Business Scene

ABiz Scene May/June 2012

Acadiana Entrepreneur Group and the Opportunity Machine hosted the kick-off reception for the inaugural INNOV8 Lafayette at The Switch downtown. Movers and shakers gathered at the shared workspace facility to make connections and view some interactive and INNOV8ive demonstrations. Sponsors included Acme Taco, which provided a sampling of its tasty specialties, Schilling Distributing, MidSouth Bank and LEDA.

(1) Roxanne, Lauren and George Graham

(2) Aaron Hebert and Liz Webb

(3) Geoff Daily and George Graham

(4) Gerald Breaux and Vick Patel

(5) Bill Miller and Miro Mitrovic

(6) Brett Mellington, Stacey Fabre and Eric Trout

(7) Acme Taco provided food for the INNOV8 kick-off event

ABiz Scene April/May 2012

The board and senior leadership of IberiaBank presided over the Nasdaq market opening March 13 in recognition of the bank’s 125th anniversary. Daryl G. Byrd, the bank’s president and CEO, called the event an opportune time to recognize “our founders for their foresight, the very hard work of our associates, the loyalty of our clients and confidence of our shareholders.” Also making the trip to Nasdaq headquarters, located in the heart of Times Square, was retired board member Cecil Broussard. Founded in New Iberia and headquartered in Lafayette, IberiaBank now has a 12-state footprint.

1. Bill Fenstermaker, Cecil Broussard, Nasdaq’s Bruce Aust, and Daryl Byrd

2 and 3. IberiaBank’s name and leadership were highlighted on Nasdaq’s digital marquee

Sinless Margaritas in strawberry and lime awaited guests at the Grand Launch of Xtend barre on MainStreet in River Ranch. The ballet studio was christened with a full house of participants who sweated through the challenging workout, rewarding themselves afterwards with healthy goodies from Zoë’s Kitchen and sweet cold creams from The Lab. The opening was a benefit for the Junior League of Lafayette.

4. Natalie DeJean and Jenny Minvielle-D’Albor

5. Amanda Bailey and Muffy LeBlanc

6. Jason Trotter, Natalie DeJean and Logan Trotter

7. Beth Trotter and Alison Howard

ABiz Scene March/April 2012

Yes, Lafayette is the tastiest town in the South! Southern Living Publisher Greg Schumann and Senior Travel Editor Paula Disbrowe made it official at a festive fête held at the Acadiana Center for the Arts. The Lafayette Bayou Boys introduced our visitors to Cajun music, while the Petroleum Club dished out some of Acadiana’s delectable cuisine. Sophi P Cakes provided its yummy cupcakes for dessert. LCG President Joey Durel presented Schumann and Disbrowe with Honorary Cajun certificates. Afterwards, Roxanne and George Graham hosted a reception at their lovely River Ranch home where six area chefs cooked up a fabulous feast. Roddie Romero, Michael Doucet and Kyle Hebert fired up their fiddles for the appreciative crowd. As Schumann said, “We are a culinary destination to be reckoned with!”

Our Lady of Lourdes Cancer Network showed off its new digs at the Business After Hours sponsored by the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce. Chamber members and guests gathered outside in the breezy Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Office Building’s courtyard, enjoying cuisine from iMonelli before embarking on private tours of the facility. The network, comprising Louisiana Oncology Associates, OncoLogics.net and Lourdes Imaging, offers full-service cancer care from diagnostics to treatment.

1.    Jim Poché, Justin and Margaret Girouard and Renée and Danny Nugier
2.    Southern Living’s Greg Schumann and LCG President Joey Durel
3.    State Rep. Vincent Pierre and Kris Wartelle
4.    Danny Nugier and Jim Poché
5.    Gerd Wuestermann, Southern Living’s Paula Disbrowe and Greg Schumann
6.    Bruce Perrin, Rachel Leckelt and Alex Carron
7. Jerry Prejean, Cathy Weber, Gregg Gothreaux and Julie Calzone
8. Food from local restaurants was served during the event.
9. Matt Dugas, Mary Guidry, and Joey and Lynne Durel
10. Stephen Barker and Victoria Toups
11. The cupcake cake went fast after the presentation.
12. Meryl Bertrand and father Don Bertrand, and Gerd Wuestemann and Kate Durio
13. Donna Landry, Elisabeth Arnold and Kim Hebert
14. Drs. Chancellor Donald, Perri Prellop, Jeff Cole and Steve Wilt
15. Kim LaSalle, Katie Lasala and Meg Chase
16. Monte Wilson
17. Sarah Bergeron and John O’Meara

ABiz Scene March2012

Newly minted Lafayette Parish School System Superintendent Pat Cooper received a warm Ragin’ Cajun welcome recently during a reception sponsored by the Lafayette Parish Public Education Stakeholders Council. The event, held at the Acadiana Center for the Arts downtown, gave the council’s member organizations a chance to meet and talk one-on-one with the new super, while also hearing his plans for improving Lafayette Parish public schools and reducing the achievement gap at north Lafayette’s failing schools. Lafayette City-Parish President Joey Durel was on hand to welcome Cooper with a key to the city, only to be topped by UL Lafayette President Joe Savoie, who gave Cooper a Ragin’ Cajuns football jersey commemorative of the team’s big win in the New Orleans bowl.

Gary Luquette, president of Chevron North America Exploration and Production Co., delivered the keynote address at the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce’s annual banquet at the Cajundome Convention Center in early February. The event also ushered in the chairmanship of Fugro Chance Chief Information Officer Jerry Greig and presented the Acadiana Innovation Awards to the Twin Parish Port Regional Economic Development Initiatives and Dupré Logistics. In the aftermath of the 2005 hurricane season, the town of Delcambre emerged as a model of community resilience and redevelopment, with the Port of Delcambre adopting the vision of Dr. Rod Emmer from Louisiana Sea Grant and embracing regionalism.

By working with Dr. Tom Sammons of UL’s architecture department, Thomas Hymel with Louisiana Sea Grant, the LSU landscape architecture program, and Dr. Geoffrey Stewart from marketing in the Moody College at UL, the port modernized and created a web-based seafood market called “Delcambre Direct,” which links a regional consumer market with local fishermen. It also constructed a new 28-boat marina in the heart of Delcambre. Because of those efforts, the Twin Parish Port Regional Economic Development Initiatives won the public sector category of the Acadiana Innovation Awards.
Port Commission president of the Twin Parish Port District, Jeff LeBlanc accepted the award. Dupré Logistics won the private sector category. Faced with an industry-wide truck driver shortage, Dupré Logistics has been raising the bar for both safety and driver retention through its Employee Safety Program. The key features of the program include paying an hourly, rather than mile-based, wage; partnership with the Center for Work Rehabilitation to help retrain drivers who have been out of work; predictive accident monitoring analysis; use of GreenRoad technology to increase efficiency; and a focus on partnership with employees as part of its “Ideal Place to Work” strategy.

1. Chip Jackson, Pat Cooper, Joby John and Gerald Carson
2. Robbie Bush, Margaret Dygas, Thelmi McGoffin, state Rep. Stephen Ortego and Ted Hoyt
3. John Milton, Vivica Pierre, Forrest Chaisson and Stephen Bartley
4. Gerald Carson, Steve Oubre, and Mazie and Kam Movassaghi
5. Kermit and Debbie Bouillon and Jerry Greig

6. Jerry Greig and Don Briggs
7. Gary P. Luquette and Dave Welch
8. Jean-Paul Coussan, Sharon Moss and Jim Keaty
9. Nancy Trahan, Flo Meadows and Nanette Heggie
10. Andre Huval, Terry Huval, Jan Swift and Taylor Swift
11. Andy and Don Begneaud

Chamber images by LightWriter Photography Studio

ABiz Scene January/February 2012

Jan. 12 saw a close to Jody Nederveld’s career working for the Downtown Development Authority as a manager yet not a close to her connection with downtown Lafayette. It’s estimated that Nederveld managed more than 530 Downtown Alive! performances on top of her other duties. Downtown businesses banded together to honor the woman so many know as one of Lafayette’s best promoters and supporters. Blue Moon Saloon hosted the event, and Pamplona, Johnson’s, Subway, Tsunami and Antler’s all donated noshes for the night. Keller’s donated a king cake with “Happy Retirement, Jody!” spelled out in frosting, and Schilling Distributing offered up beer and wine. The party was well into full swing by 6:30 p.m. with the Mercy Brothers playing first and Lost Bayou Ramblers right after, with a break in the middle for speeches from Nederveld and colleagues. A video montage was shown with a lot of humor and love encapsulating her career. Nederveld received lifetime membership to downtown museums and a gift of Kent Hustlar’s downtown photo series. On behalf of all of downtown, thank you, Jody. The last 24 years wouldn’t have been the same without you.


(1) “Happy Retirement” King Cake donated by Keller’s Bakery
(2) Jody Nederveld gives a speech on her years working downtown with emcee Mary Guidry
(3) Gwyn Hustlar and Jody Nederveld
(4) Joey Babineaux, Gerald and Helen Breaux, and Philippe Ghustin
(5) Brett Mellington, Pat Logan and Jim Parker
(6) Food was provided by various downtown restaurants
(7) Cherry May and Jody Nederveld
(8) Amanda Toups, Michele Ezell and Andrew Payne
(9) The Mercy Brothers
(10) Gerd Wuestemann and Jody Nederveld
(11) Janet Wood and Gina Aswell