonica recruited a team of BASF colleagues—in cluding Regina Bergeron, Steve Klein peter, and Geismar site general manager Jerry Lebold—as well as preservationists, archeologists and U.S. Parks specialists.

The family cemetery is located near an unusual looking hill that Kleinpeter had suspected might be a burial site for Native Americans. He’d been looking into the Linwood-area property since 2010 when BASF began plans for laying a pipeline across the site.

“Archeologists performing soil sampling on that hill confirmed that suspicion,” Kleinpeter says. “That meant we poten tially had Native Americans, enslaved peoples and early American settlers all buried on our property with very little recognition of who they were.”

In 2018, Shell had honored the en slaved with burial ground markers on its land in Convent, Louisiana, and the BASF team learned best practices from the oil

company as they began.

Together, Project Periwinkle established four goals: Preserve the cemetery of the Minor family—owners of the land in the 1800s; map the plantation grounds histor ically cross-referenced with current BASF facilities; identify names and histories of as many enslaved people on the proper ty as possible; and develop educational content from their findings to share with the community.

Legend has it that periwinkles were a common wildflower that African Ameri cans and formerly enslaved individuals would pick and place at the burial plots of family members. “Look for periwinkles, and they will tell the story,” the saying goes.

Finding patches of earth where a lot of wild flowers had taken root, as well as ar eas of significant soil staining— a common surface-level indicator of decomposition occurring below—was a start, Lamonica says. But employing BASF’s ground-pene trating radar—typically used when placing pipelines—was the game-changer.

It is telling, then, that it was the old adage, and not the new technology, that inspired her project’s name. This is a science-backed enterprise, but one fueled by a lot of heart.

“It really started as a curiosity, but it grew into an obsession and this hu manitarian effort,” Lamonica says. “Our motto became: We are going to do the right thing. We have to honor them now because they were not honored in life.”

The team held conversations with descendants of the enslaved community and area churches, and partnered with the River Road African American Mu seum that has been doing research into these burial grounds along the river for 25 years.

“It’s so important that these companies commit to participating in research and support preserving what’s left of these communities that built the sugarcane industry and sustained the land they are now on,” says Kathe Hambrick, founder of the museum. “This is sacred land, and this is a history that cannot be lost.”

BASF President, Tobias Dratt (center) and his chief of staff Aisa Ledesma (second from right) visited the memorial site created to honor enslaved people of Linwood Plantation. Members of Project Periwinkle include (from left to right) Jerry Lebold, Jeremy Couvillion, Paulette Rosamond, Sarah Haneline, Blythe Lamonica, Dratt, Regina Bergeron, Wayne Hamilton, Dave Mihalik, Ledesma, and Steve Kleinpeter.

COURTESY BASF

After thousands of hours of radar work and research, the BASF team discovered more than 200 burial shafts.

And thanks to Project Periwinkle, the names of 310 enslaved people buried there have been discovered to date. Those registries were found after tireless dig ging into mortgage records in the Donald sonville courthouse—the enslaved being listed among other assets like equipment and buildings.

“The staff there was wonderful and quickly became just as invested as we were,” Lamonica recalls. “It was an exciting discovery, but then the reality set in that 200 shafts could mean many more people than that because enslaved people were often buried on top of one another rather than individually. It was a sobering reminder that these people were not treated as human, and that there are probably so many more.”

Last spring BASF, parish officials and community partners, including the United Houma Nation and River Road

African American Museum, introduced the memorial marker to the public.

The area that includes the family cemetery, the Indian Mound and enslaved burial grounds is now recognized as a state historical cemetery.

“These were not just slaves,” says Todd Sterling, a communications specialist with the River Road African American Museum. “These people helped build the economy and the culture of Louisiana and the country, and communities and children now need to understand that.”

Instilling a pride of place in the next generation is a goal with these efforts, and the museum, with support from BASF, is planning not only museum up grades and new exhibits but an array of STEM and genealogical opportunities for area students in the form of afterschool programs and Saturday workshops.

For Project Periwinkle, the work con tinues unabated. BASF is committed to further improvements at the site and will share the discoveries of Project Periwin

kle with its employees globally—totaling more than 100,000.

The hope is those conversations and educational outreaches will spark a deeper curiosity and compassion for their regional histories—both positive and negative—through the lens of how diversity, equity and inclusion are such essential values today in the workplace and beyond.

Lamonica is already seeing more of these discussions take root here in the community and at BASF in Louisiana. With the memorial grand opening and cemetery refurbished, Lamonica says the team is as energized as it has ever been.

There could be more 2 a.m. alerts in her future.

“This has been the most memorable project I’ve worked on my entire life—I’m humbled by it,” Lamonica says. “It has led to this amazing information sharing and storytelling, all these meaningful details and memories for our descendant communities today.” 

Viewing the memorial are Pastor Richard Rayborn, II from The Christian Assembly and Sam Baker, a member of the Project Periwinkle Community Advisory Panel.

COLLIN

RICHIE PHOTOGRAPHY

WE ARE

I most appreciate LABI’s proactiveness. Many industry groups spend their time and energy focused on the negative, fighting mostly rearguard actions. LABI gets involved early, when there is still a chance to treat conversations and policy making as opportunities, not just problems to defend against.

LABI has been a great ambassador for our industry and fights to make Louisiana better for business. Without LABI, we would not have gotten tax reform done Having LABI fight every day levels the playing field for all businesses in Louisiana!

We believe LABI is a valuable strategic partner because they give us space and opportunity to have our voices heard regarding critical

like ours.

From the moment you walk into LABI, you are reminded of its unwavering commitment to free enterprise I know those principles will enable Louisiana to be a better place, not just for our manufacturing business and growth, but for the attraction, retainment, and growth of all business and talent.

LABI is truly the glue between business and government. For a small business like ours, it is comforting to know that the team at LABI is not only looking after our needs, but the needs of all Louisiana-based businesses. We are truly blessed as a business community to have this organization in our state

INTERESTED IN JOINING THE LABI TEAM?

Get in the game by contacting Elena Lacour at elenal@labi org for more information.

Nathalie Simon Special Counsel to CEO, Laitram, LLC

Scott Ballard Owner, Ballard Brands Founder, Ballard Hospitality

Meryl Kennedy Farr President/Managing Partner, Kennedy Rice Mill LLC

Jude Melville CEO, b1BANK

Eric Dexter Dir of Business Development, Civil Solutions Consulting Group, Inc.

P.O.

EDUCATION & WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

This session proved to be a stalemate for education reform and largely demonstrates work left to be done. Major votes in this year’s Scorecard assess reforms that were either sidelined in the final moments of session or that cleared all legislative hurdles only to be vetoed by the governor. Efforts to give all students the mobility to access a quality education were defeated, with opponents opting to protect the status quo of funding systems rather than students.

SCHOOL CHOICE

One of LABI’s top priorities this session was the expansion of school choice through Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), particularly for students with special needs, students of military and foster families and students who were previously denied school choice. These laws would have afforded parents the opportunity to seek education options beyond their zip code and empowered them to customize their child’s education to meet their unique, individual needs.

8 states have ESAs, with 30,992 students using ESAs nationwide

Several ESA bills were introduced with only a few making it through the process: an ESA for students in second or third grade reading below grade level and an ESA for students with special needs and exceptionalities. These ESA bills—which would have allowed parents to customize their children's schooling options with specialized therapy or tutoring, were both vetoed by the governor. ESAs for students of military and foster families and for victims of bullying and sexual assault got close to the finish line, but were ultimately killed in the Senate.

A measure permitting charter schools with a corporate partner to apply directly to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) as a Type 2 charter school was also approved by the Legislature. These partnerships are mutually beneficial arrangements in which businesses can attract employees and help train qualified, skilled future workers, while charter schools receive necessary resources such as funding, infrastructure and technology. The bill would have provided choice to parents while serving as a catalyst for economic development but was also vetoed by the governor. The expansion of school choice will likely be a hot-button issue for the 2023 election cycle as Louisiana continually lags behind our neighbors in education and, in particular, in literacy, ranking 48th in education with fewer than half of K-3 students reading on grade level.

LITERACY

Several proposals introduced were aimed at improving literacy rates among Louisiana students, including efforts to increase reading assessments in grades K-3, dedicate educational resources to teachers and requiring the passage of a literacy test as a part of teacher certification. These pieces of legislation sailed through the process and were signed by the governor.

The Senate twice defeated a LABI-supported measure to retain third-grade students who lacked the reading skills necessary to be promoted to fourth grade. A similar instrument passed in Mississippi in 2013, and along with legislation to increase resources for teachers, led to remarkable student growth in literacy, bumping MS up from 49th in 2013 in fourth grade reading to 29th in 2019. These bills are a huge step forward in improving literacy rates for students and giving teachers the resources they need to help their students succeed. Today’s students are tomorrow’s workforce, and LABI will continue to fight for student-focused education reform.

reading at

Attempts were made to water down accountability, but the legislature held firm against efforts to lower the bar for teachers and schools. Fiscal transparency was again stymied in the Senate after being stalled throughout the process. LABI was proud to be a part of a coalition to enact Louisiana Checkbook in 2018 and will continue efforts to have school systems join all other state-funded agencies in being transparent to taxpayers with their finances. Louisiana is staring down a historic opportunity to raise the bar in terms of education and accountability but reformers are consistently met with pushback from those content with the status quo. Now is the time to demand more from our schools to put Louisiana students on track to compete in a global economy.

ACCOUNTABILITY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

A bill passed that will allow “reverse transfers," permitting students who have transferred to a four-year institution before completing the requirements for an associate degree at a two-year institution to be granted their associate degree while continuing to work toward a bachelor’s degree. The bill would also permit students to combine credits earned at two- and four-year institutions to be awarded an associate degree. This legislation rewards working adults with credentials while they work toward a bachelor’s degree while also boosting their value in the workforce.

Less than half of students between kindergarten & 3rd grade are

grade level, according to the Department of Education

SCORED BILLS

HB 33

BY REP. PHILLIP DEVILLIER (R-EUNICE)

This bill sought to create Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) for students from military and foster families and students denied school choice. A vote FOR the bill was a vote WITH LABI.

HOUSE VOTE: 76-25

HB 194 BY REP. RHONDA BUTLER

(R-VILLE PLATTE)

This bill sought to create Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) for students with special needs and certain exceptionalities. A vote FOR the bill was a vote WITH LABI.

HOUSE VOTE: 90-2 | SENATE VOTE: 31-0

HB 231 BY REP. KEN BRASS

(D-VACHERIE)

This bill permits granting reverse transfer credits to students who have transferred to a four-year institution in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree before completing the requirements for an associate degree at a two-year institution. A vote FOR the bill was a vote WITH LABI.

HOUSE VOTE: 99-0 | SENATE VOTE: 36-0

HB 269 BY REP. RICHARD NELSON

(R-MANDEVILLE)

This bill would have prohibited the promotion of certain students to fourth grade if they had a reading deficiency that was not remedied by the end of the third grade. The bill required remedial instruction services to be provided including tutoring, smaller group instruction, summer reading camps and reduced teacher-student ratios. A vote FOR the bill was a vote WITH LABI.

HOUSE VOTE: 84-12 | SENATE VOTE: 18-14

HB 452 BY REP. BARBARA FREIBERG (R-BATON ROUGE)

This bill sought to create Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) for victims of bullying or sexual assault. A vote FOR the bill was a vote WITH LABI.

HOUSE VOTE: 66-18

HB 526 CONSIDERATION AFTER 82ND DAY BY REP. RICK EDMONDS (R-BATON ROUGE)

This bill would have required public school systems to join other state-funded agencies in the Louisiana Checkbook program, allowing taxpayers insight into the fiscal operation of district schools. It failed to clear the Senate because it required a two-thirds vote of each body to be considered after the 82nd calendar day. A vote to CONSIDER the bill after the 82nd calendar day was a vote WITH LABI.

SENATE VOTE: 24-8

SB 145 BY SEN. KIRK TALBOT (R-RIVER RIDGE)

This bill sought to allow charter schools with a corporate partner to apply directly to BESE as a Type 2 charter school. A vote FOR the bill was a vote WITH LABI.

HOUSE VOTE: 72-18 | SENATE VOTE: 21-15

SB 203 BY SEN. SHARON HEWITT (R-SLIDELL)

This bill would have created the Reading Education Savings Account (RESA) Program, allowing for ESAs for students who are reading below grade level in second or third grade. A vote FOR the bill was a vote WITH LABI.

HOUSE VOTE: 70-27 | SENATE VOTE: 24-13

SB 203 AMENDMENT BY SEN. ED PRICE (D-GONZALES)

This amendment attempted to defer a portion of the funds made available for the Reading Education Savings Account (RESA) Program to the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana and the Louisiana School Employees’ Retirement System. The amendment was rejected on the Senate Floor. A vote AGAINST the amendment was a vote WITH LABI.

SENATE VOTE: 18-19

THEY SAID IT

Education is not a cookie-cutter situation. These children have so many disabilities, and I would like to give these special needs children and their families the right to choose.

Our public schools follow the state curriculum. Therefore, they take a test that is a norm to our state curriculum, which anyone would tell you, is based on what is best throughout the country. Our standards are based on what’s good throughout the country.

It’s unfortunate that this debate has become ‘if you support this bill, you are just anti-public education,’ because that’s just not the case. I support our public schools, I support our teachers and I support our children... And I support this bill.

My bill is not here to work against the school systems but to give these children an option to succeed in life to the best of their ability... As we all know, education is the key to success.

REP. RHONDA BUTLER on HB 194

Often times we encourage parents to be a part of the process—we want them to go to school board meetings. And in order to ask great, right and relevant questions, they really need great, right and relevant information…

I think it’s necessary for parents; I think it’s necessary for policymakers; I also think it’s necessary for a taxpayer.

JASON HUGHES on HB 526

It’s about giving more choices to meet the needs of our future— our children—giving them the best chance to succeed.

PHILLIP DEVILLIER on HB 33

Our conversation ought to always be about the child, not the institution. When we’re talking about institutions and not children, we’ve already lost the battle.

REP. RHONDA BUTLER on The Biz: Sounds of Session

REP. JASON HUGHES on the House Floor in support of HB 33

REP. BARBARA FREIBERG in opposition to amendments to HB 33

SEN. SHARON HEWITT on SB 203

REP.

REP.

CIVIL JUSTICE

LABI has worked tirelessly to improve judicial transparency and modernize our judicial system, and several recommendations made in the “Judicial Modernization Series” released last year were enacted this session. Legislation passed and signed by the governor will require the Judicial Council to conduct an annual review of judgeships to determine whether the composition of Louisiana’s district courts and courts of appeal—as well as the number of judges in each district—accurately reflect the population of the state.

After an attempt to require it legislatively, the Louisiana Supreme Court committed to creating and publicly publishing uniform budget and expenditure documents. This commitment by the Court prompted the author to defer his proposal. A resolution creating a task force to study the funding and workload of district and circuit courts to determine any necessary changes to the current structure of the courts also made it through the process.

LABI has long supported measures to improve judicial transparency and bring the judiciary in line with the other two branches of government as it relates to their financial disclosure requirements and reapportionment. This progress is critical in creating a judiciary that more accurately reflects the needs of the state, prioritizing population and workload with an eye toward fairness and the efficient delivery of justice.

It’s essential that when we’re making the budget that we have transparency and a clear picture of the expenditures of the judiciary.

REP. ZEE ZERINGUE

Five bills sought to extend the prescriptive period for motor vehicle accidents from one to two years, all of which were opposed by LABI and ultimately defeated. LABIsupported measures imposing limitations on deceptive or misleading advertisements were passed and signed by the governor. LABI also helped defeat legislation seeking to create a new cause of action against employers, among others, for mandating, recommending or administering certain products, including liability-free products.

On the insurance front, LABI again helped defeat an effort to prohibit the use of certain rate factors, including a person’s credit history, in an insurer’s underwriting process and prevented costly mandates on insurers— that would have been passed onto consumers—from becoming law. LABI opposed legislation that would have forced businesses and individuals to purchase additional insurance coverage to protect insureds against the risks posed by uninsured motorists. The bill died on the House Floor.

The last time our Supreme Court districts were reapportioned was in 1997; the lines for our Courts of Appeal have not been redrawn since the 1980 census, and the boundary lines for Louisiana’s 42 district courts have never been comprehensively reassessed or reapportioned.

SB 383

SCORED BILLS

BY SEN. BARROW PEACOCK (R-BOSSIER CITY)

This bill requires that legal advertisements which advertise or promote past successes or verdicts note that “results may vary” or “past results are not a guarantee of future success.” A vote FOR the bill was a vote WITH LABI.

HOUSE VOTE: 75-22 | SENATE VOTE: 29-8

HB 1022 BY REP. BERYL AMEDEE

(R-HOUMA)

This bill sought to create a new cause of action against employers, among others, for mandating, recommending, or administering certain products, including liability-free products. Leveraging the threat of lawsuits to deter businesses from using their best judgment to implement policies that balance the interests of their employees and consumers would have undoubtedly made Louisiana less competitive. A vote AGAINST the bill was a vote WITH LABI.

HOUSE VOTE: 14-81

HB 389 AMENDMENT BY SEN. PATRICK CONNICK (R-MARRERO)

This bill originally intended to provide clarification regarding the emergency suspension of legal deadlines during declared emergencies or disasters. An amendment by Sen. Patrick Connick attempted to change the one-year prescriptive period for delictual actions to a two-year prescriptive period. The amendment passed the Senate but was rejected by the House on concurrence. A vote AGAINST the amendment in the Senate, and to REJECT the amendment in the House, was a vote WITH LABI.

HOUSE VOTE: 76-21 | SENATE VOTE: 17-16

TAXATION & FINANCE

Tax increases were off the table this year as it was a “general” session rather than a “fiscal-only” session. There were some bills introduced which sought to lower taxes, but only a handful with little fiscal impact managed to pass.

Louisiana has the highest combined state and local sales tax rate at 9.55% according to the Tax Foundation's Midyear 2022 report

LABI helped defeat an effort to enshrine the governor's changes to the Industrial Tax Exemption Program (ITEP) into Louisiana's constitution. Since the 2016 changes were implemented, the Program—which has been successfully attracting economic development projects to Louisiana for nearly 60 years—has been significantly weakened. Jobs are fleeing high-tax states like California and New York and heading south, and neighboring states are capitalizing on this opportunity. ITEP is one of the most critical tools we have in the toolbox to promote economic development in Louisiana and LABI will continue to advocate for a reformed, streamlined process for this critical program.

The House Speaker again brought his bill seeking to streamline the collection of state and local sales taxes—a constitutional amendment that cleared both chambers last year but narrowly failed at the polls in November.

Despite a willingness of the Legislature to put the amendment back on the ballot this fall, local government opposition had hardened and negotiations faltered as the session drew to a close. The bill was parked by the Speaker and not taken up for concurrence in the House.

A few bills extending certain tax incentive initiatives, such as the Quality Jobs Program, passed and were signed into law. Also of note, the Legislature adopted a couple of study resolutions—one examining the benefit of Louisiana’s tax incentive programs to small businesses and another to consider these programs in the context of the state’s tax structure with an eye to eliminating individual and corporate income taxes.

This is for the small businesses. This will help the businesses that are competing against the air, businesses outside of Louisiana. Our small business owners need a break and this will do it.

Finally, several bills easing the administrative burdens on business taxpayers related to state income and local sales taxes were passed, most of them introduced by Senate Revenue and Fiscal Affairs

Allain.

SCORED BILLS

HB 681

BY SPEAKER CLAY SCHEXNAYDER (R-GONZALES)

This bill was a constitutional amendment streamlining electronic filings and the remittance of sales and use taxes. This bill sought to modernize Louisiana’s complex local sales tax collection system and bring our state in line with the rest of the country. A vote FOR the bill was a vote WITH LABI.

HOUSE VOTE: 96-0 | SENATE VOTE: 31-3

SB 151 BY SEN. ROGERS POPE (R-DENHAM SPRINGS)

This bill would have made permanent the governors’ executive orders on the Industrial Tax Exemption Program (ITEP), which significantly weakened the value of the Program. A vote AGAINST the bill was a vote WITH LABI.

SENATE VOTE: 14-21

REP. MALINDA WHITE on HB 681 in the House Ways & Means Committee

Committee Chairman Bret

HEALTH CARE

Much of the health care debate in the Legislature was focused on vaccines, and LABI fought to ensure employers’ rights to set safety precautions as a condition of employment were protected. LABI helped defeat attempts to eliminate, alter or undermine the annual administration of vaccines required for students entering school, as well as numerous bills creating new causes of action or a protected class related to vaccines.

While vaccines dominated the legislative discussion, LABI worked diligently to prevent expensive health insurance mandates and coverage expansions for employers. These measures were either killed in committee or watered down to minimize the impact on job-creators.

I don’t like there being a blanket mandate. You’re taking a business’s choice away from them. You’re mandating how they run their business.

MCKNIGHT

SCORED BILLS

SB 92 BY SEN. STEWART CATHEY (R-MONROE)

This bill would have prohibited discrimination against employees based on “protected medical information,” which includes immunization status. This bill would have directly impacted employers' ability to manage their workforce as needed and contributed to what is already an extremely litigious business environment in Louisiana. A vote AGAINST the bill was a vote WITH LABI.

SENATE VOTE: 23-12

REP. SCOTT

on HB 54

LABI defended against the perennial attempt to impose expensive mandates on small business owners. The House and Senate Labor Committees tabled increases to the minimum wage, efforts to make our business climate more litigious against employers and other attempts to overregulate small businesses.

SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY

DID YOU KNOW?

Several LABI-supported occupational licensing bills became law, including a measure to allow job seekers reentering society from the justice system to petition a licensing board to determine if their record would disqualify them before enrolling in any required education or training. Also passed and signed by the governor were measures requiring licensing boards to publish and update certain information on their websites annually and to use the least restrictive regulation necessary to accomplish a legitimate fiduciary, public health, safety or welfare objective. These new laws will remove arbitrary and burdensome barriers to work and expand opportunity for all Louisianans.

78% of LABI members are small businesses.

While 2021 saw historic investments in rural broadband infrastructure, the legislature continued building on that success. This session saw a major piece of legislation improving the 2021-created rural broadband GUMBO grant program, increasing the speed standards required by applicants and addressing issues which were slowing down the deployment of funds. This program puts Louisiana on the forefront of rural broadband deployment, as one of only four states in the country to have their grant program approved by the US Treasury office. LABI was in support of the changes to the program, which is now poised to distribute over $176 million in federal funds to bridge the digital divide in Louisiana.

LABI opposed measures which would have put Louisiana’s internet-related businesses in the crosshairs when it comes to the use and transacting of consumer data. LABI supports a federal solution to address data privacy and keep Louisiana on a level playing field when it comes to technological innovation and enterprise.

SEN. BRET ALLAIN SEN. HEATHER CLOUD SEN. SHARON HEWITT SEN. ROBERT MILLS SEN. BETH MIZELL REP. BEAU BEAULLIEU REP. RYAN BOURRIAQUE REP. RHONDA BUTLER REP. DEWITH CARRIER REP. JEAN-PAUL COUSSAN

SESSION CHAMPIONS

PRESIDENT PAGE CORTEZ

SEN. MARK ABRAHAM

SEN. MIKE FESI

SEN. CAMERON HENRY

SEN. PATRICK MCMATH

SEN. BARRY MILLIGAN

SEN. BARROW PEACOCK

SEN. MIKE REESE

REP. PAULA DAVIS

REP. PHILLIP DEVILLIER

REP. MARY DUBUISSON

REP. RICK EDMONDS REP. GABE FIRMENT REP. BRYAN FONTENOT REP. BARBARA FREIBERG

REP. FOY GADBERRY

REP. RAY GAROFALO REP. JONATHAN GOUDEAU

REP. MIKE HUVAL REP. JOHN ILLG

REP. BARRY IVEY REP. MIKE JOHNSON REP. TIM KERNER

REP. JACK MCFARLAND

REP. SCOTT MCKNIGHT REP. WAYNE MCMAHEN REP. BOB OWEN REP. THOMAS PRESSLY

REP. TROY ROMERO REP. LAURIE SCHLEGEL

REP. ALAN SEABAUGH

REP. VINNEY ST. BLANC REP. POLLY THOMAS REP. CHRIS TURNER

REP. DEBBIE VILLIO

REP. BILL WHEAT REP. MARK WRIGHT REP. 'ZEE' ZERINGUE

SEN. STEWART CATHEY

SEN. FRANKLIN FOIL

SEN. JEREMY STINE

SEN. GLEN WOMACK

SPEAKER CLAY SCHEXNAYDER

REP. BERYL AMEDEE

REP. TONY BACALA

REP. RAYMOND CREWS

REP. DARYL DESHOTEL REP. JULIE EMERSON REP. LES FARNUM

REP. LARRY FRIEMAN

REP. DODIE HORTON REP. TANNER MAGEE

REP. JOE MARINO REP. DANNY MCCORMICK REP. BLAKE MIGUEZ

REP. BUDDY MINCEY REP. NICHOLAS MUSCARELLO

REP. RICHARD NELSON

REP. CHUCK OWEN REP. NEIL RISER

REP. RODNEY SCHAMERHORN REP. JOHN STEFANSKI

REP. PHILLIP TARVER REP. FRANCIS THOMPSON

REP. DARYL ADAMS

REP. LARRY BAGLEY REP. STUART BISHOP REP. MICHAEL ECHOLS REP. KATHY EDMONSTON

REP. AIMEE FREEMAN

REP. LANCE HARRIS REP. STEPHANIE HILFERTY REP. VALARIE HODGES REP. SHERMAN MACK

REP. GREG MILLER

REP. JOE ORGERON

SEN. KIRK TALBOT

SEN. LOUIE BERNARD

100 100

SENATE MVPS

SEN. BRET ALLAIN DISTRICT 21

SEN. ROBERT MILLS DISTRICT 36

SEN. HEATHER CLOUD DISTRICT 28

SEN. BETH MIZELL DISTRICT 12

SEN. SHARON HEWITT DISTRICT 1

MVPS

HOUSE

REP. BEAU BEAULLIEU DISTRICT 48

REP. GABE FIRMENT DISTRICT 22 REP. BARBARA FREIBERG DISTRICT 70 REP. BRYAN FONTENOT DISTRICT 55 REP. RICK EDMONDS DISTRICT 66

REP. RYAN BOURRIAQUE DISTRICT 47 REP. RHONDA BUTLER DISTRICT 38 REP. DEWITH CARRIER DISTRICT 32 REP. PAULA DAVIS DISTRICT 69

REP. MARY DUBUISSON DISTRICT 90 REP. PHILLIP DEVILLIER DISTRICT 41 REP. JEAN-PAUL COUSSAN DISTRICT 45

100 100 HOUSE MVPS

REP. JONATHAN GOUDEAU DISTRICT 31 REP. SCOTT MCKNIGHT DISTRICT 68

REP. JOHN ILLG DISTRICT 78

REP. MIKE HUVAL DISTRICT 46 REP. BARRY IVEY DISTRICT 65

REP. RAY GAROFALO DISTRICT 103 REP. MIKE JOHNSON DISTRICT 27

REP. JACK MCFARLAND DISTRICT 13

REP. FOY GADBERRY DISTRICT 15 REP. WAYNE MCMAHEN DISTRICT 10

REP. TIM KERNER DISTRICT 84 REP. BOB OWEN DISTRICT 76

HOUSE MVPS

SENATE ALL-STARS

BUCKET LIST

Honey Brake Lodge attracts outdoor enthusiasts almost as numerous as its ducks

BY ASHLEY GORDON

PHOTOS BY THE CONFLUENCE GROUP

TUCKED AWAY JUST south of Jonesville sits 20,000 acres of land that was once part of Louisiana Delta Plantation—the largest row crop farming operation in the world at one time. Today, the land is brimming with trees, ponds and marsh and attracts wildlife including waterfowl, deer, alligators and even wild hogs. A far cry from the once leveled fields. Now, it is a pilgrimage destination for the avid outdoorsman with an array of recreational opportunities all on one property. And it’s made a name for itself. Written up, filmed, photographed and heralded, Honey Brake Lodge is one of the South’s premier hunting havens, smack dab in the middle of Louisiana.

“Honey Brake has become an outdoor bucket list destination,” says Drew Keeth, CEO of Honey Brake. “People fly in from all over the country.”

And it’s no wonder. Honey Brake is nestled on the banks of Larto Lake and its tributaries, 13 miles from Catahoula Lake and 16 miles from the Mississippi River. This location has been brimming with ducks and geese for centuries, but now all waterfowl enthusiasts have access to what was once only known and hunted by locals. Honey Brake’s 13,800-squarefoot lodge houses guests along with three 1,800-square-foot cabins and 10 2,500-square-foot cabins. More than 1,200 clients come through the lodge during the peak months of November, December and January. Hunts take place in the morning, with guides and dogs, and recreational activities fill up the afternoon including

clay shooting, fishing and kayaking, trail riding, bird watching and more. And the exceptional cuisine is served morning, noon and night.

“We actually have a lot of repeat clients,” says Keeth. “So we are continually looking for ways to improve the experience. We are always making it better.”

And making it better is what Honey Brake is all about. It is the largest Wetland Reserve Easement in the United States: a program of the Natural Resources Con servation Service to encourage successful and cost-effective restoration of farmed or converted wetlands. It is also the largest Ducks Unlimited waterfowl project in the country. In 2004, 850,000 trees were plant ed and shallow water levies were built in Phase One of the project. Phase 2 saw the planting of 350,000 trees in 2020. Keeth expects 250,000 trees to be planted during

the final phase in 2023. In addition, Keeth has spent the summer months building levies and creating additional habitats for wildlife. This involved 100,000 yards of embankments, 2,000 yards of excavation, 18 water control stations and 1600 acres of new shallow water acres.

“This summer has seen the most pro ductive change on Honey Brake in years,” says Keeth, who is on the Advisory Council for the LSU College of the Coast and Environment. He also works closely with Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries and the LSU School of Agriculture. His heart and soul are dedicated to the land, and he loves educating and exposing others to the beau ty and abundance of central Louisiana. “It has been a true blessing to make such an impact, not only for Louisiana but for the wildlife and conservation community in general.” 

BY MARIAH HERNANDEZ

SHAKE-UP Statewide

IT’S SAFE TO say that 2023 will be a pivotal year for the state of Louisiana. A new governor is certain, statewide offices from the top down are open due to term limits, three seats on the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) are up for grabs, and more than 20 seats are open for the governing body that will shape the future of Louisiana for decades to come. Additionally, sitting legislators have already begun announcing their statewide runs, and the rumor mill is churning on who will fill those seats, who is jumping to the upper chamber and who is stepping down.

No one needs to be reminded of all the lists Louisiana rests at the bottom of, but it’s important to understand how critical the 2023 election cycle is for our state if we take advantage of this op portunity for change. According to data from the Tax Foundation, Louisiana is ranked in the top 10 states for outbound migration. With COVID bringing about a surge in remote work, people have the

freedom to live and work anywhere— and they’re not choosing Louisiana. Our southern neighbors are passing us by—including our usual fail-safe Mis sissippi—as other states revamp their tax codes, provide a more educated workforce and create opportunities for businesses to thrive.

Louisiana can’t move forward without a significant change in leadership. We

SD 05 OPEN** SD 06 Sen. Bodi White SD 17 OPEN** SD 19 Sen. Gary Smith SD 21 Sen. Bret Allain SD 22 Sen. Fred Mills SD 23

President Page Cortez SD 37

Sen. Barrow Peacock SD 39 Sen. Greg Tarver

can’t overcome the age-old obstacles holding us back without electing people willing to lead the way. That change is knocking on our door next year. It’s time for Louisiana to have a state gov ernment that reflects our entrepreneur ial spirit, that champions policies that create economic opportunity and sus tained growth, and that is committed to change and bucking the status quo.

Consider what issues matter the most to you when you walk into that voting booth. For many, it might be education reform, infrastructure or the economy. For others, it might be crime, health care or tax reform. What would you like to see changed in Louisiana? Take the time to educate yourself on the candi dates and their platforms. And then let those running know what you expect

NEED TO KNOW

out of them if elected. Stay informed and voice your concerns. Truly engage in the electoral process—the future of our state depends on it.

2023 is sure to be a year of hotly contested races with no shortage of political theater. See the charts below to look at the term-limited seats guaran teed to change hands next year: is your legislator one of them? 

HD 05

Rep. Alan Seabaugh HD 11 Rep. Patrick Jefferson HD 23 Rep. Kenny Cox HD 25 Rep. Lance Harris HD 43 Rep. Stuart Bishop HD 44 Rep. Vincent Pierre HD 46 Rep. Mike Huval HD 56 Rep. Gregory Miller HD 57 Rep. Randal Gaines HD 64 Rep. Valarie Hodges HD 65 Rep. Barry Ivey HD 81 Speaker Schexnayder HD 95 Rep. Sherman Mack HD 103 Rep. Raymond Garofalo HD 104 Rep. Paul Hollis

Heart THE Matter OF THE

How a free screening saved my brother’s life

BY MARY BETH HUGHES

YOU READ THE terrible news stories: stories that reveal heartwrenching details of last moments and of vibrant lives cut short. A teen football player—Anywhere, U.S.A.—collapses on the field and ultimately dies of a heart condition. A condition that no one, including his parents and physician, knew about. Regular health screenings and athletic physicals didn’t catch it. And the athlete was in the prime of life. The picture of health. Gone.

I’m so very thankful that wasn’t my brother’s story.

But it could have been. My brother Sam’s heart was enlarged to three times the normal size and had two holes by the age of 18. The outward appearance of optimal physical health masked a life-threatening condition—one that could have led to Sam’s name in the headline of a tragic news story. Thanks to a non-mandatory heart screen by Louisiana Pediatric Cardiology Foundation (LPCF), it was caught before it was too late.

“I never dreamed there would be an issue with my heart scan, much less an issue this serious,” says Sam, now pursuing a master’s degree at LSU after graduating from Mississippi College in May. “I’m thankful every day that I chose to get that screen because otherwise I would have never known.”

That year, LPCF offered free heart screenings at Sam’s school, Denham Springs High. LPCF is a non-profit organization that partners with multiple high schools around Louisiana to screen athletes at those that offer organized sports at the high school level. When students sign up for a free screening, each athlete receives an EKG and echocardiogram, both analyzed by a local pediatric cardiologist. Our mother Anna was surprised to get a follow-up call a few weeks later revealing that Sam’s screening

showed an abnormality in his heart. A subsequent meeting with cardiologist Dr. Rufus Hixon exposed even greater concerns: Sam had an atrial septal de fect (ASD), commonly known as a hole in the heart. The ASD was so large that it didn’t create a murmur. Open heart surgery was scheduled at Texas Chil dren’s Hospital in Houston.

“We had absolutely no indication that Sam had a heart condition. It was terrifying,” our mom admits. “But we consider ourselves so fortunate that it was caught in time. Dr. Hixon said he could have been dead by 40.”

The surgery itself uncovered an additional ASD plus an extremely enlarged heart. Our whole family credits LPCF with saving Sam’s life.

“All students need an athletic physical to partic ipate in sports at any school in the state, but heart screens aren’t included,” says LPCF Director of Operations Angelle Bourgeois. “That’s why we think our program is so critical. So many heart conditions can only be detected with a heart screen.

In addition to administering heart screens, LPCF also provides grants to families who must travel for life-saving surgeries. Bourgeois’ own son has a complex congenital heart defect and underwent five open-heart surgeries in his first four years. She’s

a strong believer in the power of early detection, and she is buoyed by the lives the screenings ultimately save. Lives just like my brother Sam’s.

“That’s the message I want to get out to people. You could be the picture of health and have an underlying heart condition,” says Angelle. “Stories like Sam’s are why we do what we do.” 

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EVERY PRODUCT HAS A STORY. From the generations of family members who worked tirelessly to produce it to the men and women of today who are creating a brand for the future. Louisiana is a significant launching pad for innovation, creative inspiration and visionary solutions. We have companies here that are making a difference worldwide while others are dedicated to serving the people in their local communities. These products and services are Louisiana Made. But it is the people behind the brands who are leaving their stamp on our state. The ones who continue to inspire and build and grow. The ones who are dedicated to staying a Louisiana brand. It’s these people who have cultivated our past and are creating our future. Learn more about these Louisiana companies that we are proud to call our own.

CREST INDUSTRIES

A LOUISIANA LEGACY WITH A GLOBAL IMPACT .......................................... 78

BALLARD BRANDS

GREAT NATIONAL GROWTH WITH LOUISIANA COMMITMENT ................. 80

CATALYST BANK

A NEW NAME FOR NEW GROWTH .................................................................... 81

PORTEOUS, HAINKEL & JOHNSON

LOUISIANA-FOCUSED LAW, WITH STRONG CLIENT COMMITMENT ........ 82

THE CENTER FOR LITERACY & LEARNING

30 YEARS OF EQUIPPING TEACHERS AND FAMILIES TO EXCEL 84

OCHSNER HEALTH

PANDEMIC PIVOT: CREATING JOBS AND PROTECTING WORKERS 86

EXXONMOBIL

JET OIL MADE ON LOCAL SOIL 88

CREST INDUSTRIES

A LOUISIANA LEGACY WITH A GLOBAL IMPACT

FOUNDED IN 1958, Crest Industries is a company rooted in its people and built around progress. But how does a familyowned electrical supply store grow into a national operating company helping to expand American infrastructure and serve clients around the world?

“Crest was founded on the principles of integrity and doing whatever we can to deliver when our customers need it most,” says Kenneth Robison, Crest Industries CEO and Owner. “My father, Tucker, started Mid-State Supply Company in Alexandria, but he traveled around Louisiana meeting clients where they were – literally going the extra mile to serve our customers.”

Those customers were so impressed by the level of service and quality they received from Tucker that they asked him to consider manufacturing larger components for their electrical distribution and transmission projects. After expanding

operations to do just that, Crest Industries was born in 1972.

“That customer-centered mindset led to growing our business, expanding our footprint, and diversifying our companies,” says Robison.

Crest is engrained with an entrepreneurial mindset that continuously delivers on customers’ needs.

“Despite our rapid growth, we’re still a family-owned and operated business, and we live by the same core values established in 1958,” Robison says. “At Crest, we own doing the right thing, we win together, we question the status quo, and we rise to the challenge. Those values and our unique culture help us to recruit and retain the right people who share our commitment to walking the talk and creating a better future for our teams, our communities, and beyond.”

Today, the Crest Industries family of companies spans nine businesses and several industries. From natural resource management to industrial services, distribution, electric power delivery, specialty chemicals, and manufacturing,

The Crest team takes pride in investing in technology, programs, and training to equip and grow its team members personally and professionally.

“We have a great Louisiana-based team – our roots are here, and there’s no doubt the soul of our company is Louisiana

Team member walks through a windfarm substation designed and engineered by Beta Engineering teams in Pineville, LA, and San Diego, CA.

“Crest was founded on the principles of integrity and doing whatever we can to deliver when our customers need it most.”

– Kenneth Robison, Crest Industries CEO and Owner

strong,” says Carol Hendrix, Chief Human Resources Officer at Crest Industries.

“Like everyone else, we’ve seen the recent difficulties affecting our workforce, but we are made for these kinds of challenges,” explains Sarah Sasser, Crest Industries’ Director of Talent Management. “In times like these, our company’s leadership, culture, and values allow us to remain flexible, support our teams, and lean into opportunities to question the status quo.”

“We actively pursue continuous improvement with an eye on the future because we know the work we do today strengthens our foundation and paves the way for a successful and sustainable tomorrow,” shares Robison.

Confidently relying on their values to navigate challenges and growth, Crest Industries stands steadfast and empowers the next generation of the workforce. The team has built more than 25 long-standing programs and community partnerships

across the state. From elementary to collegiate levels, the Crest team passionately provides funds, guidance, and support to Louisiana schools to grow robotics, engineering, and welding programs from the ground up. They build strategic partnerships with other local organizations to help achieve their purpose of challenging and empowering individuals and organizations to grow beyond what they believe is possible.

“Crest Industries believes in winning together and celebrating those around us,” Robison says. “Our teams and communities are at the heart of everything we do because we believe the path towards progress should be a united effort.”

Scan the QR code or visit madeforthechallenge. com/louisiana-made to see the Crest Industries team in action and learn more about how they are impacting their industries, customers, and communities across the country.

Crest Industries CEO and Owner, Kenneth Robison, in front of a Factory-Built Substation at the DIS-TRAN Packaged Substations manufacturing facility located at the Central Louisiana Regional Port.

Crest Industries’ DIS-TRAN Products, later known as DIS-TRAN Steel and DIS-TRAN Packaged Substations, opens first manufacturing facility in Alexandria in 1965.

BALLARD BRANDS

NEW ORLEANS-BASED hospitality group

Ballard Brands is bringing jobs to Louisiana through its expansion of brands like PJ’s Coffee, WOW American Eats, New Orle ans Roast, Ballard Hospitality and Ideation Hospitality. With the acquisition of Garces Restaurant Group, the company anticipates bringing Garces Trading Company and Buena Onda featuring James Beard Award winner and Iron Chef Jose Garces, to Louisi ana within two years.

Ballard Brands was formed by brothers Paul, Steven and Scott Ballard. In addition to restaurant operations, management and franchising, it has a catering and special events business and a coffee and tea busi ness. These four primary lines of business are managed from its headquarters in Mandeville.

The success of PJ’s Coffee has been an especially high point. In 2022, PJ’s Cof fee was ranked #108 in Fastest Growing Franchises and #280 in the Entrepreneur Franchise 500. Additionally, PJ’s ranked #48 for Fast Casual’s Movers and Shakers Awards, and it received the Satisfaction Award for Top Franchises with Franchise Business Review.

The retail coffeehouse chain was founded in 1978 with a single shop in the Carrollton neighborhood of New Orleans. Today, there are more than 155 units in operation within the United States, as well as four interna tional units, and the average unit volume is approximately $910,000.

New Orleans Roast also got its start in New Orleans, just blocks from the French Quarter, in 2008. It offers products and ser vices to a wide variety of customers restau rants, food service management companies, hotels and lodging, convenience and pe troleum stores, offices and more. There are agreements underway to bring the brand into new areas of the country in 2023.

WOW American Eats, mainly positioned on college campuses, continues to be a fan favorite. The concept features fresh, never-frozen chicken, with wings, tenders, burgers, salads and wraps highlighting the menu. With roughly 55 locations, the brand anticipates opening more combined locations of WOW American Eats and PJ’s Coffee across Louisiana campuses in the upcoming year.

In 2018, Ballard Brands expanded its restaurant holding through the acquisition

of Garces Restaurant Group which includes several successful Latin-American concepts in the northeast, including Amada, Distrito, Village Whiskey, JG Domestic, Volvér, The Olde Bar, Buena Onda, Amada, Distrito and Garces Trading Company, a collection of casual cafes.

This year, Ideation Hospitality announced the franchising of Buena Onda Baja Taque ria. After opening two new flagship Buena Onda locations in Philadelphia in August, Ideation Hospitality aims to bring the concept to Louisiana soon. Louisiana locations are also expected for Garces Trading Company.

Over the years, Ballard Hospitality has focused on disaster relief efforts, becoming a leader in mass care/emergency response and remote site hospitality solutions. Formed in 2005 as a result of Hurricane Ka trina and expanded upon in 2010 following the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Ballard Hospitality provided nearly 50,000 meals across several parishes for emergency responders and residents in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida last year. In 2021, Ballard Brands was honored with the Oscar J. Tolmas Charitable Trust Business of the Year Award by Junior Achievement.

Scott Ballard, Paul Ballard and Steven Ballard

Jude Ramsay, Acadiana Market President; Simone Perry, Chief Credit Officer; Amanda Quebedeaux, Director of Operations; Joe Zanco, President and Chief Executive Officer; Tressa M. Fontenot, Retail Operations Manager; Wendy Jones, Retail Team Leader/Branch Manager; Blair Green, Director of Marketing; and Byron St. Andre, Property Manager

CATALYST BANK

A NEW NAME FOR NEW GROWTH

CATALYST BANK’S NAME might be only months old, but the history and people behind this great financial institution go back a century. Formerly St. Landry Homestead, previous generations of its bankers overcame the Great Depression, World War II, numerous oil and gas cycles and many other challenging times over the past 100 years. As the bank embarks on its second century of service, a new leadership team has transformed the company into a dynamic, business-focused bank making waves across Acadiana. Under the leadership of Joe Zanco, President and CEO, the bank’s mission is clear: to serve as catalysts for economic growth across the communities it serves.

“We believe jobs are key to building a better Acadiana,” says Zanco. “When we partner with businesses and help them grow, they create jobs, and more people have a chance to build a better life for their families.”

The bank’s transformation comes on the heels of its mutual to stock conversion in October 2021 whereby customers stepped up to help raise more than $50 million to expand operations. Over the past three

years, the company has added branches in Opelousas, Carencro and Lafayette. Catalyst also has locations in Eunice and Port Barre. Catalyst Bancorp, the holding company for the bank, is the only publicly traded company headquartered in St. Landry Parish. The company trades on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “CLST”.

“Our bankers are responsive, and they’re empowered to provide clients with tailormade solutions that work for them and their businesses.” Zanco indicates that’s precisely why Catalyst is having such success moving clients from much larger institutions.

In a world where megabanks control much of the industry, how does a locally based institution survive and thrive? Catalyst Bank’s competitive advantage lies in its team of bankers. “The fact that we’re able to make decisions quickly on a truly local level separates us from many of our larger competitors,” stated Zanco.

The bank’s customer growth over the past year has come from small- to mid-size business owners, as well as professionals such as engineers, attorneys, CPAs and medical practitioners. “Our loans and deposits aren’t much different from other banks,” says Zanco. “Our differentiator is our people. We’ve surrounded ourselves with dedicated men and women who always seek to go above and beyond for our customers.” The bank is quickly establishing a reputation with business owners for its dedication to service, timeliness and flexibility.

With strong leadership and staff, Catalyst is poised to become “the next great Acadiana bank.” “If you want to grow your business, if you want to help others build better lives, if you want to see economic growth right here in our community, come see us,” Zanco says.

235 North Court St., Opelousas, LA 70571 | 337-948-3033 | catalystbank.com

“Our bankers are responsive, and they’re empowered to provide clients with tailor-made solutions that work for them and their businesses.”

– Joe Zanco, Catalyst Bank President and CEO

THE LAW FIRM of Porteous, Hainkel & Johnson has deep roots in Louisiana, and along with the client benefits that come from nearly 100 years of experience, the firm offers attorneys in four offices across the state who are committed to being progressive and helping service their clients effectively and efficiently.

PHJ was founded in 1928, and the firm has a long history of success representing and defending local and national businesses, municipalities and insurance companies in cases involving property and casualty, commercial, construction, transportation, insurance coverage, retail/ premises liability, maritime, business litigation, labor and employment and appellate litigation.

“PHJ offers its clients the high-quality, personal service of a boutique law firm but is backed by the resources and capacity of a large firm,” PHJ Managing Partner Chase Chassaignac says. “We combine

PORTEOUS, HAINKEL & JOHNSON

LAW, WITH STRONG CLIENT COMMITMENT

traditional values, tireless work ethic, and attention to detail with high efficiency, new technology and deep commitments to our communities, clients and the practice of law to provide solutions that are carefully crafted to best serve our clients and their needs.”

With offices in New Orleans, Thibodaux, Covington and Baton Rouge, its attorneys are not limited to the regions in which they serve. The firm’s presence throughout the state allows its attorneys to have an intimate knowledge of judges and juries in all jurisdictions. The firm’s geographic diversity also is a major factor in helping to keep costs down for clients. PHJ’s lawyers also take pride in being involved in their communities both in and outside of the legal profession. The development of meaningful connections with members of the community, other attorneys, business leaders, judges, and charitable organizations helps keep the firm well

rounded and informed on issues that directly impact its clients.

PHJ’s attorneys realize that successful outcomes of a matter or at trial and beyond depend on availability, immediate response, and diligence long before any lawsuit may be filed. The firm strives to quickly and effectively equip its clients with all the information, advice and tools needed to properly evaluate their unique situation and make informed decisions in moving the matter forward.

“Our mission is not only to effectively represent clients, but also to build meaningful, lasting relationships.” says Nick Gristina, a partner in the New Orleans office. “An important part of accomplishing that is recognizing each client and legal matter is unique with different needs and goals.”

Many cases are resolved in the courtroom, either through motion practice or at trial. Its lawyers are skilled in

Matt Mann, Kellye Grinton and Chase Chassaignac

identifying the issues that are suitable for disposition in motion practice, preparing briefs that succinctly state positions and effectively advocate, and in arguing those motions to the court.

PHJ’s lawyers are also known for their expertise in negotiating successful outcomes for clients at mediation and arbitration.

Over the years, PHJ has continued to adapt to changes in the law and the industry. It is on the cutting edge of legal technology and uses it to streamline the handling of cases and be more responsive to clients’ needs. “Legal technology is always improving, which greatly benefits our clients in several areas,” says Jim Nieset, a partner in the New Orleans office. “A great tech platform allows us to be more cost efficient, enhance client communication, manage workflow, optimize legal research and increase security of confidential client information.”

PHJ is also committed to continuing to advocate for an improved legal climate for

business and industry, which was a passion of former Managing Partner Adrianne Landry Baumgartner, who passed away in June 2022 following a long illness. Baumgartner became an active member of LABI in 1978, and over the years served as a member of the Civil Justice Reform Council and its steering committee, in addition to LABI’s Board of Directors and

LABI’s Executive Committee. Additionally, she was LABI’s 2020 Ed Steimel Achievement Award winner.

Matt Mann, a partner in the Baton Rouge office, says “Our firm and attorneys are committed to continuing her legacy and passion for advocating for a better legal climate for business, industry and our communities.” 704 Carondelet Street, New Orleans, LA 70130

Adrienne Rachel, Eleanor Wall, Chase Chassaignac, Rose Rees and Justin Delaune

Michele Barreca, Sara LaRosa and Michelle Ducote (front), Nick Gristina, Greg Angelico and Leroy Carter (back)

CENTER FOR LITERACY & LEARNING 30 YEARS OF EQUIPPING TEACHERS AND FAMILIES TO EXCEL

WITH MORE THAN 300 years of combined experience in K-12 and early childhood education, The Center for Literacy & Learning’s staff has an unwavering belief that it can help shift the trajectory of poor literacy outcomes for our state’s youngest learners, and it is hoping to move the discussion from the classroom to the community.

Only 26 percent of Louisiana’s fourthgrade students are reading proficiently, ranking the state 49th in the nation, according to the 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress, the latest results available. Low literacy rates are linked to lasting consequences affecting our communities.

“We know from research that from birth to 8 years old, or third grade, is a critical stage in life for reading and language development. It is in these formative years

that we learn to read, so that, beyond third grade, we can read to learn,” says Dr. John Wyble, CEO for The Center. “We understand the implications of low literacy rates are much broader; and the solutions are not merely academic, but they’re collaborative.”

Students struggling in literacy at that third-grade marker are less likely to graduate high school, which then affects their lifetime earning potential, as well as business and industry’s ability to have an employable workforce, Wyble says.

The Center for Literacy & Learning, previously the Center for Development and Learning, is an educational nonprofit focused on closing the achievement gap among students by increasing teacher effectiveness and reaching families through community efforts. The agency is celebrating its 30th anniversary this

year, as well as the 28th anniversary of its annual conference, Plain Talk About Literacy and Learning® Institute, hosted in New Orleans. The conference is one of the largest gatherings of its kind, attracting the top experts on literacy research, instruction and early childhood development, as well as educators from 40 states and numerous countries.

The Center’s staff understands that it is critically important to get the latest research on literacy and the science of reading into the hands of Louisiana educators. Last year’s Plain Talk conference attracted 1,800 participants, and this year, the agency predicts attendance will top 2,000, says DeJunné Clark Jackson, recently named President for The Center. And, what’s even more notable, she says, is that attendance from Louisiana’s educators has grown from less than 1 percent to approximately 44

3500 North Causeway Boulevard, Suite 1240, Metairie, LA | 883.792.1874 | mycll.org

DeJunné Clark Jackson and Dr. John Wyble

percent of attendees in the last year.

“The caliber of information that flows through the conference is top-notch,” Clark Jackson says. “When educators are being trained on structured literacy, or the science of reading, and they open a manual or read a book or a research paper, those writers and those contributors are the presenters at the Plain Talk conference.”

Additionally, The Center is working to ensure it has the data to track its progress, and that there is accountability regarding the access to, and spending of, historic levels of funding made available to the state for education following the COVID-19 pandemic. The Center also works to lead change and reform at the legislative level, by supporting policy that is research and data informed.

“We believe one of the best things that we can do as a leader for Louisiana and beyond is to ensure that those decision makers are being held accountable through data and a discipline to models that we know work,” Wyble says.

A 360-degree approach – involving educators, families, business, industry and the community as a whole – is what is going to be necessary to make sustainable, impactful improvements in the area of literacy. Wyble says his agency has spent

any level of investment, including through The Center’s Louisiana Reads! program, which promotes at-home reading through book distribution and direct service to families. To date, Louisiana Reads! has distributed more than 3,000 books, mainly in the Baton Rouge and New Orleans areas due to the location of funders. The hope is to gain more funding to answer the calls to bring the program into other parts of the state, Clark Jackson says.

— Dr. John Wyble, The Center for Literacy & Learning CEO

time building models and mechanisms to look at data, to collect data that wasn’t being collected otherwise, and to be able to answer the tough questions that decision makers are asking.

For business and industry, there are opportunities to partner with The Center at

Through community partnerships, The Center can also help to ensure that teachers in a specific area or region are getting the latest innovative instructional support and guidance.

“Time is of the essence,” Wyble says. “For that family of a child who is struggling to read, it’s their whole life we’re talking about, it’s their whole world. When you put it in that perspective, and view it through that lens, we must do our very best to get it right.”

3500 North Causeway Boulevard, Suite 1240, Metairie, LA | 883.792.1874 | mycll.org

Dr. John Wyble

“We understand the implications of low literacy rates are much broader; and the solutions are not merely academic, but they’re collaborative.”

OCHSNER HEALTH

PANDEMIC PIVOT: CREATING JOBS AND PROTECTING WORKERS

OCHSNER HEALTH’S CORE mission has always been caring for patients and the community it serves, and that means having to be innovative and overcome challenges to continue providing that care – especially during a global pandemic.

After the first reports of COVID-19 in Louisiana, the state’s healthcare systems were called to be first responders, but they faced supply chain challenges, particularly getting the necessary personal protective equipment, or PPE, like gloves, masks and gowns, to protect patients and themselves—all mostly manufactured overseas.

Ochsner Health responded immediately by developing its own prototypes, approaching unconventional manufacturers to produce them, and ultimately creating a new business venture to manufacture those supplies itself and improve America’s healthcare supply resiliency.

Today, SafeSource Direct is the only U.S. provider-owned PPE manufacturer with U.S. provider-owned quality control—and the products are being manufactured on U.S. soil in Louisiana. Ochsner’s stake in SafeSource Direct is managed through Ochsner Ventures, which oversees Ochsner’s strategic investments and creates new diversified businesses to solve industry challenges and support Ochsner’s mission to positively impact the communities it serves.

“We wanted to control our own destiny and ensure we had the supplies we needed to keep our care teams and patients safe,” says Aimee Quirk, CEO of Ochsner Ventures. At the start of the pandemic, Quirk was leading innovationOchsner, which had a 3D lab that could do rapid prototyping. Within a week of the first reports of COVID in Louisiana, Quirk and her team were tasked with

helping augment the supply of PPE that Ochsner was able to get through traditional channels. Quirk and her team went to work developing things like face shields, masks and gowns.

They contacted several local manufacturers that normally produce clothing items and furniture and put them back to work making PPE for Ochsner according to precise design specifications, while the system’s Supply Chain team continued to work to maximize supply from traditional sources.

“We knew that wasn’t going to be enough long term,” Quirk says. “We leveraged this crisis as a catalyst for creating healthcare supply chain resilience, not only for Ochsner, but for all America’s healthcare providers and other businesses that rely on PPE.”

Ochsner sought out a partner with expertise in manufacturing and began evaluating the possibilities. Ultimately,

200 St. Nazaire Road, Broussard, LA 70518 | 337.210.7920 | www.safesourcedirect.com

Ochsner Health partnered with Trax Development on a joint venture to create SafeSource Direct. The company currently operates two manufacturing facilities in Broussard, La., where thousands of gloves, masks, and other PPE are produced every day.

Quirk’s team reached the answer that they could manufacture the necessary PPE items themselves and help provide relief in this area.

“We reached the conclusion that, with our partners, we could do it. While we certainly knew that creating a new venture like this would come with challenges, we decided to take it on because we felt an obligation to do everything we could so our physicians and care teams wouldn’t have to worry about PPE and instead could focus only on providing the best care for our patients,” Quirk says.

In just one year, SafeSource Direct has built up two different factories in Broussard, Louisiana. An existing facility that was retrofitted and expanded upon makes PPE including masks, gowns and bouffant caps, while a second factory built from the ground up makes nitrile gloves. The nitrile glove plant contains two lines producing an astounding 27,000 gloves per hour, with an additional 14 lines becoming operational in 2023. At that time, SafeSource Direct

will be among the largest manufacturers of nitrile gloves in America.

SafeSource Direct has filled more than 700 new jobs and is increasing staffing in all areas. In total, LED projects the company will create some 2,200 total new direct and indirect jobs within the next two years.

Besides addressing Ochsner’s own shortage of PPE, the Ochsner team knew that others around the country, in healthcare and other industries, were facing the exact same need. “The shortages we faced were not unique to Ochsner or to the healthcare industry,

so we recognized that this Louisianabased business could meaningfully add to domestic supply chain resilience that is an imperative for our country,” Quirk says. “In terms of quality, our doctors and infectious disease experts have been involved at every step of the way and helping to ensure SafeSource’s products are of the highest quality. There’s confidence in that.”

Quirk points out that the business venture is 100 percent American owned, not just located here. This type of manufacturing leads to more socially and environmentally responsible business practices – with American working standards in place, reduced shipping costs for customers and less carbon emissions from not having to ship product overseas.

“Those are all attributes that our customers find important and assuring as they consider our products and agree to become a customer,” Quirk says. “We are proud to have a role in helping to bring this new business into existence right here in Louisiana.”

Aimee Quirk, CEO of Ochsner Ventures, played a key leadership role in the development of SafeSource Direct.

EXXONMOBIL

JET OIL MADE ON LOCAL SOIL

ONE IN TWO airplanes in the sky are using a product that’s made by ExxonMobil right here in Port Allen, Louisiana. Mobil Jet Oil II is a jet engine lubricant that’s used in a wide variety of aircraft, including commercial and military, and it’s specifically designed to work under extreme operating conditions. In fact, ExxonMobil’s Port Allen Aviation Plant is the only producer of the Mobil Jet Oil product line in the world. While the plant produces three grades of Mobil jet oil, Mobil Jet Oil II is the most popular.

“The product is designed to have characteristics to help with the heat transfer from oil-cooled engine parts,” says James Wells, operations manager. “As the airplanes are flying in the sky, they’re subjected to extreme conditions. Ultimately, the Jet Oil is what is keeping the engines cool and operating within their design parameters.”

Wells explains that the manufacturing process is fairly simple and involves receiving raw materials into the Port Allen Aviation Plant via a dedicated fleet of rail

cars from the ExxonMobil Baton Rouge Chemical Plant. “We use a dedicated fleet, because it’s critically important that we keep the esters, or raw materials, clean and avoid any sort of contamination,” Wells says.

The esters go through a manufacturing process where they are blended with a series of additives. “We use an inline blending process, which continuously

sure they match their specifications and there was no contamination in transit. After the blending process, further testing is conducted to make sure the finished product meets specification and is mixed properly. Testing is also conducted throughout the packaging process.

“We run a fairly major packaging operation here too,” Wells says. Jet Oil is mainly packaged in quart cans and 55-gallon drums; the plant has state-ofthe-art mistake proofing equipment to ensure that packaging components are clean and have the right branding as part of this process.

mixes the raw materials together at the right treat rate and ensures that we produce an on-specification and homogenous finished product,” Wells says.

Extensive lab testing happens along the way to ensure product quality. All raw materials are tested as they arrive to make

“Our brand and product integrity standards are critically important for aviation products,” Wells says. “Our systems and highly competent operators ensure that we are putting out a perfect product, every time.”

“Myself, and all the team,” Wells says, “We have an immense amount of pride knowing that the job that we do is critical to society. The ongoing operation of our plant is critical to keeping people flying!”

4045 Scenic Hwy., Baton Rouge, LA 70805 | exxonmobilbr.com

“Our brand and product integrity standards are critically important for aviation products.”

– James Wells, ExxonMobil Operations Manager

James Wells, Operations Manager; Bonnie Eckhart, Southeast Cluster Manager; and Terry Paul, Plant Operator

Hometown

Trish Leleux’s thriving company adds to her community advocacy

“I’M A HUGE royal family fan,” Trish Leleux admits the Friday morning after Queen Elizabeth passed away in mid-Sep tember. “I’ve watched all the shows. I’ve watched all the movies. I’ve watched all the weddings. I’ve watched all the funer als.”

“Wow,” says Al Quartemont, her cohost on ‘TalkBack with Al & Trish’ at KSLY-AM in Alexandria.

“Yea.”

“See I’m on the opposite side,” Quarte mont reveals slowly, and the two go back and forth—on air—discussing a topic that hit water-cooler conversations hard all over the world. Are you or are you not interested in the British royals? It was the perfect start to a Friday morning.

Every weekday at 7 a.m.—after early hours spent reading as many headlines as she can—Trish Leleux puts headphones over her long, wavy hair, waits for the cue, then leans into a microphone at KSLY to begin the morning banter with Quartemont on central Louisiana’s longest running talk show. The duo discusses everything from cultural events (the Queen Mum’s passing) to world news (the war in Ukraine) to regional happenings and local reports. It’s an entertaining and informative two hours for listeners, and it has been an encouraging and invigorating morning routine for Leleux since April 2021. A fresh, new morning routine in fact, because she had no radio experience at all when she started.

BY ASHLEY GORDON

But those kind of details don’t deter Leleux.

“The station came to me to ask if I would co-host the show, and I thought, ‘Why not?’” Leleux recalls. “We try to fill in the gaps on news and events because Alexandria doesn’t have a daily paper anymore. We want to keep the public informed.”

Leleux and Quartemont have given air time to all of Cenla’s elected officials, from local to national. And the duo also stays up-to-date on anything happening in the area, because their listeners will be sure to bring topics up when they call in.

“We take live calls with no caller ID! It terrified me at first, but people want an outlet to express their opinion, whatever

Trish Leleux

COLLIN RICHIE PHOTOGRAPHY

their opinion may be,” says Leleux. “It’s taught me to grow a tougher skin and be reminded that not everyone thinks the same way. It’s also been one more way to connect with my community.”

And “community” is important to Leleux. In fact, it’s in her genes. While growing up in rural Ohio, she watched her grandparents run their own business—Sh reiner Sole Company—and stay involved with the community around them. But it wasn’t until her grandparents passed away, and the local paper printed a fea ture story about how much they meant to the community, that Leleux realized the impact they had. It was far greater than just the business Leleux’s grandparents ran. It was about relationships.

“I definitely get my entrepreneurial drive from them,” says Leleux. “But I made a decision to always consider my community as well. That’s why I framed the article about my grandparents and have it hanging in my office. It’s the first thing I hung on the wall.”

Leleux’s office—on Texas Avenue in Alexandria—is surrounded by a number of locally owned businesses, which is in keeping with her career (a career not in radio, although her office is just buildings away from KSLY). Leleux owns The Trish Leleux Group, a real estate brokerage firm she launched in 2019 after 20 years spent as a real estate agent. Today, with 10 licensed agents and a support staff, she thrives on giving her full attention to clients while maintaining positive relationships.

“My vision of my company is very different than that of typical real estate firms,” says Leleux. “In real estate, every other agent is competition. However, I want my agents to work together, to mentor each other and to step in when an other person needs help. There’s enough business out there for everyone. Everyone can be successful if we all work together.”

Leleux recognizes the importance of relationship building and support, because buying and selling a home can be a very stressful and a very personal time for clients. Real estate agents must be available and knowledgable at all times.

Leleux believes that being a woman busi ness owner in this industry informs her business model.

“What women bring to the table is different. We often create an environ ment that is more like a family, and more team oriented,” says Leleux, who is well acquainted with being part of a team—she has four children with husband Todd, who is also a business owner. “What is my big ‘Why?’ As mothers and women, it is a nat ural and appropriate statement to answer that we do what we do for our family. But if we are given permission to look outside of that thought, we can also make a big difference in our community and in our personal growth.”

Leleux has taken her grandparents’ community involvement to heart and delved deep into local activism through

her work on numerous boards, her in volvement chairing multiple events, and her championing of the central Louisi ana community. She’s been awarded the Hometown Hero Award, The Giordana Hope and Peace Award, and the Junior League of Alexandria Sustainer of the Year Award among others. And she couples the community involvement with the day-to-day operations of running a thriving business that also touches local residents in a very personal way.“This is really what gets me out of bed in the morning,” says Leleux. “It’s not me and my success but it is all the people outside of this. It’s all the personal stories and connections,” says Leleux. “When you are doing things for the right reason, and you know that’s why you are doing it, then it makes all the difference.” 

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

The Danos headquarters inspires collaboration, creativity and a focus on community

BY ASHLEY GORDON

PHOTOS BY COLLIN RICHIE

THE TWO-STORY Great Room at the Danos headquarters in Gray, Louisiana looks more like an oversized coffee shop—complete with comfy leather sofas, ample tables for individual conversations, and overstuffed chairs—instead of the central gathering space for this worldclass oilfield service provider, celebrating 75 years of business this year. It’s a place where the 150 members of the Danos team in Gray can gather for lunch and casual meetings, and it’s also where Danos can host community events and parties. The Great Room was an essential element when planning and designing the current Danos headquarters: employees are considered family here.

The Great Room includes multiple seating spaces, a company history timeline and a staircase created to reflect an oil rig platform.

Hank Danos with sons Mark, Paul and Eric (from left) in front of the Danos History Wall.

“Our prior headquarters in LaRose included a com mon kitchen where everyone would get together and meet up,” says Eric Danos, Owner and CEO of Danos Ventures. Along with his father Hank, Eric and his brothers Paul and Mark run the company. “We want ed to create that in the Great Room. We had a vision. Even though our footprint has grown, we wanted to create a space to encourage people to establish rela tionships with each other.”

Together with Greg LaCour, an architect from Houma who was with Gensler at the time, the Danos family created a new 62,000-square-foot space on 11 acres of oak-laden land just north of Highway 90 be tween Houma and Thibodaux, still maintaining good access to the coast. MAPP Construction completed the job. In addition to the Great Room, the Danos headquarters includes staff-friendly amenities such as its Bayou Market, which offers lunches throughout the week to employees and guests. Coffee stations are strategically located throughout the building to encourage water-cooler conversations. And an on-site gym invites employees to be healthy and interact with others they don’t typically work with.

The Danos Purpose Wall is the first thing applicants see when filling out paperwork for a job. It is also visible as guests drive up thanks to back lighting.

“We wanted to create a culture where people liked to come to work,” says Eric. “Where they would want to engage, get creative and connect with our community.”

This positive, collaborative culture is intentional. In fact, it is clearly stated on Danos’ “Purpose Wall” in lettering that is back lit and can be seen from the street at night. The message is clear: “Honor God. Develop great people to solve big challeng es for our customers and communities.”

Applicants to Danos fill out paperwork in the room and are met with these words which drive the business.

“We wanted to be upfront with our pur pose,” says Eric. “We are very intentional about that. We want applicants to see the culture they are coming into.”

Applicants and vendors have access to the downstairs areas which include con ference rooms adjacent the Great Room. But once you become part of the Danos “family,” you have greater access to the

A cedar log was removed from the Danos grounds and sent to Mid City Handmade in New Orleans where it was processed, dried and then transformed into the 17-foot-long Founders Room table. The massive top, made from four cedar slabs from the one log, sits on three 18” steel drums.

At the back of a winding drive, beyond a number of towering trees and ample ponds stands Danos’ modern headquarters. Tall white columns give a subtle nod to the historic homes of Louisiana.

whole domain. The headquarters overall has a warm, industrial aesthetic with warm woods, distressed brick and metal used throughout. The blend of materials was designed to reflect Danos’ work in the industrial field. Louisiana sourced woods were used throughout. And its company history is prominently—and creatively— displayed on the Great Room wall.

“We didn’t want everything to be about where we are going, without looking at where we came from,” says Eric. “The founding men established the values of this company. We never want to walk away and forget that.”

The founding men include Eric’s grandfather Allen Danos Sr. and Syriaque Curole. The two men borrowed $2,000 in 1947 to start a small tugboat company, Danos and Curole. Working out of the Curole kitchen, with their two wives keeping the books, the men bought their first vessel and contracted their first cus tomer, Gulf Oil (later to become Chevron). When Curole passed away just 10 years later, Allen Danos Sr. took the reins. The 1960s saw steady growth, including the addition of a new customer, Tenneco Oil Company (later to become Chevron) and two new service lines—coatings and

shorebase labor—to meet the developing needs of its customers. In 1970, Allen Danos Sr. passed away, leaving the family business to his sons, 24-year-old Allen Jr. and 21-year-old Hank. The Danos boys purchased the ownership of Danos and Curole from the Curole family and contin ued to advance the company through the 1970s and ‘80s. New customers included Shell, LOOP and Esso (later to become Exxon) and two-additional service lines— construction and fabrication. During this time, the company established a signif icant culture of safety that is still para mount in Danos today. The 1990s brought great expansion in the international market, more service lines and more ma jor clients. And the 2000s brought even more change—Allen Danos Jr. retired and Hank’s sons Eric, Paul and Mark joined the family business. Today, Danos has more than 2,000 employees with 9 offices in Louisiana and Texas along with oper ations across in the Gulf of Mexico and North American shale plays. But these big operations don’t make the leadership team any less humble and grateful.

“No one sits in a corner office,” says Eric. “In fact, we took what was meant to be a corner office and turned it into

a lounge. We didn’t want anyone to be elevated above the others.”

On the corridor outside the executive offices is another wall with great meaning to the Danos company: The Honor Wall. Each year one employee from the Danos staff and one employee from the Danos

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The three-dimensional map wall on the upper floor of the Great Room is designed to be functional: it includes magnets so that they can pinpoint where Danos is working at any given time.

The Bayou Market adjacent to the Great Room serves hot and cold lunches a few days a week to Danos employees.

field team are selected for their values, purpose and exceptional service to the company. Their names and images are displayed prominently on the wall under the wording “Developing Great People to Solve Big Challenges.” It is another way for the Danos leadership to honor and

engage with all their employees. The challenges in their industry are great, and their teams must work well together and be creative. But from the room where applicants first enter the building to the executive corridor well behind closed doors, the focus on “purpose” permeates

“At the core, that’s what it’s all about,” says Eric. “Everything is about purpose for us. It all comes back to that.”

the Danos headquarters in Gray. Like everything else they aim to do, it’s inten tional.

A multi-layered wall in the corridor outside the executive offices highlights Danos employees who have been chosen for their values, purpose and excellent service to the company.

A full workout room offers employees access to health equipment while encouraging interaction between different departments.

After rescheduling the 2021 LABI Annual Meeting in the fall, it was great to be back at the Crowne Plaza for the 2022 LABI Annual Meeting. Sarah Thomas, the first female official in the NFL, was this year’s keynote speaker and did not disappoint. It was one of the biggest crowds in meeting history!

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ANNUAL MEETING RECEPTION

To kick off the 2022 LABI Annual Meeting festivities, the LABI team hosted an Annual Member and Legislator VIP Reception at the LABI Center for Free Enterprise. This event was a great opportunity for LABI members to mingle with legislators before the 2022 Regular Session.

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LACCE DAY AT THE CAPITOL

At the beginning of April, LABI hosted its local chamber partners for the Louisiana Chamber of Commerce Executive’s (LACCE) Day at the Capitol. They were recognized on the House and Senate Floors and even got to try their hand at virtual reality.

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LABI KICKED OFF the 2022 Legislative Regular Session with a “Back to Business” party as legislators returned to the Capitol. The night was filled with great food and even better music featuring After8 and the JGrayJazz Trio.

WASHINGTON MARDI GRAS

LABI was honored to host the 2022 Washington Mardi Gras Economic Development Luncheon in January.

Luncheon speakers included Congressman Garret Graves and several members of the Louisiana congressional delegation and LSU head coach Brian Kelly. Plus, with the help of Cheniere Energy, the event raised $150,000 for the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana.

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CENLA CHAMBER

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BEFORE THE LEGISLATIVE session kicked off this spring, LABI President and CEO Stephen Waguespack traveled around the state to visit with LABI’s chamber partners. He broke down which policy priorities LABI would focus on during session and what the chambers could expect as legislators returned to the Capitol.

LIVINGSTON PARISH CHAMBER

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MONROE CHAMBER

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PAC GOLF TOURNAMENT

In March, LABI members made the road trip to north Louisiana for the 2022 LABI PAC Golf Tournament held at Squire Creek Country Club.

EMERGING LEADERS COUNCIL

LABI’s Emerging Leaders Council (ELC) enjoyed a Day at the Capitol in April where they heard from Reps. Thomas Pressly, Kyle Green and SBA Regional Administrator Ted James followed by happy hour at the LABI Center for Free Enterprise. In August, the group met up in Alexandria at the Alexandria International Airport, took part in a tour of the 122-acre Union Tank Car facility, stayed at The Bentley Hotel and toured Central Louisiana Technical Community College.

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Balls of

FIRE Great

BY ASHLEY GORDON

LOUISIANA NATIVE JERRY Lee Lewis was finally inducted into the Coun try Music Hall of Fame in October at the age of 87. “The Killer” –his nickname due to his wild-man theatrics—was born in Fer riday and grew up playing the piano (and sneaking out to listen to rhythm and blues at Haney’s Big House) with his two cous ins, Mickey Gilley and Jimmy Swaggart. He played in his family’s church, The First Assembly of God, but he got kicked out of Southwest Bible Institute in Texas for put ting a little too much boogie-woogie in the hymn “My God is Real.” So Lewis launched straight into the burgeoning new rock and roll sound that was emerging in the early 1950s. And boy, could he entertain.

Lewis made his first recordings in 1956 at Sun Records in Memphis. He shot to fame with “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’

On” followed by major hits “Great Balls of Fire”, “Breathless” and “High School Con fidential.” In 1963 his first country album featured “Chantilly Lace.”

For Lewis, great success also came with great challenges: drugs, alcohol, personal tragedy, and scandal. (He did marry his 13-year-old cousin, after all.) But he per severed and remains one of the greatest showmen to ever grace the stage.

In 1986, Lewis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for some of the same songs that made him beloved on the Country charts. Hank Williams Jr. inducted Lewis onto that honor roll in the 1980s, and Williams also was Lewis’ inductee at the Country Music Hall of Fame event in 2022. It had been a long time coming for Lewis who, like Williams, was shut out of the Country Music Hall of

Fame for a time, possibly due to a history of hell raising. But getting inducted still meant so much to the man who once ushered in “the devil’s music” before ulti mately changing his wayward ways. Lewis couldn’t attend the induction in person due to poor health, so Williams read a prepared statement:

“To be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame is the highest honor in coun try music,” Lewis wrote. “Country has always been the genre where I felt most at home, between my fellow artists, radio and the industry players. I’m honored to be going into that Hall of Fame rotunda with some of my heroes.”

In fitting tribute, the McCrary Sisters nearly brought the house down with “My God is Real” as a nod to his Louisiana gospel roots. 