A Solid Performance in 2010

Wednesday, July 27, 2011
By Cherry Fisher May

Acadiana’s business leaders are navigating well in challenging times.

AT&T/T-Mobile Good for State

Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Written by Cherry Fisher May

Whether your issue is job growth, dropped calls, next generation technology or lack of rural access, this acquisition is a winner.

Hitting on All Cylinders

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

We have great leaders in key positions throughout our community. It’s time for the school board to do its part. By Cherry Fisher May

The phalanx of leadership in this community is collectively as highly effective at this moment as it has been at any time in my 30-plus years covering local news. From those in the public sector, including city-parish government, the university, tourism and economic development executives, to leaders among non-profits, arts organizations, banking, medical and other key business sectors, the roster of drivers in Lafayette today is chock full of A-listers. And we as a community now have the opportunity to further improve our game in two ways — by selecting a new leader for Lafayette Parish public schools and by developing a comprehensive strategic plan for how we want our community to grow.

Campaign for Scholarships

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Already halfway to its $4.7 million goal, the university turns to best-selling author Rebecca Wells — and all of us — to help make the mark. By Cherry Fisher May

I hardly knew what to expect. Dr. Duleep Delpechitre, professor of marketing in UL’s B.I. Moody School of Business, invited me recently to judge sales presentation skills among eight upper-level students who were vying for a scholarship and a spot to represent the university in national competition. The students had been given a description for a make-believe software system. Their calls on a prospective “client,” played by a local businessman who was tough to close, was televised via Skype onto a big screen to be viewed by the judges. We were seated in a small auditorium with scorecards so we could rank each student on a range of specific skills from the initial handshake to inking the deal. The difference in scores was miniscule. I could have hired any one of them on the spot.

The New View of Natural Gas

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

A growing number of global experts make the case for this cheap, abundant, clean-burning energy option.

There have been no new nuclear reactors built in the U.S. since the 1979 accident at Three Mile Island shut down that electrical generating plant forever. Even though no injuries or deaths among plant workers or members of the nearby community were directly attributed to the disaster, it changed dramatically both the domestic perception of nuclear power as an energy source and the public policies that govern it in the U.S. Construction of new plants became cost prohibitive. Public fear and distrust exploded, but in the three decades since, the anti-nuke sentiment has gradually softened. Even many Democrats in Congress who have traditionally opposed the production of electricity from nuclear power have recently indicated a growing willingness to incorporate the nuclear option into an energy strategy to wean our country from imported oil.