People

People & Flashes - November 2012

Brandon Meadows has been named senior VP and associate general counsel at IberiaBank. Meadows, who lives in Birmingham, graduated with a bachelor of arts (journalism emphasis) from the University of Mississippi, where he was a letterman on the Ole Miss men’s tennis team. He started his career as a commercial lender in Memphis for Boatman’s Bank and then for NationsBank. Meadows later graduated from the University of Arkansas Law School, which included his attending a semester at Oxford University in England, studying European Union law. He next obtained a master’s in banking and financial law from Boston University School of Law.

Schumacher Group announced that Donna Lindsay has joined the company as chief operations officer for the Hospital Medicine division. Current HM COO Dick Gamber has announced his retirement and will serve as an external consultant to assist in the growth of SG. Lindsay brings a strong 15-year history in contract management and hospital leadership. As VP of operations for Coastal Physician Services in Atlanta, she was directly involved in the world of Emergency Medicine contracting. Following her time with Coastal, Lindsay served as regional VP of AmSol LLC and managed multiple hospital-based anesthesia practices. Most recently, she has maintained the Dekalb Medical Program, where her achievements included successfully integrating a 30 physician, multi-site Hospitalist Program including midlevel providers, RNs and administrative support staff. While with Dekalb, Lindsay also provided interim leadership for Cogent Healthcare and served as regional director of operations for In Compass Health.

Peggy Richard-Grace, a broker with PAR Realty of Lafayette, has earned the Certified Relocation Professional designation from Worldwide ERC. With domestic and international employee mobility becoming an increasingly demanding field that requires knowledge of the residential real estate market, real estate appraisal, tax and legal issues, and mobility strategies, the designation identifies those who successfully pass an exam demonstrating a considerable level of knowledge and expertise in the relocation industry.

MidSouth Bank has promoted Jonathan Domingue to VP/commercial credit manager and Nicole Pourciaux to AVP/senior commercial credit analyst. Domingue previously was AVP/senior commercial credit analyst and has been with MidSouth Bank for nine years. Pourciaux, who has been employed by MidSouth for the past 8.5 years, previously was bank officer and junior commercial credit analyst. A Lafayette native living in Youngsville, Domingue is responsible for monitoring and evaluating the credit quality of new and existing commercial loans and overseeing the creation of loan presentations for senior, advisory and commercial loan committees. He has a BS degree in business administration from UL Lafayette and completed the Southwestern School of Consumer Credit in Nashville, Tenn. Pourciaux, a St. Martinville native, performs commercial credit investigations and evaluates the credit quality of new and existing commercial loans. She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration (finance) from UL and holds a Series C insurance license.

Jill Noel has joined Teche Federal Bank as VP, commercial executive for its Broadmoor Branch at 5121 Johnston St. Noel, who most recently worked at Capital One, has 30 years of banking experience.

Lafayette General Medical Center has named Schuyler Kleinpeter development director of the newly formed Lafayette General Foundation. Kleinpeter began her career in the non-profit sector in 1996 and has held positions in development, administration, communications and program management with local and national organizations in several major market areas. From 2007-2012, she was director of development and member communications at Council for A Better Louisiana. As head of the foundation, Kleinpeter was instrumental in orchestrating and arranging the Oct. 2 gala art auction fundraiser for the foundation at the Heymann Center. The foundation raises funds and awareness for reinvestment initiatives to help restore, maintain and improve health care at LGMC and its affiliates.

Van Eaton & Romero was recently named to REALTrends 500 top brokers in the nation for the 20th consecutive year and named the 245th real estate firm in the nation based on closed transactional sides at the Gathering of Eagles Leadership Conference in Dallas. Van Eaton & Romero now ranks as the 75th largest independently owned real estate firm in the U.S. REALTrends also reports that Van Eaton & Romero is the 256th real estate firm in the nation based on closed sales volume.

Foster Marketing, a full-service marketing communications firm serving the worldwide energy industry, has promoted Darlene Miller to office administrator. Miller joined Foster Marketing in 2010 as an administrative assistant and handles all office and administrative tasks. She has more than 25 years of administrative experience in the oil and gas industry and has held positions with Medco Energi USA, Inc., Multi-Chem Group LLC (now a Halliburton Company), and Baker Petrolite.

Jamie Ransonet has joined Keller Williams Realty Acadiana. Ransonet is a graduate of UL Lafayette with a master’s degree in business administration and a BS in finance. She is a certified computer technician and has experience in customer service and sales in the IT industry. René Brinlee has also joined the real estate firm. She graduated from LSU with a bachelor’s degree in general studies and most recently worked for a residential leasing agent for 2.5 years. Businesswoman Wendy Savoy has switched careers to join Keller Williams. She graduated in interior design from Bauder College in Atlanta and went back to school at the University of Tennessee, studying education and physical education. Savoy previously owned A Stem of the Heart-Florist, Insight Binocular Rentals & Vending and Savoie Fare, DBA French Quarter Too! Restaurant.

Community Foundation of Acadiana held its Leaders in Philanthropy Awards Luncheon Nov. 1 at the Cajundome Convention Center. CFA stakeholders submitted nominations and the awardees were selected by a committee of community leaders. Those receiving the awards were: Lafayette Parish-Paula Woodson Blanchet; Acadia Parish-Michael G. Francis; Iberia Parish-Ernest Freyou; Evangeline Parish-Dr. Charles Aswell III; St. Mary Parish-R.E. “Bob” Miller; St. Landry Parish-Reggie and Marie Dupré; St. Martin Parish-Ray Pellerin; and Vermilion Parish-Nathan Granger. The luncheon featured keynote speaker Todd Graves, founder and CEO of Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, who spoke about sustaining a successful entrepreneurial business while upholding a strong philanthropic mission.

ATC Associates, a Lafayette-based environmental services firm, is now Cardno ATC. The new name reflects the March 2012 merger with international infrastructure services consultancy Cardno Limited (ASX: CDD). “Transitioning to Cardno ATC means that we leverage the strength of both the Cardno and ATC brands in the marketplace, and seize an opportunity to provide a vast array of integrated services and solutions, tailored specifically to our clients’ needs,” said Bobby Toups, president of Cardno ATC. By merging with Cardno, ATC expanded its service offerings into new markets such as defense, transportation and water. It also added new capabilities to Cardno’s portfolio including industrial hygiene, building sciences, geotechnical engineering, and construction materials testing services. Cardno has kept ATC leadership and staff in place throughout the merger process.

Rebecca Doucet has joined Lourdes Foundation as development officer. In this new role for the foundation, she identifies, develops and cultivates a major gifts plan while promoting its mission and programs. Doucet most recently served as the development director for Performing Arts Society of Acadiana and has more than a decade of community outreach and fundraising development experience. She received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Loyola University New Orleans and a master’s of science in public health from Tulane University School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine. Our Lady of Lourdes also announced that Dr. Michael Vanderlick has joined Lourdes Primary Care Physicians. The internist earned his medical degree in 1999 from LSU School of Medicine in Shreveport. He completed his residency in internal medicine at University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Miss., and is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. He has been practicing in Lafayette for almost 10 years and serves as VP of the Medical Executive Committee and a board member for Our Lady of Lourdes hospital. Also, Dr. Diana Fernandez has joined Lourdes Neurology Center. The board certified neurologist earned her medical degree in 1994 from Juan N Corpas School of Medicine in Colombia and completed a combined residency in neurology and internal medicine from the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

MidSouth Bank has promoted Michael Groetsch to banking center manager of its Super One location in New Iberia. He is in charge of all daily operations for the center and will also work to develop new business. Groetsch, who has almost a decade of banking experience, has been with MidSouth Bank for six years as a universal banker, primarily working at its Oil Center location. Before joining MidSouth, he was employed by Chase Bank for 3.5 years as a personal banker. A Youngsville native, Groetsch graduated from UL Lafayette with a bachelor’s degree in business with an emphasis in marketing. He has completed several training courses on loans, sales and customer service. The bank hired Tammy Worrell Vosburg as facilities project manager for 20 of its 40 banking centers in Louisiana and Texas. She is in charge of all facility setup and maintenance, as well as lease/purchase agreements and insurance. Vosburg has 15 years of executive human resources, marketing and office administration experience, most recently working as a market coordinator for Farm Bureau Insurance. Before that, she was a regional executive assistant at Whitney Bank for 12 years. As part of her responsibilities, she helped manage and coordinate the bank’s contract with “The Les Miles Show.”

Knight Oil Tools has promoted Barret Lemaire to director of IT for the company. Lemaire oversees the company’s information technology strategy and initiatives for Knight Oil Tools’ locations worldwide. Lemaire has been with Knight Oil Tools for more than six years. He has held numerous positions within the company’s IT department, including systems analyst and business applications developer, where he was a co-developer of Knight Oil Tools’ KIP interactive inspection process and quality assurance program. His most recent position was network manager. He received a BS degree in management information systems from UL Lafayette.

Ashley Lane has rejoined Reamco Inc. as CEO. Lane assisted with the startup of the company in 1986 and progressed from operations manager to vice president during his 12-year first tenure. Lane has 32 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, having moved on to gain additional entrepreneurial and management experience through roles as international business development manager of Superior Energy Services Inc. and president of Drilling Logistics Inc., a downhole rental and manufacturing company in Lafayette.

Kavolshaia Howze has joined UL Lafayette’s communications and marketing department as multimedia specialist. Howze has six years of experience in the video production and media relations industry and is in charge of promotional and marketing videos and will also head all operations for the university’s YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/ullafayettechannel). The Birmingham, Ala., native worked for two years as a graduate assistant in sports information and communications and marketing for Northwestern State University in Natchitoches. She completed her studies in August 2012, earning a master’s degree in health and human performance with a concentration in sports administration. During her time at NSU, Howze received a spot in the Class of 2011 NASCAR Diversity Internship Program. The summer placement gave her the opportunity to produce multimedia projects for international audiences with the NASCAR Media Group in Charlotte, N.C. Howze began to mold her multimedia skills while earning a BA degree in mass communication-broadcasting at Grambling State University. At GSU, she spent three years as the producer and media liaison of the GSU Sports Radio Network on ESPN 97.7 FM in Ruston. The former GSU softball player also worked as a producer and on-air talent for GSU-TV, and a football operations intern for the former AF2 Bossier-Shreveport Battlewings.

Bill Hale has joined specialty logistics provider Apex Freight Services as leader of its sales and marketing effort. Hale is helping Apex continue its growth by expanding product and service offerings and building a national sales team. He has more than 20 years of leadership experience in sales and marketing and is an accomplished supply chain and logistics executive. Hale is an active member of the Native American Business Alliance, Native Americans in Business and Native American Chamber of Commerce, representing the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. He also holds advisory board positions with two Dallas-Fort Worth-area non-profits and shares his leadership expertise with several national marketing associations.

Shaun Trahan has been named director of nursing for patient care services operations at Our Lady of Lourdes. He is responsible for clinical education, the transition unit, multiple support contracts, and managing the PRN pool. He has a degree from UL Lafayette’s College of Nursing and more than 15 years of nursing experience. Most recently, he owned his own nursing staffing company. He is enrolled in the MBA program at UL with a concentration in health care administration. Also at Lourdes, Trisha Dominick was named physician recruiter coordinator, assisting in recruiting specialists for the Lourdes Physician Network and coordinating all recruiting processes. Dominick was previously employed with Healthe Habits for Living. She earned a BS in business administration with a concentration in international business from UL.

The National Business Group on Health, a non-profit association of large U.S. employers, has honored Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System for its commitment to promoting a healthy workplace and encouraging its workers and families to support and maintain healthy lifestyles. Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System was among 66 U.S. employers that received the 2012 Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles award at the Leadership Summit sponsored by the National Business Group on Health’s Institute on Innovation in Workforce Well-being. The system received a Platinum Award for measurable success and outcomes achieved through Healthy Lives, its employee health and wellness program.

As a result of a $4.8 million upgrade to Cox’s fiber-based network in Acadiana, Cox Business has launched two new Internet tiers at 80 and 100 Mbps designed to meet the needs of small businesses with high speed requirements. Acadiana was the first Cox market nationwide to receive the new speed options, with additional Cox Business markets to launch this year and early 2013. Cox Business owns and operates its own high speed, multi-service, national fiber optic backbone comprising 13,000 miles of fiber.

People & Flashes August-September 2012

Local attorney H.L. “Rye” Tuten III has formed Tuten Title & Escrow to focus solely on real estate closings. Tuten, a 2003 graduate of Ole Miss Law School, successfully handled various jury and judge trials in his nine years practicing law but is now focused on residential and commercial real estate purchases and refinancing services. Tuten Title & Escrow, located at 326 Settlers Trace, Suite 101A, employs a full staff to ensure accurate, efficient and customer-oriented closings for every client.

U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany received the Guardian of Small Business Award from the National Federation of Independent Business. Earlier this year, Boustany tied for the highest score in the Louisiana delegation for his NFIB rating. Said NFIB President and CEO Dan Danner: “The record shows that Rep. Boustany is a true champion of small business, having stood strong on the key small-business votes in the 112th Congress,” said Danner. “This award reflects our members’ appreciation for supporting the NFIB pro-growth agenda for small business.”

BBR Creative recently welcomed two new members to its team with the hiring of Abigail Spaht as PR associate and Bria Wheeler as PR assistant. Spaht and Wheeler will help expand the agency’s public relations service line. Spaht, an experienced communications professional who most recently worked for Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, will work with the BBR team to cultivate opportunities to promote brand awareness for the agency and its clients. She earned her bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from LSU. Wheeler, a PR senior at UL, will provide additional support to the team by implementing public relations strategies for BBR clients across a broad spectrum of industries.

MidSouth Bank has promoted John Nichols to senior Executive VP/Chief Credit Officer. He previously was Executive VP/CCO. The bank also promoted Carolyn Lay to Executive VP/Chief Retail Officer; Lay previously was Senior VP/CRO. Nichols, who has been with MidSouth Bank for 11 years, has 34 years of experience with both community banks and large bank holding companies. As CCO, he is primarily responsible for overall bank credit quality and the bank’s loan policy. Lay also has 34 years of banking experience, having spent the last 13 at MidSouth Bank. Also, Reneé Bonin Moreau has joined the bank’s 485 Mills Ave. location in Breaux Bridge as assistant VP/banking center manager. A Breaux Bridge native, Moreau is in charge of all daily operations for the center and will work to develop new business in market. She previously worked for First Bank & Trust for three years as assistant vice president/branch manager and head of operations. Naomi Colomb has been transferred to MidSouth Bank’s St. Martinville location and promoted to assistant VP/banking center manager. Joining Colomb at the 200 W. Port St. location is Karen L. Melancon, who was hired as VP/commercial lender. Colomb previously managed the Super 1 Foods location in New Iberia and has been with MidSouth since 2004. For the past 28 years, Melancon was employed by First Louisiana National Bank and before that was with St. Martin Bank for nine years. She has almost two decades of commercial lending experience.

Julie Finical of Plato’s Closet in Lafayette received a Sales Excellence Award at the company’s recent annual conference held in St. Pete Beach, Fla. The Plato’s Closet brand posted its strongest sales year ever in 2011, and this year’s conference focused on offering franchisees and key team members tactics and business insights to help maintain that momentum through 2012 and beyond.

Karen R. Rue, owner of Griswold Home Care of Acadiana, has received her certification in gerontology nursing from the American Nurse Credentialing Center. According to the ANCC, certification protects the public by enabling anyone to identify competent people more readily and aids the profession by encouraging and recognizing professional achievement.

Brown & Brown Insurance has named Joseph K. Johnson vice president. His responsibilities include developing new business opportunities and alternate risk financing programs that serve client needs. Johnson previously worked as a risk management director for five years with Gilchrist Construction Company in Alexandria and also as the vice president of risk management services at Willis of Louisiana for 17 years. Johnson has 31 years of experience and is a native of Mobile, Ala., and now resides in Lafayette.

Jeffrey K. Coreil of Laborde & Neuner was honored with the Louisiana State Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Council’s 2012 Pro Bono Award during the LSBA’s Annual Meeting this summer. Coreil was recognized with this prestigious award for his Pro Bono efforts with Lafayette Volunteer Lawyers. Through LVL, he has assisted numerous underprivileged Acadiana residents to resolve various legal issues earning him the LVL’s Protective Order Panel Award in 2011 and the organization’s Outstanding Attorney award in 2010 and 2011. This year he also  received the LSBA’s Pro Bono Publico Award and the Pro Bono Century Award. Coreil earned his undergraduate degree in pre-law in 2006 from LSU and his JD and graduate diploma of civil law degree in 2009 from LSU. Also honored was Lindsay Meador of Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr & Smith, who won the Michaelle Pitard Wynne Professionalism Award. This award is given to a young lawyer for commitment and dedication to upholding the quality and integrity of the legal profession and consideration towards peers and the general public. Meador earned her bachelor’s degree in political science, magna cum laude, in 2003 from Loyola University in New Orleans. She received her JD from Loyola University College of Law in 2007.

Steven G. “Buzz” Durio, a partner in Durio, McGoffin, Stagg & Ackermann, was installed as 2012-2014 treasurer of the Louisiana State Bar Association. Durio received a BA degree in 1977 from LSU and his JD in 1977 from LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center (arts and sciences and law combined curriculum).

Sara Rodrigue of Laborde & Neuner was installed as the District 3 council member for the 2012-2013 Young Lawyers Division Council. Rodrigue received her bachelor of arts and sciences degree in 2005 from Nicholls State University and her JD and graduate diploma in civil law in 2009 from LSU.

Dr. Marin Dawson-Caswell, a board-certified pediatrician, has joined Acadiana Pediatrics, a division of Acadiana FamilyMedical Associates. The doctors of Acadiana Pediatrics, located in Rayne, have nursery privileges at American Legion Hospital, also in Rayne, as well as Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Lafayette. A graduate of the Academy of the Sacred Heart, Dawson-Caswell returns to Acadiana after completing her pediatrics residency at Children’s Hospital in New Orleans. She also did a pediatrics residency at Arnold Palmer Children’s Hospital in Orlando following her graduation from Nova Southeastern College of Osteopathic Medicine in Fort Lauderdale and is board-certified member of both the American Osteopathic Board of Pediatrics and the American Board of Pediatrics.

Mallory Broussard has joined the Downtown Lafayette Unlimited staff as events and parcs coordinator. Broussard is a graduate of UL and has worked in the downtown district for six years.

People and Flashes July-August 2012

Lafayette native and former touring musician Rex Moroux has returned to Lafayette and joined Coldwell Banker Pelican Real Estate’s commercial real estate division. Despite his new career, Moroux says he still plans to play a gig every now and then. Other new agents include Rachel Romero, of San Diego; New Iberia native Matt LeCamus; and designer, interior stylist and home staging/color consultant Raoul Blanco.

People & Flashes June-July 2012

Lafayette General Medical Center’s Cancer Center of Acadiana opened a new cancer center at Abbeville General Hospital. The Abbeville center will offer the same clinical treatments as those in Lafayette and in renowned cancer centers in Houston and throughout the country. LGMC hopes to utilize this clinical affiliation with Abbeville General as a stepping stone for more clinical service line partnerships in the future. A year ago, the hospital formed a similar partnership with Savoy Medical Center in Mamou.

MidSouth Bank promoted Chris Lassalle from network engineer to AVP/network administrator. A New Iberia native, Lassalle has been employed by MidSouth Bank for six years. He has more than 12 years of experience in the IT field and previously worked for the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals and Entré Computer Center. Lassalle graduated from Louisiana Technical College’s Tech Area Campus with a degree in computer technology. Also at MidSouth Bank, Naomi Colomb has been transferred to the St. Martinville location and promoted to AVP/banking center manager. Joining Colomb is Karen L. Melancon, who was hired as VP/commercial lender. Colomb previously was banking center manager at the Super 1 Foods location in New Iberia and has been with MidSouth since 2004, having joined part-time while in college. A Church Point native, she has a bachelor’s degree in business management from UL Lafayette. For the past 28 years, Melancon was employed by First Louisiana National Bank and before that was with St. Martin Bank for nine years. She has almost two decades of commercial lending experience. Melancon has completed various banking courses and programs, including the Bankers School for Supervisory Training. A Catahoula native, she now lives in St. Martinville.

Chris Rosson has been promoted to global business manager and Greg Zaunbrecher to assistant global business manager at Knight Oil Tools. Rosson is responsible for ensuring that the proper business infrastructure and operational procedures related to SAP and the company’s rental tool management system are in place at its locations worldwide. The Shreveport native has been with Knight for more than six years, most recently as operations manager for its manufacturing business unit. He graduated from LSU Shreveport with a business and business management degree and has more than 20 years of management experience. Zaunbrecher is aiding in development and implementation of all employee training related to RTMS and SAP procedures. Prior to his promotion, Zaunbrecher was a business applications analyst for the manufacturing business unit. He has a BS degree in finance from LSU and is completing his master’s degree at UL Lafayette.

The bariatric surgery department at LGMC has recently been designated a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, as well as the Surgical Review Corporation. The BSCOE designation is awarded to the hospital and the center’s surgeons, Drs. Philip Gachassin and Dennis Eschete, for meeting the rigorous requirements of a center of excellence.  

David Gleason, a licensed commercial real estate agent with Van Eaton & Romero since 2007, was installed as the 2012 Realtor Association of Acadiana president.

Certified Physician Assistant Cal Domingue of the Louisiana Heart Lung and Vascular Center is one of the first PAs in the nation to earn a new specialty credential from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. Domingue was awarded a Certificate of Added Qualifications in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, a distinction earned by meeting licensure, education and experience requirements and then passing an exam in the specialty.

Tootie Anderson of Dwight W. Andrus Real Estate has been awarded the Accredited Buyer’s Representation designation by the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council of the National Association of Realtors. This designation required successful completion of a comprehensive course in buyer representation and an elective course focusing on a buyer representation specialty, both in addition to submitting documentation verifying professional experience.

OB-GYN Dr. Donald Mickal, one of the founders of Women’s & Children’s Hospital, was named chief medical officer for The Regional Health System of Acadiana. Mickal was chief of staff for the first two years of the merger between Women’s & Children’s and The Regional Medical Center of Acadiana.

Van Eaton & Romero Realtor Cheryl C. Hebert was named relocation assistant. She has been at Van Eaton & Romero since 2009.

Pat Logan, who recently retired from Lafayette Consolidated Government as associate director of public works, has joined Acadiana Metro Realty’s commercial real estate division. Logan will specialize in commercial sales and development, putting his more than 30 years of experience dealing with governmental land development and infrastructure issues to work for the company.

Joshua Mayers, who recently returned home from his third overseas military deployment, is now a full-time agent with Keller Williams Realty Acadiana. He has more than 15 years combined service in the U.S. Army and the Louisiana Army National Guard. Mayers is native of Lafayette and graduate of Defense Language Institute in Monterey, Calif. His focus of study was Farsi, Italian and German languages. Mindy Wiggins, John Nguyen, Celeste Ellis and Jason Bernard have also joined the real estate firm as agents. Wiggins is a native of Des Moines, Iowa, and is a certified meeting and event planner. Nguyen earned a BS degree from UL Lafayette and has several years of business management experience. Ellis, a St. Martinville native, previously worked at Stuller Inc. Bernard’s previous employment includes work for Xerox, Halliburton and Sensormatic Electronics.

Cajun Harley-Davidson was awarded Harley-Davidson Motor Company?s Bronze Bar & Shield Circle of Recognition Award for the 2011. It earned the award for the South Plains region based on its motorcycle and related product sales performance, an evaluation of customer service and satisfaction, and various operational measures.

Darrel Smith has been named director of community supports and services for LARC. He previously worked in LARC’s Supported Work and Independent Living programs in 1990 and has more than 20 years of management experience. His previous experience includes work for Gulf Coast Teaching & Family Services as well as owning his own supported work agency called Empower. In his new role, Smith will oversee the day-to-day operations of the 24-hour respite center, the personal care attendant services and the supported independent living program.

The Lourdes Foundation disbursed $50,000 in grants to 21 local nonprofit organizations at its 2012 annual Grant Awards Breakfast in the Lourdes Robert Trahan Conference Center. Grant funds are awarded to nonprofit agencies and programs focused on health care and wellness. The foundation has awarded $450,000 in grants in the past eight years. Funds for the grants are raised through the Lourdes Foundation Legacy Golf Tournament.

People & Flashes May-June 2012

C. Dean Domingue has joined Jones Walker’s Lafayette office as special counsel in the business and commercial litigation practice group. Domingue is a U.S. registered patent attorney and will focus in the area of intellectual property including patent, trademark, copyright law as well as litigation management and other related transactional work. He joins the current team of eight U.S. registered patent attorneys at Jones Walker and has more than 20 years of experience in the intellectual property practice. Domingue was previously a senior patent counsel for Halliburton.

Martha Harrington, director of clinical services for LHC Group’s facility-based division, and Jennifer Chapman, a registered nurse at Louisiana Extended Care Hospital of Lafayette, were recently recognized as two of the top 25 nurses in Acadiana by the Louisiana State Nurses’ Association District IV. The two were honored as part of the organization’s 2012 Acadiana Celebrates Nursing program. Each year, District IV honors the best nurses in the region for their outstanding dedication and commitment to care. Peers and co-workers said both Harrington and Chapman are known for their patient advocacy, clinical abilities, leadership and dedication to the highest standards in the nursing profession.

Lou King Patin has joined Facet Group as business development director. Patin founded and operated King-Patin Inc., a Lafayette- based staffing and recruiting firm, for more than 20 years, and now also offers executive coaching and leadership development. She received a bachelor’s degree from UL Lafayette and is a member of the Acadiana Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management, the Society for Human Resource Management and the Acadiana Chapter of the Louisiana Association of Personnel Consultants. Facet is a management consulting firm specializing in talent management, including attracting, retaining, developing, transitioning and protecting organizations’ human capital.

BBR Creative is the winner of five awards in the 29th Annual Healthcare Advertising Awards, sponsored by Healthcare Marketing Report. The Healthcare Advertising Awards is the oldest, largest, and most widely respected health care advertising awards competition. BBR won Gold awards for its work for Heart Hospital of Lafayette and Touro Infirmary; a Bronze award for an ad for Touro Infirmary Kids; and two Merit awards for a campaign for Our Lady of Lourdes and a website for Therapy Center, respectively.

Lafayette-based LHC Group has aligned with the American Heart Association as the exclusive local cause champion of Go Red For Women. The duo will paint the region red all year long with dynamic events and programs, including National Wear Red Day, Churches Go Red and the annual Go Red For Women luncheon next February. Go Red For Women is a national movement by the American Heart Association to raise awareness of the effects of heart disease on women. Area women can enroll in the free Go Red program at goredforwomen.org.

Larry Curtis has been named one of the top 50 lawyers in the state by Louisiana Super Lawyers. Since the inaugural publication in 2007, he has been listed in the practice areas of maritime/transportation law.

Bryan Rhinehart, principled leadership coach with Andrew Coaching, was promoted to vice president. Rhinehart retains his previous duties while exploring new ways to better serve existing clients and facilitate the needs of internal coaches. Rhinehart is a certified professional co-active coach and holds an MBA with a concentration in health care administration from UL Lafayette. He is a native of New Orleans.

Realtor Cheryl C. Hebert was named relocation assistant at Van Eaton & Romero. Hebert has been with the local firm since 2009. Prior to joining Van Eaton, she worked for 30 years in banking sales and management. Hebert is a native of Jennings, where she served as the chairman of the board for the Jennings Housing Authority and board director for the Jennings Chamber of Commerce.

FM Bank has promoted Amanda Landry to AVP and manager of its Lafayette branch. Landry joined the bank in September 2011. While living in Gulf Shores, Ala., she owned and operated Always First Mortgage company and has more than 20 years of experience in the mortgage lending banking industry. Landry also serves as a consumer loan officer and mortgage loan officer. FM Bank has named Shontrice Jenkins branch manager of its Park Plaza location. Jenkins began her banking career at Chase Bank and has been with FM Bank for the last three years, all at the Park Plaza Branch. Also, Heather Mason has been named branch manager for the bank’s Grand Point Branch, now under construction near the Henderson/Cecilia exit of Interstate 10. Mason currently serves as manager of the bank’s Cecilia Branch. The two branches will be consolidated at the new facility when it opens later this year. Mason has been with the bank for nearly five years.

John Nguyen, Jean Nelson and Bonnie Trahan have joined Keller Williams Realty Acadiana. Nguyen earned a bachelor’s degree from UL and has business management experience. Nelson, who is originally from New Orleans but has lived in New Iberia for the past three decades, has 12 years of experience in the wine industry. She has a degree in radiology technology. Trahan is a Franklin native and graduate of Teche Area Technical College. She has more than 25 years in the information technology and quality assurance fields.

Painting With A Twist owner Tammy Milam was named Top Producer for 2011 for the second consecutive year at the Painting With A Twist annual conference held in New Orleans.

Wells Fargo Advisors has for the 6th consecutive year named Keith A. Fontenot, managing director/ investments, to the firm’s Premier Advisors Program, a distinction reflecting his achievement of professional success through consistent commitment to client service.