June 2019

FREE AREA FLOODING RAISES QUESTIONS FOR BUSINESSES

SEAFOOD AND AGRICULTURE

HB 335 REQUIRES RESTAURANT SEAFOOD TO BE LABELED

MOVERS AND SHAKERS IN OUR REGION

JUN

2019

It’s all in the

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JUNE 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE |

JUNE 2019 • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 6

TABLE OF CONTENTS PUBLISHER

IN EVERY ISSUE:

SPOTLIGHT ON: AGRICULTURE SEAFOOD &

10

LOCALS WATCHING AS WATER LEVELS RISE

04

GOVERNMENT UPDATE

SEAFOOD LABELING BILL GETS APPROVAL

06

OIL AND GAS UPDATE

08 22 24

FROM THE TOP

Residents, businesses concerned

13

HB 335 passes through the House and Senate

16

CURRENT SHRIMP SEASON BRINGS UNCERTAINTY TO LOCALS

19

SHADE TREES HELP WITH HEAT

20

MOIST-SOIL MANAGEMENT FEATURED AT WILDLIFE WORKSHOP

Wet year not helping local catches Planting tips for trees

La. 1 gets much needed funding Why are oil prices dropping?

Brian Rushing EDITORIAL Bonnie Rushing EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Mary Ditch MANAGING EDITOR

Casey Gisclair MANAGING EDITOR

Drew Miller CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Colin Campo CONTRIBUTING WRITER

CREATIVE

Earl Eues

Amber Duplantis SENIOR DESIGNER

BUSINESS NEWS

Nicholas Boutte GRAPHIC DESIGNER

News briefs

MOVERS & SHAKERS Headlines and accolades

Paul Guidry GRAPHIC DESIGNER

ADVERTISING Elise Falgout, Linda Pontiff, Deanne Ratliff, Lanie Roberts, Emily Rini

DIGITAL MEDIA SPECIALIST

How will migrating waterfowl be affected?

Monica Harrison

OFFICE/CIRCULATION MANAGER Michelle Ortego

SEAFOOD & AGRICULTURE

T

he Houma-Thibodaux area is quite bountiful when it comes to seafood and agriculture. One simple glance at the vendors packed into our area’s farmer’s markets and their overflowing produce and seafood gives you an idea of this thriving industry.

But with any industry, there comes a downfall. This year in particular for the shrimping industry is looking to be a hard one.

The excess water flowing into our state by way of the Mighty Mississippi and its bayous and tributaries isn’t the best recipe for success when it comes to catching shrimp. In this issue, we visit with local experts on how the rising waters are not helping their catches.

There is a bit of good news, however! Our legislature has been working to pass laws to protect the seafood industry. House Bill 335 requires Louisiana restaurants to label the country of origin of the seafood used in a given dish on their menu — if the catch is not from the United States. Local fishermen hope this will allow diners to make the choice to no longer consume foreign seafood, thereby giving the industry a boost in fighting imports.

The legislature also did their part in voting to provide funding to La. Highway 1 in Lafourche Parish. This road is the only way in or out of the lower end of the parish, particularly to Port Fourchon. Every time this vital stretch of road closes, it is estimated to cost the country $22 million in sales every hour. This

CUSTOMER SERVICE Kimberly Ross

new funding will help to elevate the highway and keep it out of the rising waters.

On the subject of rising waters, we take a closer look at how residents and businesses are preparing for the eventual opening of the Morganza Spillway. After pushing the opening date back several times, it was announced on June 6 that the spillway wasn’t going to open any time in the near future, with high water levels not expected until around June 15. As we know, this is always subject to change, so stay up to date with our newspaper, The Times of Houma-Thibodaux or online at HoumaTimes.com.

Bayou Business Monthly wouldn’t be your best business news source without our monthly columns including our Oil and Gas Update and Mover and Shakers. We are excited to bring back the column From the Top, a few quick questions for the people in charge. This month, we visit with Earl Eues, director of the Terrebonne Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. With hurricane season beginning on June 1, Eues offers us some quick tips for business owners in the face of the storm.

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GOVERNMENT UPDATE |

JUNE 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

L

4

BY CASEY GISCLAIR

ouisiana lawmakers have gone a long way this legislative session in securing the future of a vital stretch of highway in extreme southern Lafourche Parish.

HB 578, authored by local lawmaker Tanner Magee and sponsored by several other lawmakers around the state, has been approved by both the House and Senate. By the time this magazine hits newsstands, Gov. John Bel Edwards is expected to have signed it into law. In previous interviews, he’s expressed that he’d sign the bill, if it successfully passed through government.

The bill will invest about $700 million in BP Economic Damage monies to statewide highway needs. Of that $700 million, about $150 million of those funds will be dedicated to Phase II of the La. 1 Project, which will help complete an 8.3-mile stretch of elevated highway between Golden Meadow and Leeville to compliment the already-complete elevated highway in existence from Fourchon to Leeville.

Henri Boulet with the LA 1 Coalition said lawmakers’ passage of the bill marks a huge win for the Bayou Region and the state of Louisiana as a whole.

La. Highway 1 is the lone artery that provides vehicle traffic to and from Grand Isle and Fourchon — a local economic hub. But it easily is overtopped during storm events, which sometimes closes the port, which costs the country billions of dollars in lost revenue.

“Today’s concurrence is huge for the Bayou Region’s long-term economic sustainability, and consequently, our French culture’s sustainability,” Boulet said on June 4 on the day the bill received final approval. “As we all know, without the coastal jobs in our energy, seafood, tourism and restoration economies, many of our families would have to move north to find work, and moves like that break up the remaining French cultural events we all enjoy with our neighbors and communities. …Today’s concurrence provides confidence to companies providing critical jobs in the region and encouragement to incoming economic development projects like the Fourchon LNG and tremendous port investments like the proposed Drilling Rig Repair and Refurbishment Facility the port is working diligently on.”

State government investment into the project is step one in the completion of Phase II. Now, Boulet and others must move quickly to step two, which is getting Federal Government buy-in.

Boulet said the last estimate showed that the project would cost about $350 million total to complete, which means that the $150 million passage puts us about 43 percent of the way to a fully completed project.

The next step will come in Washington DC where Boulet and the LA 1 Coalition will work aggressively with Gov. Edwards and federal delegation to try and secure

matching funds from President Donald Trump and the United States Government via a U.S.D.O.T. INFRA grant.

If the United States Government does match Louisiana’s investment, that would bring funding to $300 million. The remaining $50 million would be raised through local/industry funds to close the gap.

Boulet said he does not know when President Trump will offer another round of INFRA grant applications, but said he and his team have worked diligently in recent months to prepare a competitive submission to be ready when that takes place.

Port Fourchon Executive Director Chett Chiasson and others in the industry have said repeatedly throughout the Trump Administration that he’s been more willing to work with the oil and gas industry than other regimes. At a recent stop at a LNG Facility in Lake Charles, President Trump said he “loved” Louisiana’s oil and gas industry.

“We love you people,” Trump said.

“We will work hard to make sure you have the support necessary to have a wonderful and bright future.”

The sustainability of La. Highway 1 truly is a national issue.

Southeastern Louisiana is at or below sea level, so when storm surge levels approach, the incoming waters easily overtake the road and force its closure.

Port Fourchon is a global energy hub, so its ebbs and flows directly impact the

energy landscape around the globe.

LSU professor and well-known economist Dr. Loren Scott conducted a study in 2014 to measure how much the highway means to the country.

In it, he estimated that the nation loses $22 million in sales every hour it’s shut down. In some storm events, the road closes for 5-6 days — and that’s with just grazing blows.

If we ever were to take a direct hit, the road could be closed for three weeks — if not more — a loss of billions of dollars in sales and earnings.

“I don’t think people realize the impact we have,” Chiasson said. “It’s difficult for the average person to understand the role that this little speck on the map has on everyone in our country.”

But national impacts aside, Boulet said local impacts are immeasurable, too.

He said without the oil and gas industry, this area would cease to exist — at least not in its current form.

The passage of funds will help ensure that locals can “let the good times roll” in our Bayou Community — now and into the future.

“I think we all want to continue to experience the great cook-outs, visiting, festivals, fishing, crabbing and the other great treasures of our bayou community,” Boulet said. “This helps us continue those traditions.”

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JUNE 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

OIL & GAS |

6

BY CASEY GISCLAIR

GLOBAL UNREST L

AFFECTING OIL

ast month, the oil and gas industry seemed poised for a price hike.

But flash forward 30 days to the present and prices are lower than they’ve been at any time in the past 3 months.

Why? Global politics are to thank for that.

Oil prices have tanked this month, dropping from $63/barrel levels in mid-May to $53/ barrel levels in early-June — a sizable drop that’s put some question into the future of the industry in the coming months.

The biggest reason for the dip is the “Trade War” the United States has entered into with China and, to a lesser extent, Mexico.

Those policy decisions have some in the market expecting the Chinese economy to suffer, which would cause a sharp hike in global demand, which has, thus, lowered the price.

“The prolonged trade war has sparked fears of a global economic slowdown as well as weaker oil demand,” Eastport, a tanker brokerage firm said in a statement on June 4.

“These concerns will have a significant impact on price.”

The “Trade War” is an ongoing headline throughout the President Donald Trump Administration.

When he took office, he identified several areas on the global market where he said the United States was being taken advantage of in trade, operating under long-time, long-term trade deals that put the nation at economic disadvantages.

President Trump has attempted to fix some of those deals, though, as has been his style, he’s also ruffled feathers, talking openly about the deals on social media, while expressing that it is his belief that the United States has been taken advantage of throughout history.

“No longer can we be on the losing end of every deal,” President Trump said at a rally. “We have to get to the point where we start winning again. The losing is over. It has to stop.”

The uncertainty of it all has thrown the global market into a period of unrest.

Some days, the market soars 300-400 points. Other times, it drops an equal amount — a non-stop pendulum that’s swung back and forth over the past six months as uncertainty has grown.

The price of oil on the market has been no different. At the start of the year, demand concerns tanked the price to $44/barrel, but it’s since made a steady climb — even reaching $66/barrel in April, while hovering above $60/barrel throughout most of May. But as trade tensions have escalated, the price has swung back in the opposite direction, dropping back down to the low $50/barrel price range — the fall coming almost all in one week from late-May to early-June.

The frustrating part, for locals, about the

global concerns are that if those were to fade away, the oil market conditions would support a stiff increase in price.

OPEC continues to stay steadfast in its early 2019 agreement to limit global supply in an effort to regulate price. They have even said in June that if conditions continue to remain unstable and global demand drops, they would further regulate supply to try and keep prices “as stable as they can be”.

That deal, combined with struggles in Venezuela, Syria and several other oilproducing markets should, in theory, have helped the price increase, if demand in the market remained constant. Another unexpected boost could have come in Norway where workers threatened a strike in early-June, which, if executed, would threaten the global supply.

But it hasn’t, and the uncertainty persists for another month into the future, though experts say that the tide can turn and momentum can shift at literally any time.

“The oil market right now is very volatile,” said Jim Ritterbusch, a market analyst. “Until there is more stability there, it will be increasingly difficult to find a reliable forecast for the immediate future.”

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FROM THE TOP |

QUICK QUESTIONS FOR THE PEOPLE IN CHARGE

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR WORK: WHAT IS THE BEST PART OF YOUR JOB? Knowing that the planning and preparations that our office and the other departments of the Parish perform throughout the year will ensure that the Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government can continue to provide services to its residents before, during and after emergencies or disasters that affect our Parish.

WHAT IS THE HARDEST? The continuing effort to encourage our residents and businesses to have a plan of action for all emergencies and disasters that may affect them and to get residents to understand the importance of evacuating during a hurricane.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS DURING HURRICANE SEASON?

JUNE 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

EARL EUES

8

DIRECTOR, TERREBONNE PARISH OFFICE OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

To make sure that they have a plan to be able to operate outside of their normal place of business for two weeks. Ask yourself these questions: Can you afford to be closed for two weeks? Do you have an alternate place that you can operate outside of the Parish, such as an office space at a friend’s place of business or at a vendor or supplier’s office? How will you communicate with your employees and can you operate without having your employees in the same city or town that you are located? Do you have access to your computer files that you need to run your daily operations?

WHEN IT COMES TO BEING PREPARED FOR THE STORM, WHAT ARE THE FIRST STEPS YOU RECOMMEND PEOPLE TAKE? The first step is to have a plan on what actions need to be taken before, during and after a storm.

The Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness has a great website: getagameplan.org that assists with planning for a storm. It has family plans, business plans and even plans for kids. There is also

a GetAGamePlan app for Apple and Android devices. It is important to know what evacuation zone you live in and have a plan as to where you will evacuate when asked to do so. Now is the time to decide where you will evacuate. If you need assistance with evacuations, the Parish will provide transportation to our Parish shelters during tropical storms and minor hurricanes and to our major storm (Category 3, 4 or 5) evacuation shelter located in the City of Monroe.

TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF: AS A CHILD, WHAT DID YOU SEE YOURSELF DOING AS A CAREER? I kind of wanted to have an occupation that I could be my own boss, so I guess I wanted to have my own business.

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JUNE 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

FAVORITES/THIS OR THAT:

9

BY CASEY GISCLAIR AND COLIN CAMPO

JUNE 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

T

10

he water levels of the Mississippi River, swollen since last fall, are mirroring that of the 1927 “Great Flood.”

The levels are expected to peak the Morganza Spillway sometime in the coming weeks, causing the spillway to open, thus removing a crucial tool for protecting bayou communities from flood waters that are now soon to come our way.

Eight states in the heart of America have received record rainfall the past year. That run-off flows into rivers and tributaries.

Those bodies of water flow downhill.

Now, they’re on our doorstep with nowhere to put them.

The Army Corps of Engineers planned to open 25 percent of the spillway over a 4 day period beginning in early June. There have been several delays since that initial decision. At press-time on June 7, there is no known opening date for the spillway, but the Corps is closely monitoring Mississippi River levels and will move fast to open the spillway if certain flood stage levels are reached. In the likelihood that the spillway is opened this summer, water will be diverted from the river into the Atchafalaya Basin, which is already swollen. The overflow could threaten neighborhoods in western Terrebonne Parish throughout the summer.

“The big difference between 1927 and today is that we didn’t have a system of control,” said Ricky Boyett, Chief of Public Affairs for The Army Corps of Engineers.

“We can put the water where it’s designed to go.”

If the spillway opens, in an effort to maintain control of America’s main artery, the Corps would conduct a “slow opening”: one foot of water the first day, two feet the

the bayou from their house. “In 2011, we sandbagged and everything but the water didn’t get too bad.”

2011 was an example Boyett raised to illustrate how much control could be exerted over the dangers of flooding since 1923. According to Boyett, in Louisiana the spillway averted about $170 billion in damages.

Boyett said that the current situation was being continuously monitored, “we will not operate the systems if we are not required to,” he stressed.

Terrebonne Parish is also monitoring the issue. According to Parish President Gordon Dove, the parish has proactively begun installing make-shift levees, known as “tiger levees,” and constructed of sheet pilings, around Valhi Boulevard, Sugarwood, and Lake Manchester.

Dove told The Times in early June that Terrebonne is “as prepared as it can be” for the flooding event, adding that the parish has plans and contingency plans for every possible outcome and direction of water flow.

Over in Gibson, those plans mean everything to the people who need them most.

When asked about her house, Guilbeau said she only feared hurricanes, adding that they are praying for the best in the current flooding situation.

“Look, we got the bay on one side and the Gulf on the other,” she said. “Only time we got to worry is when we get hurricanes.

Then we have to evacuate.”

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second day, three feet the third day, and finally on the fourth day, the pressure is unloaded at about 1.1 million gallons per second (15,000 cubic feet per second). If this process is not conducted, the spillway will become too dangerous for the Corp to operate and its ability to influence the flow of water in any way will be lost.

Aware of this potential threat, for some bayou residents, this is life as usual — an occurrence that’s seemingly happening too often lately.

Seated on a small pier, under the shade of a tree, and jutting out onto Tiger Bayou, a tributary of Bayou Black, Jane Leger of Gibson, and her mother Ameile Guilbeau of Grand Isle, were repainting the structure on June 1.

Approached by a reporter, the two pulled up chairs to take a break.

With her house across the street from the bayou, Leger said she was more concerned for her children, all of whom already had water in their yards from recent flooding.

As she spoke, her husband Rodney Leger, who was mowing the lawn, pulled up and joined the conversation.

The two recalled the flooding caused in 1973, when the floodgates were first opened, and how the local grocery store was flooded out. They acknowledged that both the floodgate and the sinking of barges to restrict water flow has helped, and like many living so intimately with the waterways, the two knew elevations of nearby areas.

“4-feet, 3-inches here, over there is about a plus 1-foot,” said Rodney pointing across

11

BUSINESS OWNERS ALSO ON ALERT Local business owners are not resting on their hands while waiting.

They’re making plans to protect their livelihoods while waiting on the water.

One business owner in Gibson said he is moving some of his heavier, more expensive equipment out of town to high ground — just in case things get bad.

The business owner asked not to be named because he didn’t want to associate his store with the flooding, saying that it “might scare customers away from coming out here to do business.”

“It’s scary,” he said on June 1. “It

hasn’t rained here in what? Two weeks?

Three weeks? And they’re saying we’re about to flood. Isn’t there some irony in that? It just goes to show how we’re all connected. What happens somewhere else is now our problem.”

The business owner shuffled inventory inside his place of business during the interview, saying that if forced to closed, he would lose direct sales, but would be recouped in relief funds, adding that he “has faith” that local, state and national government would help out.

President Donald Trump has approved

an emergency declaration for Louisiana, which means that the government will assist with damages that come our way as a result of the flooding.

“It will take time, but we will get through this,” he said. “We always do.”

Gibson native Pete Guillot agreed, but said there is never a perfect solution.

He said the timing of it all couldn’t be worse with hurricane season, warm temperatures and the downturn in the local economy.

Guillot said he has friends who have cattle in the affected areas and the process of relocation will be difficult.

“It’s going to be a long summer,” Guillot said, rubbing his arm across his face to wipe sweat off his brow in the mid-day heat. “This is the last thing we needed here, but it’s coming. It’s on the way.”

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SEAFOOD LABELING BILL GETS GOVERNMENT

BY CASEY GISCLAIR

JUNE 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

APPROVAL

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JUNE 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

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I

n the very near future, Louisiana restaurant patrons will know exactly where the seafood they’re purchasing is coming from — assuming it’s not from American waters.

House Bill 335, authored by local State Rep. Jerry Gisclair (D-Larose), will require Louisiana restaurants to keep a place on its menu to label the country of origin of the seafood used in a given dish — if the catch is not from the United States.

The bill passed both the House and Senate unanimously and has been signed into law by Gov. John Bel Edwards. Restaurants will have to comply with the law in the coming months, and those who do not will be issued a sanitation violation by the

Department of Health during inspections.

Gisclair said he brought the bill to government because of health and safety concerns with consuming foreign seafood.

But local seafood harvesters say it also will be great for the local economy, because it should entice more restaurants to shop local and invest in fresh, Louisianacaught shrimp and seafood.

Louisiana grocery stores were already governed by the same rules that the restaurants now are mandated to follow.

Packaged seafood sold for retail must list the country of origin.

“I think people in Louisiana have a right to know what it is they’re eating,” Gisclair said during discussion of the bill.

“This is great for the state of Louisiana,”

Grand Isle shrimper Dean Blanchard added, an outspoken supporter of the bill.

“If the restaurants want to serve foreign seafood, let us know — let the customers know. Then give them the power. Let them choose and let their voice be heard.”

Gisclair’s concerns about the safety of foreign-caught seafood hold merit, and the timing of his bill was impeccable.

CBS News did a report on foreign seafood which painted the industry in less than a favorable light. The report said that the seafood is often fed with manure throughout its life and that they are given antibiotics before being sent to the United States.

In 2015, Fox 8 Investigative Reporter Lee Zurik looked at a lot of the same things. In his reporting, Zurik said that

the vast majority of imported shrimp are not tested by the FDA and some that are tested are often not clean.

In the 2015 report, it was learned that 1.3 billion pounds of shrimp were imported into the United States per yer, but only 500 samples total were tested by the FDA. Of those samples, 12 percent of them were found to be “unsafe.”

The reason for the positive tests were because of high levels of antibiotics and/ or drug residue within the samples. In the bill, the state officially recognizes that there are “toxins, chemicals, residues, antibiotics and radiation” in imported seafood.

With that small of a sample size and with that much of the catch untested, Gisclair said it’s “impossible” that 100 percent of

the foreign seafood that’s being served around the state is safe, which lead to his authoring of the bill.

Exempt from the labeling are schools, churches, charity events and nursing homes. Gisclair said he’d hope further expansions would be explored in the future, though he is termed out of office after this session and will not be able to pursue them, himself.

“Safety is a huge concern and there are big issues with what is out there on the market,” Gisclair said. “It’s not a safe product and it’s not something that people should be given — without them knowing that it’s what’s on their plate.”

The reason restaurants are tempted to use the foreign product are their low prices, and an initial argument against the bill from lobbyists was that it would hurt both the bottom line of the business and also the consumer because higher operational costs will mean higher costs for the consumer.

But locals quizzed about the topic don’t seem to mind.

Houma native Rosa Williams said she

wants to purchase Louisiana seafood, adding that if given the option of picking between one business that serves Louisiana shrimp and another who serves Chinese shrimp, she will shop local — even if it costs more to do so.

“I want to help my brothers and sisters,” Williams said. “I want to keep the money here as best as we can. We can’t flourish unless we support our own.”

Galliano native Bobby Collins agreed.

While dining at an eatery in Lafourche Parish, Collins said he applauded Gisclair’s work in getting the bill to passage, adding that it’s a “common sense bill” that “should have been passed decades ago.”

Collins said he thinks local seafood tastes better, is safer to consume and that the bill will be a win-win for everyone.

“If I buy a baseball bat on Amazon that looks aluminum, but is wood when it comes in, I’d be able to get my money back,” Collins said. “It’s the same here. If I am spending my money on a product and am putting it in my body, I should know what it is, where it came from and if it’s safe or healthy.”

“If the restaurants want to serve foreign seafood, let us know — let the customers know.

Then give them the power. Let them choose and let their voice be heard.”

- Dean Blanchard

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JUNE 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

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CURRENT SHRIMP SEASON BRINGS ‘UNCERTAINTY’

JUNE 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

TO LOCALS

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“WE’RE ABOUT TO FEEL THE EFFECTS OF IT REAL SOON. YOU CAN’T HAVE 31 STATES DUMPING WATER DOWN AND NOT HAVE IT AFFECT YOUR INDUSTRY,” - Kimberly Chauvin, owner of Mariah Jade Shrimp Company

BY DREW MILLER

W

New Trusted Name. Same Trusted Team.

Chri st i an D. Lap eyr e,

M e l i ssa Hun te r

E l dri dg e Ro bi chau x,

Co ur tne y Br i n e g a r

Ken St ap l es

Sad i e Ham by

Bet t y Thi bo dau x

Ni c k i P l e ss al a

Rene Thi bodaux

A sh l e y A d am s

985-601-3601

1070 W. Tunnel Blvd.

Houma, Louisiana 70630

bbgulfstates.com

JUNE 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

hen the state outside waters between the Atchafalaya River Ship Channel at Eugene Island to the western shore of Freshwater Bayou Canal, reopened for shrimping at 6 a.m. on May 20, shrimpers quickly hit the coastal waters, catching as much fresh white shrimp as they could.

A sense of urgency has fallen over those in the shrimp industry, as a rain-heavy year in states dumping into the Mississippi River has brought uncertainty and doubt to this industry that is essential to our local economy.

“We’re about to feel the effects of it real soon. You can’t have 31 states dumping water down and not have it affect your industry,” said Kimberly Chauvin, owner of Mariah Jade Shrimp Company and other various shrimp industry businesses, and who has almost 33 years of experience in the industry. “It’s a negative effect. You may wipe out an entire industry down here, which would be seafood in general…It’s very much an uncertainty.”

Julie Falgout, seafood industry liaison with the Louisiana Sea Grant, echoes the same sentiments as Chauvin.

“We’re having a really wet year this year.

We’re saturated, and then they’ve opened the Bonnet Carre Spillway, twice, which is very unusual. The thing in opening up the spillway is that it messes up the salinities for the seafood, especially brown shrimp, crabs and oysters,” Falgout said. “…Everything east of the river, they’re already

seeing where there’s no brown shrimp this year. They’re not catching anything.”

“So more than likely, if nothing else would happen from this point forward, let’s say everything would go back to normal — at least the east side of the state would end up with a fishery disaster…,” Falgout continued.

And with the Morganza Spillway expected to open this summer, business owners, workers and caretakers of the shrimp industry are on even higher alert. “…But now we’re looking at the Morganza, and they keep pushing back opening it, which is good for Terrebonne Parish and Lafourche Parish and our seafood because even though the water is fresher here, we still have some salinity levels where the shrimp and everything are able to grow. So we’re watching this very carefully,” Falgout explained. “All the task forces are getting everything in order to write resolutions, asking the government that for any disaster aid that comes down, please include this Louisiana seafood industry.”

Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries has been monitoring the situation closely, Falgout said, but won’t know completely how it has affected brown shrimp until around July, and then white shrimp after that.

“They’re going to run numbers different ways because you have to have at least a 35 percent loss to be able to get a declaration approved through the Department of Commerce and NOAA [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration},” she explained.

With the dark clouds hovering over the

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JUNE 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

waters this shrimp season, Chauvin and Falgout both acknowledged, there are still some silver linings.

One positive is the passing of House Bill 335 — which will, by law, require Louisiana restaurants to disclose to customers the origins of their seafood if it is not from the United States, a bill many feel will give the local shrimp business industry a much needed boost.

“Our biggest challenge recent years has been imports, when restaurants did not have to label what they were serving.

Now, that has changed. I don’t think Americans realize how bad it is, with the foods that are coming into our country that are full of antibiotics and other veterinarian drugs — just stuff that you should not be eating,” Chauvin explained. “There are laws that have hindered us, but now there are laws that are about to help in a secondary way.”

Falgout applauded the resiliency of folks in the shrimp industry and their ability to adapt to the unpredictable seasons. “…It’s amazing. Since Katrina, the shrimp industry in particular, but also all

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of our seafood industry on the coast, has been hit with four major hurricanes and a major oil spill. This is the third major flooding event. It’s still surviving,” said Falgout. “…We’ve got a good core group of people who really want to do this; this is their livelihood. They don’t want to do anything else and are professionals at it. We want to see our industry and our communities not just survive, we want to see them thrive again.”

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SHADE TREES CAN HELP YOU BEAT

THE HEAT A

That means even a sparse shade tree may be a better energy saver than an interior curtain.

Deciduous trees, those that drop their leaves during the winter, generally are the best choices. These trees let the sun shine on the house during the winter when the sun’s added warmth is welcome. Then they provide shade during the summer when it is needed.

Evergreen trees, which retain their foliage through the year, provide constant shade – which generally is not desirable when it is cold.

Evergreen trees do, however, provide good windbreaks for winter winds when they are planted to the north of the house.

The location of your shade trees is very important in how well they will help reduce energy consumption. Trees should be planted on

the southwestern and western sides of the house to be most effective. Trees in those locations will shade the house from the most intense sun during the hottest part of the day. Planting trees to the south and east also will help shade the house.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you should completely surround your home in a forest of trees. People frequently plant too many trees on their property – not realizing how large they will become later on.

Trees also need to be planted the proper distance from the house, and away from concrete surfaced areas. Although house slabs generally are not affected, thinner concrete surfaces, such as patios, sidewalks and driveways, can be damaged by roots from trees planted too close. The recommended dis-

tances generally are related to the mature size of the tree. Larger trees, such as oaks, should be planted farther away from sidewalks, driveways and the house (at least 15 feet) than smaller trees like crape myrtles or yaupon hollies.

In addition to shading your home, decide on other areas where shade is necessary or desirable. Outdoor living areas are virtually unusable in Louisiana during the summer without some sort of shade. Properly planted trees can provide that shade. Choose small-growing trees for planting close to patios, since they are more in scale with the location and are less likely to damage surfacing materials.

When landscaping for energy conservation, deciding on the right placement, number and type of trees requires careful planning, but you have plenty of time to think about it. Although now is the time to make decisions on where shade is needed and where to plant the trees, don’t forget the ideal tree planting season in Louisiana is from November through February.

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JUNE 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

t this intensely hot time of year, we like to remind people how important shade trees are in our landscapes. Even more, the hot summer months are the best time to determine where additional shade is needed.

Most of us know energy bills soar right along with the temperatures. But shade trees in the landscape can help us keep cooler while lowering utility bills. And the shade provided by trees often is the only thing that makes it possible to sit on a patio or deck during the day.

Shade trees play an important part in the concept of sustainable landscaping. Trees that shade the house during the summer can lower air-conditioning bills by blocking the sun from the windows, exterior walls and roof. Air conditioners cooling a fully shaded house have been shown to work only half as much as those in a house which has its walls and roof exposed to the sun. Other research reports show shade trees will reduce heat gains by 40 percent to 80 percent, depending upon their placement and density.

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BY LSU AG

JUNE 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

O

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ptimal land management is a top priority for agricultural landowners, including management for wetlands that are important for providing habitat for wildlife, particularly migrating and wintering waterfowl.

Seasonally flooded wetland areas, also called moist-soil impoundments or units, not only provide a critical food source for wildlife and waterfowl but also enhance outdoor recreational activities such as hunting, bird watching and photography.

With about 75 percent of moist-soil management units currently under water, LSU AgCenter area wildlife and forestry agent Luke Stamper said early-season drawdown of flooded areas may be delayed.

The delay will likely result in greater emphasis on mid- to late-season intervention to encourage growth of favorable plant species and control invasive wildlife and undesirable plants in these areas, he said.

Stamper was one of several conservation experts addressing landowner wetland resource management concerns at a moist-soil management workshop held May 30 at the Caldwell Parish Community Center in Columbia.

The program highlighted topics on water drawdown timings, beneficial and invasive plant species and recommended maintenance practices for moist-soil management structures and was a collaborative effort of the LSU AgCenter, U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF).

An afternoon field tour to the Topan Shallow Water Area, part of the Beouf River Wildlife Management Area, featured demonstrations on proper maintenance of flashboard risers to control the rate of water removal during timed drawdown periods and plant species identification.

NRCS wetland biologist Terry Johnston said the workshop was aimed to impress upon landowners the importance of shallow water management.

Stamper said the meeting was well timed to help landowners better prepare for making decisions that will affect wildlife and waterfowl habitat next fall.

“We aren’t able to manage our drawdowns and plant successions the way we would like, and we are seeing more nuisance species in terms of wildlife and plants,” he said.

The threepoint process for managing moist-soil impoundment includes deciding when to initiate the first drawdown of water, what plant succession strategies are needed and timing of seasonal reflooding of sites, he said.

“You can’t go wrong — the worst thing you can do is be inactive,” Breithaupt said.

A slow drawdown of water levels within about 45 days of the growing season is preferred, generally at a rate of about 2 inches at a time, he said.

Beavers can obstruct risers in and outside the flashboard units, restricting water flow, and nutria will burrow inside levees causing water loss, Stamper said.

“You want to patrol your property during critical periods of early germination,” he said. “You need to be out there supervising the landscape to control nuisance wildlife during the management season.”

The workshop was sponsored by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation, Tri-State Conservation Partnership and Ducks Unlimited.

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,

JUNE 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

Intensive management to push nutritive value in the wetland landscape by encouraging growth of beneficial plant species during early, mid- and late-season water drawdown is a vital part of managing the plants responsible for attracting a diversity of wetland wildlife, Stamper said.

“A well-managed moist-soil unit is third in overall duck use days behind corn and rice,” Stamper said, adding that a native habitat management foundation is preferred for increasing a high-quality food bank for wintering waterfowl.

An early-season slow water drawdown greatly enhances plant diversity among beneficial annuals like grasses, sedges and rushes and provides more options for wetland management, including disking, flooding or mechanical interventions, he said.

Danny Graham, a landowner from Ruston who has managed up to 4,000 acres in Caldwell Parish for about 25 years as part of Wetlands Inc., said he was previously unaware of the importance of managing the timing and speed of water drawdown.

“I didn’t realize, the slower the better,” Graham said.

David Breithaupt, NRCS liaison and farm bill and grants program manager with LDWF, said the best moist-soil management plan mimics the natural flood regime.

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BUSINESS NEWS |

BY CASEY GISCLAIR

$1.2 MILLION IN GRANTS ASSIST THE OPENING OF LOW-INCOMING HOUSING IN TERREBONNE Synergy Bank and FHLB Dallas team up to give low-income housing funds

JUNE 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

N

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ew, affordable housing homes are coming to Terrebonne Parish, thanks to a combined seven-figure investment from Synergy Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas.

In late May, project officials gathered together to celebrate the renal homes coming to Houma. In total, 12 homes will be coming to the area, thanks to $1.2 million in Affordable Housing Program grants from the two businesses.

Terrebonne Parish President Gordon Dove said the event marked a great day for Terrebonne Parish, adding that affordable housing should be available to all people in a community.

“People deserve, at a minimum, livable conditions and reliable programs to help break them out of their challenging situations,” Dove said. “This new, low-income housing for Terrebonne Parish will be just what families need to get them on their feet and transition to a better quality of life.”

At the ribbon cutting and home dedication, locals were afforded the chance to preview the model the 12 rental homes will follow.

Each home will be made of brick and

will encompass 1,250 square feet of living space. Each home will have energy efficient power and will have wheelchair accessible driveways, hurricane shutters and an attached carport.

St. John the Baptist Parish Councilman at-large Larry Soraparu Jr. said he’s proud of the strides Terrebonne has made to provide greater housing opportunities to all people.

He said Terrebonne is setting an example all other parish governments around the state can follow.

“I am grateful for the contribution that the banks and Options for Independence have provided to the development of low-income housing in this parish,” Soraparu said. “Responding to the need for low-income housing in Terrebonne Parish is part of the ‘solutions first’ attitude that we strive to achieve in our own parish government.”

Options for Independence is the nonprofit that received the grant funds. They will lead the construction of the remaining rental homes. Options for Independence is a social service organization dedicated to providing affordable housing and behavioral health services to various un-

derserved groups, such as people with developmental disabilities, mental illness, substance abuse needs or those who suffer from chronic unemployment or homelessness.

The non-profit has received two, separate AHP grants for the project. One is for $500,000 and will come toward construction of the first five homes. The other is for $750,000 and will go toward the construction of other seven.

Barry Chauvin, the President and CEO of Options for Independence, said the construction of the homes is just a small piece of the puzzle for what the organization aims to continue to do locally.

“The development of these new affordable rental homes is just the beginning of what Options for Independence has in store for low-income and very low-income families in Terrebonne Parish,” Chauvin said. “We have major plans to strengthen our programs and increase education about the steps to home ownership to help enable our families to achieve the American Dream of buying a home.”

In the coming months, Chauvin said Options for Independence will be aggressively working to add to its array of

services. They intend to begin offering services on credit repair, first-time homebuyer programs and and rent-to-own programs.

Synergy Bank President and CEO Jerry Ledet Jr., said those programs would be invaluable to the area, adding that Options for Independence is doing great work in the community.

FHLB Dallas awards AHP grants annually through members like Synergy Bank as a way to support the creation or rehabilitation of affordable housing units in an area.

In 2018, FHLB Dallas awarded $14 million in AHP grants to 29 projects that will someday result in 1,853 now or renovated housing units. Of that, $4.7 million was awarded to projects in Louisiana, impacting 319 new or rehabilitated housing units.

“It’s encouraging to see the AHP funds being put to good use,” Ledet said. “Synergy Bank is a strong believer in all families having access to quality, affordable housing. We are grateful that our partnership with FHLB Dallas can provide a significant and lasting impact to families in our community.”

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LEADERSHIP LAFOURCHE CLASS OF 2019 GRADUATE AT NSU individuals toward this singular goal, many who have become community leaders.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Leadership Lafourche, it is an honor to present the Leadership Class of 2019: • Shannon Atkinson – Ochsner St. Anne Hospital • Dr. Renee Biondo – Smile Dentistry • Jacob Callais – T. Baker Smith • Robert N. Cavell – Morvant & Cavell, APLC • J. Kelly Chighizola – City of Thibodaux • Ryan P. Collins – Law Office of Ray Collins • Lt. Brett Exnicious – Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office • Mikki Fazzio – Thibodaux Regional

Medical Center • Kristy Rivet Gaudet – Ochsner St. Anne Hospital • Drew Hebert – John Deere • Petey Kern – Meyer Financial Group • Tanya Knight – United Community Bank • John Kyzar – Expert Technology • Tad Lafont – Lady of the Sea Hospital • Chandler LeBoeuf – Fletcher Technical Community College • Corey Perrillioux – Lafourche Parish Council • Kimberly Rister – Lafourche Parish Juvenile Justice Facility • Shawn Snow – Thibodaux Police Department • Rebecca Thibodaux – Simply Nonprofits

• Wendy Thibodeaux – Lafourche Parish Assessor’s Office • Kirsten Use’ – John Deere • Stephen Viguerie – Duplantis Design Group • John Warren – Brian Mustin, Allstate Insurance For more information on the Leadership Lafourche program, please visit www. leadershiplafourche.com.

Applications will be accepted this summer for the upcoming 2019-2020 Leadership Class.

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JUNE 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

T

he Leadership Lafourche Class of 2019 was recognized at a graduation dinner held in their honor at Nicholls State University on May 16, 2019. Dr. Renee Biondo was selected as the class speaker by her classmates and shared their Leadership Lafourche experience with all in attendance, as well as a slide show presentation of their journey over the last few months.

Leadership Lafourche is a leadership immersion program designed to train cross-sections of Lafourche residents and workers for productive roles focused on the future and well-being of our parish, institutions, and communities. Graduating its first class in 1993, Leadership Lafourche has trained and inspired hundreds of

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MOVERS AND SHAKERS |

HEADLINES AND ACCOLADES

ROUX FOR A REASON DONATES TO MARY BIRD PERKINS TGMC CANCER CENTER Roux for a Reason recently donated $70,000 to the Mary Bird Perkins TGMC Cancer Center.

The donation were the proceeds from Roux for a Reason’s 2019 event. To celebrate the event, a reception was held in celebration of the group of philanthropic men, led by Ben Levy and Blake and Ben Floyd, the founders of Roux for a Reason.

At the ceremony, the group gave the cancer center the donation and in addition, the Mary Bird Perkins TGMC Cancer Center honored the partnership by naming the reception area of the Early Bird Mobile Medical Unit after Roux for a Reason with a commemorative plaque.

Roux for a Reason was born with the idea to assist local patients in their fight against cancer and to provide awareness and screening to promote early detection.

The annual event, which started in 2017, features a Gumbo Cook Off and it has become one of the most popular events in Terrebonne Parish. It has raised $140,000 since its inception.

“We are extremely grateful to have such an inspirational partner with Roux for a Reason and look forward to continuing to work together to Take the Flight Forward for cancer patients in our community,” said Melanie Guilbeaux, an Oncology Director with TGMC.

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PEDESTAL BANK AWARDS $10,000 SCHOLARSHIP

JUNE 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

Marcus Matherne, a senior at South Lafourche High School, is the recipient of “Be Inspired” $10,000 scholarship funded

by Pedestal Bank. He was one of 90 applicants considered for the scholarship.

Matherne plans to attend Nicholls State University in Thibodaux majoring in Geometric Engineering.

The Pedestal Bank “Be Inspired” Scholarship seeks to encourage the spirit of Community in high school seniors and give financial assistance to area youth seeking higher education. Among other criteria, applicants were required to

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submit an 800 word essay on the value of community. The top 5 essays were chosen and the authors participated in an interview with members of the bank’s scholarship committee.

“The Pedestal Bank “Be Inspired” Scholarship program is an important part of fulfilling our commitment to community,” said Kim Elfert, SVP Human Resources and Marketing for Pedestal Bank. “We were delighted to receive so many entries and equally impressed with the level of talented young people in our communities.”

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DANOS WELCOMES FORMER SHELL EXECUTIVE TO BOARD Danos has selected Greg Guidry to join the company’s board of directors. Guidry retired from his position of Executive Vice President – Unconventionals for Royal Dutch Shell in October 2018 after six years in the role and nearly 37 years with the company.

“Greg has an invaluable understanding of the oil and gas industry, and we are grateful that he has accepted our invitation to join the board,” said Chairman of the Board Hank Danos.

Guidry brings extensive experience in Unconventional markets, where he drove performance improvement and increased profitability as EVP Unconventionals. In addition, he previously headed Shell’s Upstream businesses across Europe, based in The Netherlands. Guidry’s history at Shell covers multiple facets of the industry including offshore conventional and deepwater, onshore unconventionals and midstream.

“Joining the Danos Board of Directors provides a tremendous opportunity for me to get involved with a respected industry organization. Danos has an exciting future, and I look forward to working with them,” said Guidry.

Guidry serves as a senior adviser to Oaktree Capital and as director of portfolio companies Northstar Midstream and Blackbear Midstream. He is on the board of Sky High for Kids, a nonprofit organization focused on fundraising to eradicate childhood cancer. Additionally, Guidry is on the Dean’s Advisory Board for the Louisiana State University (LSU) Honor’s College and previously served as chair of the Dean’s Advisory Board of the LSU College of Engineering. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and is a registered professional petroleum engineer in Louisiana. He and his wife Alexis have three children and live in Covington, Louisiana.

Guidry’s appointment adds a seventh member to the Danos Board of Directors, which includes Hank Danos, Eric Danos, Paul Danos, Mark Danos, Edward “Jed” DiPaolo and John Elstrott.

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THE BROADWAY CELEBRATES BAILEY MAE’S FIRST BIRTHDAY

NICHOLLS, BOLLINGER ANNOUNCE FOUNDATION ENDOWMENT thropist,” said Jeremy Becker, executive director of the Nicholls Foundation. “We are already grateful for his leadership on the Foundation Board, and this gift will ensure his impact continues long into the future.”

“In recent years, higher education hasn’t received the support from the state that it needs, so it is important for the community to help supplement that gap,” Bollinger said. “The Nicholls Foundation supports all areas of the campus, from endowed professorships to scholarships to facility renovations and new

buildings. This endowment will help the Foundation work day-to-day to reach its goal of uplifting Nicholls.”

The Nicholls Foundation manages approximately $25 million in endowed funds and provides about $2 million annually to the university through over 26 endowed scholarships and 63 professorships. Additionally, the Foundation assists with ongoing needs across the campus through annual funding and major donor acquisition efforts with a focus on facility improvements and construction.

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PEDESTAL BANK RECOGNIZED AS BEST OF THE BEST Pedestal Bank was recently ranked as one of the nation’s top performing community banks by the Independent Community Bankers of America.

The ranking appeared in the Best of the Best article in the May issue of Independent Banker magazine featuring top performing community banks across the country. The banks were measured by return-on-assets. Pedestal Bank, with a three-year weighted average return on assets of 1.89, was ranked 14th in the nation of banks with assets of more than $1 billion.

Pedestal Bank President and CEO Mark Folse said, “Pedestal Bank is delighted to be recognized by ICBA as one of the banking industry’s Best of the Best.” He said, “We credit our loyal customers and committed employees for our success. This recognition reinforces our focus on strengthening our communities through providing elevated banking service to help our local areas grow and prosper.”

Pedestal Bank is one of the ten largest banks based in Louisiana with a branch network of 22 locations serving 11 parishes with assets over 1.2 billion.

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JUNE 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

Boysie Bollinger and Nicholls State University are proud to announce a new $700,000 endowment to the Nicholls Foundation.

Bollinger, the former president and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards and current chairman of the Nicholls Foundation Board, has now contributed $1 million to the university in 2019. In March, Bollinger donated $300,000 to renovate the Donald G. Bollinger Student Union, named for his father.

“Boysie Bollinger is an icon in Louisiana as both a leader in industry and philan-

The Broadway Elder Living and Rehabilitation hosted a birthday party for one of its most valuable members last month. Staff, residents and their family and friends gathered at the Broadway’s facility in Lockport (7534 LA 1) to celebrate the oneyear birthday of Bailey Mae — the certified therapy dog that daily assists and soothes the residents of the Broadway.

But Bailey Mae wasn’t the only puppy at this “paw-ty”. Ten other dogs for members of The Broadway community joined in the fun.

“They [the residents] really enjoyed the event,” said Courtney Carrere Sanford, Admissions and Marketing Director for The Broadway, and caretaker for Bailey Mae. “I think just having all the different puppies and the different sizes brought back so many memories. It was a really great response.”

On the back patio of the living facility, guests and residents played games with their furry friends and pet them.

Attendees were treated to vegetables and fruit that were animal friendly in case any of the residents dropped food on the ground.

The celebrators — dogs and humans — were also treated to cake.

“We actually had three different cakes. We had two cakes that animals could eat, and we had a cake that humans can eat,” Sanford laughed. “What we did was we cut the dog cake first. And when we cut the dog cake we were telling everybody, ‘Okay, this is dog cake, so let’s feed the dogs first.’ It was cute.

We really did it like a first birthday party.”

Besides the cake, Bailey Mae opened gifts, and guests were given goodie bags filled with animal treats and toys — giving attendees a total birthday party experience.

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MOVERS AND SHAKERS |

HEADLINES AND ACCOLADES

PROVIDENCE ANNOUNCES PROMOTION OF BREAUD

JUNE 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

The Providence Board of Directors has promoted Bryan Breaud, PE, to Principal of Providence Engineering and Design, LLC, the firm’s engineering, architecture, and surveying division. Breaud previously served as project manager/project engineer for Providence. Breaud will lead the Houma office and its operations.

Breaud began his Providence career in 2012 as a civil engineer. He is a registered Professional (Civil) Engineer in the states of Louisiana, Illinois, Florida and Texas.

With more than 12 years of engineering experience, he has designed private subdivisions and commercial developments, roads, drainage ponds, and sewer and water systems. Breaud is heavily involved in Providence’s public works projects and has been the lead engineer in all phases of road and utility projects ranging from preliminary design through construction.

He has served as an expert witness on multiple civil lawsuits and was also involved in the design of Terrebonne Parish’s first round-a-bout. He has designed and constructed multiple coastal and levee projects that include parish levees, pump stations, water structures, and detention basins, some of which have required hydraulic studies as a preliminary phase of design, and has experience using LA DOTD hydraulic programs, HEC RAS, XP SWMM and HydroCAD. Breaud earned his BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

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NICHOLLS RANKED IN TOP 25 FOR MOST AFFORDABLE ONLINE BUSINESS DEGREE Nicholls State University has been ranked one of the top 25 Most Affordable Online Business Bachelor’s Degrees by College Choice.

Nicholls ranks 25 of 30 and is one of four to make the list from Louisiana. For affordability, College Choice analyzes the cost of the degree and assigns an affordability value.

College Choice notes that no out-ofstate fees are charged to Nicholls distance learners and “there are no set log in times for online classes; it’s important for students to be independent and self-

motivated.”

In their justification, College Choice noted that Nicholls has been ranked among the nation’s Top Public Schools and Best Regional Universities in the South by U.S. News and Worlds Report.

CollegeChoice.net is an online resource that aims to help students and their families as they research and compare colleges to find one that fits their interests and needs based on its methodology, which includes metadata aggregation and analysis.

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THIBODAUX REGIONAL ADDS PEDIATRICIAN TO MEDICAL STAFF Providence Engineering and Design, LLC is the engineering, surveying, and architecture division of Providence. Areas of specific expertise include public works and transportation projects, civil engineering, construction engineering and inspection (CE&I), subsurface utility engineering (SUE), utility relocation, traditional surveying and hydrographic surveying, architecture and planning, and high and low voltage electrical engineering.

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ST. ANNE CEO APPLAUDS WORK OF HOSPITAL Ochsner St. Anne delivered $114 million in economic salary benefits to the Lafourche Parish Region in 2018.

And that figure doesn’t include their support to local Lafourche Parish businesses, as they spent $3 million in operational costs with Lafourche business owners for services and products.

Timothy Allen, chief executive officer of Ochsner St. Anne, shared the news as part of his 2018 report from Lafourche Parish Hospital District No 2, to the parish council.

He said the hospital made roughly $900,000 in improvement and equipment purchases in 2018, in addition to paying $376,000 for parish taxes.

“I am proud to say that over 31,000 residents of Lafourche Parish trusted us with their health care in 2018. That says something about the service of our 361 team members,” Allen said.

Thibodaux Regional Medical Center has added pediatrician Dr. Meghan V. Louque, MD, to its active medical staff.

Dr. Louque received her medical degree from the LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport. She completed her Pediatric Residency from the Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina. Dr. Louque is Board Certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Dr. Louque has joined the practice of the Children’s Clinic located at 807 Ridgefield Road in Thibodaux.

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Ochsner St. Anne is a hospital firmly embedded in the communities of Raceland and Mathews.

Allen said in 2017, the hospital saw 61,000 clinic visits which was a 2.4 percent increase over 2017, and 20,000 Emergency Room visits which was a 2.7 percent decrease over 2017.

There were 380 births, which was an 8.6 percent increase over 2017, and almost 9,000 discharges which was a 7.8 percent increase over 2017.

Allen said some of the things enhanced in 2018 included their Emergency Room Services Arrival Area.

“We have it down to 10 minutes for anyone arriving in our emergency room for anyone to see a physician. This is really solid.”

He said the hospital scored in the Top 5 percent of the nation for its emergency department, and its outpatient services. The hospital also scored in the Top 15 percent of the nation for its inpatient services.

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ON THE AGENDA

VCHS INDUCTS TWO NEW MEMBERS INTO HALL OF FAME

BIG LUNCHEON

The Bayou Industrial Group hosts their monthly luncheon with guest speaker Greg Bowser, President, LA Chemical Association.

June 10, noon Bayou Country Club, Thibodaux

SCIA AWARDS BANQUET Catholic each year.

Mr. Martin Folse is a 1978 Vandebilt Catholic alumnus, who started the TV station, HTV at the age of 25. The TV station has grown from a one-man operation in 1985 to a well respected TV station that thrives on local information for Houma, Louisiana and the surrounding areas.

Mr. Folse has earned many accolades over the years for his contributions to his community, including Vandebilt Catholic Alumnus of the Year in 2003, Woodman of the World’s “Man of the Year” in 2005, and he was inducted into the inaugural Tri-Parish Hall of Fame in 2008. He has been an advocate to a number of causes including veteran support, local school facility improvements including Vandebilt Catholic, and levee protection. During his broadcasting career, now 33 years strong, Martin has produced over 20,000 programs for the local area. He has performed interviews with Chris Berman of ESPN, Joe Montana, Archie Manning, and Drew Brees. Martin and his station were also honored recently with a Telly award for the station’s short documentary on the touching story of two special needs athletes at a Lafayette School. Mr. Folse continues to grow his station and has a profound love of the area from which he lives and hopes to continue to give back to the communities around him. He is a dedicated alumnus who has always used his platform to educate, advertise and promote the accomplishments and causes of Vandebilt Catholic.

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SCIA proudly announces their 22nd annual awards banquet featuring guest speaker Jay Rifenbary. Join as SCIA thanks Paul Danos for his service, as he passes the gavel to Chett Chiasson, incoming SCIA board president.

June 11 6 p.m. cocktails, 7 p.m. dinner Cypress Columns, Gray

BUSINESS AT BREAKFAST

The Thibodaux Chamber of Commerce and the Lafourche Chamber of Commerce are cohosting a special Legislative Update Breakfast to provide insight into the current session. Take this opportunity to hear from some of your local legislative delegation to understand how the decisions made during the session will impact our business climate and communities.

June 12, 7:30 – 9 a.m.

Rendezvous, Thibodaux

LUNCH WITH THE PROS

This event from the HoumaTerrebonne Chamber consists of five professionals that teach your table about a certain topic. This month is “Business 101.” Individual topics include human resources, insurance, legal, advertising, and customer service.

June 13, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Courtyard by Marriott

BUSINESS AFTER HOURS

Business After Hours is held each month for Thibodaux Chamber members and their employees to enjoy food, drinks and door prizes while networking.

June 13, 5 – 7 p.m.

CC’s Coffee, Thibodaux

LUNCH – N – LEARN

Business leaders of all industries know that today’s customers demand service excellence, which has sparked a resurgence of civility in society. It is so refreshing to encounter an employee who is helpful, courteous, respectful, listens, and explains. And how about the person who can actually hold a conversation! Join the Thibodaux Chamber as Mary Chauvin, Founder, Etiquette Center of the South, shares her secrets to business etiquette. Admission is $25, open to chamber members only.

June 19, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Chamber Office, Thibodaux

BUSINESS AFTER HOURS

Business After Hours is held each month for Chamber members and their employees to enjoy food, drinks and door prizes while networking.

June 20, 5 – 7 p.m.

Paisley Park Resale, Houma

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP LUNCHEON

Join the Houma-Terrebonne Chamber for their monthly membership luncheon featuring guest speaker Stephen Waguespack, LABI president. Admission is $25/ member and $30 for nonmembers.

June 25, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Courtyard by Marriott, Houma

JUNE 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

Vandebilt Catholic High School inducted two new members into its Hall of Fame on Thursday, May 30, 2019. Judge Randall Bethancourt and Mr. Martin Folse were inducted during a ceremony held at HTV Studios. Vandebilt Catholic President, David Boudreaux presented plaques of honor to both inductees in front of family, friends and past Hall of Fame inductees.

Those chosen to the Hall of Fame must be deserving longtime supporters, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, or others who have served Vandebilt faithfully and well. Up to four individuals may be chosen each year.

Decisions are rendered by a committee of administrators, faculty, and alumni.

A 1971 Vandebilt Catholic alumnus, Judge Randall Bethancourt has been a state district court judge for the 32nd Judicial District Court in Terrebonne Parish for the past 16 years. He and his wife of 38 years, Adrienne, have one daughter Brooke, who is a 2016 Vandebilt graduate and is currently studying English at LSU. Judge Bethancourt has received numerous awards throughout his life, such as the Public Official of the Year award by the Louisiana Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers in 1999, Vandebilt Catholic’s Alumnus of the Year in 2004, Terrebonne Parish Bar Association Community Service award in 2008, and CASA’s Judge of the Year award for the state of Louisiana in 2011.

Judge Bethancourt’s courtroom is an educational mecca, and he has had over 18,000 students participate in his Judge in the Classroom program. He was awarded the Judge Benjamin Jones Judges in the Classroom Award by the Louisiana Center for Law and Civic Education in 2016 and was only the second judge to receive this prestigious honor. He is currently the Vandebilt Catholic Consultative School Board chairman and remains an active member of the school community by substitute teaching social studies classes, attending Close-Up in Washington, D.C., and inviting students to his courtroom annually to learn about the judicial system. His leadership and dedication are still recognized in the halls of Vandebilt

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