Eunice resident Michael Sonnier, a local family nurse practitioner, has been named director of Arc of Acadiana’s newly acquired Southwest Developmental Center. The Iota center was acquired from the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. Sonnier’s experience includes a previous position in Arc’s New Iberia offices as head nurse and work at Southwest Developmental Center. Most recently, he had a successful family practice in Eunice and worked for Savoy Medical Center. Arc of Acadiana’s Acadia Division serves those with developmental disabilities by offering residential, supported living and in-home services, as well as employment services. Future plans for the facility include a Family Practice Clinic that will provide a full range of health care to the public, as well as to those with developmental disabilities living in the community.
UL marketing majors Hannah Darby and Jordan Johnson ranked 10th overall at the 2011 Russ Berrie Institute National Sales Challenge, the second largest national collegiate student sales competition, held in New Jersey. The ranking was among a field of 30 universities with 60 student competitors from across the country. Darby’s performance earned her a 6th place overall individual ranking while Johnson ranked 20th overall. The two were trained by Dr. Duleep Delpechitre, assistant professor of marketing at UL.
In January, Lafayette architect Mark F. Stielper of MBSB Group assumed the presidency of the American Institute of Architects’ Louisiana board of directors. He took over the post after being selected president-elect last year during the annual membership meeting.
Julie Savoy, an associate at the Gachassin Law Firm, has been elected to serve as president of the Louisiana Society of Hospital Attorneys, the premier health lawyer group in the state. A Lafayette native, Savoy graduated from the UL College of Nursing in 1982 and is a 2002 graduate the Paul M. Hebert LSU Law School. She has 15 years of nursing experience in infection control and epidemiology and more than nine years of experience defending health care providers in medical malpractice matters and providing consultations in health care risk management.
Joan McCarthy has been named chief financial officer at RLC, the largest privately held helicopter operator in the Gulf of Mexico. She brings extensive expertise in management and accounting, including more than 15 years in the offshore oil and gas service industry. She has worked in financial leadership positions at Offshore Logistics Inc., a major provider of helicopter transportation for the oil and gas industry, and GulfMark Offshore Inc., a global provider of marine transportation. Most recently, McCarthy led financial operations for Moreno Group LLC, a global leader in fabrication and construction. Also at RLC, Travis Latiolais — who has 15 years of sales, marketing and operations experience in the offshore helicopter industry — was named vice president of business development. Latiolais comes to RLC after spending the past 11 years at global helicopter services operator Bristow Group (formerly Air Logistics), most recently as sales manager of the North American Business Unit. Earlier in his tenure with the company, he held leadership positions in maintenance and operations, having begun his career as a maintenance technician at PHI. Latiolais holds a BS in professional aeronautics management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and is a licensed, private pilot of fixed wing aircraft. McCarthy and Latiolais joined RLC only two months after the company made a series of significant announcements, including a strategic investment, the appointment of Dru Milke to CEO, and the rollout of a fresh corporate brand identity.
Lafayette General Medical Center President and CEO David Callecod was named among the country’s most committed and influential leaders in the health care industry. At the 9th Annual What’s Right in Healthcare conference in Chicago, Callecod was one of seven leaders nationwide inducted in Studer Group’s Fire Starter Hall of Fame. Each year, Studer Group, a national firm helping to improve American health care quality, recognizes a select few hospital leaders for their commitment to excellence and their impact on the lives of employees, physicians, patients and families. Now in his fourth year leading Lafayette General, Callecod’s first experience as a top administrator was at the age of 30 as CEO of two of Tenet’s highest performing hospitals in patient satisfaction.
Lafayette Parish Tax Assessor Conrad Comeaux was a featured speaker at the 2011 FutureView Conference held in New Orleans. The conference, which showcases the latest advances in aerial imaging technology, was hosted by Pictometry. Comeaux’s presentation focused on the benefits that local governments gain by using various high-resolution imagery tools provided through aerial imaging companies like Pictometry and leveraging those technologies to lower costs. In order to minimize the amount of time spent gathering basic details of properties, Comeaux explained that the Lafayette Parish Assessor’s Office uses high-resolution ortho photography, which involves viewing the property from the top looking down, as well as oblique imaging, viewing all four sides of a property at an angle.
To honor people who have made an impact in their communities, Community Foundation of Acadiana held its inaugural 2011 Leaders in Philanthropy Awards Luncheon, presented by The Shaw Group, at the Cajundome Convention Center. CFA presented Leaders in Philanthropy Awards to the following individuals and couples in each of its eight-parish service areas: Acadia Parish – Ted and Judy Carmichael; Evangeline Parish – Tim Fontenot; Iberia Parish – Dr. Mike and Tommye Halphen; Lafayette Parish – James “Jim” H. Prince; St. Landry Parish – Bobby Dupre; St. Martin Parish – Dr. Kenneth L. Fournet; St. Mary Parish – Gregory J. Hamer Sr.; and Vermilion Parish – Eugene M. Sellers. The event also featured keynote speaker Bert Jacobs, co-founder of the “Life is good” brand, which has reached sales of more than $100 million a year. Jacobs inspired CFA’s audience of 675 community leaders, business leaders and nonprofits as he spoke of how to optimize business and philanthropy through the power of optimism. He also spoke of leadership and corporate social responsibility.
The Lafayette Chapter of the American Association of Drilling Engineers has selected its 2011-12 board. Each year, officers, steering committee members and chairmen from local oil and gas companies volunteer their time to guide the group’s mission of education and information sharing. The local chapter holds its general meetings the third Monday of each month at 11:30 a.m. at the Petroleum Club. AADE officers for the upcoming year are Nick Rezvani, president (Marlin Energy); Sharon Moore, treasurer (Halliburton); Matt Lane, second vice president (Smith Technologies); Derrick Daigle, second vice president (National Oilwell Varco); and Peggy Meynard, secretary/membership chairwoman (IntegriCert).
Triumph MeadowBrook Specialty Hospital has changed its name to Kindred Hospital Lafayette and named Sharon Black chief executive officer. The name change reflects Triumph Healthcare’s merger with Kindred Healthcare, the largest operator of long-term acute care hospitals in the country, with 120 LTAC Hospitals in 26 states. Kindred LTAC hospitals provide aggressive, specialized interdisciplinary care to medically complex patients who require extended recovery time. Black, a registered nurse who has a master’s degree in health administration, has extensive experience in health care, working in hospitals in Louisiana, Nevada and Georgia. A Crowley native and UL graduate, she previously served as administrator/CEO at the HealthSouth Rehab Hospital of South Louisiana in Baton Rouge and chief nursing officer at the Regional Medical Center of Acadiana. She began her career at Our Lady of Lourdes in Lafayette.
Michael Doise has joined MidSouth Bank’s Accounting Department as asset liability manager. He is responsible for financial projections, asset/liability forecasts, and management reporting. A Lafayette native, Doise earned an MBA in finance from Tulane University and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from LSU. He worked at Morgan Keegan in Memphis as a fixed income trader for two years before returning to school to earn his MBA.
Coldwell Banker Pelican Real Estate’s learning courses are now approved for elective credit by the Council of Residential Specialists. CRS was created to attract and retain real estate agents seeking the knowledge, tools and relationship-building opportunities needed to maximize their income and professionalism in residential real estate. In 2010, CRS designees earned nearly three times more than non-CRS residential agents. According to the Realtor Association of Acadiana, there are 56 Realtors in Lafayette who hold CRS designations and 458 in the state of Louisiana. Coldwell Banker’s University BOO$T and Previews International Properties Specialist courses account for one-half of the 32 elective credits required for the CRS designation and are offered exclusively to members of the Coldwell Banker network. BOO$T is a high-accountability program designed for experienced Coldwell Banker sales agents that promotes best-practice sharing, networking and the use of cutting-edge technology. Previews International Properties Specialist is an interactive certification program providing the core foundation for working with the affluent market.
MidSouth Bank has promoted Marcia Angelle to assistant VP-collections and ombudsman manager. A Breaux Bridge native, she has been with the bank for 11 years. To assist customers who consistently overdraw their accounts, MidSouth Bank in March created an ombudsman program that helps customers properly maintain and monitor their accounts in order to avoid excessive overdraft fees. Angelle has 30 years of collections experience, including 15 years in legal collections.
Ryan Bonin, Candace Mann Miller and Lauren Ruggles have joined Keller Williams Realty Acadiana. Bonin is a 2007 graduate of Lafayette High School and is pursuing his finance degree at UL. He is a writer for ProHockeyNews.com and co-owner of Acadiana Specialty Services. Miller is a native of West Texas and has been a Realtor in Lafayette since 2000. She has experience in residential, commercial, and investment properties and specializes in first time home buyers and real estate investment properties. Originally from New Orleans, Ruggles is a licensed cosmetologist pursuing a new career as a Realtor.
The Sixth Annual Chamber SWLA Legis Gator Luncheon presented its distinguished Legis Gator of the Year and Chairman’s award, respectively, to Rep. Rick Gallot of Ruston, who chairs the House and Governmental Affairs Committee, and U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany of Lafayette. Both were recognized for their efforts to keep the Southwest Louisiana region whole during redistricting. More than 750 attendees helped the Chamber SWLA honor these legislators, recapping legislative efforts undertaken in 2011. This year’s awards focused on legislators supporting pro-business legislation targeting transportation, insurance and ethics reform, workforce development and other issues the Chamber SWLA has been monitoring in Baton Rouge and Washington, D.C. The first-ever Legacy of Service Award went to State Sen. Willie Mount of Lake Charles and the Governmental Affairs Award went to Rep. Mike Danahay of Sulphur. Title sponsor for the event was L’Auberge Casino Resort, and presenting sponsor was CITGO Lake Charles.
Knight Oil Tools has named Joe Lee director of its jar product line. Lee oversees new jar manufacturing operations in addition to the maintenance and servicing of used equipment at the Knight Oil Tools Jar facility in Broussard. Lee’s other responsibilities include business development, HSE and quality systems for the Jar product line. Lee holds a BS in civil engineering from Mississippi State University. Prior to joining Knight, Lee served as VP of operations at Foxxe Energy Services. Lee has also held management positions at Halliburton, Expro Group, Altec Gas Lift and Schlumberger.
Healing House; Hope for Grieving Children has installed four new members and five new officers to its board of directors for the 2011-2012 term. New officers are Daniel Graffeo, past president; Louise Lambert, secretary; Vicky Taylor-Brignac, president; Rena Cottam, vice president; and André Broussard, treasurer. New members are Tina Guidry, Sonya Tedesco, Laurie Foreman and Mary Courville. The mission of Healing House is to provide support and education for grieving children, their caregivers and the Acadiana community.
John Romero, a sales associate with Coldwell Banker Pelican Real Estate, was ranked No. 5 in closed adjusted gross commission income for the southern region for 2010. The region is made up of 14 southern states and Puerto Rico. Romero competed among 400 independently owned and operated affiliated companies in the Coldwell Banker system.
Claudette Holder has joined Learning RX Lafayette as director of First Impressions. Claudette was previously the area publisher for The Shepherd’s Guide, the Christian business yellow page directory, and is an independent distributor/senior manager with SendOutCards. Learning RX specializes in treating the cause – not the symptoms – of learning struggles.
Coldwell Banker Pelican Real Estate is excited to announce the addition of several new agents to its Lafayette team. After spending the past seven years selling real estate in Orange Beach, Ala., Todd Duke relocated back to Lafayette and has joined Coldwell Banker Pelican Real Estate. A graduate of Cathedral Carmel and UL Lafayette, Duke served as vice president of Duke Transportation before entering the real estate market. Holly Olivier, a native of Lawtell and a 2009 graduate of UL Lafayette, also joined the real estate agency.
Advanced Data Concepts Managing Partner Ken Babin announced the creation of a new division to help businesses in the Acadiana area focus on smart technology based on data backups, disaster recovery and business continuity. Babin, who is also the IT manager for Delmar Systems, opened Advanced Data Concepts eight years ago in Broussard. The company offers computer programming, wireless network setup, antivirus, computer/server sales and management and website development.
Keith Mosing has been named president and CEO of Frank’s Casing Crew & Rental Tools Inc., a provider of tubular technologies for drilling and completions, and Robert Gilbert has been named executive VP and COO. Former President Donald Mosing will remain with the company as chairman emeritus of the board of directors.
Cathy S. Newhouse has joined LHC Group as senior vice president of clinical program development and innovation. Newhouse, a registered nurse and health care executive with more than 25 years of experience in home health management, will lead clinical program development and innovation initiatives for LHC Group’s more than 300 locations in 19 states. She will also oversee clinical relations at each of LHC Group’s 123 hospital joint venture locations. Newhouse previously served as senior vice president of sales and clinical programs at Almost Family in Louisville, Ky. She has more than 20 years in operations and clinical leadership roles at Gentiva Health Services. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a master’s degree in management and holds certification in nursing administration from the American Nurses Association.
RLC, the largest privately held helicopter operator in the Gulf of Mexico, has hired Dru Milke as CEO. Milke has domestic and international management experience and a proven track record in both the offshore rotorcraft services and oil and gas industries. The company also recently promoted Larry Adams to COO and Michael Guidry to VP of operations. Milke spent almost two decades at Offshore Logistics, a major provider of marine and helicopter transportation to the oil and gas industry and the parent company of Air Logistics (now Bristow). Milke served as VP of western hemisphere operations, VP of international operations, CFO and ultimately president of the company. During this time period, the company grew from less than $100 million to greater than $600 million in annual revenue and expanded from a Gulf of Mexico operator to a respected global leader in offshore helicopter operations. Most recently, Milke served as CFO of Moreno Group Holdings. Adams, who most recently served as director of operations for RLC, previously held roles as president and COO of ERAMed and VP and GM of flight services for Keystone Helicopter Corporation. Earlier in his career he served for 25 years in various roles for helicopter operator PHI, including 14 years as a line pilot. Adams began his flying career in 1970 with the U.S. Army where he flew combat missions in Vietnam as a pilot. Guidry has been with RLC for the past 14 years, most recently as director of training. Guidry served in the U.S. Marine Corps for 20 years.
Tiffany Soileau has been named account executive at Foster Marketing. She is responsible for developing strategic marketing communications plans, building client relationships and servicing accounts. She joins Foster Marketing from KATC-TV3, where she was responsible for placing and negotiating programming plans. She has eight years of public relations experience specializing in regional governmental issues and statewide information campaigns. In addition, her experience includes event planning, media relations and speech writing. Soileau has a bachelor of arts degree in mass communication and English with a minor in history from UL Lafayette.
Christopher Afeman has been named branch manager for the Lafayette market of United Title of Louisiana Inc. Afeman, a Louisiana native and LSU Law Center graduate, joins United Title with a solid background in corporate litigation, commercial law and residential and commercial real estate transactions. United Title of Louisiana Inc. is the largest title company in the State of Louisiana.
MidSouth Bank Assistant Vice President/Banking Center Manager Dwight Kaufman has graduated from the Graduate School of Banking at LSU. Kaufman, who manages MidSouth Bank’s main location on Versailles Boulevard in Lafayette, has 17 years of lending experience, nine of which are in banking. The Lafayette native has been with MidSouth for almost five years. The three-year Graduate School of Banking program, sponsored by 15 southern state bankers associations in cooperation with the Division of Education at LSU, provides courses covering all aspects of banking, economics and related subjects.
Tammy Milam, owner of Painting with a Twist in Lafayette and New Iberia, was named Top Producer at the company’s annual conference in New Orleans. Milam was selected among 44 nationwide franchises. Milam’s “art as entertainment” studios are located at 1812 W. Pinhook Road in Lafayette and 1119C Center St. in New Iberia.
Donna Ranzino has joined Keller Williams Realty Acadiana. A UL Lafayette graduate, Ranzino has been a Realtor for five years and also has experience in the catering and hospitality industry.
Suzette Goudeau has joined Coldwell Banker Pelican Real Estate as communications director. A native of Church Point, Goudeau has a background in accounting and was most recently with Thomson Brothers Construction.
The Louisiana Gulf Coast Oil Exposition announced officers for the 2011 exposition being held Oct. 25-27 at the Cajundome and Convention Center. Chairman is Lawrence Svendson of Marlin Energy, chairman elect is Kirby Arceneaux of Environmental Drilling Solutions and treasurer is Steve Maley of Badger Oil Corp. Since 1955, LAGCOE has been providing unprecedented access to key decision makers, state-of-the-art technologies and the very latest in offshore and onshore drilling capabilities. In 2009 the show attracted more than 15,000 attendees — with over 400 exhibitors and more than 200 international visitors from 27 countries.
Coldwell Banker Pelican New Iberia agent Jennifer Musso Forester was recently awarded the Graduate Realtor Institute designation. A member of the Realtor Association of Acadiana, Forester attended an intensive series of 96 hours of classroom instruction to obtain her GRI.
Leah Edwards has joined Right Angle as account executive. Edwards holds a B.S. in advertising from Appalachian State University with education and background in graphic design, non-verbal studies and new media implementation. A native of Asheville, N.C., she was a member of several student and professional organizations at her university and an active member in her community.
United Vision Logistics announced the hiring of Stan Stricklen as the company’s senior vice president of operations. Stricklen brings more than 22 years of transportation and logistics industry experience to United’s management team, in addition to his service in the U.S. Army. Stricklen joins United Vision Logistics from EW Wylie, where he served as vice president of operations. Formerly he was chief operating officer for Bennett Motor Express and also served as vice president of specialized services at Integra Logistics and as vice president of automotive services with Landstar System Inc.
An Atlanta-based company is entering the Lafayette market with an $8 million student-cottage complex on Coolidge Street at General Mouton and the 1800 block of West Pinhook Road, once the site of Evangeline Motors.
