A top official at Acadian Ambulance since 1998, 45-year-old Tyron Picard announced he will leave the Lafayette-based company in January, though he was not specific about his future plans, saying only he will “pursue other business and governmental relations opportunities.”
Picard, Acadian Companies’ executive vice president for legal and governmental affairs, is the son of the late Cecil Picard, who served as Louisiana state superintendent of education from 1996 until his death in February 2007. In a letter addressed to “Friends,” Tyron Picard writes:
After 12 wonderful years at The Acadian Companies, I have decided to leave the organization on January 14, 2011, to pursue other business and governmental relations opportunities. Due to the fondness I have for Acadian, its mission, and the people who make it such a great company, this decision was a very difficult one for me and my family. The decision comes only after months of thoughtful discussion and prayer among my family and close friends.Picard, who is listed third among Acadian's management on the company's website, behind Chairman/CEO Zuschlag and President/COO David Pierce, did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment on his plans.
When I joined Acadian in 1998, over 90% of the Company was our Louisiana ambulance operation, our annual sales were $75 million, and we had 1,000 employees. I never dreamed that in 12 years, our ambulance operation would stretch from San Antonio to Pascagoula, our company would exceed $300 million in annual sales, have diversified into the monitoring and safety businesses, and that we would be nearing the 4,000 employee mark. I believe that the company’s present talent and financial position makes us internally stronger than we have ever been. Externally, in the eyes of governmental and civic leaders, our company has never been more respected.
During my time here, one thing has become crystal clear—the main ingredient in Acadian’s recipe for success is the people of the organization. I want to thank all of you for the genuine kindness and friendship you have expressed to me and my family since day one. I want to thank Richard Zuschlag, my fellow members of the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors, as well as each of our employees. All of you have taught me that a determined group of hardworking minds can truly achieve the unachievable. I have witnessed those remarkable achievements not only in our company’s financial growth, but in our company’s response to America’s greatest natural disaster—Hurricane Katrina.
When I was 18 years old, my father wrote me a letter at graduation, which said “Life is like a book with a series of chapters—don’t stay in one chapter too long, or you will never finish the book.” Although this chapter at Acadian will end in January, Acadian will have a place in my heart forever. My time here has been one of the most fulfilling chapters in my life.
In the future, every time I see a unit responding with lights and sirens, AIR MED flying overhead, or visit an elderly friend with an AOC pendant around his or her neck, I will recall fond memories of Acadian and thank God that my caring and compassionate friends at Acadian are once again making a difference in the lives of the people they serve.
Happy Holidays to you and your family, and know that you can call on me if I can ever be of assistance to you or your family.
MAY 23 Here's a story in the Picayune about some statistics that must come as a blow to folks who believe that any private school can do a better job of educating kids than any public school: Danielle Dreilinger reports that only 30 percent of the voucher kids are passing. That's less than half of the state wide average, she says. It's an interesting statistic because most of the schools (if not all) taking voucher kids have never had their students' standardized test scores released to the public before.
MAY 23 Stephen Sabludowsky blogs on Bayou Buzz about auditor requests here. Recently the state GOP started crowing about a request from the Legislative Auditor, claiming they were being targeted because of their anti-tax stance. (Uh, your what?) Denial and hyperbole aside, the state Democratic party blew holes in that theory with an email announcing they'd received the same request, Sabludowsky writes here.
MAY 23 Jim Brown blogs about the senate race in this post. He says that, given Bobby Jindal's "lack of traction" on the national stage, it might make more sense for the governor to consider running against Mary Landrieu for the senate seat. Since Tim Teeple left the Cassidy team, it makes sense he might land on a Jindal for Senate team, Brown opines.
MAY 23 In this Louisiana Voice post, blogger Tom Aswell writes of rumors that his nemesis, state Superintendent of Education John White, may be soon departing Louisiana for a federal post. It's hard to believe, given his performance, Aswell says, but stranger things have happened. An anti-White BESE member says that, if true, White is quitting before he can be fired.
MAY 23 In this post on American Zombie, blogger Jason Berry writes about the Mother's Day shooting. Mayor Landrieu said that "this is not who we are," but the fact is, this is New Orleans, Berry writes. The violence infused in the city is the result of a culture created by "sins of omission or sins of commission," Berry writes. It's not a problem that can be solved by legislating, policing, praying or publicizing, he says: Someone's got to understand what's happening first.
MAY 23 This post in the Westside Journal tells us what Port Allen Mayor Deedy has been up to lately: vetoing ordinances, apparently. This story is most interesting, however, when it delves into a petition that has been circulating around the city lately. It accuses the former mayor of a lot of nasty things; the former mayor says it is full of lies and "broken syntax" which may be a larger offense in his eyes.
MAY 23 This editorial posted in The Advocate is a bit confusing. The writing is poor - definitely not up to the usual editorial writing standard there - and the point is hard to grasp. Apparently, the writer is saying that privatization of state efforts is OK, as long as there is oversight and transparency, but Jindal's not good at that, and the legislature shouldn't over-react. Okey Dokey. Can't they get one of them Pulitzer-winning people to write an editorial?
MAY 23 This post on The Lens gives you links to a new Google Earth tool that allows you to see any spot on earth transform over the past 30 years. Bob Marshall, who covers the coast for the paper, says that in the case of Louisiana's coastline, it's possibly something you don't want to see, because it's not a pretty picture. There are several clips here, showing critical areas erode away. For Marshall, it was vindication for all those times he was met with eye-rolling when he talked about erosion.
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