February 2013
Southwest Louisiana is Thriving
A closer look at business expansion and job growth in the region.
Insert Inside February 2013
Magazine for Better Living Dance •Thrive Lectures • Music • Magic
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February 2013
In 2013, this woman, and 365,000 like her, will have a heart attack. Most can be prevented. Know the early warning signs. Visit ChristusStPatrick.org/hearthealth.
Need a doCtor? Call 491-7577 for a referral.
February 2013
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Contents 8
72
48
In This Issue
Home & Family 6 Frugality at its Finest 8 Passing Up the Pacifier Money & Career 12 - 40 Special Report:
Unprecidented growth is on the horizon for Southwest Louisiana. We break down all the details in this special report and even provide the information you need to be prepared to take advantage of new job opportunities. 42 Small Business Borrowing 44 Where’s Our Money, Honey?
Regular Features
20 First Person: with LED Scretary Stephen Moret 46 Business Buzz 54 Who’s News 76 Ready to Wear 80 Solutions for Life! 81 By the Numbers 82 Happenings 84 Community Contributors
58
Places & Faces 48 Young Artists Working for a Cause 51 Irlen Screening in Louisiana
Hall Joins Thrive Staff Thrive is pleased to announce the addition of Felicia Schwem Hall to its advertising sales team. Hall will serve as a sales representative for the magazine. A Lake Charles native, she graduated from McNeese State University with a degree in nursing. Hall most recently served as the marketing director and an instructor with Interview for Life. In addition to working in the local healthcare industry, she also bring sales experience to the table as she has worked as a sales representative for Taylor Home Health. Hall is a provisional member of the Junior League of Lake Charles. She currently lives in Lake Charles with her husband Scott and two daughters, Lindsey and Lauren.
Mind & Body
You Go, Girl! 58 - 67
Women’s Health Update
68 Lung Cancer: No one is safe 70 Take a Shot at Beating Back Pain Without Surgery
Style & Beauty
Editors and Publishers
72 Texture Tips for your Tresses 74 Stressed Out Skin
Kristy Armand Christine Fisher
Creative Director/Layout Barbara VanGossen
Don’t just live, thrive!
Assistant Editor
Katie Harrington
Business Manager
Katie McDaniel
Assistant Designers
Shonda Manuel Kris Roy
Advertising Sales Shanteé Gotte Felicia Hall ads@thriveswla.com 337.310.2099
Thrive is designed for people focused on living a happy, healthy life, one that is balanced, full of energy and contentment. Thrive readers want to make the most of every day and be successful in all areas of their lives – family, health, home and career. 4 www.thriveswla.com
Submissions edit@thriveswla.com Submitted articles and photos are welcome. Thrive assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials and does not guarantee any submissions.
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February 2013
in
Event Planner Whether you’re planning a wedding, shower, anniversary or graduation party, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the little details. Thrive is here to help. Our 2013 Event Planner will be a special insert in our March issue. Consider us your party planner. We are putting handy tips, guides and vendors all in one place to help make planning your next event a cakewalk! Space Reservation Deadline: February 8th
Sulphur High 100th Anniversary Thrive is partnering with Sulphur High School to produce a commemorative booklet for their anniversary celebration in April. This publication will feature the memorable milestones of the school, recognize accomplishments of distinguished graduates and showcase other unique aspects of the school’s history. We’ll also include a full schedule of anniversary celebration details. This booklet will be at least 20 full-color pages and inserted in our April issue. 2500 extra copies will be printed and distributed in businesses, at the school and at anniversary events. Don’t miss this opportunity to be included in what is sure to become a keepsake for everyone with links to Sulphur High School. Space Reservation Deadline: March 13
Joy. One wonderful place to have your baby. At Women & Children’s Hospital, we believe that babies and their moms should be surrounded by comfort and care. Our dedicated OB/GYNs and skilled nursing team are committed to providing you with a joyous birthing experience. If you’re having a baby, choose Women & Children’s and take advantage of all the amenities so many other growing families have already enjoyed, including prenatal education classes; spacious all-in-one labor, delivery and recovery suites with Wi-Fi and sleep sofas for dads; a Level III Neonatal ICU in case your newborn needs extra care; and free membership in Tiny Toes, an OB club for expectant mothers. If you’re expecting, you can expect more from us. To find an OB/GYN, enroll in Tiny Toes or schedule a tour of our birthing center, visit Women-Childrens.com/OB.
Very limited space is available in each of these. Call or email to reserve your advertising space today! (337) 310-2099 • ads@thriveswla.com February 2013
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1/22/13 3:22 PM
Home & Family
Frugality at its Finest: by Katie Harrington
s y a W g n i d Fin e h t t a e v to Sa y Store Grocer
“It’s easy to become overwhelmed when you are starting out,” says LeBleu. “The first step is to figure out a system that works for you. Clip your coupons and file them in one location. Whether it be a binder with plastic sleeves or a plastic, tabbed envelope, it is important to be organized.” Once you’ve got your coupons sorted and filed, the next thing to do is look at how you can match them with store coupons and promotions. This may sound complicated, but thanks to the internet, it’s not. “There are a ton of websites out there providing weekly updates on coupon matches,” adds LeBleu. “These matches are created by taking the weekly sales circular for your favorite stores and using your coupons to buy items that are on sale that week.” Some stores will even allow you to load coupons directly to your loyalty card from their website. “Definitely look into the rewards programs offered by retailers. If they
6 www.thriveswla.com
The popularity of reality television shows such as TLC’s Extreme Couponing has led to an increased interest in couponing. What was once seen as a pastime for your mother or grandmother has now come back bigger than ever, due in part to TLC, blogs, social media sites and savings apps. Today’s 24-7 access to technology makes it easier than ever to save a buck and stretch your family’s budget. With terms like blinkies, catalinas and doubling, coupled with the amount of time it takes to clip and organize coupons, it can all be a little overwhelming for a novice. According to Chrissy LeBleu, local coupon expert and founder of the Frugal Coupon Queens Blog, knowing the basics and developing a system that works can have you saving money in no time.
offer a free loyalty card program, sign up for it,” LeBleu says. “Most of these stores allow you to create a free account on their website and load coupons straight to your card. When you are ready to check out, the cashier will simply swipe your card and your discounts will be applied.” Another benefit to loyalty card programs is that some allow you to earn valuable rewards to put towards your next shopping trip. “For example, with an Extra Care Card from CVS, you can earn Extra Bucks on certain items each week,” LeBleu adds. “You also earn Extra Bucks once a quarter based on how much you’ve spent. These Extra Bucks add up quick and you can find yourself with anywhere from a dollar and up off your next purchase.” Another way to score additional savings is to get online. There are several search aggregators like couponmom.com and couponnetwork.com, which compile discounts from across the internet.
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February 2013
“Be sure to find your favorite brand’s page on Facebook and like it,” says LeBleu. “A lot of companies will post special ‘fan only’ offers that you can print directly from their page.” In addition, Facebook pages like Couponing 101, Coupon Divas and Coupons Make It Free, pass on the latest savings to their fans. LeBleu’s own fan page, Frugal Coupon Queens, shares the latest deals not only from online stores, but also from local brick-and-mortar stores throughout the day. “You can also e-mail or write to the manufacturer directly,” adds LeBleu. “Tell them what you like about their products and ask them
if they have any coupons they can send you. A lot of times these are higher in value and they may even send you some free samples if they are about to launch a new product.” Finally, since the bulk of your coupons will come from your Sunday newspaper, ask your neighbors for their coupon inserts if they aren’t using them. It is worth the effort considering the weekly inserts from SmartSource, RedPlum and Procter and Gamble can save you anywhere from $10 to $15 a week. By taking about 45 minutes a week to clip, organize and search online for coupons, you can set yourself up to save thousands of dollars a year.
“A few cents off a product may not seem like much, but if you can combine it with in-store savings and coupons on other items you are going to buy anyway, you can really have an impact on your final total,” LeBleu says. “After all, a few cents here and a dollar or two there can add up very quickly.” For more tips and information on the latest deals and steals, visit frugalcouponqueens.com.
Speak the Language
Savvy Savings Apps
Use this handy glossary to become a supreme saver.
These four free and easy-to-use apps to make getting great deals a cakewalk.
Blinkies These are coupons that are dispensed from small machines connected to store shelves. They often have blinking lights to attract your attention.
SnipSnap Coupon App (iPhone) Scan and store your paper coupons on your phone with this app and it will alert your when your coupons are about to expire, among other things.
Catalinas These are the coupons that are handed to you with your receipt at checkout. They are typically based on your customer behavior and offer discounts on products you frequently purchase. Some even offer savings off an entire future purchase.
Doubling This occurs when twice the coupon’s face value is deducted from the price of an item. Most stores only double coupons up to a certain value, typically 50 cents, and some only double coupons on certain days. Be sure to know your store’s policy on this ahead of time.
Apples2Oranges (iPhone) This app does the math for you by showing you which quantity or size of an item is the best deal.
Peelies These coupons are affixed to the outside of a product and can earn you
The Coupons App (iPhone, Android) GPS-enabled, this app alerts you to deals currently available in your area.
discounts on that product or a related one. For example, a peelie on a ketchup bottle may offer savings on a package of hot dog buns.
Grocery Pal (iPhone, Android)
Stacking Most grocery stores allow customers to stack or use multiple coupons per item. This is typically accomplished by using a store coupon in conjunction with a manufacturer’s coupon.
This pal will help your browse coupons by store, track prices from retailers each week, make shopping lists and redeem deals, all with the tap of your finger.
Tear pads These are notepads of coupons that hang off grocery shelves.
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February 2013
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Home & Family
Passing up the Pacifier by Katie Harrington
The pacifier is a source of comfort for many babies. By the time they reach toddlerhood, it’s often an essential item to get them to sleep at night or calm them during a storm. No doubt it’s a popular tool used by many parents, but what happens when your baby grows into a preschooler and still insists on having it at all times? Are you setting them up for future problems if you don’t take it away by a certain age?
“There is no doubt that a pacifier can be a life saver for some parents,” says Dr. Craig Crawford with Crawford Orthodontics. “Normal use during the first few years of life doesn’t cause long-term dental problems; however, some adverse effects on the structures of the oral cavity are a possibility after prolonged use.” The most common effect of chronic pacifier use, according to Dr. Crawford, is an anterior open bite.
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“This is characterized by an obvious gap between the upper front and lower front teeth when the jaw is closed. In this case, the back teeth touch, but the front teeth do not.” Another common effect is a posterior crossbite. “This is when the upper back teeth are tucked inside the lower back teeth because of the constant sucking habit,” Dr. Crawford says. “Pacifier use past the age of five can also delay the front baby
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teeth from falling out at a normal time, hindering emergence of adult teeth.” Dr. Crawford recommends only allowing your child to use a pacifier when they are going to sleep. “Once the child is asleep, it is best to remove it from their mouth. The habit should really end before their second birthday, but children should be coaxed to give it up even earlier — the sooner the better.”
February 2013
HOW TO DITCH THE PACIFIER: Check out these tips on how to make the “passing-on-thepappy” process less stressful. Keep the pacifier out of sight. As the saying goes, “out of sight out of mind.” Be consistent. It may be challenging at first, but don’t give up. If you give in on one occasion, your child learns that he will get what he wants just by pushing hard enough. Designate certain times of the day for the pacifier. For example, only allow the pacifier at naps or bedtime. Slowly reduce the amount of time allowed for pacifier use. Your child doesn’t have to go “cold turkey.” Instead, try a gradual approach. Find other methods of comfort. A favorite toy or soft blanket can be a great substitute. Decrease use at developmental stages. For example, when your child is learning to crawl, begin limiting her access to the pacifier and continue to decrease its availability as the she begins to talk and walk.
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February 2013
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Home & Family
New Resources Available at Calcasieu Parish Public Library The Calcasieu Parish Public Library offers more than just free books. The library system is upping the ante this year with four exciting new resources for everyone to enjoy.
Read the Latest Magazines for Free! Many of the popular magazines that the library has stocked on their shelves for years are now also available free to library card holders in digital format. Signing up for the cover-to-cover content is very easy. Under the Resources tab on the website, www. calcasieulibrary.org, select “magazines” to find the Zinio online magazines. By creating an account with your library card number and an email address, you will have free access to each issue of the magazines that you choose. After establishing an account and choosing titles at the library website, library users may read Zinio magazines on a variety of apps available for mobile devices. Select the device that best suits your needs to download your free app: PC, Mac, iPhone, Ipad, Android, Kindle Fire and Blackberry Playbook.
There’s an app for that! A new library app is available for smart phones and tablets, allowing mobile devices connected to the internet the ability to tap into library resources, anytime, anywhere. Patrons can search the library catalog, check their account, ask a question, find events and more. In addition to searching for books, CDs or DVDs in the library from anywhere, the BookLook feature lets you scan an ISBN barcode to see if the library owns the title. If you are at a bookstore you can just scan the ISBN code, see if the library has it, and place a hold on it right from your phone. To access the library’s mobile app, search Calcasieu Library in the phone’s market and download the app.
Investment Education. Morningstar online investment database has information on more than 30,000 stocks, mutual funds and exchange traded funds. Designed specifically for libraries and other academic research institutions, it provides independent analysis, industry information, stock charts, portfolio building tools and the Morningstar Investing Classroom (SM) series of web-based education tutorials. To access Morningstar, visit the webpage at www.calcasieulibrary.org and select the “Your Library” tab and choose Resources. Morningstar is located under the Business subtitle.
Help the Library Out. The library staff is often asked how the community can help so the library has a new online program for individuals to make donations for specific library requests. Library WishList, a fundraising tool that assists individuals and groups with making donations and learning about volunteer opportunities at the library, is located on the website in the “Support” dropdown menu. The items on the list are selected by staff at each library branch and are items that are not included in the annual budget. If you see an item on Library WishList you would like to help the library obtain, you could make a contribution toward the purchase, or sponsor an item in honor of or in memory of a loved one. 10 www.thriveswla.com
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All resources at the public library are free and available to anyone with a library card. For more information, please call 337-721-7118 or visit www.calcasieulibrary.org.
February 2013
We’re looking for 13 Thriving 30-Somethings with real
APP-titude!
It’s time for our annual recognition of individuals who work to make good things happen in Southwest Louisiana. The winners will be part of a professional photo shoot, featured on the cover of the April issue and profiled in a feature section. Check our website, www.thriveswla.com, or like our Facebook page for more details on the nomination process.
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Money & Career
Unprecedented the SWLA Growth On Horizon by Ann McMurry
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February 2013
Southwest Louisiana is poised to begin an era of prosperity like it’s never seen before, with $40 billion worth of construction projects either recently announced or already underway, and those projects will impact businesses across the area.
“There’s no doubt that our region is in the beginning phase of a huge economic boom,” said George Swift, CEO and president of the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance. The area has had big projects on the books, but Sasol’s December announcement of an integrated gas-to-liquids and ethane cracker complex made an already bright forecast look even better. In addition, last month, the Houston-based G2X Energy Inc. said it plans to construct a natural gas-to-gasoline facility on land here that is owned by the Port of Lake Charles. The next day, Magnolia LNG announced plans for a $2.2 billion export facility at the Port. There were already some major expansions planned by Cheniere Energy and Sempra’s Cameron LNG to develop export terminals at their facilities. The Leucadia project would produce methanol from coke secured from the nearby refineries, and the Lake Charles Port is in the process of building its greenfield grain elevator. These are in addition to numerous other ventures companies across the region, including a new casino for the area. The employment numbers that come with these undertakings are somewhat staggering. Sasol alone is expected to add 1,253 direct jobs paying an average annual salary of almost $88,000, and an additional 5,886 new, indirect jobs. Even before the Sasol announcement, the area was expected to gain over 5,000 jobs in 2013 and 2014, according to the Louisiana Economic Outlook produced by the Division of Economic Development at LSU. That job outlook includes 1,500 permanent jobs that are expected to come with the opening of a new Lake Charles casino in mid-2014. The casino, originally a Dan Lee/Creative Casinos venture, was bought by Ameristar Casinos, but Pinnacle Entertainment has announced its intention to purchase Ameristar in December, and Ameristar has agreed to the acquisition. No date has been set by the Louisiana Gaming Control Board for a vote to approve the riverboat gambling license February 2013
transfer from Ameristar to Pinnacle, and Pinnacle must obtain approvals for license transfers in other states where Ameristar operates its casinos. Ameristar is still in control of the project until the acquisition is completed, and construction is ongoing. The project means some 1,500 jobs during the construction phase. According to R. B. Smith, vice president of workforce development for the Alliance, the potential from the industrial projects for the area can be likened to the development of the Calcasieu Ship Channel in the 1920s and the development of the petrochemical industry in the 1940s. “There will be thousands of construction jobs and permanent jobs,” he said, indicating that the projects will impact businesses of all sizes, including retailers, restaurants, insurance, and car dealerships. “Everyone will benefit. And we will have to prepare to take advantage of this immediate prosperity.” The remarkable growth probabilities in the local economy can mean important things for individual communities. “We want to end up with quality communities throughout the region,” Smith said, “where people will want to live, where young people will want to stay. It’s about quality of life, not just jobs. It’s vital that we keep our young people here. “Every day I talk to someone who bemoans the fact that their children or grandchildren don’t live here,” Smith continued. “These projects will bring thousands of well-paying jobs that local folks can benefit from.” The work will mean a vast number of new jobs in Calcasieu Parish and in the surrounding areas, according to Smith, and there will be increased opportunities for the creation of new businesses. “We’ve got a wide range of career opportunities here,” Smith said. Initially, there will be jobs in trades and crafts, such as welding, ironworkers and electricians. There will be additional support jobs in area of office work, human resources, accounting, and information technology. As the projects are Thrive Magazine for Better Living
finalized, companies will need operators, workers in process technology, and engineers. A new casino will mean additional jobs in hospitality and culinary arts. “Health care is still the largest employer in the region, and we will need more health care professionals,” he said. “We want to develop a cultural climate to help artists and chefs. Likewise, we want to expand our agricultural and forestry reach. It just runs the gamut of awaiting jobs.” In recent years, Southwest Louisiana’s diversity has played a large part in its ability to have a fairly stable economy when other parts of the country were struggling. While the U.S. economy was weak, Louisiana was leading the nation in numbers such as job gains, and Southwest Louisiana was leading the state. The area’s natural resources, oil and gas industry, the port, the transportation network (rails, interstate, intercoastal waterway and aviation) all played a role in that, Swift said. The success rate of existing industry has also been important. Sasol has a productive work force and great management, therefore the company chose to expand here, Swift said. Swift credited the Port of Lake Charles for its efforts in attracting industrial improvements to the area. They have the property, the ship channel, the means to assist companies, “but mainly they have the desire,” he said. In addition, he said Calcasieu Parish and the surrounding areas are coming together as a region to work toward better opportunities for their communities, and it’s paying off. By the last quarter of 2013, much of the construction work will get under way, and it will really escalate in 2014 and 2015. “We have finally learned that working together is better than trying to go it alone.” Dr. Michael Kurth, professor of economics at McNeese State University, said the area won’t see much effect from the industrial expansions for the next year to a year and a half. “Southwest Louisiana experienced a huge economic boom in the late www.thriveswla.com
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Money & Career | Economic Growth
1970s and from what I can tell, this is going to be bigger than that,” he said. He expects the economic boom will peak in about three years, but will last about five years, or longer, depending on how business and civic leaders manage the growth. “When you build facilities, other industries will feed off of them,” he said. “High paying technical and professional jobs will be available for workers who get the right training.” In addition to the Sasol project, there are about half a dozen major projects from Houston to Baton Rouge, Kurth said. Hydrofracking, an emerging method of retrieving oil and gas that once was locked in shale deposits, has been an important development for the chemical/petrochemical industries. “The natural gas price is down to half of what it used to be, and we use a lot of it in these industries,” Kurth said. “The Gulf Coast is the cheapest place in the world to manufacture chemicals.” With new oil and natural gas fields opening up near Haynesville, Louisiana, and the Bakken field that is spanning Montana, North Dakota, and western Canada, that oil and gas will be more accessible to the industries here. “The Bakken field has a huge amount of oil – virtually a sea of oil,” Kurth said. “But we have to be able to get that oil to our refineries.” Environmental groups have delayed efforts to move crude from Alberta, Canada, to the Gulf Coast though the Keystone XL pipeline. Like Swift, Kurth said major highways, the ocean port, Chennault, and rail are important for industrial development, but “pipelines are a huge transportation component and as far as industry goes, the most critical,” he added. The petrochemical industry has a big spillover effect, and engineering companies, maintenance companies, and other businesses will spring up to support jobs at the plants. “We will see population growth, growth in school enrollment, and increased traffic,” he said. “We will have tremendous infrastructure needs on the other end of this,” he said. “Local government really has to be on its toes. We have to recognize that with these jobs comes a permanent increase in population. We have to build new schools, build new roads. We will have to anticipate growth, and not just respond.”
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February 2013
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Money & Career | Economic Growth “ OUR REGIONS WILL NEED THOUSANDS OF CONSTRUCTION WORKERS AND PERMANENT WORKERS IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS.” ~ George Swift
Super Region Compact is Just the
Beginning
by Amanda White
In February 2012, Chambers of Commerce and economic development organizations in the thirteen parishes of Southwest Louisiana and Acadiana met in Crowley and formed the Southwest Louisiana Super Region. The two regions had worked together successfully during the congressional redistricting to keep most of our area in the same congressional district. During the heat of the battle, the two regions realized we are a stronger influence together than working alone. By combining our resources, we are a strong region which provides our nation with energy, a superior port network, airport and industrial airparks, and great medical facilities.
regional educational partners to provide our local folks with the skills they need to have a great career. But, we will need to recruit workers locally, from surrounding areas, the nation, and even the rest of the world to fill these jobs. What will evolve is each area finding their specialty, concentrating on that niche, while helping to diversify and strengthen our part of the state,” said President/CEO of the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance and Super Region Vice Chair George Swift. “We can learn from each other. And, we can take advantage of the current excellent elected leadership and active private sector to take us to heights unimaginable.”
“This is the first of many mutual efforts between the two groups,” said Swift. “The positive effects of which will be felt throughout all 13 parishes included in the region.” Excerpts from the articles: “Take the elements that are critical to community prosperity – water, transportation, energy, industrial know-how, and willing and able workers – and combine them into a strategy for economic success. that is exactly what Southwest Louisiana and Acadiana did, and the results speak for themselves.” ~ “The Game Changer,” Site Selection Magazine, March 2012 “So, what is the new 13-parish Greater Southwest Louisiana Super Region that is anchored in the Southwest by Lake Charles and in Acadiana by Lafayette? In short, it is a successful combination of brains and brawn that can be found throughout the super region, which was formed to help businesses…gain access to one of the hottest economic development regions in the American South, the fourth-largest economy in the world.” ~ “The Birth of a Louisiana Super Region”, Southern Business & Development Magazine, Summer 2012
In July 2012, the Super Region group met again to formalize the joint effort and elected Rob Guidry of the Greater Lafayette Chamber as its first chair, and George Swift of the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance as vice chair. The group will assemble task forces focused on similar interests such as ports and airports, infrastructure such as the I-10 bridge replacement at Lake Charles and the completion of I-49 to the south. The group will also encourage regional stakeholders in education, workforce, agriculture, cultural economy, downtowns, medical, international trade, and tourism efforts to work together. “The future of the Super Region is not known, but together our regions can have a stronger presence in Baton Rouge at the legislature and in our nation’s capital. Our regions will need thousands of construction workers and permanent workers in the next few years. We will work with 16 www.thriveswla.com
Also in 2012, the Acadiana Economic Development Council and the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance combined marketing efforts to facilitate an eight-page feature, in Site Selection Magazine, an award-winning publication that highlights economic development stories from around the world, and in Southern Business & Development Magazine. “Our story will be read by more than 44,000 corporate executives and site selection consultants—this can only help us attract the right corporations for growth to our region,” Swift said. The articles detail recent business development successes in the newly-formed Super Region and highlight the region’s resources, location and probusiness climate. Included in the Site Selection article is a detailed chart and map containing the area’s geographic location, population, income, education and employment data. Thrive Magazine for Better Living
Copies of the complete articles are available at the Alliance offices, 1011 Lakeshore Drive, 7th Floor, Lake Charles.
February 2013
GET A JUMP START ON YOUR CAREER Supporting HighAND School Athletics PREPARE FOR FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES! in Southwest Louisiana Industrial manufacturing and construction career opportunities are expected to increase significantly as many new projects are planned for our area in the near future through 2020. While you may not see all the job opportunities immediately, the time to prepare is NOW. Most of these well-paying positions require certifications or degrees in disciplines such as: welding
millwright
electrical
chemistry
pipefitting
machinist
process technology
accounting
piping inspectors
instrumentation
engineering
safety
Our local educational institutions are expecting record numbers of students and are beginning to expand their offerings. In some cases, there are already waiting lists for the needed training and education. Many thanks to key organizations in our area who will help make the necessary courses available – SOWELA Technical Community College, McNeese State University and ABC Training Center. Consider your interests. Invest in your future!
Check our website regularly for career opportunities:
www.sasolnorthamerica.com
February 2013
Thrive Magazine for Better Living
equal opportunity employer Sasol is a global, publicly-traded company with approximately 34,000 employees. Sasol is an integrated producer of commodity and specialty chemicals for soaps, detergents, personal care products and more.
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Money & Career | Economic Growth With the predicted Southwest Louisiana economic boom quickly becomming a reality, many are wondering what it all means for them. Whether you are just joining the workforce or have been considering a career change, there has never been a better time to map out your career path. Check out the list below to see where the highest job demand will be:
Fastest Growing Occupations in Southwest Louisiana Through 2020 Occupational Title
10 Year% Job 2011 Annual Average Growth Regional Wage
Most Significant Source of Education or Training
Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters
123%
$39,503
High school diploma or equivalent
Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door
77.3%
$55,868
High school diploma or equivalent
Machinists
65.0%
$41,004
High school diploma or equivalent
Compensation, Benefits and Job Analysis Specialists
62.1%
$49,570
Bachelor’s degree
Coin, Vending and Amusement Machine Servicers and Repairers
56.2%
$27,969
High school diploma or equivalent
Network and computer systems Architects and Administrators
54.7%
$61,216
Bachelor’s degree
Home Health Aides
54.3%
$19,029
Less than high school
Welders, Cutters, Solderers and Brazers
53.4%
$44,214
High school diploma or equivalent
Mechanical Engineers
52.1%
$80,977
Bachelors degree
Fitness Trainers and Aerobics Instructors
51.9%
$25,736
High school diploma or equivalent
Glaziers
50.0%
$32,328
High school diploma or equivalent
Personal and Home Care Aides
47.3%
$18,097
Less than high school
Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians
46.8%
$48,084
Postsecondary non-degree award
Maintenance Workers, Machinery
46.7%
$50,181
High school diploma or equivalent
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February 2013
Occupational Title
10 Year% Job 2011 Annual Average Growth Regional Wage
Most Significant Source of Education or Training
Industrial Machinery Mechanics
46.3%
$48,661
High school diploma or equivalent
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists
46.3%
$45,163
Bachelor’s degree
Physical Therapists Assistants
45.6%
$51,465
Associate’s degree
Environmental Engineers
44.1%
$81,048
Bachelor’s degree
Veterinarians
43.2%
$82,718
Doctoral or professional degree
Helpers-Carpenters
42.2%
$25,085
Less than high school
Industrial Engineers
41.9%
$85,426
Bachelor’s degree
Industrial Production Managers
41.5%
$79,510
Bachelor’s degree
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators and Gaugers
41.1%
$61,690
High school diploma or equivalent
Occupational Therapists
40.1%
$80,682
Master’s degree
Chemical Technicians
39.9%
$53,448
Associate’s degree Source: Louisiana Workforce Commission
Thank You
The G2X Energy team would like to thank Governor Jindal, the Louisiana Economic Development team, and the Port of Lake Charles for all their support in bringing us to Southwest Louisiana. We are looking forward to becoming a long-term partner of the State of Louisiana and the local community.
g2xenergy.com
February 2013
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19
Money & Career | Economic Growth
Forbes
recently called Louisiana “America’s New Frontier for Business Opportunity.” At the helm of the economic engine, leading us boldly where we have never gone before, is Stephen Moret, Secretary of Louisiana Economic Development. After making ethics reform and economic growth a centerpiece of his gubernatorial campaign, Governor Bobby Jindal made Moret one of his first appointments when he took office in 2008. The two men quickly got down to business – literally – and crafted an economic turnaround for the state that took Louisiana from being known as one of the worst states in the country for business growth, to repeated recognition as one of the most competitive and prosperous states for businesses. Southwest Louisiana has benefited tremendously from the improved business climate, with announcements coming from Secretary Moret’s office about growth and expansion in our region on a regular basis. He took time to discuss the emerging, thriving image of Louisiana that he has helped create, and his journey to this critical leadership role for our state.
First Person is a monthly Q&A that features compelling people who excel in their chosen endeavors. Ideas for future Q&As? Email edit@thriveswla.com.
first person with
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Stephen Moret by Kristy Armand
Thrive Magazine for Better Living
February 2013
You earned an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from LSU. How did you go from that field to “engineering” the economy of a state? It actually had lot to do with my incredible experience at LSU. I was from a small town in Mississippi and went to LSU on a band scholarship. I chose engineering because I had always had an interest in understanding structure and processes; how things worked and how to make them work better. I was elected president of the student body, and was asked to represent the school on a state government reform commission during my senior year. That was in the early 90s, a time when Louisiana had been battling a reputation for government corruption that had hindered growth for decades. My engineering background gave me analytical “horsepower” to solve problems. Louisiana did not get to this point by accident. It had to be based on a poorly designed system. Again, from my perspective as an engineer, I thought if the design, or in more governmental terms, “policies,” were changed, the system could be improved. I really became intrigued by this and although I had several better job offers in other states, I took an offer with a Baton Rouge environmental firm, hoping that I could somehow be involved in turning the state around. I got involved in Forum 35, a group of young professionals in Baton Rouge. This exposed me to more business challenges the state faced and I still had this goal in mind for becoming more active in addressing these problems, even though I didn’t have a clearcut path. The catalyst for that came in 1996. I picked up the Baton Rouge Advocate and saw a photo of Bobby Jindal on the front cover. He had just been named Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and Human Services by Governor Foster. I realized he was just a year older than me and was in a position to make an impact on the state now. Why was I stuck on this idea of making an impact at some distant point in the future? I could do more now. I recognized that in order to contribute more, I needed a stronger business background, so after a stint working as assistant to the chancellor of LSU, I moved to Boston to pursue a master’s in Business Administration at Harvard Business School. From there, I had the opportunity to work briefly as a public policy fellow with PAR and basically just became even more committed to making a measurable difference in the state; not just on a policy level, but really making Louisiana a better place to live and work.
February 2013
When Gov. Jindal appointed you Secretary of Economic Development, you knew you faced the daunting task of turning around what had been perceived for decades as one of the poorest business climates in the country. You said yes anyway. What motivated you to accept the challenge? I was serving as the president of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) when he called. We had accomplished a great deal for the Capital Region, but had repeatedly identified our biggest hurdle to accomplishing our goals as problems at the state level – something we had no control over. I knew the state had big problems, and was, quite honestly, worried about taking on the responsibility for selling a product that, at the time, was somewhat unsellable. However, I had worked actively on Governor Jindal’s first “unsuccessful” gubenatorial campaign and knew he had the same goals I did for dramatically improving the state’s business climate. Ultimately, I felt it was a risk worth taking because the reward if we were successful would be so great for the state. I wanted to do meaningful work that changed lives. What could be more meaningful than implementing changes that bring jobs and improve our economy? These are changes that would lead to real improvement in people’s lives. How could I say no? What’s the best career advice you ever received? I’ve heard this several times, but was lucky enough to hear it and pay attention to it at a young age: Life is short. Do what you love. If you do that, you’ll never work a day in your life. What do you feel have been the key factors in the state’s economic turnaround? A commitment to changing the things that were holding us back is is the simple answer. This obviously involved change in many areas, but that is the foundation of everything we’ve been able to accomplish. Ethics reform early on was a tremendous factor that put us back on the playing field nationally. Elimination of unconventional business taxes, reformed workforce development programs, new, stronger economic incentive programs and aggressive business development efforts are other key elements of our strategy that have led to great results. If we can get businesses to give us serious consideration, all the inherent factors that make our state a great place to live can close the deal – our work ethic, strong communities, friendly people, abundant natural beauty and the best food in the country.
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What achievements are you most proud of Secretary of Economic Development? There’s so much going on that I’m really excited about. 2012 was an amazing year for the state; a time when we really saw our years of work in key areas pay off in a big way. FastStart, our job training program, which has been recognized as the number-one workforce-training program in the country, is something I’m very proud of, because not only is it our strongest economic recruiting tool, it also helps individuals get the training they need to start a great career. I’m proud of how we’ve brought leaders throughout the state, at every level, together to make the tough decisions needed to affect change. I’d have to say that the thing I’m most proud of is helping to prove that Louisiana can become what we aspire to be if we believe we can and if we work together to accomplish it. You’ve become known as a champion of small business. How does the state work to help small businesses? They play a huge role. More than 90 percent of businesses in our state are small businesses. We consider how all of our decisions will impact smaller businesses. We’ve worked very hard to improve communication and outreach to small businesses so they have easier access to the tools and resources they need. According to LSU, most of our small businesses - roughly 70 percent - get 80 percent or more of their revenue from customers in their community or in the state. That means that the best way to help small business grow is to grow our state’s economy. On a regional level, Southwest Louisiana is definitely on the move. What factors have helped position our region for the new business development that is underway and planned for the next decade? This region has always been pro-business, with a ready and willing workforce and a solid base of industrial infrastructure and capabilities. The I-10 corridor, your ship and rail capabilities, McNeese and Sowela combine to offer the full package that many other areas can’t match. Your business and civic leaders have a history of working together and working with business to make things happen. That makes Southwest Louisiana very attractive to area businesses. What should SWLA do to support and sustain this type of growth? Keep doing what you’re doing, first of all. Continue to be pro-business and take steps to insure that your community is equipped to meet the demands on resources and infrastructure that accompany major growth. There will be challenges, but these are good challenges to
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Money & Career | Economic Growth have and our community leaders and very well-equipped to guide the region through the coming economic boom. What’s next? What are your goals for continuing Louisiana’s economic growth? There are many. Workforce development is a big one. We have more high-paying jobs coming than people to fill them. Our most pressing need is making sure we have training programs in place for Louisiana residents to get the skills they need to take advantage of all the job opportunities our efforts are generating. Of course, bringing new people to the state is a goal as well. This grows our economy. But these people need housing, so addressing workforce housing is another top priority. Site development is another big focus. Success breeds success, and as new businesses come to the state, others will be taking a closer look. We want them to like what they see. They want to see prepared potential sites that are ready. We’re playing catch up in this area because our growth is unprecedented. It’s a great problem to have.
More About Stephen Moret B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Louisiana State University M.B.A., Harvard Business School (Dean’s Award recipient) Graduate, Leadership Louisiana Prior to being appointed by Governor Jindal, Moret served as president and chief executive officer of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, or BRAC. Under Moret’s leadership from 2004 to 2008, BRAC grew into a national-caliber regional economic development organization. Moret’s previous professional endeavors include working as a management consultant with McKinsey & Company, a leading global consultancy serving senior executives of Fortune 500 companies and large public sector organizations. He also served as a project supervisor with Trinity Consultants, where he advised large industrial facilities in multiple states on environmental issues related to major plant expansions. Moret also served as an assistant to the LSU chancellor, an independent consultant to Harvard University and a public policy fellow with the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana (PAR). His research at PAR on restructuring Louisiana’s higher education system earned the Most Distinguished Research Award from the National Governmental Research Association. Moret’s work has been recognized by the Ford Foundation, which selected him as one of 30 Regionalism and Sustainable Development Fellows in the U.S. In 2008, he was a contributing author to “Retooling for Growth: Building a 21st Century Economy in America’s Older Industrial Areas.”
We’re going where your business is groWing. 27
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EQUAL HOUSING LENDER Member FDIC
February 2013
Our legislative delegation is a huge part of the Southwest Louisiana sales team.
Legislative Team has a
Winning forRecord SWLA Economy by Kristy Armand
Whenever there is an announcement about a new business moving to the area or a current company expanding, it is usually the first time most people have heard about it. What you may not realize is this announcement that takes place in an instant, is actually the result of negotiations that have been going on for years in most cases. “We’ve been successful in attracting new business opportunities to Southwest Louisiana because we are very fortunate to have a great team of people, both locally and at the state level, helping us plan, prepare, meet, make calls, fix problems and make things happen behind the scenes,” says George Swift, President/CEO of the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance. “Our regional legislative delegation is a huge part of this team and I am not exaggerating when I say it is their commitment to working together for our region that has led to the current business boom we are experiencing.” State Senator Ronnie Johns says he is fortunate to be part of a delegation that does work so well together. “I’ve seen just the opposite take place in other parts of the state, and those areas don’t end up with the type of positive news about business growth that we have been experiencing. We are each elected to protect the interests of the communities we serve, but the Southwest Louisiana legislators recognize that we can accomplish far more for our region if we combine our efforts. We are not just one city or one parish; we are a substantial region and can prosper more by working together than any of us can individually. Of course, this typically involves compromise, which is not always easy, but we are all working for the same goal: the betterment of our region.” Swift says they frequently call on the delegation – both individually and collectively –for assistance in a wide variety of areas. “It’s our job to facilitate things at a state level to help move proposed projects forward,” says Senator Johns. “We work closely with state agencies, including LED, DOTD, DEQ, DNR, WLF and others. “We communicate directly with the governor and February 2013
his staff in matters concerning business growth for our region. We also work on solutions with legislators from other regions when needed. Basically, we are there to facilitate, coordinate and remove any red tape from the process that we can.” The legislators also play a role in good, oldfashioned courting of potential new businesses. “When we meet with business people interested in moving to Southwest Louisiana, they don’t want to talk to just local leaders,” says Swift. “They want to meet with legislators and hear from them directly about the support they can offer in Baton Rouge. They need to feel that connection, and fortunately, our legislators are always willing to do this. They are vital members of the Southwest Louisiana sales force.”
Looking to the future, Senator Johns says there is much more to be done. “Quality of life issues, including education, housing, healthcare, housing and other infrastructure factors are critical for making sure that the business we have all worked so hard to bring to the area stay here, and for helping us recruit even more.”
State Senators Cameron: Dan “Blade” Morrish Calcasieu: John R. Smith, Ronnie Johns, Dan “Blade” Morrish Beauregard: John R. Smith Allen: Eric LaFleur Jeff Davis: Dan “Blade” Morrish
State Representatives Cameron: Bob Hensgens Calcasieu: Dorothy Sue Hill, Mike Danahay, A B Franklin, Brett Geymann, Chuck Kleckley, John E. Guinn, Bob Hensgens Beauregard: James Armes, III, Dorothy Sue Hill, Brett Geymann Allen: Dorothy Sue Hill Jeff Davis: John E. Guinn
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23
Money & Career | Economic Growth
Ready, Set, by Kristy Armand
The headline above sums up the way many people feel about the unprecedented economic growth and opportunity taking place in Southwest Lousiana. It’s hard to grasp the full significance of what is happening, because we haven’t experienced anything like this in decades. It’s tempting to sit back and savor the long-awaited taste of prosperity. Fortunately, local government and business leaders recognize that the full potential could pass us by if we are not careful. How we manage and respond to the numerous infrastructure and economic elements involved with business growth will deterimine whether these opportunities lead to long-term economic stability for the region. That’s the foccus of the newly-formed Southwest Louisiana Task Force for Growth and Opporutnity, or “Go Group” for short. The Calcasieu Parish Police Jury is coordinating the effort, which includes respesentatives from area parish and city governments, the Chamber Alliance, education, law enforcement , and other business and civic organizations – from throughout the five parish area. Parish Administrator Bryan Beam says the group is still in early stages of setting goals, but their overall mission is to make sure our region is positioned to make the most of the economic growth opportunites that are taking place – not just for businesses, but for overall quality of life in our commuities. “We are all tremendously excited about the big announcements regarding expansion and new businesses moving to our area,” comments Police Juror Les Farnum. “But it’s important for us as leaders to plan ahead to meet the challenges that come with this level of growth.” The impact of the economic development we 24 www.thriveswla.com
GO!
are facing is far-reaching. Thousands of new jobs create a need for a trained workforce. “We will have hundreds of new famlies moving to the area,” says Farnum. “They’ll need homes, healthcare, and room in schools for their children. More people means more traffic. Are we ready for that? Those are the types of issues the Go Group is addressing. By working together, we can avoid duplication and maximize our areas of expertise.” Farnum compares the sharing of ideas and resources of Go Group to the way leaders met and planned the Marine Industrial Commercial Residential region’s response to storms in the past decade, but instead of an impending disaster, the positive economic Insulate & SAVE some Green storm we’re bracing for is eagerly anticipated. • Open & Closed Cell Insulation “We just want to make • Speciality Coatings sure we’re ready to not • Heat Shield Insulated Paint only handle it, but keep it around for a long, long • Fireproof Paint time.”
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graham@gmartininsulation.com www.gmartininsulation.com P.O. Box 4666 • Lake Charles, LA Thrive Magazine for Better Living
February 2013
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Devall Barge Line, Inc. Phone: (337) 905 - 3500 Fax: (337) 762 - 3823
East Fleet Mile 242.1 ICW West Fleet Mile 245 ICW Phone: (337) 762 - 4706 Fax: (337) 762 - 3823
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February 2013
25
Money & Career | Economic Growth
These Big Announcements Really Like gold pouring from the pot at the end of a rainbow, the cup of Southwest Louisiana’s good fortune runneth over these days. From a multibillion dollar expansion project announcement one day to several multi-million dollar investments the next, news of growth and expansion abound in Southwest Louisiana. Here is a rundown of the latest economic developments making headlines.
Add Up!
Sasol: $21 Billion
Late last year, Sasol announced approximately $21 billion of investments to build an integrated gas to liquids (GTL) and ethane cracker complex at their existing site adjacent to the city of Westlake. The total economic impact over the next 20 years is projected to be $46.2 billion, according to an economic impact study commissioned by Louisiana Economic Development and completed by the LSU Division of Economic Development. It is the largest manufacturing investment in Louisiana’s history and is expected to create a total of 7,000 construction jobs and more than 1,200 direct Sasol jobs. The gas to liquids facility will produce high quality transportation fuels as well as other valueadding chemical products. These fuels are clean-burning with significant emission reduction benefits. “Never before in our nation’s history has there been a greater call for energy independence, but that independence will only result from a meaningful application of innovative and practical solutions for new sources of energy. This project is a giant step forward to help our country become more energy independent and less reliant on foreign sources of energy,” said Governor Bobby Jindal. “We have been laser focused on job creation by creating an environment where businesses want to invest and create jobs for our people.” “We greatly appreciate the support we have received from the state of Louisiana, Governor Bobby Jindal, and the people of Calcasieu Parish, in reaching these significant project milestones,” said David Constable, Sasol Ltd. CEO. Sasol estimates significant construction should begin in 2014. The ethane cracker and derivative units are expected to be up and running in 2017; the first train of the gas to liquids facility in 2018 and the second train in 2020.
26 www.thriveswla.com
Pinnacle Entertainment: $500 Million At the end of 2012, Pinnacle Entertainment announced the purchase of Ameristar for $869 million. The sale includes the transfer of the Louisiana’s 15th casino license back to Pinnacle, and the company is committed to completing the new casino resort next to its current Lake Charles property, L’Auberge. The $500 million construction project will continue to be managed by Ameristar until the deal is officially closed later this year. Pinnacle officials recently stated they were looking at a late second quarter closing. Construction on the resort began in July of 2012, with an estimated 1,200 construction jobs to be created through the building process. When the resort is completed in mid-2014, it will add 700 hotel rooms and 70 luxury suites to the already 1,000 rooms at L’Auberge. Additional restaurants, gaming space, including an additional 1,600 slot machines and 60 table games, a golf course and tennis facility, spa and swimming pools are also scheduled to be a part of the final product. L’Auberge currently employs approximately 2,000 people. and conservative estimates put the number of new jobs that will stem from this project to be somewhere around 1,600 permanent positions. “The addition of a second casino complex will make our property a large, integrated destination resort,” said Anthony Sanfilippo, chief executive officer of Pinnacle Entertainment. “There won’t be anything like it in the South. We’ll offer two terrific hotels, two large casino complexes and more amenities and entertainment opportunities. We are still in preliminary stages of planning the integration, but we’re very excited about the potential of this expansion in Lake Charles. Our ultimate goal is to really have the best destination resort in the South, and we’re confident in our ability to deliver just that.”
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February 2013
Port of Lake Charles: G2X $1.3 Billion Magnolia LNG $2.2 Billion Along with visionary leaders and the state’s business climate, Port of Lake Charles Director Bill Rase credits the Calcasieu River Ship Channel itself for the latest string of industrial announcements. “The channel is maintained by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers with the port serving as local sponsor for the state. The channel is greatly responsible for our region’s thriving energy corridor, and the port has played a crucial role in this community’s economic development since opening its first wharf and transit shed in 1926,” said Rase. “In 2012 alone, major announcements from Ameristar, Lake Charles Clean Energy, Sasol and now G2X have been due in part to the Calcasieu River Ship Channel.” In January, Port of Lake Charles Commissioners approved an option for a long-term lease agreement on 200 acres with G2X Energy, a Houstonbased energy company that plans to build a $1.3 billion natural gas-togasoline facility on port property located across from Calcasieu Point Landing on the Industrial Canal. The G2X Energy project is expected to create 243 new direct jobs, resulting in an estimated 748 new indirect jobs. According to the company, the direct jobs will pay an average salary of $66,500 plus benefits. The site for our new natural gas-to-gasoline facility was chosen due to its logistic options and transportation infrastructure, cooperative assistance from the Port of Lake Charles, as well as the state’s business climate, said Trey Felder, Director of Project Development. “Our 87 octane gasoline can be distributed by pipeline and barge to U.S. markets or by ship to foreign markets. Helping to secure the project, Louisiana Economic Development offered a $5-million performance-based grant for infrastructure improvements at the Port, including an access road, utilities and a dock facility. Should groundbreaking begin in mid-2014 as anticipated, G2X expects construction to span three years, leading to an estimated completion date in mid-2017. The impact of Ameristar, Lake Charles Clean Energy, Sasol and G2X will benefit the region for a very long time. Initial reports estimate a total of 15,000 to 20,000 construction jobs for the combined projects, in addition to an estimated 14,000 permanent direct and indirect jobs. The 2012
announced projects along the channel represent a capital investment estimated at between $20.3 and $25.3 billion dollars. President Harry Hank of the board of commissioners said, “The ship channel is important not just for Southwest Louisiana, but for the entire country. This waterway is the carrier of 7.5 percent of the nation’s daily oil consumption and handles 58 million tons of cargo annually.” In addition, dozens more Port of Lake Charles tenants and customers benefit from the Calcasieu River Ship Channel. Those include Alcoa, Ameristar, Arrow Terminals, BG Americas and Global LNG, Cal Western Packaging, Citgo, Crowley Marine, Dynamic Industries, Farmers Rice Mill, Federal Marine Terminals, Firestone, Foss International, Francis Drilling Fluids, Gearbulk, Geo Specialty Chemicals, Halliburton, IFG Port Holdings, James J. Flanagan, Lake Charles Clean Energy, Lake Charles Stevedores, Leevac Industries, Louis-Dreyfus Corp., Louisiana Pigment, Louisiana Rice Mill, Phillips 66, Pinnacle Entertainment, Port Aggregates, Reid and Company, Sam’s, Sasol, Sempra Energy, Shaw Modular Solutions, Talen’s Marine, Trunkline LNG, Union Pacific Railroad and USDA. On the heels of the port’s decision to option to lease 200 acres to G2X, Magnolia LNG also announced plans last month for a $2.2 billion export facility to be located on Port of Lake Charles property. Maurice Brand, Magnolia LNG managing director and joint chief executive director, said the company will develop a natural liquefaction production and export facility that would create 45 new permanent jobs and an estimated 1,000 construction jobs. The mid-scale LNG facility would be located on 90 acres at the port’s Industrial Canal and would produce 4 million metric tons of liquefied natural gas per year. Construction would be in 2015 pending the company’s attainment of permits and final financing. The Port of Lake Charles encompasses 203 square miles in Louisiana and owns and operates two marine terminals and two industrial parks and is the fourteenth-busiest seaport district in the U.S. according to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. For more information on the Port of Lake Charles, visit www.portlc.com or call 337-493-3513.
The Port’s City Docks facility is located 34 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico and is connected to the Gulf by the 12 meter (40 foot) deep Calcasieu Ship Channel. The Channel has played a crucial role in the community’s economic development.”
A ship loader is part of the port’s assets at City Docks.
February 2013
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27
Money & Career | Economic Growth
Cheniere: $6 Billion Construction on a natural gas liquefication facility is underway at Cheniere’s Sabine Pass terminal in Cameron Parish. The $6 billion expansion is projected to add 150 new jobs, 590 indirect jobs and 3,000 construction jobs. Once the expansion is complete, Cheniere will be able to export to ships as well as import, making Louisiana and Southwest Louisiana home to one of the first bi-directional facilities. Export facilities will chill natural gas into a liquid that can be shipped on tankers and will allow U.S.-based producers to export natural gas to overseas markets for higher profits. Cheniere will build the four-train project for the next five to six years and it is targeting the end of 2015 to start exporting from the first train. The project is expected to be complete by the end of 2018. “Our Liquefaction Project will provide thousands of jobs in Southwest Louisiana while connecting the state’s natural gas industry to global markets, making Louisiana the world’s first dual importer and supplier of LNG,” said Charif Souki, chairman and CEO of Cheniere. “The most important thing that has continued to promote our investment in Louisiana is the attitude of the Louisiana people. They are optimistic, tenacious and friendly.”
Safety Council of Southwest Louisiana:
A Vital Part of the Lake Area Community
• Safety and Health Training • Drug and Alcohol Program for Workers (DOT Certified Collectors) • Contractor Safety Programs • Industry Site Orientation Programs • OSHA Compliance Training • Defensive Driving, Substance Abuse Studies, Community Service Program, several other Court Mandated Training Programs, and a New Driver Program • Classroom, Computer-based, and Web-based Training Call Today for More Information.
Sempra: $6 Billion (337) 436-3354 safetycouncilswla.org Ryan at Clarence Lake Charles Monday–Thursday 7am–4pm Friday 7am–Noon
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Hackberry is the site for a $6 billion expansion of the Sempra LNG, or liquefied natural gas, receiving terminal. Construction is proceeding and will take place in three phases. The first liquefaction train should open in late 2016 and the other two trains should be operational by late 2017. The project is expected to employ 3,000 during the peak construction phase, with an estimated 610 permanent indirect jobs and 130 permanent direct jobs. “This project will bring extensive economic benefits to the region, the country and support the continued growth of our natural gas industries as well as international gas markets,” said Octavio Simoes, president of Sempra Energy’s LNG operations.
Thrive Magazine for Better Living
February 2013
Farmer’s Rice Milling Company: $13.4 Million Late last month, Farmer’s Rice Milling Company, located in eastern Calcasieu Parish, along with Governor Bobby Jindal, announced plans for a $13.4 million expansion and modernization project. Farmers Rice Milling Company is a division of The Powell Group and operates the largest rice mill in Louisiana. The mill and related businesses form the largest agriculture-related business in Southwest Louisiana, employing more than 125 workers in and around Lake Charles. They also employ an additional 25 others at their headquarters in Baton Rouge. The 55,000-square-foot expansion of the mill’s clean rice packaging and distribution facility will allow the company to increase processing speed and volume. This investment will help the company expand its current customer base and take advantage of existing and new market opportunities. “This project ensures Farmers Rice Milling will continue to purchase rice from the farmers of Southwest Louisiana and grow its position as a leader in the world rice market,” said company CEO James Warshaw. “Farmers Rice Milling Company has been a key part of the agricultural economy in Louisiana for over 90 years, employing hundreds of workers and buying services from vendors and suppliers around the state. The company looks forward to continuing its work with LED and its goods relations with the communities of Southwest Louisiana.” The company processes and mills rough rice at the Lake Charles facility, and then packages and distributes clean rice to customers. The mill, which
has been in continuous business since 1917, is investing in the new facility to expand its output and meet the demand of national and international customers. They purchase rice from rice-growing regions throughout Louisiana and serve customers in the United States and worldwide, including Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. Annually the mill purchases $120 million in locally grown rice, and supports those who work in the rice industry, from farmers to truck drivers. The mill is capable of processing more than 800 million pounds of rice per year.
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Money & Career | Economic Growth
$2.1 Billion THANKSFOR PPG: Merger
SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA
VOTING FLYING TIGERS AS OUR MASCOT!
The announcement last summer that PPG would spin off their commodity chemicals business to merge with Atlanta-based Georgia Gulf to form a new company came as a surprise to most people in the area, where PPG – Lake Charles had been located for over 65 years. Once the dust settled, it became apparent that the $2.1 billion deal was good news for both companies, as well as for Southwest Louisiana. The merger was completed last month. The resulting new company, Axiall Corporation, will own and operate PPG’s former commodity chemicals operation located here. The merger will not translate to any lost jobs. Some expect this move to create significant value for stockholders in both companies, as it provides greater scale and ability to capitalize on globally advantaged, low-cost North American natural gas, and provides a solid foundation for future growth. Axiall is positioned to be an international leader in the production of chemicals and building products, with greater access to world markets.
PPG Silicas
PPG will maintain ownership and operation of its silica products manufacturing unit at the Lake Charles complex, and it will continue to employ about 180 people locally in that business. The facility manufactures precipitated silicas used in end-use markets such as tire manufacturing. The increased use of precipitated silicas in high-performance and more energyefficient tires has created growth opportunities for silicas manufacturers around the globe. To meet its customers’ growing needs, PPG last year completed a capacity expansion at the Lake Charles silica products site. In September 2012, the company announced that it would expand annual capacity again by 22,000 tons. This project is currently under way and is expected to be completed in mid-2014. Employment at the site is expected to increase to support this expansion. Keeping Your Workforce Healthy and on the Job!
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Jack Hines at the silica unit
February 2013
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IndustryInsider
Straight Answers to Your Questions on Industry and the Environment
Q:
There are big plumes of smoke coming from industries. Is this pollution?
A:
The plumes are water vapor, not smoke.
What you see is actually water vapor. A significant amount of heat and water are required in the industrial process. Cooling towers are used to cool the hot water that is generated when heat is removed from the process. Industry reuses the water as much as possible, and then cools it before returning it to local waterways. Temperature, humidity and wind all affect the visibility of the water vapor and how quickly it’s absorbed into the air. You may notice it more on a cool, humid evening when there is very little wind. The fact that it’s more visible at some times than others is a result of weather changes, not changes within the industrial process. These cooling towers are an environmentally friendly way to keep local industry working.
Carol Collins
public relations director with local industry
Visit www.laia.com to learn more and submit your question about local industry and the environment. February 2013
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Money & Career | Economic Growth Are you thinking of changing careers? Have you felt dissatisfied on your current career path or feel you haven’t found your niche? With growth throughout Southwest Louisiana on the horizon, now is a good time to begin to explore your options.
When Your
Career
Path Has a Fork in the Road
It might help to know you’re not alone, and that sometimes you find your true calling a little later in life. Joy Behar, the comedian and co-host of The View and The Joy Behar Show, is a former high school English teacher. She says she was a funny girl growing up, then the turbulent teen years hit and she lost her confidence. She was nearly 40 when she rediscovered her funny bone; she began doing stand-up comedy and her comedic career was launched. John Grisham was a lawyer and Mississippi state representative before launching his other, more well-known career as a fiction writer. The inspiration for his first novel, A Time to Kill, came to him while he was observing a Mississippi court case. Grisham decided he preferred the freedom writing offered over the routine of practicing law and has written many best sellers. The famous tenor, Andrea Bocelli, was a lawyer, but knew his voice was unique. People continually asked him to sing and he came to believe he had a gift. He has said that he now
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believes that if you have a gift, you have an obligation to share it with others. These public figures did what many average Americans do every day: they changed careers. The trick is to do so successfully, because for every success story, there are hundreds that didn’t turn out as planned. According to Candis Carr, Ed.D., LPC-S, LMFT, NCC, CEAP, senior vice president with Family and Youth Counseling Agency there are a few things to consider when deciding to change careers. “It’s good to ask yourself if it’s the job itself or is it the field? Sometimes, a change from one place of business to another can solve the concern; other times a completely new line of work is the answer.” Seventy-four percent of U.S. workers reported they have changed careers at least once, according to a survey of more than 5,700 workers conducted by Harris Interactive, a datagathering firm. More than one-third of those surveyed said they are currently interested in a career change. The key to a successful career change is to
Thrive Magazine for Better Living
by Christine Fisher
do it after careful thought and planning, not as a reaction to a few bad weeks at work. Dr. Carr said the first step is to work with a career coach. “Making a rash decision can ruin your standing in both industries. Your former colleagues will probably wonder what happened to you, and your new colleagues won’t have a clue who you are or why you’re suddenly in their radar,” said Dr. Carr. Plan a timeline of one to two years to implement a career change. Stick your feet in the water before jumping in headfirst. A career coach can both challenge your thinking and support your big move. Gather information for four to six months about your prospective career. Talk with people who are in that line of work, interview them on their daily routine, what they like about it, what skills and techniques are imperative for success. Highlight your transferrable skills. Talents and experiences that you used in one career can often be invaluable in another line of work. Organization, management, handling details, and multi-tasking are skills that can put you ahead of the pack in many industries.
February 2013
Some career leaps require additional education or certification. Make sure you’re committed to the time and energy it takes to achieve this. The bottom line is to make sure your itch is due to a new direction you’re life is taking, rather than being simply dissatisfied with your current employer, your commute or your co-workers. “It needs to be a fundamental dissatisfaction
with the industry as a whole, or conversely, an undeniable pull toward something that will give you more fulfillment. Many people gather useful skills in one industry then move into a line of work that is more service-oriented. They are successful because they bring valuable business talents with them that they may otherwise not have developed,” said Dr. Carr.
Career Path Profiles Robert Conner Nurse Practitioner
Today, Nurse Practitioner Robert Conner
begins his day with early morning hospital rounds before heading to a very busy office clinic. Robert works for Carl Fastabend, MD, at Imperial Health and the Vein Center of SWLA. He treats patients suffering from a variety of cardiovascular ailments. What most don’t know, however, is that his career in medicine came about later in life. “Just before my high school graduation in 1974, my dad gave me a choice,” says Conner. “My options were to go to college or gain employment. Sitting around the house wasn’t an option.” Conner was tired of school but unable to find a job without a marketable skill, so his dad
David McAnulty Process Technology
February 2013
If you’re feeling frustrated, unchallenged or unfulfilled in your current career, the idea of changing your line of work may be just what you need to consider. You may have more to offer than what you’re currently giving.
Everyone knows the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, but that’s not always the case when it comes to finding the career that’s right for you. Sometimes the path to landing the career of your dreams is a long and winding road. The following personal stories will attest to the fact that finding success is often a journey.
took matters into his own hands. “I came home one afternoon to find a navy recruiter sitting in the living room,” Conner adds. “By the weekend I was in New Orleans. I completed a physical exam on Saturday morning and was enlisted on Saturday afternoon.” He spent five years in the navy on board an aircraft carrier traveling the world. After being honorably discharged from the United States Navy in 1979, he worked briefly in the local chemical industry, losing employment to layoffs stemming from a poor economy at the time. He enrolled in Sowela Technical College and completed a two-year diesel technician program in one year. “I had a wife and two small children depending on me and I needed a skill fast, one that would provide long-term income,” Conner says. Five years into his new career and finally financially stable, he was ready for a greater challenge. A four-year college had never really been something he’d thought about, but after years of back-breaking work, he knew there had to be a better way. He entered McNeese State University and pursued a bachelor of science in nursing. “I was considered a non-traditional student
David McAnulty graduated in
process technology from Sowela Technical Community College more than a year ago. McAnulty, a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, was part of an infantry reserve unit for more than eight years, including two combat tours to Iraq. “The Marine Corps has the reputation of being one of the most disciplined, reliable, dedicated, and elite forces in the world and I wanted to be a part of it,” says McAnulty. In 2004, three years into his college Thrive Magazine for Better Living
at the time because I was in my mid- thirties. I chose medicine because the field was wide open but I knew I would have to compete with much younger candidates in the job market,” says Conner. Four years later he graduated with honors and went to work as a registered nurse. He spent nearly ten years working in the area before his next opportunity presented itself. “I was nursing administrator for a group of local physicians and they offered me the opportunity to further my education,” Conner adds. “In 2001, I enrolled at McNeese once again and began working on my master’s degree. I continued to work full-time as I pursued my degree.” In 2003, Conner graduated with honors once again and after passing state boards, achieved licensure as an advanced practice registered nurse, commonly known as a nurse practitioner. “I have no regrets about the path I took to achieve career success,” says Conner. “I followed my dreams and ambitions, refusing to give in when others said it would be impossible. I was able to teach my children that it’s never too late to go after what you want in life.”
career, McAnultys’ unit received activation orders and was sent to the Middle East. “After experiencing my first combat tour, I was blessed to be home safely and to be able to continue my regular life,” explains McAnulty. A few years following his homecoming, he obtained a bachelor of science degree in business management from McNeese State University. Shortly afterward, his unit received overseas activation orders again. Returning home a second time, McAnulty continued working for the family-owned business he had worked for throughout www.thriveswla.com
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Money & Career | Economic Growth college. A year later the business had to close so McAnulty searched for and found a position at PPG Industries as part of their utility crew. It was there that he was offered an opportunity to obtain a process technology certificate through their fast-track program. McAnulty didn’t back away from the
Kailey Trahan Automotive Technology Student and Diesel Apprentice
Like
many high school students, Kailey was raised with the expectation that she would go to college and get a four-year degree. Also, like many high school students, she didn’t know what “she wanted to be.” After graduating from Barbe High School in 2010, she followed the roadmap she and her mother, Aminah Trahan, had discussed for years and enrolled in McNeese State University. She chose psychology as a major because it sounded interesting, but she wasn’t really clear on what she would do with it. After just one semester, she was having serious doubts about her choice – not just her major, but also about staying in college. “I hoped it would get better in the second semester, but I just didn’t like my classes. My grades were fine, but I wasn’t motivated. I really wasn’t sure what to do.” When Kailey really thought about what she liked, and what she could see herself spending her days doing, she saw a completely different future for herself – one that involved cars, engines, hydraulic lifts and all the tools of the trade for an auto mechanic. “I was always into cars and had spent a lot of time around them growing up, working on engines with my dad. I started looking into career fields that would fit this strong interest, and the type of training I would need to pursue it. I discovered that Sowela offered a two-year degree program in automotive technology. The more I learned about it, the more excited I was about making the switch.” Her only worry? Telling her mom. “Not only
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challenge of working 12-hour shifts while taking evening and online classes. After receiving his certificate, he decided to pursue an associate degree in applied science in the area of process technology. In December of 2011, McAnulty completed his degree in process technology with a 3.85
GPA. He credits his success in the program to his instructors and to the flexibility of the program allowing online and evening courses. Currently, McAnulty works as an industrial operator for the CITGO Refinery in Lake Charles.
position. Why? She wants to stay in school was I choosing a career that most women another year to earn an additional degree in can’t relate to at all, but I was leaving a automotive paint and body. “Now that I’m four-year degree program for a two-year sure I’m on the right path, I want to learn as associate’s degree. She had worked so much as I can to help me achieve my goals. I’d hard to make sure I could get a college like to own my own shop or maybe even get education. I didn’t want her to feel like I into engineering and design. I can’t wait to get was turning my back on that. But I knew started on my career, equipped with the skills I she loved me and would support me.” need to be successful in a field I love.” Kailey’s prediction about her mom’s Phillip Tarver, owner of the dealership, says reaction was accurate. “I was very concerned with Kailey’s decision to switch Kailey is the perfect example of the success that comes when someone gets on the right schools at first,” Aminah said. “We had training and career path. “With the economic many long discussions, but I could tell she growth we are seeing here, we need more had really done her research. I may have young people and their parents to be aware of, been unsure, but she was not. I’ll admit and open to, what they may consider to be nonthat I harbored a hope that she would change traditional professional careers. The jobs will her mind after she got into the new program, be here. We need the workforce to be not just but just the opposite happened. It was obvious ready, but trained and ready.” that she really loved what she was learning. She was excited and happy, and doing very well. I realized she was in the right place.” Her passionate ® pursuit of her dream career has paid off Powering the World of Work already. She was awarded a scholarship from Tarver Ford after her first semester at Sowela, and was recently offered a fulltime job at the dealership after her graduation this spring. Please contact the Lake Charles She turned office to discuss your staffing needs down that job and instead asked for -and received 1 Lakeshore Dr. Ste. 1520 • Lake Charles, LA 70629 -- a part-time Phone: 337-431-7134 • Fax: 866-599-6772
Manpower
www.Lakecharles.la@manpower.com
Thrive Magazine for Better Living
February 2013
Robin Daugereau Licensed Practical Counselor
Feeling the unshakeable desire to chart
her own path, Robin Daugereau made the difficult decision to leave her job at KPLC after being there for 32 years and begin a completely different career – a Licensed Practical Counselor. Robin said she was lucky to land a job soon after high school at KPLC-TV. She began in the traffic department scheduling commercials and programming. Within five years she was manager of not only traffic but also marketing and programming. “I fell in love with the broadcast industry and my desire was to be general manager of a TV station one day,” she
said, but along the road, circumstances began to change her focus. “I became less and less enthralled with corporate America. It became less about quality and more about the dollar,” she explained. She saw stories across the country and here at home of companies demanding loyalty from their employees, but giving none in return. “I knew I needed to take control of my future. There had to be a way to make a decent living while treating employees with dignity and value,” said Robin. Her role in management at the station played an important role in discovering other interests. “As a manager, people come to you for help, advice and direction. In my personal life, friends and family would ask for my opinion. I was good at listening and motivating and I have a deep desire to help people. The wheels in my head began turning and I contemplated becoming a counselor.” Knowing it would mean obtaining a degree along with advanced studies, Robin began her 11-year journey to get her bachelor’s degree. “I graduated at age 50 from McNeese. And there was a lady in her 70s who graduated with me!” Within another two and half years,
she received her master’s degree and began her two-year internship. “It was a long journey to get my education. I went to school while working full-time. I missed a lot of family events, and valuable time with friends along the way. Deciding to change careers and get my education was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. There were days when I didn’t think I would be able to pick up one more book, write one more paper, or study for one more test. But, with tremendous support from friends and family I was able to move forward and stay focused on the end result.” Just last month, she received a letter in the mail saying she was now a Licensed Practical Counselor. “It feels great to be in control. I’d rather believe in me than a corporation,” Robin said. Robin works at Resource Management Services and will soon open a private practice. “My advice to others, “Don’t be afraid to take a risk. Life isn’t lived unless you are a little uncomfortable or afraid. The rewards that come from stepping outside your comfort zone make the journey worth it. It is NEVER too late to go for your dream.”
There’s Strength in our Numbers In less than three years of operation, Lakeside is proud to report huge growth in the key areas for financial strength and stability.
ASSETS
GROSS LOANS
DEPOSITS
$90,000,000
$100,000,000
$60,000,000
80,000,000
50,000,000
60,000,000
25,000,000
40,000,000
10,000,000
5,000,000
20,000,000
4Q2010
4Q2011
4Q2012
4Q2010
4Q2011
4Q2012
4Q2010
4Q2011
4Q2012
Our performance since our 2010 opening demonstrates the soundness of our management practices and the strength of the Southwest Louisiana economy. We’re proud to be a part of the progress and development in our region. We sincerely appreciate the trust our customers have placed in us, and assure you that we are positioned for even stronger growth in the future.
We invite you to Join the Migration to Lakeside.
The way banking should be. 4735 Nelson Rd., Lake Charles February 2013
474-3766
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LakesideBanking.com www.thriveswla.com
35
Money & Career | Economic Growth As the industrial sector booms with new projects and expansions at historic levels, area colleges and Training Programs are preparing as well.
Area Schools
Gear Up McNeese State University will be the gathering place for a vital mix of talent, resources and facilities with the Southwest Louisiana Entrepreneurial and Economic Development (SEED) Center, which is being completed on Ryan Street across from the main campus. The center will be both a think tank and a hatchery for the area economy. In addition to McNeese’s Small Business Development Center, the center will house the Southwest Louisiana Development Alliance and its Foundation, the SWLA Partnership for Economic Development and the IMCAL Regional Planning Commission. “McNeese is working with industry partners to identify the workforce needs that will be created as a direct or indirect result of these new industries and the expansion of existing facilities,” said Dr.
to Meet Job Growth
Phillip Williams, McNeese president. “In addition, McNeese students will be developing small business ideas in the business incubators located in the new Southwest Louisiana Entrepreneurial and Economic Development SEED Center that will give McNeese graduates the opportunity to be competitive and meet changing workforce demands.” The economic growth will create a demand for engineers and technology professionals as well as college graduates for the health care, education, banking, business, tourism and hospitality sectors. The Institute for Industry-Education Collaboration has been created to strengthen existing collaborations between McNeese and industry to produce highly
A new Arts & Humanities Building opens soon on SOWELA’s growing campus
by Brett Downer
skilled and job-ready graduates and to offer training to practicing engineers and technicians. More than $50 million in construction and building renovation projects are underway on the McNeese campus that will improve classrooms, labs and learning spaces and provide new on-campus housing and parking for students. At SOWELA Technical Community College, a transformation is already under way to turn a place that’s “not your granddady’s old trade school anymore,” as new Chancellor Dr. Neil Aspinwall
McNeese engineering students
t SOWELA’s next construction project, a nursing building, starts this year.
36 www.thriveswla.com
Thrive Magazine for Better Living
February 2013
put it, into a forward-thinking comprehensive community college that offers workforce-based technical training and, soon, the same level of accreditation as McNeese and other schools. Specifically, SOWELA’s new Phillips 66 Process Technology Center went online this academic year, training the next wave of the industrial workforce. The new Arts & Humanities Building will open this semester, creating new classroom space and a new library for the growing college. Also this year, SOWELA will turn the first shovelfuls of dirt for a new Allied Health and Nursing Building, a facility made possible by a grant from the H.C. Drew Trust. “With the recent industry expansion announcements, the challenge is going to be in identifying the specific jobs that will available and the associated skill sets needed to prepare the workforce for those specific jobs,” Aspinwall said. “In conjunction with the announcement of the Sasol expansion project, Gov. Jindal pledged $20 million to construct a training facility on the SOWELA campus to help train the workers for Sasol. SOWELA and LED FastStart are working on the preliminary plans for the design, creation, and construction of this regional training facility which will be used to provide the training programs and services needed by these new industry projects.” Organizations like the Associated Builder and Contractors (ABC) also help provide people with the skills they need for the jobs ahead. Locally, ABC has a campus in Westlake for craft training. Of the 77 chapters nationwide, the Pelican chapter -- led by Kirby Bruchhaus, Southwest Area director -- may soon be able to boast of the biggest potential opportunities for trainees in the next years ahead. Putting those people to the test, and prepping them for the workforce, will be people like Mona Jarrell, skill assessment coordinator, and Keith Hyatt, welding coordinator. Support staff needs will increase when all these new business and industries go online, meaning workers with office technology skills will be in demand. Schools like Delta Tech in downtown Lake Charles offer such training, with Occupational Associate degree programs in such areas as business management and information technology. Diploma programs are also available. Whatever the jobs -- and there will be many of them, to the good fortune of our area -- employers will be looking for the right hires to fill those positions. “You hear people talk about ‘a shortage of workers’ in the Southwest Louisiana workforce,” Larry DeRoussel, head of the Lake Area Industry Alliance, told a recent SOWELA community advisory panel. “It’s more accurate, however, to say that there’s ‘a shortage of trained workers’ in the workforce. Now is the ideal opportunity for our area to get the training they need to go to work at these new jobs.”
February 2013
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Money & Career | Economic Growth Industrial expansions and other developments are expected to spur JOB growth in Southwest Louisiana, and schools and training agencies are looking for ways to insure that trained workers are available for the jobs.
Area Job Training Programs
Secondary Education Programs Focus on
Job Training by Ann McMurry
“I think we are going to see our area grow exponentially,” said Roger Creel, director of Career and Technical Education. “We will have an influx of people because of the job opportunities. They will come for industry, but it will have a multiplier effect.” At the height of it all, there may be as many as 20,000 to 40,000 new people coming into Southwest Louisiana, as some workers move here and bring their families, Creel said. Schools may pick up 75 to 100 students in one year, so planning needs to be in place so that increases can be handled effectively. Creel said the school system is working with other education officials, with training centers, and with industry to insure that workers are trained for these jobs. “We’ve already had meetings with Sasol and we are looking at how we can all work together on this,” he said. “For example, we have welding shops that we use all day, but they are available every evening. We may have to see about offering some classes in the evening. We are going to do everything we can to work to make sure we have trained workers.” The school system has in place courses at its College Street facility, which include agriculture, business, trade and industry, marketing, and family and consumer science. “The students are bused from their local high schools to take two-hour block classes,” Creel said. “It’s not feasible to have these classes at each school and to try to offer quality programs.” Some of the courses require expensive equipment, so it’s more efficient to provide those courses in one location. The school system is currently adding programs 38 www.thriveswla.com
in electrical, plumbing, pipefitting, and air conditioning. “The HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) shop is a tremendous cost,” Creel said. “There are pieces of equipment that costs $75,000 to $100,000.” In addition to the College Street facility, courses are offered at the Lake Charles Boston Learning Academy. More and more, Creel said, educators are recognizing that not all students are geared toward a four-year university degree, and not all jobs require that four-year degree. School systems are trying to insure that students have opportunities to begin their training for various fields while in high school. Each year, eighth grade students from Southwest Louisiana take part in a career discovery day at the Lake Charles Civic Center, where those students will be exposed to careers that don’t require a four-year degree. “The purpose is for eighth graders to see the options they have, so that when they go to high school, it will help them know what courses they want to take. They can use this information to map out their high school courses. Training providers in the area will be on hand, and they can see where they can get training for these jobs.” This year, 4,000 students went through discovery day, which was held in January. The career and technical education program is growing as the school system tries to meet the needs of the students and the communities. About 7,000 students take advantage of the special classes, Creel said. “We offer a tremendous number of these courses to our students,” he added. Thrive Magazine for Better Living
ABC Training Center 222 Walcot Road Westlake, LA 70669 (337) 882-0204 Academy of Acadiana-Lake Charles 1800 Ryan Street Suite 106 Lake Charles, LA 70601 (337) 437-7877 Fax: (337) 437-7897 academyofacadiana.com Cornerstone University 1605 Broad Street Lake Charles, LA 70601 (337) 497-1871 | (337) 436-4401 Fax: (337) 497-1876 cornerstoneuniv.org Delta Tech 517 Broad Street Lake Charles, LA 70601-4334 (337) 439-5765 | (800) 259-5627 Fax: (337) 436-5151 deltatech.edu Dynamic Education Systems, Inc. 311 Broad Street Lake Charles, LA 70602 (337) 433-8609 Fax: (337) 433-8696 Lake Charles Joint Apprenticeship Training Center IBEW Local #861 3000 Highway 90 East Lake Charles, LA 70615 (337) 433-7277 February 2013
McNeese State University Burton Business Center Building 4205 Ryan Street Lake Charles, LA 70609 (337) 475-5556 Fax: (337) 475-5012 mcneese.edu SOWELA Technical Community College 3820 Sen. J. Bennett Johnston Avenue Lake Charles, LA 70615 (337) 491-2678 Fax: (337) 491-2610 sowela.edu
February 2013
you’re hired!
Local 106 Joint Apprenticeship Committee 2013 Ryan Street Lake Charles , LA 70601 (337) 660-1954
Unitech Training Academy 2827 4th Avenue Lake Charles, LA 70601 (337) 564-5716 Fax: (337) 564-5732 unitechtrainingacademy.com
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Money & Career | Economic Growth “Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.” ~ Ryunosuke Satoro, Japanese writer
Positivity
Exponential
by Christine Fisher
Sasol. Cheniere. Pinnacle. The Port of Lake Charles. Sempra. Farmer’s Rice Milling Company. Any one of these business expansions would have caused excitement in our economic corridor. To have this many projecting the cumulative billions of dollars in growth and permanent jobs is astounding. Whether it’s at the water cooler, the gas station or over the neighborhood fence, people are talking about the coming wave of jobs and growth, new developments and big business expansions. The positive energy is palpable. “Positive energy is not just found within an individual person,” said Dale Archer, MD, psychiatrist, founder of the Institute for Neuropsychiatry, author of New York Times’ bestseller Better Than Normal and frequent media guest on national news programs discussing mental health topics. “The power of positive thinking can bring amazing changes for individuals and it works within groups and communities. The energy is shared by all.” Synergy, the concept that a cohesive team will produce a better result than each individual, is at work in Southwest Louisiana. Teamwork among
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the various governmental entities, civic groups and business leaders is bringing a flood of opportunity that will peak within the next three to ten years, bringing thousands of good-paying jobs. “Group dynamics are difficult to capture, but everyone can recall being part of some kind of a group project where the chemistry is right, the ideas are flowing, and the end result is much better than a less connected group would have done,” explained Dr. Archer. Sports teams know synergy. A team can have talent and ambition but if they don’t have the chemistry, they don’t win championships. Musicians are part of chemistry in every concert performance. It’s one thing to play the notes correctly, but when a piece by Gershwin, Strauss, or the Beetles moves you, it’s because the musicians feel the music together as they play it. The cadence, the volume, the voices and the expression of the notes work in harmony to elicit emotion. Big corporations have seized on the idea of teamwork and synergy. Many of the world’s most successful businesses implement a strong teamwork philosophy to make the company as a whole perform better.
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The impact of positive people working toward a common goal cannot be underestimated. “When good things happen within a community, this leads to positivity among individuals and this positive energy is contagious. Success breeds confidence and confidence breeds more success – in people as well as groups, cities, regions and even nations,” said Dr. Archer. The CEO of Cheniere, Charif Souki, said one of the reasons they liked Southwest Louisiana was because of the attitude of the residents. Our “joie de vivre” or joy of life, embraces what comes and finds the good in it. “It’s 5 o’clock somewhere” is often heard in our region as people are looking for a reason to celebrate. From the SWLA Chamber Alliance’s ongoing efforts to boost the business community, to the West Calcasieu Chamber’s “Think Positive, Be Positive” campaign, businesses and residents of Southwest Louisiana are finally reaping their reward. The business transplants - the managers, workers and their families who move here - will experience the wave of positivity, and it will continue to grow.
February 2013
Our Community Roots Run Deep The legacy we’ve created over the past six decades in Southwest Louisiana is something we are proud of and work hard to maintain. Over the years, the people who have called this company their workplace have been more than our employees— they’ve been family. They are our fathers and our sons, our mothers and our daughters. The people of Southwest Louisiana are our past, present and future. Our roots run deep and we remain committed to the growth and success of our community.
PPG
February 2013
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Money & Career
Small Business Borrowing by Kristy Armand
While poor management is cited most frequently as the reason businesses fail, inadequate or poorlytimed financing is next in line. If you own your own business, it’s almost inevitable that one day – if you haven’t already – you’ll be facing a decision about borrowing money. “Whether you’re starting a business or experiencing growing pains, having sufficient, accessible capital is essential to business success, and borrowing money in one way or another is often the best way to make sure you have the money you need when you need it,” says Jeff Mancuso, Senior Vice President and Senior Lending Officer with Lakeside Bank. “Just about every small business I’ve ever worked with has had to borrow money at some point. Borrowing money for business is not a bad thing to do. In fact, used wisely, debt can be a valuable tool for growing and expanding your business. However, making the wrong choices about business financing, or poorly managing your business debt, can lead to serious problems in the future that can impact your business’s success.” So, how does a business owner determine the right financing decision he or she should make? Mancuso says the biggest mistake most small businesses make when it comes to debt is in their use of borrowed funds. “In other words, how you use and manage the money you borrow is just as important as whether or not you borrow money in the first place.” He explains that the key to using borrowed funds wisely is to have a well-thought-out business plan to guide these decisions. “One of the biggest mistakes we see in commercial lending is people coming in not knowing exactly how much money they need. We can do a much better job of helping someone get the money they need to start a business, or to meet a new need of an existing business, if we are given a business plan. The phrase ‘business plan’ intimidates a lot of people, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to bring in 2-inch binder of data, charts, graphs and written reports. However, being able to show potential lenders that you have a plan for your business, including projected expenses, income and profit, will not only prove your commitment to succeeding, but also help them structure your financing to meet your needs and budget.” There are many different financing options business owners can consider, but the most common are line of credit and term loans. “A line of credit is one of the most useful financing tools for small businesses,” says Mancuso. “It allows you to borrow funds as needed to meet routine operating expenses, short term working capital needs or to cover temporary cash shortfalls. Once approved, you can borrow up to your predetermined credit limit at any time, usually simply by writing a check. The cautionary note with a line of credit is to use it judiciously. Interest is charged on any funds you access, and these should be repaid as quickly as possible. Extending the term on repayment will lead to additional interest expenses.” A term loan is one of the most common types of business financing. Much like a personal loan an individual gets to buy a home or a car, this is a loan of a specific amount of money, usually at a fixed interest rate and repayment terms. The term may be short or long-term, and is usually made for a specific purpose, such as to finance equipment, property, acquisitions or major business expansion. “An experienced commercial lender will work with the business owner to make sure the terms of this type of financing makes good business sense. If you are using the loan to purchase new equipment that is expected to last five years, for example, 42 www.thriveswla.com
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February 2013
you shouldn’t finance that purchase over seven years,” says Mancuso. “There are more restrictions on term loans, with personal or business assets often needed to secure the loan, depending on the amount needed. This is where having a good business plan really helps.” The wide availability of credit cards makes them an increasingly common source of financing for small and start-up firms. Mancuso cautions that credit cards should be used only for short-term expenses, such as travel, entertainment, office supplies, and other miscellaneous expenses. “If you are using your corporate credit card for operating expenses and carrying a large balance from month-to-month, you need to take a closer look at the financial picture of your company. An experienced commercial lender can provide advice on how to secure more affordable financing.” People with dreams of owning their own business never make the attempt because they don’t think they will qualify for a loan. But Mancuso explains that there are a variety of state and federal programs available to help small businesses secure financing. For example, the Small Business Administration (SBA) and Louisiana Economic Development (LED) are both agencies that Mancuso says helps banks make affordable loans to businesses that might not qualify for traditional commercial financing. The process of securing financing is often confusing and frustrating for many small business owners, who are not always financially savvy about business credit processes, and who have probably never had to deal with these issues before. “That’s why it is important for business owners to go to a commercial lender they are comfortable with; someone they can trust. It’s definitely an educational process and we work very hard at Lakeside Bank to make sure our commercial clients understand all their options, so they can make the best decisions for their business. We are invested in their success, and our goal is to make the entire process easier for them.”
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The Rau Financial Team: Mark Eckard, Debora Alexander, Denise Wilkinson, Denise Rau, Joel Istre, Eva Abate, Philip O’Quin (337) 480-3835 | 1634 RYAN ST., LAKE CHARLES | www.raufinancialgroup.com February 2013
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Money & Career
Where’s Our Money, Honey? by Christine Fisher
Sharing money with someone else is one of the ultimate levels of trust. Marriage vows include that “for richer, for poorer” line for a reason: finances can drive a wedge between the closest of couples. As couples blend their lives, figuring out how to handle the money is often a point of contention. People tend to be emotional about money instead of strategic. If one person grew up with very little money, they will have a different view than someone who had plenty. For young people starting their lives together, managing their own money can be a challenge, let alone adding a spouse’s finances. “Everyone has their own way of handing their money. Some people set aside a day each week to pay bills and reconcile their account; others may just throw their paycheck into their account and hope there’s enough to last for the month. People have drastically different ways to handle their money,” said John W. Fusilier, CEO with First National Bank DeRidder. “It’s best to talk about your financial habits and create a plan that works for both individuals.” Having regular financial discussions about the future will help a couple start out well. What are your saving habits? What are your partner’s dreams for the future? Are you a risk taker when it comes to investing? Assumptions about how the other approaches their financial future have caught many couples by surprise. By talking about future plans, couples can hopefully avoid too many surprises. 44 www.thriveswla.com
Figuring out spending habits is key in a relationship. It’s up to each couple to define the limits of a major expense, but financial experts suggest figuring that out so problems don’t brew. Couples need to decide how much they are comfortable letting the other spend without a conversation. Dealing with debt can be a major obstacle for any couple, especially newlyweds. Even if you manage to get to your 30s without debt, chances are your spouse will have debt; it’s almost unavoidable. A survey by SmartMoney revealed that fights about debt are the most common, with 37 percent of couples saying it’s a sore subject. How much debt is acceptable and what kind of debt is okay are the main trigger points. “Borrowing money for a home, a reasonable car, and education is considered good debt,” said Fusilier. “These are things that appreciate, such as the home and education, and you need a car to get to work to earn the paycheck. On the other hand, it is financially irresponsible to go into debt for clothes, vacations and jewelry, unless you can pay the bill in full at the end of the month.” If debt needs to be dealt with, make a plan for regular payments to pay it down as quickly as possible. Thrive Magazine for Better Living
Whether or not to merge money is another tricky task. Is it better to pool both paychecks into the same account, or should you maintain individual accounts and open a joint account for household expenses? “Either of these scenarios can work well, it depends on the couple,” said Fusilier. SmartMoney’s survey found that the majority of couples, 64 percent, pull all of their money in one account, while 14 percent kept everything separate, and 18 percent had both individual accounts and a joint account. Newlyweds might find it easiest to hang on to their individual accounts and open a joint account for household bills. “Once children come along, and mortgage, lawn mowers and furniture are on the horizon, most couples find it easiest to merge their finances,” said Fusilier. “But some autonomy works best for some couples. The ‘yours, mine and ours’ approach can make for a smoother relationship, in some cases.” “The best advice for new couples is to work as a team. You’ve made a commitment and it takes effort to continue to grow toward each other,” Fusilier said. Keeping a cool head and talking about finances frequently will help you achieve your monetary goals.
February 2013
Jeff Mancuso has Joined the Migration to Lakeside Bank Lakeside is proud to introduce our new Senior Vice President and Senior Lending Officer Originally from Lake Charles, Jeff earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from McNeese State University. He has an extensive background in business banking and commercial lending, and brings over 38 years of experience in the financial field with him to his new position at Lakeside. Jeff shares the Lakeside philosophy of supporting our local community by providing exceptional personal service and a vision for future growth. It’s this commitment that has made us the region’s fastest growing local bank.
The way banking should be. Jeff Mancuso
Senior Vice President/Senior Lending Officer
4735 Nelson Rd., Lake Charles February 2013
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474-3766 LakesideBanking.com www.thriveswla.com
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Money & Career All you need to know to stay in the know! Board of Commissioners of WCCH Elects Officers
The Eye Clinic in Jennings Moves to New Office
In the November 2012 meeting of the Board of Commissioners of West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital (WCCH), the board elected a new chairman and reappointed its current vice-chairman, to serve until 2015. Robert (Bob) Davidson of Sulphur will serve as the new board chairman and Frank LaBarbera, Jr. of Carlyss, was re-appointed to serve as vicechairman. Davidson has served on the Board of Commissioners since January 2000 and LaBarbera has served since January 2004. Current members also serving on the Board of Commissioners of WCCH include immediate past Chairman Rapheal Fontenot of Vinton, Bobby LeTard of Westlake, and Joe Devall of Hackberry.
The Eye Clinic in Jennings has relocated from 1219 Elton Road to 1322 Elton Rd., Suite J, in the Jennings Medical Center. The new, expanded office features additional exam rooms, larger waiting area, Optics Unlimited eyewear store, a full service contact lens department and more parking spaces. Comprehensive family eye care for patients of all ages is available in the Jennings office, which is open Monday through Friday from 8am – 5 pm. The Eye Clinic has been in business in Southwest Louisiana for over 50 years. The group’s main office is in Lake Charles, with other satellite locations in Sulphur, Moss Bluff and DeRidder. For more information about services in The Eye Clinic’s Jennings office, call 824-0040.
Bijoux Design Center Now Open Bijoux Design Center is now open in Lake Charles at 4070 Nelson Road, in the Que Pasa shopping center. The design center utilizes 3D technology to customize every detail, including the stone size, shape and color, along with the setting and metal choices. For details, call (337) 478-0770.
Memorial Hospital Launches Health Blog Lake Charles Memorial Hospital has launched a blog to help answer healthy advice questions. The Memorial Health Blog will bring readers advice from the top doctors and experts in the Memorial Medical Group on a wide range of topics. For more information, visit http://memorialhospitalswla. wordpress.com.
Jeff Davis Bank Completes Acquisition of Guaranty for $20.9 Million Jeff Davis Bancshares, the financial holding company of Jeff Davis Bank & Trust Co., has completed its acquisition of Mamou-based Guaranty Bank in a cash transaction valued at $20.9 million. For more information, visit www.jdbank. com or call (800) 789-5159.
The Calcasieu Parish Police Jury elected Shannon Spell as President for 2013 and James Mayo as Vice-President, both by acclamation. Spell is a resident of the Ward One area (Moss Bluff, Gillis, and Topsy) and is currently serving his second term as the District One Police Juror with the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury. Mayo is a resident of Lake Charles currently serving his first term as the District Two Police Juror with the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury.
Memorial Hospital Awarded Joint Commission Accreditation Lake Charles Memorial Hospital has once again earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for accreditation by demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission’s national standards for health care quality and safety in hospitals, home care and behavioral health. The accreditation award recognizes Memorial’s dedication to continuous Finance 100% of your NEW Recreational compliance with The Vehicle (Boats, RV’s, Campers & ATV’s). Joint Commission’s state-of-the-art Rates as low as .99% APR and MAKE NO standards. PAYMENTS FOR 90 DAYS!
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Creole Nature Trail Interpretive Visitor Center to be Constructed in Sulphur The continued marketing of the Creole Nature Trail All American Road has led the Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau to develop an interpretive visitor center in West Calcasieu Parish, in the City of Sulphur, as the western gateway of the trail. The center will be located at the intersection of Louisiana Highway 1256 (old Highway 27) and Arena Road, just south of the Sulphur/Creole Nature Trail exit on Interstate 10.
Police Jury Elects New Officers for 2013
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February 2013
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Places & Faces
Young Artists Working for a Cause by Katie Harrington photos by Shonda Manuel
“Every artist was first an amateur.” This quote, by Ralph Waldo Emerson, is scribbled on the whiteboard in Julie Dallas’s art classroom at SJ Welsh Middle School. Watching her interact with her students, it’s obvious that this is a mentality that she tries to instill in her students. With an Art Club more than 200 students strong, Dallas wants her students to see the positive affect art has on the community. “It’s important for them to realize at a young age, that art doesn’t exist in isolation. I want to help get them involved in the community and show them that a lot of good comes from having art available for everyone to enjoy.” Eighty members volunteered at the Fall Fun for All in October and in November, the group made, painted and glazed Christmas plates and then sold them at the annual Kiwanis Arts and Crafts Fair. The money they made from the sales was given to help battered and abused women and children. Their current service project is a major undertaking. On January 7, the students began making ceramic bowls for the Salvation Army’s Annual Empty Bowl Fundraiser. This fundraiser, scheduled for March 14, raises money to support the Lake Charles chapter of the Salvation Army’s 48 www.thriveswla.com
various projects. In the course of a month and a half, the students will make 100 bowls for the organization. The bowls will then be sold to the attendees of the event. Some of the area’s top chefs will prepare a selection of soups for the guests and they will be able to take a bowl home as a keepsake. Dallas, who has bachelor’s degrees in education and ceramics, said she is excited about this project because the medium being used. “I really enjoy teaching them how to work with clay,” she says, as she helps a student with their bowl. “They enjoy getting their hands dirty and it is something really easy for them to work with.” The students started by creating hump molds for their bowls using plaster of paris and plastic bowls. They roll out their clay, use a stamp roller to add their own flair and then shape it over the mold. Next, they trim off the excess clay, add three handmade feet to the bottom of the bowl and then Thrive Magazine for Better Living
let them dry. “It takes about two weeks to make all 100 bowls,” adds Dallas. “Once all of them are made, it then takes a week to fire them all in the kiln.” After the bowls are fired, the students will add a glaze to make them food-safe, and then the bowls are fired again. It’s quite a commitment on the part of the students to pull off the project. Dallas says they have to make around 10 bowls a day to get them all created in two weeks. “The students come in before school, some drop in at lunch and some even stay after school to make their bowl. I want them all to have the opportunity to participate in this project.” When asked what they think about this project and art in general, the students unanimously agree that it is an awesome project and they really enjoy art. They also note that Ms. Dallas is the ‘best teacher.’
February 2013
Empty Bowl Fundraiser Features Work of Several Area Potters In addition to the SJ Welsh Art Club, several area potters have been working diligently to create bowls for the event. Potters participating in this year’s event are:
Anita Ahrens Rex Alexander George Ann Benoit Charlene Kaough Toni Yoder
Event Details
5th Annual Empty Bowl Fundraiser Thursday, March 14, 2013, 6 p.m. L’Auberge Casino Resort This event features a variety of soups prepared by Lake Charles’ premier chefs and a Bolton Ford-sponsored event by the Victory Belles from the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. $100 per individual ticket (includes a handmade, one-of-a-kind ceramic bowl) Tickets must be purchased in advance. Please visit www.salvationarmy/ lakecharles.org or call 433-4155 for further details.
The choice is yours. . . Why choose us. . . • We believe that the patient and family come first • Our staff will always go above and beyond to meet the needs and expectations of the patient and their families • Our patients’ and families’ wishes, experiences and opinions are valued when developing the plan of care for each patient
Proudly Serving Southwest Louisiana www.brightonbridge.com 1-888-878-0337
February 2013
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When selecting a workers’ comp provider, being close counts. For more than 20 years, LCI has helped all kinds of Louisiana companies—offering competitive rates, great service, and excellent coverage across 200+ class codes. Today we’re proud to say that we serve more than 2500 businesses in 63 of the state’s 64 parishes. So give us a call to see what we can do for you. Or if you want to chat in person, we’ll be right here in our New Orleans headquarters. lciwc.com :: 985-612-1230 50 www.thriveswla.com
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Places & Faces
Irlen Screening in Louisiana Karen Barmore has been a teacher for 28 years. She has a master’s degree and a certification in special education. She found out she had Irlen Syndrome in 2009, when she trained to become a screener. “I never knew why I was having problems concentrating,” she says. The Irlen Syndrome is not a vision problem; it is a visual perceptual problem. The brain encodes and decodes the perception of light waves differently, making the perception of the image distorted. Black-and-white text is extremely distorted, and fluorescent light makes it worse. It is no surprise that children with this syndrome can have a challenging time in school Barmore would like to get Irlen Screeners in all of the school systems in Louisiana. More than 4,000 school districts in the U.S. use the Irlen Method
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in their schools, and Barmore’s name is listed on the Irlen website as one of the two screeners in Louisiana. Those who have Irlen Syndrome can have problems with concentration, comprehension and blurred vision. The symptoms can further manifest in headaches, stomachaches, eye strain, poor depth perception, and clumsiness. Someone with this problem might not be able to write on the lines or fill in a bubble on a test. As a screener, Barmore has witnessed the absolute transformation in people who are treated. She believes that if the screening was required in all schools, state test scores and discipline would improve and fewer students would be in special education classes. The Irlen Method was developed by Helen
by Allie Mariano
Irlen in the 1980s. She has published two books on the topic. Irlen found that tinted glasses and colored overlays on top of paper helped sufferers of the syndrome read dramatically better. Anybody who works with children can enroll in the two-day training that is required to become a screener. Barmore trained with Dr. Patricia Johnson a diagnostician, from Baytown, Texas, who travels worldwide to fit children with the colored glasses that help remedy the problem. Now pre-screeners are being trained in several Southwest Louisiana schools. One nearby parish was scheduled to have most of their counselors screened in January. For more information on Irlen Syndrome or the screenings, contact Barmore at (337) 396-6021.
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RIVER
February 2013
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Places & Faces
GREATEST
PHOTOGRAPHS OF NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ON EXHIBITION
The City of Lake Charles opened the traveling exhibition “50 Greatest Photographs of National Geographic,” at the Historic City Hall Arts and Cultural Center at 1001 Ryan Street. The exhibition, which hangs through April 13, showcases some of National Geographic’s most compelling photographs. From Steve McCurry’s unforgettable Afghan girl to Nick Nichols’ iconic image of Jane Goodall and chimpanzee to Thomas Abercrombie’s never-before-seen view of Mecca, the exhibition includes some of National Geographic magazine’s mostremembered and celebrated photographs from its more-than-120-year history. In addition to seeing the photographs as they appeared in the magazine, visitors to the exhibition will learn the stories behind the photos and more about the photographers themselves. For some images, visitors will be able to see the “near frames” taken by the photographer: the sequence of images made in the field before and after the perfect shot. The exhibition is based on the popular iPad app released by National Geographic in 2011 and featured by iTunes as an iPad “App of the Week.” Devices featuring the app will be available in the gallery for visitors to experience. The National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations and one of the world’s leading organizers of large-scale, traveling exhibitions. For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.com. Historic City Hall is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are gladly accepted. For more information, please call 491-9147 or visit www.cityoflakecharles.com.
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Places & Faces
Movers and Shakers in Southwest News? You tell us! Send press releases to Louisiana... Who’s edit@thriveswla.com with the subject line “Who’s News.”
Jason Fuqua, MD Elected 2013 President of WCCH Medical Staff Jason Fuqua, MD, family medicine physician, has been elected president of West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital’s medical staff. Dr. Fuqua will serve as Jason Fuqua, MD chairman of the medical executive committee and organized general medical staff, and will actively participate on the WCCH board of commissioners. Dr. Fuqua practices alongside his wife, Kelly Fuqua, MD, family medicine physician, at Calcasieu Family Physicians located at 901 First Avenue in Sulphur.
St. Romain Receives Women in Business Award Annette St. Romain, owner of Bijoux Fine Jewelry in Sulphur and the new Bijoux Design Center in Lake Charles, was honored with the Women in Business award Annette St. Romain from the Southwest Louisiana Women’s Business Network. St. Romain opened Bijoux in Sulphur in 1982. She is a graduate of Gemological Institute of America and certified in both diamonds and gemstones.
Waldmeier Hired to Merchant & Farmers Bank Ken Hughes, president/ CEO of Merchants & Farmers Bank, has named Caleb Waldmeier as Assistant Vice President of Commercial Lending for the Lake Charles/Sulphur Caleb Waldmeier area market. Waldmeier comes to Merchants & Farmers Bank with seven years of banking experience in the Lake Charles area.
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Local Chiropractic Physician Receives Ironman Health Provider Certification Jeremy Ward, DC, chiropractic physician with Ultimate Performance Sports and Rehab in Lake Charles, was certified as an Jeremy Ward, DC Ironman Health Provider. The Ironman Provider Network is an elite group of Active Release Technique providers who are trained to assess and treat the athletes who participate in the physically demanding Ironman competition. Dr. Ward is the only physician in Southwest Louisiana to be certified in both Active Release Technique and as an Ironman Health Provider. For more information, call (337) 421-0010 or visit www.uperformance.com.
Local Physician New Member of National Medical Weight Loss Society Jennifer McCann, M.D., has obtained a board certification in obesity medicine from the American Board of Obesity Medicine and has Jennifer McCann, MD become a member of the American Society of Bariatric Physicians (ASBP). For more information, visit www.louisianawomenshealth. org.
Family & Youth Announces Youth Advisory Council Officers
Morgan Davis
Lindsay Landry
Olivia Vincent
Family & Youth Counseling Agency (Family & Youth) announced the newly elected officers of the Youth Advisory Council (YAC). Officers for 2013 are Morgan Davis, chair; Lindsay Landry, vicechair; and Olivia Vincent, secretary.
Dr. Gilmore Named CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital Award Recipient Richard Gilmore, M.D., was named the CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital 2012 John Green Martin Compassionate Care Award recipient. Dr. Gilmore, a cardiologist, has been on the medical staff of CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital since 1982.
Financial Representative for Northwestern Mutual Chris Duhon has been appointed Financial Representative by Northwestern Mutual in Lake Charles. He will be associated with Northwestern Mutual Chris Duhon of Louisiana, Lake Charles. Duhon attended St. Louis High School and McNeese State University. Further information can be found at www.northwesternmutual.com.
L to R: CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital (CSPH) Vice President of Medical Affairs, David Engleking, M.D.; 2011 John Green Martin Award Recipient, John Cocchiara, M.D.; 2012 John Green Martin Award Recipient, Richard Gilmore, M.D.; CSPH Vice President of Clinical Operations, Dianne Teal; and CSPH Administrator, Donald Lloyd II
Weaver Recognized for Contributions The Calcasieu Community Clinic Board of Directors recognized Dr. Daniel Weaver for his outstanding contributions to the clinic, including serving as its President for the past two years.
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Memorial Announces Board of Trustees for 2013
in public relations and a minor in business administration in May 2012. She was awarded a graduate assistantship for the Public Administration Institute, and chosen as a public policy intern for the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana.
Family & Youth Announces 2013 Board Officers
Doug Gehrig Presented Most Distinguished Award by McDonald’s Corporation Judge Ulysses Gene Thibodeaux Denise Rau
The Southwest Louisiana Hospital Association, which operates as Lake Charles Memorial Health System, has announced its Board of Trustees for fiscal year 2013. Installed during the board’s annual meeting, the newly elected officers and Bryan Barootes, MD directors are: Chairman, Judge Ulysses Gene Thibodeaux; Chairman Elect/Secretary, Denise Emerson Rau; President/ CEO, Larry M. Graham; Treasurer, Charles P. Whitson; Medical Staff President, Bryan Barootes, MD; Immediate Past Medical Staff President, Christopher S. Thompson, MD; Medical Staff President-Elect, Ben F. Thompson, MD; Trustees, Joseph Miller, Jr., Thomas B. Shearman, David Wallace, MD, Louis M. Todd, Sr., Gerald Mouton, MD, S. Mark, Mark Abraham; Medical Director/ Corporate Compliance Officer, Kevin Mocklin, MD; Legal Counsel, John Bradford, Esq.
Police Jury Elects New Officers for 2013 The Calcasieu Parish Police Jury elected Shannon Spell as President for 2013 and James Mayo as Vice-President, both by acclamation. Spell is a resident of the Ward One area (Moss Bluff, Gillis, and Topsy) and is currently serving his second term as the District One Police Juror with the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury. Mayo is a resident of Lake Charles currently serving his first term as the District Two Police Juror with the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury.
Local Student Earns Leadership Role at LSU’s Public Administration Institute Haley Armand, a graduate student in Louisiana State University’s Public Administration Institute at the E.J. Ourso College of Haley Armand Business, has been elected president of the LSU Public Administration Institute Student Association (PAISA). Armand received her undergraduate degree from LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication with a concentration February 2013
Doug Gehrig, owner and operator of McDonald’s of Southwest Louisiana, was presented the esteemed 2012 Ronald Award by Doug Gehrig McDonald’s Corporation. The Ronald award honors those with a track record for exemplary operations, marketing and employee relations practices, as well as contributions to their local communities.
L’Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles Announces Key Management Promotions
Sean Demeule
Michael Pendergast
L’Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles announced the promotions of Sean Demeule to Assistant General Manager and Vice President of Finance and Administration, Michael Pendergast to Vice President of Resort Operations and Jeff Jeff DiVito DiVito to Vice President of Food and Beverage, all pending regulatory approval.
Leslie Harless
Buddy Hamic
Ann Barrilleaux
Mark Hanudel
Kerry Anderson
Progressive Waste Solutions Expands Local Sales Team
Jake Philmon
Guidry Announced As New Agent The Firm of Louisiana Property and Casualty, LLC announced Bobby Guidry as their new Agent. Guidry is a life-long resident of Lake Charles and is a graduate of McNeese State University. He is Bobby Guidry licensed in both Property and Casualty and Life and Health Insurance.
Family & Youth is proud to announce the 2013 officers of the Board of Directors. Leslie Harless, chair; Buddy Hamic, vicechair; Ann Barrilleaux, secretary; Mark Hanudel, treasurer; and Kerry Andersen, immediate past chair.
Kevin “Davis” LaFleur
Progressive Waste Solutions has expanded its sales team with the addition of Jake Philmon as District Sales Manager of Southwest La. and Local Sales Representative Kevin “Davis” LaFleur. For more information, contact Progressive Waste Solutions Lake Charles office at (337) 436-2161.
Continued on p56 Thrive Magazine for Better Living
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Places & Faces | Authement Completes LBA Leadership School Jeff Davis Bank Consumer Loan Officer Kendee Authement recently graduated from the Louisiana Bankers Association’s 2012 Leadership School, a Kendee Authement nine-month program that focuses on leadership skills and banking industry education. A member of Jeff Davis Bank for 12 years, Authement was selected for the program based on her commitment to the bank, as well as her potential as a future bank leader.
State Farm Appoints New Lake Charles Agent
Shayne Cormier
Shayne Cormier Laughlin was appointed as State Farm agent with a new office at 4344 Lake Street in Lake Charles. Licenses include property and casualty, life and health, securities and mortgage.
Janie Fruge
Brenda Quesnel
Jennifer Ackel
Amanda Bryant
West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital Announces Leadership Changes West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital (WCCH) recently announced several leadership changes. Brenda Quesnel, RN, MBA, has been named vice president of patient care/chief nursing officer. She provides administrative oversight to WCCH patient care departments, replacing Janie Fruge’, RN, MSN, MBA, who is now the hospital’s full-time chief operating officer. Jennifer Ackel, CHC, has been named corporate compliance officer. Ackel is responsible for the implementation of daily compliance and privacy activities. Amanda Bryant, RN, has been named patient safety coordinator. She is responsible for the planning and implementation of programs and initiatives in the areas of safety, risk management, and infection control.
Zartler Receives the Louisiana High School Athletic Association Super Sport Award The Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) presented the Super Sport Award to Eric Zartler, senior sales manager /athletics of the Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau at the annual LHSAA Convention. This award is given to the person who goes above and beyond the call of duty for the betterment of LHSAA. Zartler has worked with LHSAA for several years to help coordinate and secure numerous events for Southwest Louisiana. He was chosen by personnel of the awards committee at the LHSAA office in Baton Rouge.
we finance GROWTH & we’re growing your way John Fusilier, CEO Announces Another Branch
Technology Combined with “My Community Bank” Mobile ▪ EVERYWHERE ▪ Anytime 24/7 iPhone App – Instant Access - Internet Banking - Bill Pay “We look forward to serving the people of SWLA with the same faith, trust, loyalty and customer satisfaction that has been our standard for 79 years.” John Fusilier, Board of Directors and Staff
A Bank For A New Generation Established 1934
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You go,girl!
Mind & Body
Whether your day entails running your household, holding down outside employment or anything in between, you somehow manage to juggle it all. With so much on your plate, you don’t have time to get sick, much less think about your own health. Don’t wait until an injury or illness sidelines you. Take just a few minutes to read through our Women’s Health Update for the latest on what medical science has to offer.
58 www.thriveswla.com
Thrive Magazine for Better Living
February 2013
The Best Way to Reach a Women’s Heart May Be Through the Wrist
by Kristy Armand
If you experience chest pain, don’t ignore it.
patients have to lay flat for four to six hours after the procedure,” he said. Bennett can vouch for the benefits of the transradial approach. “I was able to stay alert during the procedure and it was great to be able to get up and around so quickly, without any pain, compared to the hours I had to lay flat on my back after my previous cath. In fact, we went on a trip to North Carolina the week after my procedure without any problems. Overall, it was a much better experience.” “As the use of the transradial approach becomes more and more common, we look forward to many
more stories of shorter recovery times, fewer complications and a high level of patient satisfaction,” adds Dr. Mulhearn. For more information or to find a cardiologist, visit www.christusstpatrick.org/hearthealth or call (337) 491-7577.
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We’ve all heard it, and we all know what we are supposed to do, but like many people, Bonnie Bennett ignored the twinges and aches she was feeling in her chest last fall. “It would come and go. I kept thinking it was indigestion,” she says. Bennett, age 67, of Kinder, even had experience with heart problems. She had had cardiac catheterization and angioplasty seven years ago to treat a coronary blockage. “I had been fine since then, but over the course of a couple of months, the pain become more frequent and got worse. One night in October, I realized it was serious and we went to the emergency room at CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital. Dr. Mulhearn saw me and diagnosed another blockage. I was prepped for another catheterization right away, and was relieved to hear that a new option was available for my cath this time. Dr. Mulhearn would be going through my wrist to get to the blockage.” As a general rule, people undergoing heart catheterizations in the United States do so with the procedure starting at the femoral artery found in the groin. However, Dr. Thomas Mulhearn, interventional cardiologist with CHRISTUS St. Patrick, is using a new technique that accesses the pathway to the heart through the wrist. It’s called the transradial approach to cardiac catheterization, and he says it offers many benefits to patients. Each year, more than a million cardiac catheterizations are performed in the United States, with most starting with a puncture to the femoral artery in the groin. While this is the most common approach, the entry point is sometimes difficult to access and has a greater associated risk of bleeding complications, post-procedure pain and a slower recovery period. The transradial approach uses the wrist to gain access to arteries that lead to the patient’s heart. “Once access to the artery is made, we are able to perform either a diagnostic procedure, which determines if and where there are blockages that impede the flow of blood to the heart muscle, or an interventional procedure – angioplasty or stenting – to open up the blocked artery,” explains Dr. Mulhearn. “Mrs. Bennett was a perfect candidate for this procedure and we were able to put a stent in place to take care of her blockage.” Dr. Mulhearn says 95 percent of patients are candidates for transradial catheterization which offers a quick recovery time and decreased risk of complications, particularly for women. “Patients are able to sit up and eat right away, whereas with femoral artery catheterizations, traditionally,
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Mind & Body |
S
Women’s Health
Veins and Pregnancy by Katie Harrington
For most mothers there is nothing more miraculous than giving birth. The nine months of pregnancy are filled with great anticipation as the family prepares for a new addition. But in order to make way for this new life, a woman’s body must go through some dramatic changes. One of those changes may be the development of
Spider and Varicose Veins.
“Spider and varicose veins typically worsen during pregnancy and can persist throughout the breast lactation period,” says Dr. Carl Fastabend, cardiovascular specialist and medical director of the Vein Center of Southwest Louisiana. “For most healthy adult women abnormal veins will become more apparent during their pregnancy, but will slowly go away once childbirth and lactation are complete.” These veins form when the valves and veins in the legs become weak. Genetics can play a role in whether or not a woman will develop spider and/ or varicose veins during pregnancy and whether or not the veins will return to normal after the child is born. “For women who are already at risk for developing spider or varicose veins, chances are that abnormal veins will not simply disappear after their baby is born,” Dr. Fastabend says. Factors that can contribute to the development of varicose veins in pregnant women include: 60 www.thriveswla.com
• Increased circulatory volume • Increased pressure in the abdomen and lower pelvis • Increased levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone • Decreased physical activity “During pregnancy, a woman’s body prepares to nourish and support the growing fetus by increasing the volume of circulating blood,” explains Dr. Fastabend. “This increase in circulation puts extra pressure on the veins in the legs, causing them to naturally dilate and expand. Coupled with the increase in estrogen and progesterone weakening the vein wall, the vein’s ability to expand is increased because of weakened collagenproducing cells.” For many years, these veins were considered to simply be a cosmetic issue, but today, physicians are opting to treat them to prevent future medical issues. For women who have varicose or spider Thrive Magazine for Better Living
veins or a family history of the veins, it is now recommended that they seek treatment for them before they get pregnant. “As the treatment of varicose veins becomes less invasive and more and more insurance carriers consider the procedures medically necessary, it is important for women to consider getting these troublesome veins treated early on,” says Dr. Fastabend. “Treatment of early stage vein problems is less traumatic and easier than late stage venous insufficiency.” Dr. Fastabend adds that having the veins assessed and treated prior to pregnancy also allows the patient to work with their physician to develop preventative strategies to help limit additional varicose and spider veins from forming over the course of the pregnancy. For more information on varicose veins or any other vein related conditions, call the Vein Center of Southwest Louisiana at (337) 312-8346 or visit February 2013
Specialized Specialized Pelvic Care Donya Louviere lived with pain in her lower abdomen for 10 years. It was only recently that the cause was finally pinpointed. “I was just diagnosed with IC, interstitial cystitis, and instead of doing surgery they wanted to try therapy first,” she recalls. “I’m glad I did because I have seen results. I’m much more comfortable going out in public, because you just don’t realize how many women have this problem.” Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a condition where the lining of the bladder is inflamed all the time. Doctors are not sure what causes it, but patients that have it, typically have constant pain. They are sensitive to certain foods and drinks and have to follow a specific diet. The bladder is in a constant spasm, which can cause problems with a person’s bathroom habits. Donya was told to go see Johnnie at Memorial for Women. Johnnie is Johnnie Kleinschmidt, a woman with a sparkling personality and a reputation of getting the job done. She is not your typical physical therapist though. Her work is highly specialized, as she deals specifically with women’s health and the muscles of the pelvic floor. She does, however, also treat men and children.
“We do pain control just like you would if you go to therapy in a traditional clinic,” Johnnie says. “We do electrical stimulation, heat, ice, massage, exercise. I do all the traditional things, but more tailored made for the pelvic area of the body.” Her specialties lie with treating urinary incontinence, pelvic pain, certain types of lower back pain and levator ani syndrome, which happens when muscles in the pelvic floor are locked up and spasm. February 2013
One type of pelvic pain is caused by endometriosis. This happens when cells from the lining of the uterus appear and flourish outside the uterine cavity. Another of Kleinschmidt’s biggest jobs is to help pregnant women with pre and post partum pain. Treating these conditions, Kleinschmidt goes to great lengths to make sure her patients feel the treatment is very private. It is an hour of one on one time with the therapist who has a constant smile and a knack for turning patients into friends. “Using a bio feedback machine, we look at their pelvic floor muscles on the computer,” she says. “I make them work out while hooked up the computer. I can assess their muscle strength, their muscle tone, their coordination, their endurance. All those things I can assess on the computer.” She teaches her patients how to isolate and work out certain muscles. Highlighting the proper technique, while helping them isolate the muscle, so they are not using the wrong group. In Donya’s cause, Kleinschmidt was able to pinpoint another problem that needed treatment. In addition to IC, Donya was suffering from pudendal neuralgia, an inflammation of the pudendal nerve that runs to the pelvic muscles. Today, Donya lives a pain free life. The burning feeling she had in her bladder is gone and bathroom accidents seem to be a thing of the past. “It’s very soothing. After I walked through the door, the nerves were gone. I now look forward to coming because it has helped me so much,” Donya says. “Patients shouldn’t be scared, nervous or ashamed to come here. It’s just one of those things that we have to deal with sometimes. It’s life and if you want to feel better and you want to get better, come see Johnnie.”
Physical Therapist Johnnie Kleinschmidt with a patient at Memorial for Women.
alth e H ’s ess n e n Wom are
Aw
Are you working & without health insurance of any kind?
Call for information. 337-478-8650 550 West Sale Road Lake Charles, LA ccclinic@bellsouth.net
www.calcasieucommunityclinic.com
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Mind & Body |
Women’s Health
Attention Women:
Can you pass this sleep test? by Katie Harrington
You’re lying in bed watching the seconds on the clock turn to minutes and then hours, growing ever more frustrated, trying to figure out why you can’t just drift off to sleep. Having a stare-down with your alarm clock can leave you feeling stressed out and exhausted the next day. Faced with working, keeping a house and raising children, it’s difficult to fit it all into one day.
It’s no wonder our thoughts drift to what we didn’t get done. “There’s no doubt that everyone is trying to keep up with a society that is connected 24-7, but for women, it seems to be even worse,” says Michelle Zimmerman, nurse practitioner at the Sleep Disorder Center of Louisiana. “We tend to take a ‘can-do’ attitude to a whole new extreme. Balancing work, extracurricular commitments and our families amongst a million other things is just a part of who we are.” Zimmerman says the down side is that it is often difficult to decompress at the end of a long day. “When you can’t sleep at night, your mind turns itself on and the random questions and worries flood in, making a good night’s sleep even more difficult to achieve.” Solving your sleep issues may be as simple as answering these questions.
How long have you been trying to drift off? If it has been more than 20 or 30 minutes and you still haven’t dozed off, get up and leave the room. “It is possible to reach a point where your bedroom no longer becomes conducive to sleep,” Zimmerman says. “Move to a quiet, dimly lit part of your house and do something quiet like read a book or listen to soothing music until you begin to drift off. Stay away from chores or work as these tasks can stimulate your brain further, making it harder to get to sleep.”
Are you an obsessive clock watcher? It’s 1:31 a.m., now it’s 1:46 a.m. Oh no! Every time you sneak a peek at the glowing numbers on your alarm clock, the anxiety builds. “Stealing glances at the clock every few minutes does nothing more than stimulate your brain and keep you focused on the time instead of falling asleep,” adds Zimmerman. “Try placing a towel over the clock so you can’t see it, or just get rid of it all together and use your cell phone’s alarm as your wake-up call.”
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How much caffeine did you consume during the day, really? “We all have a natural sleep aid in our body, a chemical called adenosine,” says Zimmerman. “The more of it we have flowing through our brain, the drowsier we feel at night when it’s time to go to bed at night.” Caffeine fights off the effects of this chemical and gives you a jolt by increasing brain activity. To avoid caffeine-related sleep issues, avoid caffeinerich food and drinks within three to four hours of bedtime. If you have insomnia, cut yourself off at noon.
For more information or to schedule a consultation, call the Sleep Disorder Center of Louisiana at (337) 310-7378 or visit www.sleepdisordercenterofla.com. To see additional questions you can ask yourself when sleep evades you, visit www.thriveswla.com and click on this story.
Do you have an endless to-do list? “Try setting aside a designated ‘worry time’ each day,” recommends Zimmerman. “By picking 10 to 15 minutes a day, at least two hours before bed, to write down what’s bothering you and ways to solve it, you can crawl into bed without these things troubling you and keeping you awake.”
Did you self-sabotage with a nap? It’s tempting to catch a nap during the day when you aren’t sleeping at night, but Zimmerman says if not done properly, you may be setting yourself up for another bedtime failure. “A short nap, 15-30 minutes, can have restorative benefits, but resting any longer can interfere with the quality of your nighttime sleep.” Napping after 3 p.m. should be avoided. If you’ve gone through these questions and sleep still isn’t happening, it’s time to seek medical advice. “It’s normal to have an occasional sleepless night, but if it becomes more frequent than not, there may be other underlying issues at hand,” Zimmerman adds. “Regular, quality sleep is critical to overall health so it is worth checking into if you are not getting the rest you need.”
Thrive Magazine for Better Living
February 2013
Are you
Experiencing any of these Symptoms? o Swelling in legs or ankles o Aching or throbbing pain o Varicose veins o Burning sensation o Itchy legs o Leg cramps
The Subtle Differences in a Woman’s Heart by Christine Fisher
A woman in her 40s and 50s is a powerful being. She is confident and comfortable, ready to accomplish a great deal. With the benefit of experience and wisdom gained along the way, she is a force to be reckoned with. It’s during these active years that a woman’s risk for heart disease begins to increase. After menopause, which usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, the levels of the female hormone estrogen begin to decline. “Some current theories suggest that estrogen helps protects a woman’s heart by decreasing the number of white blood cells that stick to the inside of blood vessels, a process which can lead to dangerous blockages,” explained John Winterton, MD, FACC cardiologist with Heart & Vascular Center and medical staff member of West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital. “It also promotes the good kind of cholesterol, or HDL, while decreasing February 2013
the levels of bad cholesterol, or LDL.” As these women finally reach an age where they are ready to take on the world, it can seem as though they are powerless against heart disease, since they are losing their protective shield known as estrogen. The good news is that heart disease awareness is increasing around the country, particularly among post-menopausal women. “For many years, heart disease was known as a man’s problem, but we know now that it is the number one cause of death among women over 40,” said Dr. Winterton. While some of the risk factors are the same for men and women – high cholesterol, obesity, high blood
o Discoloration o Skin changes o Slow healing wound o Heavy, tired legs o Restless legs o Spider veins
Take the first step toward healthier legs. Call today to schedule your evaluation.
Carl Fastabend, MD Covered by most insurance.
312-VEIN • veincenterswla.com
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Mind & Body |
Women’s Health
Get UP and Feel Better The doctors with Ultimate Performance know that the body and mind function together. The health of your central nervous system affects the way you feel, think and function.
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pressure – other factors play a bigger role in the development of heart disease in women, including: • Depression and mental stress • Excessive weight around the waistline • Smoking We also know that heart attack symptoms can differ between men and women. Most men report a crushing pressure or severe discomfort in the chest during a heart attack. Women describe different symptoms, including • Neck, shoulder or upper back discomfort • Sweating • Unusual fatigue • Shortness of breath • Nausea or vomiting • Lightheadedness or dizziness “These more subtle symptoms experienced by women during a heart attack could be because women tend to have blockages not only in their main arteries but also in the smaller arteries that supply blood to the heart,” explained Dr. Winterton. These subtle symptoms can often be dismissed because they aren’t the traditional chest pain that we’ve heard described so often, yet by the time a woman finally seeks treatment, damage to the heart muscle may have already occurred due to the length of time the symptoms continued. “If you experience these symptoms, seek medical help immediately,” Dr. Winterton said. The best way for women to reduce their risk of heart disease is by getting 30 to 60 minutes of exercise every day, maintaining a healthy weight, eliminating smoking, and eating a diet that’s low in saturated fat, cholesterol and salt. Including a variety of fruits and vegetables as well as protein helps the body get the necessary vitamins and minerals. Consult your physician before starting an exercise program. Keeping heart disease at bay will help women continue to lead powerful lives. Now that this generation understands the more subtle signs of heart disease and ways to prevent it, maybe we can knock it down from being the number one killer.
exercise
eat well
Thrive Magazine for Better Living
February 2013
Get Healthy. Get Excellence. Ranked in the top 10% of the nation and as one of the top 2 hospitals in Louisiana for overall orthopedic services, Lake Charles Memorial Health System is recognized for expert orthopedic specialists and superior clinical outcomes. Healthgrades® five-star hospitals offer vastly better patient outcomes. With excellence at this level, these are the surgeons you want.
5-Star CliniCal outComeS for: • overall orthopedic Services in 2013 Thomas Axelrad, MD, PhD Orthopedic Trauma Surgery
• Joint replacement in 2013 • total Knee replacement in 2013
Brett Cascio, MD Orthopedic Shoulder, Hip & Knee Surgery
• total Hip replacement for 4 Years in a row (2010-2013) • Hip fracture treatment for 2 Years in a row (2012-2013) Nathan Cohen MD Orthopedic Hip & Knee Surgery
Lawrence Weber, MD. PhD Orthopedic Elbow, Wrist & Hand Surgery
OrthOpaedic SpecialiStS is a part of the
February 2013
1-800-494-LCMH (5264) Thrive Magazine for Better Living
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Mind & Body |
Women’s Health
Women and Men Really Do See Things Differently by Kristy Armand
Him Where are my keys? Her: On the counter. Him: I looked. They’re not there. Her: Yes they are. I put them there. Him: Well, someone moved them. I’m looking, still looking…… Her: Here they are. Right where I said they were.
66 www.thriveswla.com
Does this conversation sound familiar? Men may think women have x-ray vision, and women think men just can’t find anything. Why is this? The answer could be in our evolution, according to research conducted at Brooklyn College. In ancient times, our female ancestors took care of the children and home, which, at the time, was usually a cave. She was responsible for protecting the household while the male hunters were away. This required good vision of the area immediatelly around the home, enabling her to detect any predator or threat of danger. Her vision evolved to encompass a wide visual field, with a radius of nearly 180 degrees. While these females looked after the home front, the males hunted. In order to see and follow prey, these hunters developed a keen ability to focus intently on far distances, while ignoring distractions around them. As a result, these ancestors developed a narrow field of vision.” Fast forward 2000 centuries and according to the researchers, it’s this evolutionary trait that explains why a woman can find something in a closet, a pantry or a refrigerator much more easily than a man can. It’s also why a man moves his head back and forth, up and down while looking for something at a near-distance range, while the average woman can look in and see everything in a quick glance.
Thrive Magazine for Better Living
February 2013
Looking Beyond Evolutionary Factors Women may have a wider field of vision, but that doesn’t seem to give them the edge when it comes to eye health. Ophthalmologist Virgil Murray, MD, with The Eye Clinic, says women are significantly more affected by eye disease and vision problems than men. According to the National Eye Institute, over 3.4 million Americans age 40 and older suffer from visual impairment, and 66 percent of these are women. Of the four leading causes of blindness in older Americans: age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataract, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy; the rate of women’s cases exceeds men’s in all four categories. Dr. Murray says other conditions that may threaten the eye health of women at a higher rate than men include cataract, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and dry eye syndrome. Changes in vision can also occur for women at various stages of life, according to Dr. Murray, including pregnancy and post-menopause. Fertility treatments can also cause refractive changes, dry eyes, puffy eyelids that obscure side vision and sensitivity to light due to migraine headaches. “We can’t stress enough how important it is for women to make sure they take care of their vision throughout their lives. Most eye diseases are treatable, and vision loss is much more likely to be prevented through early detection.”
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Non-Surgical Treatment for Back Pain Eight out of 10 people will experience lower back pain at some point in their lives. It is one of the top two reasons people visit a doctor and the most common cause of limited mobility among people under age 45. Whether it’s caused by an injury or just years of wear and tear, back pain can severely limit your activities and ability to work. If left untreated, it can lead to chronic pain and disability. Unfortunately, many people suffer needlessly for years in an effort to avoid surgery. The good news is there are many treatment options, including therapeutic injections, that can help you beat back pain, Join Dr. Craig Morton, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialist, at “Take a Shot at Beating Back Pain” a free community seminar to learn more about these injections and other advances in non-surgical treatment of back pain.
Take a Shot at Beating Back Pain Tuesday, February 26, 5:30pm
Center for Orthopaedics • 1747 Imperial Blvd., Lake Charles Seating is limited and pre-registration is requested. Refreshments will be served.
Call 721-2903 or register online at www.centerforortho.com February 2013
Thrive Magazine for Better Living
Craig Morton, MD physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist www.thriveswla.com
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Mind & Body
lungcancer No One is Safe
by Erin Kelly
The American Cancer Society estimates that when 2013 comes to an end, 228,190 people will have been diagnosed with lung cancer – a little over three times the population of Lake Charles. For nearly 160,000 of those, the diagnosis will be fatal. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women, killing more people than colon, breast and prostate cancer combined. Although tobacco use is considered the primary trigger for lung cancer, the disease knows no boundaries and has been known to attack those who have never touched a cigarette in their lives. According to a past study by the American Cancer Society, as many as 24,000 lung cancer deaths each year are related to factors other than smoking. If non-tobacco-related lung cancer were placed in a separate category, it would still rank in the top 10 most common fatal cancers in the U.S., according to the study. “The tragic thing about cancer is that there are no free passes and no guarantees,” said Dr. Michael Bergeron, oncologist with the Memorial Medical Group. “When it comes to this disease, it’s difficult and even dangerous to make assumptions based 68 www.thriveswla.com
on generalizations. Obviously, smokers are more susceptible to lung disease than non-smokers, but that doesn’t mean that the disease only targets tobacco users. It’s difficult to place cancer in certain categories – men can get breast cancer, for example, just as non-smokers can get lung cancer.” A separate study conducted by researchers from the French College of General Hospital Respiratory Physicians studied 7,610 lung cancer patients and 7,610 new cases of lung cancer in France. The results from their 2010 study, released last year, indicate that the number of non-smokers with lung cancer is on the rise. Even more startling, the study revealed that lung cancer in non-tobacco users is often diagnosed much later than in those who smoke. “Often times, in a non-tobacco user, the symptoms tend to be chalked up to persistent allergies or an upper respiratory infection,” Thrive Magazine for Better Living
Dr. Bergeron said. According to pulmonologist Dr. Gary Kohler, also with Memorial Medical Group, lung cancer is caused by the growth and division of cells that make up the lungs. “In an ideal situation, the lung cells, like other cells in the body, will reproduce in a systematic and organized way to maintain health and repair injuries. A serious health risk is created when these cells begin to grow out of control – dividing too fast and too often. When this happens, the cellular mass creates a tumor,” Dr. Kohler said The specific manner in which lung cancer is triggered in a person’s body, whether they smoke or not, still requires further study. It is believed that for smokers, triggers could include addictive elements found in tobacco, such as nicotine and other carcinogens. Among non-smokers, researchers suspect genetic susceptibility and secondhand February 2013
smoke exposure as possible culprits. Exposure to asbestos is another risk factor, but one that is more pertinent to men because it is an occupational risk factor more than a risk factor. Radon is another possible environmental risk factor, although quantifying how much of an additional risk has proved difficult. A radioactive gas, radon comes from the natural decay of uranium that is found in nearly all soils. It is also found in many homes and is known to cause lung cancer, according to U.S. health officials. Symptoms of lung cancer include persistent
cough, spit streaked with blood, chest pain, recurring pneumonia or bronchitis, weight loss, and a hoarse voice, according to Dr. Bergeron. However, physicians, including these two doctors, highly recommend that patients take action on behalf of their personal health before symptoms arise. “No matter what the health issue – heart disease, diabetes or cancer – prevention and early detection are the first steps toward an eventual recovery,” Dr. Kohler. “Often, the symptoms don’t appear until the illness is advanced.”
Both non-smokers and smokers can take steps to prevent lung cancer. The first, and most obvious, is to avoid tobacco, whether first-hand or secondhand. Luckily, the percentage of non-smokers has risen from 44 percent of Americans in 1960 to 59 percent in 2008, according to the American Cancer Society. Other ways to reduce cancer risks include regular exercise, maintaining a diet plentiful in fruits and vegetables, and regular wellness checks with your physician.
Fifth Annual Free to Breathe Run/Walk
March 16
The fifth annual Free to Breathe 5K run/ walk, hosted by the Louisiana Lung Cancer Partnership, will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday, March 16, at the Lake Charles Civic Center. The 5K run and one-mile walk will travel along beautiful Shell Beach Drive. The event provides an opportunity for lung cancer advocates, survivors and the community to raise awareness and support in the movement to defeat lung cancer. All proceeds benefit the Louisiana Lung Cancer Partnership’s research, education and awareness programs. Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer of women and men in the U.S., taking more lives than breast, prostate and colon cancers combined, yet federal research funding for lung cancer lags behind many other common cancers and diseases. The National Cancer Institute recently reported that it spent only $1,638 per lung cancer death, compared to $13,519 per breast cancer death and $11,298 per prostate cancer death. About 85 percent of the 213,000 people diagnosed with lung cancer each year in the U.S. will die within five years of their diagnoses. Up to 15 percent of lung cancer patients are non-smokers. According to a study by the American Cancer Society, the incidence of lung cancer among lifelong non-smokers was about equal to that of brain and other nervous system cancers. This year’s event honoree is the late Billy Ray Rentrop. A lifelong Lake Charles resident, Rentrop ended his five month battle with lung cancer on Nov. 12, 2012. He was a graduate of McNeese State University and the Southwest Louisiana Institute, now University of LouisianaLafayette, and he served in the United States Naval Reserve. Rentrop was a mechanical engineer who worked at Cities Service for more than 30 years. He was an active member or the University United Methodist Church, serving on various committees. At the time of his death he was President of the Southwest Investors Club.
February 2013
Thrive Magazine for Better Living
Today, his wife, Pauline ‘Bo’ Day Rentrop, their five children, John Rentrop, Mickey Shannon, Liz Trahan, Amy Chaffin, Ruth Ford and Nicole Benoit, and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren are working to carry on his legacy of service by helping raise funds to fight lung cancer. In addition to the race, Free to Breathe activites include a t-shirt contest, school fundraiser competition, faces of lung cancer display and more. Registration cost for the 5K run/walk is $20 on the day of the event. Event information, including setting up a team, individual registration and sponsorship opportunities, is available at www.freetobreathe.org.
The late Billy Rentrop with his wife Bo.
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Mind & Body
Take a Shot at Beating Back Pain without Surgery by Kristy Armand
If you’ve suffered with back pain for years in an effort to avoid surgery, you may not be aware of some of the advanced non-surgical treatment options that can successful treat many types of back pain. Back pain is one of the most critical issues in healthcare today. Anyone with this condition would agree, and national statistics definitely back them up: • Back pain is the second most common cause, behind cold and flu, for physician office visits • It is the number-one cause of disability in the adults under 45 years old • It is the third leading cause of disability in patients older than 45 years old • The lifetime prevalence of low back pain is 60-90%. • The annual cost of low back pain to the American economy is estimated at over $85 billion The news is not all bad when it comes to back pain, in spite of these statistics. According to physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist Craig Morton, MD, most lower back pain is that it is self-limiting, meaning in 85 to 90 percent of cases, the pain will resolve itself in six to 12 months spontaneously, without treatment. “But who wants to suffer for a year? Back pain can severely limit your activities, including work. Most people can’t take off of work for several months until their back stops hurting. And if left untreated, back pain can lead to chronic pain conditions and disability. Fortunately, we have more interventional treatment options than ever before to offer back pain patients.” He explains that the focus of interventional treatment is on finding non-operative solutions for back pain. “This doesn’t always mean that surgery is not needed, but non-surgical treatment options are explored first. For many patients, advanced, nonsurgical procedures are able to provide long-term pain relief.” One very effective non-surgical treatment for back pain is the use of therapeutic injections. Typical medications used in spinal injections include local anesthetics and corticosteroids. Local anesthetics numb the nerves and temporarily prevent them from sending pain signals to your brain. Corticosteroids help reduce local inflammation that may be irritating nerve fibers, 70 www.thriveswla.com
thereby preventing the pain signals from being generated. “We inject local anesthetics through needles placed in or around the structure causing the pain to provide relief,” says Dr. Morton. “Corticosteroids are usually injected along with the local anesthetics to break the cycle of inflammation. Most people don’t realize these injections aren’t just a ‘quick fix’ for the pain, they actually help speed the healing. When we put the steroid right where the nerve is inflamed, it decreases swelling and the irritation of the nerve.” If the pain is in the lumbar spin, or lower back, Dr. Morton says there are several injection procedure options, including epidural steroid injections, facet joint or nerve blocks and sacroiliac joint injections. Epidural injections involve placing medications in the fatty space that surrounds the spinal sac and its nerve roots in an attempt to relieve back and leg pain. These injections are usually given to people with an intervertebral disc herniation (bulging of disc material into the spinal canal, putting pressure on a nerve) or spinal stenosis (narrowing of the space in the spinal canal through which nerves pass) and associated leg pain. Injections into the facet joints or sacroiliac joints are used when your doctor suspects that one of these areas is the source of your low back or associated buttock, hip, or leg pain. An advanced method of delivering injections uses fluoroscopy or ultrasound for guidance. Dr. Morton says this technique helps him better visualize the bones, allowing the steroid shot to be applied directly at the source of the pain. “In the past, patients often received a series of three steroid injections. But with the improved accuracy of image- guided injections, sometimes only one injection is needed.” He adds that diagnostic and therapeutic spinal injections should be part of a comprehensive pain treatment program that includes a thorough evaluation, conservative treatment interventions including medication and exercise therapy. “The Thrive Magazine for Better Living
number of injections you will have usually depends on the type of spinal injection and whether it relieves your pain.
Learn more about non-surgical back pain treatment options from Dr. Morton at a seminar on Tuesday, February 26, at Center for Orthopaedics in Lake Charles. It begins at 5:30pm. Call 721-7236 or register online at www.centerforortho.com.
February 2013
West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital Adopts New Technology for Treating Peripheral Arterial Disease West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital is pleased to announce that it’s the first in Southwest Louisiana to offer a new treatment option to people suffering from the debilitating effects of Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) – the Diamondback 360°TM Orbital Atherectomy System. Peter Angelopoulos, MD, FACC, FSCAI, FSVM, interventional cardiologist with the Heart and Vascular Center, and medical staff member of West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital, is currently the only cardiologist in the area practicing with the new equipment and has played a pivotal role in demonstrating the potential safety and effectiveness of this new technology, and its ability to provide new hope for treating the disease. Peripheral Arterial Disease is a life-threatening condition where plaque builds up on the inside walls of the blood vessels that carry blood from
the heart to legs and arms. The build-up of plaque causes the arteries to harden and narrow – a condition called atherosclerosis – reducing blood flow to the legs and feet. Over 12 million people in the U.S. alone suffer from PAD, which can cause debilitating pain in the legs. It is estimated that less than two million people are actually diagnosed with PAD and less than 700,000 are treated each year. As one of the pioneering physicians dedicated to exploring medical advances to improve the odds for patients with PAD, Dr. Angelopoulos believes that the new orbital atherectomy system from Cardiovascular Systems, Inc. (CSI) may have come full-circle. The device uses a unique orbital motion with an off-set, diamond coated “crown” to sand away the plaque. As the crown rotates and
orbit increases, centrifugal force action presses the crown against the lesion or plaque, removing a small amount of plaque with each orbit. The orbital motion is designed to create a smooth vessel opening or lumen, which improves blood flow. By striving to answer the need for a safer, more effective procedure to treat a wider range of disease states including tough, calcified plaque, the Diamondback 360°TM System optimizes the ability to remove plaque and restore flow for treating the disease – ultimately improving the patient’s quality of life and saving limbs.
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OTHERS, SUCH AS BUSINESS ECONOMIC LOSSES, ARE NOT. Many businesses and individuals throughout Louisiana may qualify for compensation in the BP settlement. CALL TODAY FOR A FREE CONSULTATION.
LUNDY, LUNDY, SOILEAU & SOUTH, LLP (800) 259-1005 • (337) 439-0707 501 Broad Street, Lake Charles
Serving Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Arkansas
www.lundylawllp.com February 2013
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MATT LUNDY Attorney Member of Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee
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Style & Beauty
TextureTips for Your Tresses
by Erin Kelly
When you’re shopping for hair care products, it’s wise to focus on the texture of your hair and not the color of your skin, according to Chonne Thomas, hair stylist with Healthy Strands Rock at Lionel’s Barber and Beauty. Although African American hair typically differs from other hair types, the texture still varies.
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February 2013
weighs it down and damages your scalp. Instead, go for conditioners with essential oils. You can also wrap your hair before you go to bed at night. This retains moisture, much of which is lost when you toss and turn on your pillow at night. A few additional tips, provided by Thomas: • If you want to use a relaxer, it’s best to go to a professional stylist, but if you’re limited to an at-home relaxer, make sure you don’t over-process. “Leaving it on longer than necessary doesn’t mean you get better results. It only means that you damage your hair more,” she said. • Use a small amount of body lotion in place of leave-on conditioner. Squirt a penny-sized amount in your palm, rub your hands together and smooth it over your hair. • If you blow-dry your hair, use a comb attachment on your hair dryer instead of brushing and blowing. Constant brushing creates far more breakage than the gentler alternative of comb attachments. Also: let your hair air-dry for a bit before you blow dry.
t t
“Generally, women of African descent have hair that contains less water, which can create a hair care challenge, especially when there are so many products on the market that claim to be able to remedy all your hair woes. Still, hair texture varies by individual so the focus should be on texture,” Thomas said. According to Thomas, select a moisturizing shampoo that is designed for normal or dry hair if you’re concerned that your hair needs more moisture. Afterward, use a moisturizing conditioner. Playing the product game can be tricky when the products are vast and the problems are specific. If you want to keep as much moisture in your hair as possible, avoid products that are designed to add body; these often strip oils from the hair as a way to lighten limp strands. “You should also steer clear of chemical and heat styling, unless you’re using products that protect the hair,” Thomas said. “This is vital, because heat easily makes the hair fragile. That’s true no matter what kind of hair you have. If you want to avoid brittleness as much as possible, make sure that you protect your hair from heat by using hydrating or heat-shielding products.” Items that claim to provide moisture should be dealt with skeptically, Thomas added. Most of these products feel greasy and are not made to soak into the individual strands; rather, they provide moisture by coating the hair, which only
AFTER
before Chonne Thomas, stylist, works with a client at Lionel’s Barber and Beauty.
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February 2013
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Style & Beauty
Stressed Out Skin
by Kristy Armand
Why is it that your skin seems to be at its worst when you need to look your best? In one word: stress. If you are feeling overwhelmed and stressed emotionally, your skin may be paying a very visible price, in the form of worry lines, dark circles, and breakouts, just to name a few. Excess stress leads to hormonal changes which contributes to the signs of aging and can trigger flare ups of a number of skin disorders, including hives, acne, and rosacea, “Stress interferes with the body’s systems that repair and regulate the skin,” explains Tana Garcia, skin care consultant with the Aesthetic Center in The Eye Clinic. She explains that the body responds to stress with a “fight-or-flight” mechanism. When this occurs, the flow of blood and nutrients is directed to the areas of the body considered vital for responding to the stress, and withdrawn from areas considered non-essential, such as the skin. “So is the flow of oxygen,” says Garcia, “making it difficult for the skin to ‘breathe.’ When stressful situations become frequent, the skin is consistently starved of both blood and oxygen, making it dull and lifeless, less supple, less hydrated and more prone to clogged pores, breakouts and other skin irritations.” She offers this advice for combating the effects of stress on the skin:
stress hormones in check and to maintain a healthy immune system. • Exercise regularly. Exercise has been proven to reduce stress and improve circulation to the skin.
• Get plenty of rest. Lack of sleep is reflected in lackluster skin and dark circles under the eyes. • Drink plenty of water to keep the skin moisturized.
• Address the source of your stress and take good care of your body. Eat properly, and avoid excessive levels of sugar, caffeine and junk foods; Proper nourishment is very important to keep
Better Vision has Moved up the Road The Eye Clinic in Jennings is moving – but you won’t have to look very far to find us. Our new office is located just down the road from our old one. We’re now at 1322 Elton Road, Suite J, in the Jennings Medical Center. We offer comprehensive eye care for the entire family, and our new, expanded office features more exam rooms, a larger waiting area and Optics Unlimited eyewear store, additional parking and a full-service contact lens department.
New Jennings Office
(337) 824-0040 • www.theeyeclinic.net • 1322 Elton Rd., Suite J. • Jennings Medical Center 74 www.thriveswla.com
Thrive Magazine for Better Living
All the services in sight February 2013
• Stick to your skin-care routine. Under stress, we tend to skimp on self-care, but a regular skin-care routine is critical to clear skin. • Use a toner to help clear up excess oil. Ask your skin care provider for a pharmaceutical grade toner to help clear up excess oil.
Are You Ready For
• Look for products with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide for blemish control. • Take the time to do something nice for yourself on a regular basis. A relaxing facial, massage, aromatherapy or just some quiet, relaxing “down time.” Garcia says therapeutic facial treatments can jump start your skin’s recovery from the visible effects of stress. “Microdermabrasion will exfoliate the dull dead skin cells and encourage circulation in the skin. Oxygenating treatments will increase oxygenation and circulation in the skin for a healthier, more vibrant complexion. She says hydration is also important and recommends keeping skin hydrated and moisturized with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, which can hold 1,000 times its weight in water. “There’s a definite mind/body connection, and your skin is no exception. If you want to have a healthy, glowing complexion, then you have to take care of your mental health too,” says Garcia. “The good news is, you can control how you manage the stress in your life. Doing so may be one of the most effective skin care treatments available.” For more information about facial skin problems or treatments, call the Aesthetic Center at 310-1070. Information is also available at www.facehealth.net.
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Style & Beauty
Brighten Your to Ready Wear Look with
Color
As we look forward to the first hints of spring, it’s time to think about easing away from darker winter colors. One of the best ways to do that is to mix a pop of color. A statement piece in a brighter color will bring a fresh look to the items you’ve worn for the past few months.
Remember, if you have a fashion question for me, just email it to edit@thriveswla. com or post it on the Thrive Facebook page. It could be answered it an upcoming column. If yours is chosen, you’ll receive a Thrive t-shirt.
Winter tweed pants and dark top and shoes can be mixed with a fun colored blazer. To lighten the outfit more, add light jewelry such as white pearls and a light-colored, neutral purse. Whitney Manns is the owner of WM Wardrobe Consulting. For more information, visit WMwardrobeconsulting.com
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February 2013
Michelle Swift, DDS
michelleswiftdds.com
I love to mix prints and textures! Adding this polka-dot blouse to a heavy tweed skirt helps to transition it into spring as well as adding the vivid colored cardigan. Since we had added a spring top and spring cardigan, we need to keep the winter boots with it so the outfit doesn’t look off- balance. Add a colorful purse to an outfit you might have worn in the winter. Switch the boots for fun printed flats to give it a fresh look.
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337-478-2960 MICHELLESWIFTDDS.COM 1333 Oak Park Blvd. Lake Charles, LA ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS February 2013
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Dating in the Modern Age With the ubiquity of technology, the modern dating scene now contains a multitude of options. The plethora of online dating sites seems to offer up a possible answer to the age-old search for love. Dating sites can be as broad and encompassing as eHarmony or match. com, which have around 20 million and 15 million users respectively. There are also several dating sites that cater to specific interests or attributes, such as ChristianMingle or OurTime, which specifically targets baby boomers. More options might mean more opportunities, but it can also lead to feeling overwhelmed. Are so many options helpful or harmful to the modern single? By some estimates nearly 40 million Americans have tried online dating at some point or another. Yet many people are skeptical, or even critical, of online dating sites. Lauren B., who registered for match.com, found the whole process annoying. “I kept getting emails that said so-and-so chose you,” she says. “It was off-putting.” Lauren also thinks that the sites set people up to like the person they will meet. “The website tells you that you will be great together, so you expect it. And people might feel bad when it doesn’t work out.” 78 www.thriveswla.com
by Allie Mariano
Dating sites have varying approaches to uniting potential couples. Tastebuds asks for a simple list of a single’s favorite bands, while eHarmony has a list of 400 questions. Some sites boast about the number of marriages that have resulted from their services, but it’s difficult to gauge a site’s overall success. Regardless of the long-term outcome, technology has provided subscribers with quick, convenient access to others who share their interests. While the number of sites and the subsequent number of people on those sites may make the whole thing seem more complicated, this kind of analysis can be seen as a pre-screening on the dating scene – and that is obviously what the sites want consumers to see. This use of technology to both connect people who might not otherwise connect, as well as sort out people who are unlikely to interest you, seems much more scientific than meeting someone at a social event or bar. Some may argue that it takes out spontaneity of meeting people, but Drew, who has also tried online dating sites, says, “I just want to meet someone and have a good time.” Considering all the options, Drew may do just that.
Thrive Magazine for Better Living
February 2013
True Love Stories
We chose a few of these to share. Read on to find out how they found their happily-ever-after.
Amos Orr My wife, from Lake Charles, and I, from northern Indiana, met briefly at a conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Shortly after, we friended each other on Facebook. After several months of contact through social media, texting, and phone calls I came down for a visit during Mardi Gras. We were able to learn so much about each other in such a short time, thanks to technology. We became engaged four months after meeting. We had an extended engagement for about a year and a half where we were basically 1,000 miles apart but still linked through Facebook messaging and long cell phone calls. We have been happily married for over four years and are expecting our first child in April.
Katie Derouen Creech
Jamie Elizabeth Gorman
My husband added me as a friend on Myspace and I commented to him saying hi. We first met in person at a Subway in Sulphur. We hung out together after that and I had to hint to him that I wanted to be more than friends. We have been married four years now and have an adorable little boy.
I met my husband at McNeese State University where we had a class together and studied for tests together. He finally had the nerve to ask me out, but I already had a boyfriend and declined. We stayed in contact and two years later, we were both single and ran into each other at Frosty Factory. He bought me a drink and asked me out again. Although I told him I didn’t want to date yet, his friend Eric (the bartender & usher at our wedding) flipped a coin for a date with TJ. I will never know if the coin was heads or tails. We went out and its history from there. We were married in July of last year.
Christi Breaux Miller My husband and I have been friends for 15 years. He is always a source of encouragement and a Godly example to me as a friend. During a tough time in my life he came to my rescue and our friendship turned into a loving, respectful relationship. We dated for three years and went on mission trips together where we experienced many happy times. After three years of dating and me hinting around that I was ready for more, he proposed to me in the park on a rainy day. A friend for 15 years and a husband for seven, he truly is a gift from God. There has always been something special about Kevin and I am so blessed to be his wife. I guess the cliche that you should marry your best friend rings true.
Amy Dickman Nyberg I was in high school and me and my best friend were “cruising” in Slidell. My friend wanted to stop to visit with an ex-boyfriend. The guys were hanging out at Hook and Line Seafood, and that is where I met Rick. I told my friend how cute I thought Rick was, and she told her ex she would only go out with him if he would help set us up. He called me, we went on a date, spent almost every day together that summer and exactly one year later we got married. We just celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary with two children and two grandchildren. I feel like I am the one with the big catch!
February 2013
Brittney Woods Vital I met my husband seven years ago online on a social network named Blackplanet.com. I started chatting with this really sweet guy, but being cautious we never exchanged numbers or knew how each other looked. We eventually extended our chatting to Yahoo but sadly we lost contact with each other when I transferred to an out-ofstate college. I later came back home and started working at a local car dealership as a receptionist. One of my coworkers would always tell me about her cousin who I should meet. But I was in a relationship and was trying hard to make it work, so I never took her up on this offer. In 2007, all my friends were talking about the new social network MySpace and how I should join, so I did. I would continuously get some very sweet comments from this one particular guy so I decided to be his friend. We started chatting and our conversations were so nice; it’s like we just clicked. Later, I just had to hear his voice so I gave him my number. We started talking on the phone for hours, and we have been together ever since. On July 10, 2010, we were married and Nov 22, 2011, we had a little girl. I would not trade my life for anything. Oh and the mysterious chat buddy and cousin, that was my husband! After going through old emails, we put two and two together. When they say what’s destined to be will be and true love always find a way, I’m a big believer of both. Thrive Magazine for Better Living
Lygia Hess I took up dancing after the loss of my husband and saw this nice looking cowboy everywhere we went. Unfortunately, he asked my girlfriend to dance instead of me. After finding out where he lived,at a complex my daughter worked at,I told her I needed to meet him. She stated,” Mom that is the man I have been wanting you to meet!!
Jacob Marceaus I live in Lake Charles and Samantha lives in Grand Lake. Four years ago I went to The Eye Clinic for a routine check up. My eyes apparently were not that bad because I noticed the most beautiful woman. I tried to make contact with her but was unsuccessful. I went to a friend who worked there and pleaded with her to get this gorgeous girl to call me. To make a long story short, she called. We have crafted a relationship that can only be described as true love! This past November I orchestrated an amazing weekend in New Orleans where I proposed to her on the lookout deck of the Omni Royal Hotel. We are set to be married June 29, 2013.
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!
Solutions Solutions Employee Assistance Program for Life Love Means…No Happy Endings from
by Keri Forbess-McCorquodale, MS, LPC, LMFT, CEAP
Read that title again. Love means no happy endings. A client shared that with me recently. He had heard it years ago from a pastor at a funeral. It has stayed with him all this time. I understand why. It really struck me when I heard it. Honestly, I’ve thought about it many times since our conversation. It’s true, isn’t it? There are no happy endings with love. Someone dies, or there’s a divorce, or Alzheimer’s develops. I bet if you stop right now and think about what the end of your closest relationships may look like, you won’t come up with good things. Someone will be left behind in some way. People who have a hard time committing to healthy relationships have already experienced the end of love. They were hurt, really hurt, by one or more relationships along the way. Maybe their parents didn’t know how to parent, or were mentally ill. Children raised by damaged people will be damaged unless they work hard at becoming healthy. It is difficult to love when the people who were supposed to love you didn’t or couldn’t do a good job. Or, maybe these people had decent childhoods, and it was as adults that they loved someone deeply. And then that person left – maybe they died or maybe they just stopped loving back. However it occurred, it was devastating and the resulting self-imposed rule is the same: no more loving anyone because they could leave you. So, what are we to do? How do we make ourselves love others when we know it is going to end badly? Is it truly better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all? Yes. Yes, it is better to take the risk. Insulating yourself from pain only brings another kind of hurt: loneliness. We are social creatures who long to be important to someone else. And it’s all risky. Heck, it’s risky to get a pet. What if you love that pet and it gets sick? That happened to my family not long ago. We had our dog for only three years when she became ill and we had to make the difficult decision to end her suffering. We agreed it was not fair. We were sad and angry that Dakota was taken from us. And, we also agreed we wouldn’t have traded anything for the three years we spent with an energetic dog who loved us better than we deserved. As a parent, we have all had the horrifying thoughts of “what if something happens to this child?” I have known parents that had to bury children, and it was wrong and horrible. So, do we just not have children because they might leave us before they should? As a daughter, I have already lost one parent to cancer and don’t want to lose my other parent. Ever. I could pull
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away so I won’t be hurt as bad when it happens, but won’t I have wasted a lot of time that could have been spent laughing and loving and creating memories for when that parent is gone? As a spouse, I know the likelihood of dying at the exact same time as my husband is pretty slim. One of us will be without the other someday. And who knows what the ultimate cause of death will be. Will it be quick, or long and drawn out? Will one of us have to become a caregiver for the other? Weighty ponderings, aren’t they? I think about all these things, as do you. Don’t let the fact that there won’t be a happy end keep you from a happy journey. The ending will take care of itself when it is time. Love may not mean a happy ending, but it can mean a happy right now. Take the risk, give your heart away, know it will be broken, and love.
New location next door to Tony’s Pizza!
For every event…
Make it sweet! Cupcakes, Cakes & Specialty Desserts
New Expanded Menu and Drive-thru for your convenience! 341 East Prien Lake Road • Monday-Saturday: 10-6PM • 337-496-7471 • www.sweetchicbakeryboutique.com
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February 2013
BY THE NUMBERS
January 9, 2001 Steve Jobs introduced iTunes at Macworld apple.com
8 Cents Amount an artist gets per song sold on iTunes digitalmusicnow.com
35%
9,109
Average amount of people in attendance at a concert. americansongwriter.com
8 years old
Of all music sales in the U.S. were digital downloads in 2009
Age of the youngest grammy award winner, Leah Peasall of the folk group The Peasall Sisters (album of the year in 2002 for their contribution to the soundtrack for “O Brother, Where Art Thou?�)
royal.pingdom.com
thefish.com
$16.2 Billion Average yearly amount generated by the music industry. reuters.com
February 2013
$430,767 Average gross per concert americansongwriter.com
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Mark Your Calendar! Something “Dead Serious” is coming to SWLA
Delta Downs Announces February Lounge Entertainment
On Saturday February 16, Fusion Five will host the End of the Human Race: Zombie Run. Zombies and the survivors will battle it out in Roanoke, Louisiana, for Fusion Five’s first annual fundraiser. To help support this cause, register to be a zombie or a runner and celebrate your survival at the Brain Bash, where there will be food, beverages and music provided by The Lochness Mobsters. Visit www.endofthehumanrace.com for registration and more information.
Delta Downs Racetrack Casino & Hotel has announced the entertainment line-up in the Gator Lounge for the month of February. All shows in the Gator Lounge are free and open to the public. 2/8-2/9 Steel Shot 2/15-2/16 Ka-Nection Band 2/22-2/23 BB & Company
West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital to Provide Information on Diabetes Leslie Petross, LDN, RD, CDE, with West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital, will be the featured speaker at an informational health talk discussing Leslie Petross, LDN, RD, CDE risk factors, signs and symptoms of diabetes at 10 am on February 15th. A screening test will also be offered to determine if an individual is at risk for the disease. For more information or to sign up, call (337) 528-2273 .
Hobo Hotel Calling All Local Artists for Help Hobo Hotel for Cats and Kittens, a local non-profit rescue group, is calling all Lake Area artists for help with art donations. Pieces of local works of art are needed for the Sweet Art Silent Auction at the Imperial Calcasieu Museum on Saturday, February 23. For more information, contact Robin Anderson, Event Chair, at (337) 477-3757, or by email at randerson822@att.net. The deadline for all submissions is February 16.
Calcasieu Parish Police Jury Arts Funding Grant Application Released The Arts Council of SWLA has announced that the application for the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury Arts Funding Grant is available for the 2013-2014 fiscal year. This competitive grant program is funded annually by the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury and administered by the Arts Council, and provides up to $5,000.00 for cultural events and projects staged within the Parish each year. Applications may be downloaded at artsandhumanitiesswla.org or picked up at the Arts Council office, located at 809 Kirby Street, Suite 202 in Lake Charles.
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Gladys Knight to Perform at L’Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles and L’Auberge Casino & Hotel Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge Selected for 2013 Antiques Roadshow Tour Antiques Roadshow is scheduled to appear in Baton Rouge on July 27 as part of its 2013 summer tour. The event will take place at the Baton Rouge River Center. Admission to Antiques Roadshow events is free, but tickets are required and must be obtained in advance by calling (800) 762-3749.
Find Your Inner Warrior at the ReALLIEty Challenge
The ReALLIEty Challenge Mud Run is scheduled for April 13. This obstacle course spans 3.5 miles of unique Louisiana terrain and is designed to parallel military training conditions. The race includes running, crawling, jumping, hanging and balancing elements, allowing participants to be a warrior for a day or to run on behalf of a special warrior. For more information or to register, visit reALLIEtychallenge.com.
Bausch to Give Reading Award-winning novelist and short story writer, Richard Bausch will give a reading in Ralph Squires Auditorium at McNeese on Saturday, March 2, at 7 pm. Bausch has written eleven novels and eight collections of stories. His novel Peace was awarded the 2010 Dayton International Peace Prize. Banners and the MFA program at McNeese are cosponsoring the event, and it is free and open to the public.
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Gladys Knight will perform at L’Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles and L’Auberge Casino & Hotel Baton Rouge in February 2013. Gladys Knight is an eight-time Grammy winner and has performed as a solo and group artist over the past 50 years. Knight will be at L’Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles on Friday, February 15 in the Event Center. She will perform at L’Auberge Casino & Hotel Baton Rouge on Saturday, February 16 in the Event Center. Tickets are on sale for both properties at ticketmaster.com. Floor tickets will be $60, and stadium tickets will be $50. Must be 21 to attend.
Sleeping Beauty Play Scheduled The Children’s Theatre Company will launch its 2012-2013 season with Disney’s Sleeping Beauty. Performances will be held at the Central School of the Arts & Humanities Center (809 Kirby Street) located in downtown Lake Charles. The show will run Friday, February 22, Saturday, February 23, at 7:30pm, and Sunday, February 24 at 3:00pm. Tickets may be purchased by contacting the theatre at (337) 433-7323.
Mac Burns/WCCH Foundation Golf Tournament Scheduled The 2013 Mac Burns/West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital Foundation Golf Tournament will be held on Saturday, May 11 at Frasch Golf Course in Sulphur. The tournament will follow a 4-man scramble format with a double shotgun start at 8 am and 1:30 pm. This year’s entry fee is $400 per
February 2013
team and covers food, drinks, shirts, range balls and mulligans. For more information or to participate in the tournament, call (337) 527-4241.
The Lake Charles Civic Ballet Presents Assemblé 2013 The Lake Charles Civic Ballet is proud to present Assemblé 2013. The name was carefully chosen as it also aptly describes the spirit and goal of LCCB’s collaboration with the Southwest Louisiana arts community to create a show that will fuse ballet, music and original choreography into a memorable experience for all audiences. Performance dates at the Rosa Hart Theatre in Lake Charles are Saturday, March 16 at 7pm and Sunday, March 17 at 3pm. Tickets for both shows are available starting January 28 by contacting the Civic Center Box Office/Ticketmaster at (337) 491-1432 or ticketmaster.com.
Tickets are $20 each and can be purchased by calling 337-433-1088.
Junior Women’s Conference Scheduled The Women’s Commission of Southwest Louisiana will host is annual Junior Women’s Conference on Saturday, March 9, 2013. The conference, held in conjuction with McNeese State University, will be held from 9:15 a.m. unil 3:30 p.m. in the Shearman Fine Arts Building on the McNeese State University Campus.
The theme for this year’s conference is “The Difference Begins with Me”. The day’s scheduled events include interactive activities such as yoga and self defense, educational activities like shopping on a budget and beauty advice. The keynote speaker will be local artist Candice Alexander. For more information on how to register, visit www.womenscommisionswla.com.
Shopping for a Cure Scheduled Local vendors and nonprofit agencies will come together to show their support for the Kajun Krawlers on Saturday, Feb. 23, from 9 am. to 2 pm., at the VFW on East Napoleon Street in Sulphur. The Kajun Krawlers will walk 39.3 miles in two days for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer this year. There will be a $2 fee at the door and a silent auction, jambalaya booth, popcorn booth and bake sale.
Leaders and Legends Tickets on Sale Tickets for Leaders and Legends, the United Way of Southwest Louisiana’s annual meeting and victory celebration are on sale now. The event is scheduled to begin at noon on Wednesday, February 27, in the Buccaneer Room at the Lake Charles Civic Center.
February 2013
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Community Contributor$ Isle of Capri’s Community Aces Donates The employees of the Isle of Capri’s Community Aces collected and donated 586 toys to U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program. The general manager, Paul Hutchens along with Isle of Capri employees were on hand to make the presentation to John Lamar, Local Community Organizer of the Lake Charles “Toys for Tots” chapter.
Entergy Donates $10,000 to VITA Program of United Way of SWLA Entergy presented Denise Durel and Michelle McInnis from United Way of Southwest Louisiana with a $10,000 check for the “VITA: Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program” project. Pictured with Durel and McInnis are Entergy’s Lorena Walls and Anthony “Chip” Arnould, Entergy’s regional customer service manager.
L’Auberge Casino Resort Donates $5,000 L’Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles hosted the annual Hector San Miguel Memorial Luncheon. The annual event draws hundreds of attendees to honor excellence in journalism. First Place: SOAR
2nd Place: MADD
Delta Downs’ Donates $10,000 to Local Non-Profit Organizations
3rd Place: Beau Care, Inc.
Delta Downs Racetrack Casino & Hotel announced the winners of its 5th Annual “Trees of Hope” holiday display. First Place and $5,000 was awarded to SOAR: Friends of Therapeutic Riding; 2nd Place and $2,500 went to MADD: Mothers Against Drunk Driving; and Beau Care, Inc. took 3rd Place and $1,000. The other 12 participating organizations each collected $125.
Pinnacle Entertainment Donates to Louisiana Association of Compulsive Gaming Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc., parent company of the L’Auberge and Boomtown brands, recently donated $10,000 to the Louisiana Association of Compulsive Gaming on behalf of the company’s four Louisiana properties. L to R: Mickey Parenton, vice president and general manager of L’Auberge Baton Rouge; Anthony Sanfilippo, president and CEO of Pinnacle Entertainment; Reece Middleton, LACG executive director; and Geno M. Iafrate, executive vice president of Regional Operations for Pinnacle Entertainment.
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L to R: Sonny Marks, Hector San Miguel Memorial fund board chair; Kerry Andersen, founding board member and director of media relations and public affairs for Pinnacle Entertainment; Lisa Verrette, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of SWLA; and Keith W. Henson, senior VP and general manager of L’Auberge Lake Charles.
Entergy Supports Family & Youth’s Leadership Center for Youth Family & Youth accepted a $25,000 grant from the Entergy Foundation to support programs and services of The Leadership Center for Youth. L to R: Leslie Harless, chair of Family & Youth Board of Directors; Chip Arnold, with Entergy; Kerry Andersen, past-chair of Family & Youth Board of Directors
Walk A Mile in Her Shoes Event Benefits Family & Youth’s Children’s Advocacy Center Family &Youth’s Children’s Advocacy Center accepted more than $2,000 from the Walk A Mile in Her Shoes event. Men from all walks of life walked one mile inside Prien Lake Mall in women’s high-heeled shoes to protest rape, sexual assault and domestic violence. L to R: Julio Galan, president & CEO of Family & Youth; Erika Simon, senior coordinator Children’s Advocacy Center; and Misty Shearman, RN, with Southwest Louisiana SANE Program and member of the Children’s Advocacy Center Multi-Disciplinary Team
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February 2013
Sasol North America and Contract Companies Donate $15,000 Sasol North America, S&B Engineers and Constructors, Cajun Industries, Mammoet, BB&B Tank Services and Turner Industries presented a $15,976 donation to the Salvation Army’s Christmas Angels. With the monies raised, the team was able to purchased more than 100 bikes and enough food to provide 180 food baskets for our community.
Citgo Donates to McNeese Banners Cultural Series The 2013 McNeese State University Banners Cultural Series includes 20 events this season and is annually supported by donations from area corporate sponsors. Citgo has donated $20,000 for this year’s Banners Series. L to R: Dana Keel, Citgo government and public affairs manager of the Lake Charles complex and Patricia Prudhomme, director of the Banners Cultural Series.
L to R: Jim Reeves, S&B; Major David Craddock, Salvation Army; Michael Garner, Sasol; Chris Gibbons, Sasol; Ryan Dupree, Mammoet; Chris Reed, Cajun Industries; Al Martino, Turner Industries; Trent Hastings, Turner Industries; and Calvin Hutson, BB&B Tank
Nissan Donates to T.S. Cooley Elementary Magnet School John Stelly, owner of Nissan of Lake Charles, presents a check for $10,000 to T.S. Cooley Elementary Magnet School to be used for the purchase of iPads to help the school achieve the goal of having five iPads in each classroom for students to use.
McNeese Banners Cultural Series Receives Donation from KMI Knight Media Printing Inc. has donated $6,000 for the 2013 McNeese State University Banners Series. L to R: Patricia Prudhomme, director of the Banners Cultural Series, Chuck Ehlers, president and CEO of KMI, and Amanda Stephens, KMI marketing coordinator
L to R: Fritzi Fralick, principal; Doris Lemonier, teacher; and John Stelly, owner of Nissan of Lake Charles Students, L to R: Bella Brignac, Josiah Stelly, Kailey Edwards and Jackson Bennett
ThriftyWay Pharmacy #2
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• Citywide Delivery Service • Drive-Thru Pick-Up Window • E-Mail and Call in RX Service
601 S. Pine Street • DeRidder, LA 70634 • (337) 463-7442 www.thriftyway.com • tw2@thriftyway.com February 2013
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Southwest Louisiana Sweeps State Tourism Awards
Licensed Professional Counselor
The Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors’ Bureau and some of it’s industry partners recently hauled in four awards at the annual Lt. Governor’s Conference on Tourism. The event, held in conjuction with the Louisiana Travel Promotion Association was held in Lake Charles at the end of last month.
Outstanding CVB of the Year: Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau The bureau was honored due to its ability to plan and implement numerous major overlapping events with very little lead time. It immediately and proactively worked to preserve the area’s Acadian heritage through the Great Acadian Awakening, celebrate Louisiana’s Bicentennial and maximize national press exposure by spearheading Joshua Ledet’s Homecoming Pep Rally for FOX’s American Idol just two weeks after he was voted into the top three.
Will Mangham Tourism Lifetime Achievement: Monte Hurley Hurley has been an active participant in the Louisiana tourism industry in various capacities for the majority of his life. Through his involvement with the Creole Nature Trail All-American Road, Monte was recently appointed and actively serves on the board for the National Council of Attractions, part of the U.S. Travel Association. He has served as the volunteer Chairman of the Board of Commissioners for the Creole Nature Trail since 1995.
825 Ryan Street, Suite 300 Lake Charles, LA 70601 Phone: (337) 436-6622
Now offering Child & Adolescent Counseling
Tourism Campaign of the Year: Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau The bureau was honored for the 2012 National Tourism Week campaign and events that helped to increase awareness among community residents and tourism stakeholders of the role that tourism plays in the community and how vital the hospitality industry is to the economy of Southwest Louisiana.
Campground/RV Park of the Year: A+ Motel & RV Park in Sulphur, LA A+ Motel & RV Park was recognized for its efforts to fully embrace and promote the local culture and attractions, such as the Creole Nature Trail, to their guests. Their customer service and attention to detail were major factors in the property being honored with this award.
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Thrive Magazine for Better Living
Kara E. Garofas, M.Ed., LPC, NCC
February 2013
February 2013
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Heart Disease
We Don’t Miss A Beat. CARDIOLOGISTS
At West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital, our cardiology team doesn’t miss a beat when it comes to treating heart disease and heart attack. In the first three quarters of 2012, we averaged treating heart attack patients 25 minutes faster than that recommended by the American Heart Association. We’re proud to be leading the way in advanced heart care in Southwest Louisiana. The skill of our 13 cardiologists, the experience and compassion of our nurses, and a facility that houses the most modern equipment found locally, is why your heart is in the best of hands at West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital. For more information on our cardiology services, please call (337) 527-4189.
701 Cypress Street, Sulphur
wcch.com
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February 2013