December - Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce

Fo us
A monthly publication of the Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce
Volume 8 | Number 12 | December 2015
Welcome New Members 7
One on One with Paisley Park Resale 8
Terrebonne Young Achievers9
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Congratulations to the Graduates of
the Leadership Terrebonne Class of 2015!
Contact Us!
Officers:
First Row (seated left to right): Heather Hebert, Jamie Baudoin, Roslyn Chauvin, Stan Gravois, Sharon Henry, Karen Schilling (Facilitator)
2nd Row: William Eroche, Lauren Bordelon, Nicole Trahan, Diana Marcel, Angela Charpentier, Anne Marie Naquin, Natalie Lapeyrouse, Christi Benoit, Stacey Martin, Chantell Pepper, Mike Lewis, Thomas Cope, Angele Poiencot, Katie Breaux
Back Row: Chad Hebert, Kimbal Bonner (Class of 2014), Michael Trahan (Class of 2014), Troy Voisin, Casey Liner, Wendy Rotolo,
Kevin Champagne, Monica Breaux, Russell Touchet, Martha LeBlanc,
Chairman of the Board
Stephanie Hebert
Stephanie Hebert Insurance Agency
Chairman-Elect
Earl J. Eues, Jr.
KEE Environmental Services, LLC
Treasurer
Kate Theriot
Coaching for Change, LLC
Vice Chairman-Community Development Division
Chad Hebert
Workforce Logistics
Vice Chairman-Chamber Development Division
Paul Labat
Foundation for Terrebonne General Medical Center
Vice Chairman-Infrastructure & Economic Develop. Div.
Stephen Smith
All South Consulting Engineers, LLC
Vice Chairman-Government Activities Division
Jason Bergeron
Technology Professionals, LLC
Immediate Past Chairman
Donald A. Hingle, II
Business First Bank
BOARD MEMBERS:
Ann Barker
Terrebonne Ford
On The Cover:
Chris Robinson (left) and Matt Voisin (right) of Raising Canes present
Michel Claudet (center), Terrebonne Parish President with an official Canes
crew member hat signed by local crew members and Canes founder Todd Graves
as a token of their appreciation for Mr. Claudet’s service for the last 8 years.
Joseph Boudreaux
Blackhawk Specialty Tools
Natalie Campbell
Suzanne Nolfo Carlos
Betsy Breerwood
President and CEO
suzanne@houmachamber.com
Events & Communication Coordinator
betsy@houmachamber.com
Chantell Pepper
Heidi Ohmer
Communications Specialist
heidi@houmachamber.com
Kay Thibodeaux
Administrative Assistant
cpepper@houmachamber.com
H o u m a - Te r r e b o n n e C h a m b e r
of
Commerce Focus/November 22, 2015
Terrebonne Port Commission
Reggie Dupre
Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center
Terrebonne Levee &
Conservation District
William Eroche
Watkins, Walker & Eroche, APLC
Michael J. Garcia, M.D.
Leroy Guidry
3
Mitchell Marmande
Mona Martin Christen
Chet Morrison Contractors, LLC
6133 Hwy.311 | Houma, LA 70360 | 985.876.5600 | 985.876.5611 fax
www.houmachamber.com
Mike Lewis
Big Mike’s BBQ Smokehouse
Delta Coast Consultants, LLC
South LA Medical Associates
Membership Account Executive
kay@houmachamber.com
Mike LaRussa
LaRussa Real Estate Agency, Inc
Campbell Technology
Consultants, LLC
Mona & Company, Inc.
staff:
Cindy Landeche
David Rabalais
Janel Ricca
Darlene Rodrigue
The Courier
Brian Rushing
Rushing Media
Kimi Walker
Chauvin Brothers, Inc.
Chuck Weaver Jr.
South LA Financial Services, LLC
Baymont Inn & Suites
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Chairman’s
Message
The Year in Review
As management consultant and author
Ken Blanchard says, “None of us is as smart
as all of us.” Boy, isn’t that the truth!
It has been an honor and a privilege
to serve as Chair of our Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce this year
and I could not have survived the past 12
months, much less made an impact, without the collaboration of our amazing staff
and you – our extraordinary members. The
combined vision, creativity, dedication,
and enthusiasm of each and every one of
you is what drives this Chamber and makes
us one of just a few Five-Star Accredited
Chambers in the country.
I’d like to take a moment to recognize
the ladies who do the heavy lifting for us
day in and day out and who gave me the
support I needed to serve as Chair of the
Board this year. Thank you to our President/CEO Suzanne Carlos and staff Betsy
Breerwood, Kay Thibodeaux, Chantell
Pepper, and Heidi Ohmer. We are lucky
to have such a committed staff who goes
above and beyond the call of duty sometimes to get the job done.
I also want to extend special thanks to
our 2015 Board of Directors and Executive
Committee who provided great expertise
and leadership this year, especially Incoming Chairman Earl Eues who was always
ready and willing to take on a challenge as
he prepares for his term in 2016.
The Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of
Commerce and its members have been actively involved in supporting our local businesses and improving the quality of life for
our residents for over 95 years. We are an
action agency focused on the needs of our
community. From government advocacy to
networking events, the Chamber provides
its members the opportunity to strengthen
their business and their community.
This year kicked off with Captain Phillips
who, as keynote speaker of our banquet,
urged us to, “Be strong and see it through,”
and culminates with our Chamber’s fivestar re-accreditation application. I am
pleased to say that, throughout this year,
we have lived up to Captain Phillips’ message! I am proud to provide our members
and our Terrebonne community with highlights from our Chamber activities, events,
and accomplishments in 2015.
Membership and Administration
• Compiled and submitted an application to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for
re-accreditation as a Five-Star Chamber in
November. Accreditation results are expected in early 2016.
• Increased membership from 710 to
731 from 2014 to 2015, and in the past two
years, our membership retention rate has
increased from 78 percent to 89 percent.
• Held “Meet the Board” socials to allow
new Chamber members the opportunity
to become more acquainted with governing board members and the mission and
benefits of the Chamber.
• Developed a new strategic partnership
with the Women’s Business Alliance to
strengthen WBA and held a “Reveal” party
in March. The WBA was originally launched
as a committee of the Chamber in 1999.
• Began a series of “Bylaws Briefs” during Chamber Board meetings to keep
Board members informed on the practices
and processes included in Chamber governance documents.
• Spearheaded publication of a book of
Terrebonne Parish History that includes
the history of Chamber member compa-
nies.
Issue Advocacy and Community
Development
• Worked with Terrebonne Parish President Michel Claudet and other business organizations to re-develop the Terrebonne
Economic Development Authority and appointed three members to the new TEDA
Board seated this fall.
• Heard from state and local speakers on
the Common Core education initiative and
approved a resolution to urge the State of
Louisiana and Terrebonne Parish School
District to continue efforts to raise education standards for our students.
Stephanie Hebert
• Urged the Terrebonne Parish School
2015 Board Chair
District to proceed with a facilities and
Stephanie Hebert Insurance Agency
population study, and Chamber representatives served on a task force that reviewed
the condition of schools in the district.
• Opposed stringent new regulations
proposed by the EPA on ozone standards,
which could severely impact economic activity in Terrebonne Parish.
• Engaged the Chesapeake Group for
legislative advocacy at the state capitol
during the 2015 legislative session.
• Conducted information meetings
with Parish President candidates to allow
Chamber members the opportunity to talk
directly with and ask questions of the two
candidates.
• Published and distributed special election editions of the “E-Focus” newsletter
that included answers provided by local candidates to questions posed by the
Chamber.
• Chamber volunteers got their hands
− continue on page 19−
Current Membership – 735 members (as of November 13, 2015)
Board of Directors – 26 members
Standing Committees – 6
Committee Meetings – 73
Member Ribbon Cuttings & Ground Breakings – 27
Membership events - 38
H o u m a - Te r r e b o n n e C h a m b e r
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Commerce Focus/November 22, 2015
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notes from the
President
Nothing More.
Suzanne Nolfo Carlos
President/CEO
H o u m a - Te r r e b o n n e C h a m b e r
I watched a 2013 Christmas episode of
NCIS this weekend. NCIS is one of my favorite TV shows. It’s a drama with action,
intrigue, forensic science, humor, interesting story lines, and solid characters. I’ve
watched it for years. Over the years, the
characters are what have kept me interested, their personalities and the way they
interact with each other. They are a great
team who care about each other and the
important job that they do. They are people of character.
What do I mean by ‘people of character’? There are six pillars of character from
the Josephson Institute of Ethics’ program,
‘Character Counts’, which teaches character to our youth. They are:
• Trustworthiness - Be honest • Don’t
deceive, cheat, or steal • Be reliable — do
what you say you’ll do • Have the courage
to do the right thing • Build a good reputation • Be loyal — stand by your family,
friends, and country
• Respect - Treat others with respect;
follow the Golden Rule • Be tolerant and
accepting of differences • Use good manners, not bad language • Be considerate of
the feelings of others • Don’t threaten, hit
or hurt anyone • Deal peacefully with anger, insults, and disagreements
• Responsibility - Do what you are supposed to do • Plan ahead • Persevere: keep
on trying! • Always do your best • Use selfcontrol • Be self-disciplined • Think before
you act — consider the consequences • Be
accountable for your words, actions, and
attitudes • Set a good example for others
• Fairness - Play by the rules • Take
turns and share • Be open-minded; listen
to others • Don’t take advantage of others
• Don’t blame others carelessly • Treat all
people fairly
• Caring - Be kind • Be compassionate
and show you care • Express gratitude •
Forgive others • Help people in need
• Citizenship - Do your share to make
your school and community better • Cooperate • Get involved in community affairs •
Stay informed; vote • Be a good neighbor •
Obey laws and rules • Respect authority •
Protect the environment • Volunteer
of
Commerce Focus/November 22, 2015
Now we have these Political Action
Committees or PACs. By definition a PAC
is a group formed (as by an industry or an
issue-oriented organization) to raise and
contribute money to the campaigns of candidates likely to advance the group’s interests. There are Connected PACs, Non-Connected PACs, Leadership PACs, and Super
PACs.
The Chamber has its own issues oriented
PAC that was last used back in 2013 to oppose the exorbitant tax on our parish that
the Terrebonne Parish School Board had
proposed. The Chamber does not endorse
or oppose any candidate for elected office; however we do support or oppose issues that affect our parish, region, and our
state.
What’s disturbing is that more and more
it seems some of these PACs have gone
rogue. They don’t necessarily give the
money to directly support the candidate
of their choice. They have started running
their own campaigns against the candidates
that they don’t want in office. Many are
smear campaigns made up of half truths,
twisted facts, and outright lies. How sad
for us all.
It’s not only the PACs doing this dirty
work; sadly it has been some of the candidates themselves. As voters, it’s hard to
know what to believe anymore. You think
because the commercial or the direct mail
piece stated it, or the media reported it
that it has to be true. However, many times
over and over again, if we keep digging and
searching, we can get to the truth. But, it
takes hard, persistent work, and unfortunately, most of us are already living a very
busy life. We don’t have the time. Many
just give up. So we see only a small percentage of the American people turning out to
exercise their right to vote on election days.
Bright lights here in our local political
campaigns were the Parish Presidents’
candidates with Danny Babin and Gordon
Dove, and the candidates for State Representative District 52, J.J. Buquet and
Jerome Zeringue. Our community can be
proud to have these gentlemen amongst
us, and the others in our community who
5
chose the ‘high road’ as well.
Are we going to be people of character or
scoundrels who lack courage and integrity?
It’s your individual decision. Tearing someone else down does not raise you up. If
you feel that it does, then you need to take
a closer look at yourself and make the improvements there first. Those with strong
character know that it’s by lifting others
up, respecting, and caring for others that
we ourselves are lifted and strengthened.
At the end of the NCIS episode there
was a song playing in the background that
caught my attention. The song is ‘Nothing
More’ by Tim Warren and Eric Donnelly of
The Alternate Routes. These are the lyrics
that keep running through my head. “We
are love. We are one. We are how we treat
each other when the day is done. We are
peace. We are war. We are how we treat
each other and nothing more.” We are
how we treat each other.
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Focus on the Parish
by Michel Claudet
Terrebonne Parish President
designed and are under contract and will be completed in 2016. Those projects
are:
1. Hollywood Road Widening between 311 and Martin Luther King.
(Under construction)
2. Bayou Gardens Extension between Coteau and Bayou Blue Roads.
(Contract signed)
3. Thompson Road Extension between Highway 56 and Highway 57.
(Contract signed)
4. Country Drive Widening between Presque Isle and Jeff Drive.
(Bidding next week)
5. Westside Boulevard Extension between MLK and Highway 311.
(Bidding in December)
6. Hollywood Road Extension between Valhi and Southdown Mandalay
(Fully funded and in engineering)
We have many more projects in the works at the present time. We will work
with President-elect Dove to make the transition as seamless as possible. We
know he will do a great job for the parish. It has been my great pleasure to serve
as your Parish President!!! May Terrebonne continue to grow and prosper.
Eight years have passed quickly. On October 24 the voters of Terrebonne elected Gordon Dove, State Representative and current head of the House Natural Resources
Committee to serve as the seventh President of the Consolidated Government of Terrebonne Parish. We know
that all of the people of Terrebonne wish him well when
he takes office on January 7, 2016. It is my hope that he
does not have to deal with all of the events that arose
during my eight years. Those major events during my terms were:
» Hurricane Gustav-2008
» Hurricane Ike-2008
» 350 Homes Flood – March 27, 2009
» Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill – April 20, 2010
» Deepwater Drilling Moratorium – May 30, 2010
» Atchafalaya Backwater Flooding – April and May 2011
» T/S Lee – September 3, 2011
» 75 Homes Flood – July 20, 2012
» Hurricane Isaac – August 29, 2012
» Biggert-Water Act – January 7, 2013
» Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014 – March 21, 2014
All of these events made us stronger as a community and as a government. In
spite of these events we have been successful in constructing the infrastructure
in this parish that has provided new roads, turn lanes, parking lots, drainage improvements, sewerage improvements and quality of life items that are so important to the citizens of Terrebonne. There are many projects that have now been
A WORLD OF
EXPERIENCE
IN YOUR
HOME TOWN.
Michel Claudet is an attorney, a CPA, and a CLU. Eight years ago, in 2007 he
was elected Parish President of Terrebonne Parish and took office in January 2008. Mr. Claudet has moved this parish forward on many levels, from flood protection
and drainage, to new roads and new recreation parks. He has guided us through
tremendously difficult times with determination and dignity. We have been more
than fortunate to have such an exceptional Parish President in Mr. Claudet. He has
45 days left! We cannot thank him enough, and we wish him all the best in his
future endeavors. The Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce
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H o u m a - Te r r e b o n n e C h a m b e r
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Commerce Focus/November 22, 2015
6
w w w. H o u m a C h a m b e r. c o m
Welcome New Members
With Allstate life insurance,
CERTEX, USA
love wins.
Shannon Freeman
(985) 872-2434
9110 Park Avenue
Houma, Louisiana 70363
http://www.certex.com
Categories: Oilfield Services,Rigging
Rodan + Fields Independent Consultant
Layne Bordelon
(225) 615-4200
http://laynebordcelon.myrandf.com
Categories: Beauty Consultant, Skincare
Enviro-Clean Services, Inc.
Shannon Rhodes
(985) 872-0697
1526 Polk Street
Houma, Louisiana 70360
http://www.ecsgulfsouth.com
Categories: Environmental Services, Janitorial Services-Commercial
Fairfield Inn & Suites Houma Southeast
I can help you protect your growing family
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Do you have enough life insurance? It’s one
of the best ways to provide for your family if
something happens to you. With the right
coverage, love wins. Call me today for
affordable options.
Chris Heaxt
(985) 873-9557
100 Picone Road
Houma, Louisiana 70363
http://www.fairfieldinn.com/msyhf
Categories: Hotels, Meeting Facility/Entertainment Complex
Renaissance Neighborhood Development Corp.
Vanessa Levine
(504) 708-4370
4162 Canal Street
New Orleans, Louisiana 70119
http://www.rndcnola.org
Categories: Non-Profit/Government
ENVY Boutique
Sara Rhodes
Stephanie Hebert
985-872-0201
(985) 856-4717
1795 Martin Luther King Boulevard, Suite M
Houma, Louisiana 70360
Categories: Gifts, Clothing
854 Grand Caillou Rd.
Houma
shebert@allstate.com
Ginger & Bee
Brie Robichaux
(985) 402-1660
1795 Martin Luther King Boulevard, Suite L
Houma, Louisiana 70360
http://www.gingerandbee.com
Categories: Gifts, Retail
Springleaf Financial
Paula Guidry
(985) 876-4470
6497 West Park Avenue
Houma, Louisiana 70364
Categories: Loans
Kelly Parker
Brett Leblanc
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(985) 262-8501
1795 Martin Luther King Boulevard
Houma, Louisiana 70360
http://www.walk-ons.com
Categories: Restaurants
H o u m a - Te r r e b o n n e C h a m b e r
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Commerce Focus/November 22, 2015
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111499
Walk-On’s Bistreaux & Bar
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One on One with Paisley Park Resale
The Chamber selects member businesses, organizations and individuals
to highlight in this monthly publication.
Paisley Park Resale was selected at a
recent General Membership Luncheon
to be featured. Earlier this month we
interviewed Jennifer Robinson to learn
more about her and Paisley Park Resale.
In your own words, describe Paisley
Park Resale.
Paisley Park Resale specializes in selling and buying gently used children’s
clothing and equipment. We have
everything from strollers and walkers to cloth diapers and bedding. Our
children’s clothing selection currently
ranges from preemie to youth size 10.
We also offer a large selection of gently
used maternity clothing selection for
Mom too!
How long has it been in business? Tell
us a little about the history of Paisley
Park Resale.
My husband, Chris, and I opened the
store in June 2015. I worked for a few
years in the oil field industry until 2013
and was blessed to stay home after to
raise our two little ones. While home
and watching how quickly our children
were growing, we came up with the
idea of Paisley Park to offer a very large
variety of clothing and equipment at affordable prices for all families watching
their little ones grow out of clothing
and equipment just as fast.
Where is the store located?
We are conveniently located at 209
Bayou Gardens Blvd. Suite Q, in Houma,
across the street from JC Penny.
How many people are employed by
Paisley Park Resale?
Our staff currently consists of Owner,
Jennifer Robinson, and two sales associates, Abigail Giroir and Shedona Fruge.
What do your clients like best about
Paisley Park Resale?
We offer exceptional customer service! We strive our very best to meet
or exceed expectations for every customer who walks through our doors.
We love to strike up conversations with
our customers and make them feel very
welcomed.
What is the one experience you want
for the clients of Paisley Park Resale?
My goal is for every customer to leave
having gotten more from their visit than
they bargained for. I hope that even
those who only come to browse leave
with a smile on their face after having
talked to anyone in our store and looking at the high quality items we offer.
Tell us about you. Where were you
born and raised? Tell us about your
family.
I was born in Lake Charles and raised
in Sulphur on a small farm with my
wonderful parents and four siblings. I
met my husband, Chris, while attending college in Lake CharIes in 2004. We
currently reside in Thibodaux with our
two adorable, bright and hilarious children, Paisley, 3 and Parker, 1. (Our store
is named for our two little ones!)
Did you attend/graduate from college?
School? Years?
After high school, I attended McNeese State University before moving
to Thibodaux with my husband and
finishing my degree in General Studies
from Nicholls State University in 2008.
What is your title?
I am the very proud owner/operator
of Paisley Park Resale.
What are your primary responsibilities?
I handle daily operations of the store
along with maintaining, training and
developing our sales associates.
What do you like best about Paisley
Park Resale?
My absolute favorite thing about our
store is what we offer to our area. We
strive to be the best children’s resell
store in the area. We do one thing, and
we do it better than anyone around. I
take great pride in our customer service
as well as our incredible inventory.
What is most challenging about your
job? Favorite part of your job?
The most challenging part of running the store is keeping up with the
high demand of keeping certain items
in stock. So many parents are excited
to get clothes and equipment at such
great prices that, at times, we find ourselves trying very hard to keep those
items in stock. With that said, it may
very well be my favorite part of the job
as well. The desire that people have to
come into our store for instant savings
far outweighs any stress in getting those
items restocked as quickly as possible.
Do you have a fundamental philosophy for life or business that you can
share?
Work harder than anyone else around
me. It sets the tone for the staff to want
to work for someone dedicated and it
also shows my customers that I want
the absolute best for them.
Tell us about the relationship between
Paisley Park Resale and the HoumaTerrebonne Chamber of Commerce.
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Commerce Focus/November 22, 2015
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The 2015 Terrebonne Young Achievers Award Recipients
The recipients of the 2015 Terrebonne Young Achievers award were
announced at the Houma-Terrebonne
Chamber of Commerce’s November
10th General Membership Luncheon.
The award, which was started in 2014,
is to recognize young professionals in
our community under the age of 40, for
their outstanding career achievements,
community service impact, and their vision of what Terrebonne Parish can be.
A panel of judges evaluated and
scored each nomination on information
provided in the following categories:
reason for nomination, professional career achievements, community involvement, and vision and future aspirations
for Terrebonne Parish.
The honorees are as follows:
Jeff Bordelon – 33 years old
Company: EMR
Position:
Vice
President of Marine Purchasing
Education: Bachelor of Science
in Finance and a
Masters in Business Administration from NSU
Vision for Terrebonne Parish:
I would like to see development in
our education system in Terrebonne.
The product being provided to parents
in the parish has caused a flood of parents to make great financial sacrifices
to send their children to private schools
just so that their child receives a descent education in a safe environment.
I would lend my support to tightening
the standards for teachers, students,
and their families to make them accountable for their child’s development, as well as allow the development
of magnet schools.
I believe we should also diversify our
industrial base from a strong oil and
gas economy, and create a tax structure that would allow other industries
to consider our parish for their capital
expenditures and labor market.
To support our existing economy, it is
imperative that we deepen the Houma
Navigational Canal to allow for more
jobs in the area. As operators continue
to drill in deeper waters, the structures
and new fabrication needed cannot be
H o u m a - Te r r e b o n n e C h a m b e r
of
found in Houma. We will continue to
see businesses leave the area to more
favorable infrastructure such as Texas
until this is rectified.
In 40 years, I would like to be remembered as a bastion of the parish who left
the industry and his community better
than when he found it.
Natalie Campbell – 34 years old
Company: Campbell Technology
Consultants, LLC
Position: Owner
Education: Associate of Science
from ITT Technical
Institute
Vision for Terrebonne Parish:
I believe Terrebonne Parish can become a major hub for retail, entertainment, and development for South
Louisiana. With the growth from retail, entertainment, and development,
our community will be desired, and
we should see new residents as people
move to Terrebonne Parish. Currently
we are becoming a retail hub, and I see
that continuing to grow in the future.
With our strong community and proximity to I49, we have the opportunity
to provide South Eastern Louisiana and
tourists with a unique cultural experience while growing to become an entertainment center for various types
of arts/artists. We need to continue
with our development of land and infrastructure to help accomplish this,
but with that we will see more revenue
enter our community through new residents, sales taxes, etc. This will make
our community stronger economically
and secure the future of our parish for
the generations to come. I believe I can
contribute by helping serve on boards
to shape the technological part of the
infrastructure, and as a resident by making suggestions on types of entertainments that would
do well for our
area.
Paul Danos – 38
years old
Company: Danos
Position: Executive Vice President
Commerce Focus/November 22, 2015
Education: Bachelor of Science from
LSU and Masters in Business Administration from Stanford
Vision for Terrebonne Parish:
I envision a future where individuals and business continue to choose to
come and stay in this wonderful parish
because of the opportunities, the quality of life, and the culture that can be
found here. I want to be a part of helping to bring people together to continue
to invest in infrastructure projects that
protect our coast, projects that facilitate industry and commerce, and projects that improve the quality of life of all
our citizens in Terrebonne. During the
year 2015, I made the decision to build
a home and an office building in Terrebonne Parish in large part due to my
belief in the bright future of this great
parish. I feel blessed to call this place
home. With regards to how I would like
to be remembered in 40 years, I expect
to still be alive at that time, so I am hoping people are not “remembering me”
yet… I want to be remembered as a
man not for being exceptional in one
area of life, but for a man that lived life
with exceptional balance. I hope to be
remembered as a man that had success
in all the important areas in my life – as
a businessman, as a citizen of my communities, as a friend, as a father (and
grandfather by then), as a husband,
and as a Christian.
Mike Lewis – 39 years old
Position: Owner
Company:
Big
Mike’s
BBQ
Smoke House
Education: Chamberlain
High
School graduate
Vision for Terrebonne Parish:
I see Terrebonne Parish as a retail hub equal to
New Orleans, but with our own downhome hospitality, and as a community
that invites families and industry alike
to take root and grow within our great
parish. A leader in fuel technology that
allows sustained growth for our community.
I would shape that vision by my continued growth and partnership with
TEDA and by using the resources and
9
information that this program can offer
new and existing businesses.
I would like to be remembered as
someone who loves his country and
his community. A person who truly believes that through diversity and hard
work, that dreams and strong foundations can be accomplished. I hope that
through the comfort of the food I have
created, that you can see my love of
this community.
Tanner Magee – 35 years old
Position: Attorney
Company: Magee
Law, LLC
Education: Bachelor in Psychology,
Masters in Public
Administration,
and Juris Doctorate from LSU
Vision for Terrebonne Parish:
Tanner’s vision for Terrebonne is we
leverage our natural resources and
strong oil and gas industry into a diverse
economy. He believes we need to focus
on smart growth. To really grow, Tanner
believes the public school system needs
to make substantial improvement in the
next ten (10) years to be attractive to
industries looking to relocate here. Additionally, we need to invest in our port
and airport as a regional transportation
hub. Finally, any vision of the future
needs to account for national trends
and outlooks. It is no secret that millennials desire to live and work differently
than prior generations. New Orleans
has embraced these trends and is positioning itself as a start-up/tech player
in the South. These millennials in New
Orleans will eventually want to raise a
family and may want to move out of the
city. This demographic is highly portable because most of their work can be
done from home or a coffee shop on a
laptop. Houma should look to ways it
can market itself (and make the changes
to be marketable) to this demographic
who need more space to raise a family
and can’t quite afford the New Orleans
property values.
w w w. H o u m a C h a m b e r. c o m
Photo Gallery
Past and present Chairman of the Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors pose during
a luncheon held in their honor in November. Attendees include(first row from left to right) Sharon Bergeron,
Stephanie Hebert, Alexis Duval, Jennifer Armand, (second row) Billy Foster, L.J. Folse, Al Badeaux, Marvin Marmande, Jr., Glen Usie, Arthur DeFraites, Kenneth Watkins (third row) Steve Crispino, Darryl Christen, Jerry
Ledet, Glenn Manceaux, Raymond Saadi, Danny Walker, Jerome Daigle and Sid Sundbery.
Brandon Castle prepares to cut the ribbon during the Grand Opening Celebration for B&B Wings. Mr. Castle
is joined by partners Ernest Nixon and Rayshawn Mart, family, staff members, friends and Chamber members.
The restaurant is located at 6489 West Park Avenue, and offers a variety of chicken wings, specialty sauces and
much more. Call (985) 293-7811 for information.
Representative Joe Harrison, Jason Bergeron, Technology Professionals and Chamber Board member, Suzanne
Nolfo Carlos, Chamber President/CEO, Stephanie Hebert, Stephanie Hebert Insurance Agency and Chamber
Board Chair, Terrebonne Parish President, Michel Claudet, Chris Robinson and Matt Voisin, Raising Canes, Kate
Theriot, CFC and Chamber Board Treasurer and Earl Eues, KEE Environmental Services and Chamber Chairman
Elect attend the General Membership Luncheon. Special thanks to Mr. Claudet for his presentation at the luncheon and to Mr. Robinson, Mr. Voisin and Raising Canes for sponsoring the event.
Barry Chauvin, Options for Independence and Kimi Walker, Chauvin Brothers and Chamber Board member
pose at the General Membership Luncheon. Options for Independence was selected as the recipient of the
Chamber Cares collection program and received donations of office supplies and other necessities from Chamber members attending the luncheon.
Stephanie Hebert Insurance Agency hosted a Halloween themed Business After-Hours in October and staff
members were on-hand to welcome and visit with attendees. Staff members included Mitzi Nelton, Nicole St.
Pierre, Cynthia Dehart, Brandi Verrett, Stephanie Hebert, Becky Strange, Melinda Johnson and LaDonna Cruse.
Special thanks to Stephanie Hebert and staff for hosting the event.
Sisters Roslyn Chauvin, Southdown Mini Storage and Robyn Hornsby, Morgan Stanley attend the Business After-Hours at Stephanie Hebert Insurance Agency.
H o u m a - Te r r e b o n n e C h a m b e r
of
Commerce Focus/November 22, 2015
10
w w w. H o u m a C h a m b e r. c o m
Photo Gallery
Suzanne Nolfo Carlos, Chamber President/CEO, Chad Hebert, Workforce Logistics and Chamber Board member,
Kimberly Hebert, and Stephanie Hebert, Stephanie Hebert Insurance Agency and Chamber Board Chair attend
the Business After-Hours in October.
Scott Belanger, Houma Civic Center, Janel Ricca Houma Civic Center and Chamber Board member, and Philip
Toups, BRAVO Design attend the Business After-Hours at Stephanie Hebert Insurance Agency.
Troy Griffin, Bayou Signs Outdoor, Stephanie Hebert, Stephanie Hebert Insurance Agency and Chamber Board
Chair, Royal Richoux, Royal Properties, and Payton Moreau, Bayou Signs Outdoor pose at the Business AfterHours. Congratulations to Mr. Richoux for winning a free month of advertising from Bayou Signs Outdoor, and
special thanks to Bayou Signs Outdoor, Mr. Griffin and Mr. Moreau for donating the door prize.
Brian Zoerner prepares to cut the ribbon at PPG Paints during their Grand Opening Celebration. Mr. Zoerner
is joined by staff members Michael Villafranco, Doug LeCompte, Jim Montour, Chris Jackler, Gene Thibodaux,
David Rehage and Mike Williams, and Chamber members and friends. PPG Paints is located at 227 Enterprise
Drive. For more information, visit their website at www.ppgpaints.com or call (985) 580-0448.
Travis Gravois cuts the ribbon at his new location at 675 Enterprise Dr. Suite A with family, staff, friends and
Chamber members during his Grand Opening Celebration. Stop by to visit his new office for more information
on State Farm Travis Gravois Insurance Agency or visit www.travisgravois.com.
South Central Planning and Development Commission Board and local officials participate in a ground breaking
ceremony for the new addition to the South Central Planning and Development Commission building.
H o u m a - Te r r e b o n n e C h a m b e r
of
Commerce Focus/November 22, 2015
11
w w w. H o u m a C h a m b e r. c o m
− PAISLEY continue
from page 8−
Why does Paisley Park
Resale invest in the
Houma-Terrebonne
Chamber of Commerce?
Our Chamber of Commerce is a great way for
us to stay informed of
the different changes
happening in our community and how they
can either positively or
negatively affect our
store. Staying up to
date with those changes can easily make or
break any business and
I am a devout believer
that the Chamber is
one of my greatest resources to continue to
succeed. I also believe
in networking with my
local business owners
and helping other small
businesses throughout
our community to be
successful as well.
Why should other businesses invest in the
Houma-Terrebonne
Chamber of Commerce?
Other
businesses
would benefit in investing in the HoumaTerrebonne Chamber
of Commerce for many
of the same reasons I
did. Being informed as
a leader is crucial for
the success of any business. Attending any
Chamber gatherings is
also a great way to network and meet other
leaders in our community. Getting involved in
Chamber events to invest in our community
and give back are, what
I think, sets the tone for
success.
Reverend R. Don Ross, First United Methodist Church and Children’s Learning Center and Suzanne Nolfo Carlos
attend the New Member “Meet the Board” social at the Chamber’s office.
Kay Thibodeaux, Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce Membership Account Executive and Melanie Boquet and Sandel Bastian, Powerhouse Gym of Houma attend the New Member “Meet the Board” social at the
Chamber’s office.
Wendy Billiot, Keep Terrebonne Beautiful and Kate Theriot, CFC and Chamber Board Treasurer attend the New
Member “Meet the Board” social at the Chamber’s office.
H o u m a - Te r r e b o n n e C h a m b e r
of
Commerce Focus/November 22, 2015
12
w w w. H o u m a C h a m b e r. c o m
Kiwanis Seeks Pancake Partnerships
Rising food prices have prompted the
Kiwanis Club of Houma to alter the financing of its popular Breakfast With
Santa Pancake Breakfast fundraiser, but
club members hope the changes will increase recognition in the community.
“We want to build community awareness about the club—who we are, what
we do and who we service,” said club
president Sandra Dupre. “We hope to
do this by getting more local businesses
involved while being able to raise more
money for our various service projects.”
For the past 25 years the breakfast has been the club’s main source
of funds by ticket sales and corporate
sponsorships mainly from within the
club membership. In recent years increased cost were eating into revenues.
Helping children is a main focus of the
club so raising ticket prices wasn’t a desired option.
“We want to make this event available to as many children as we can
for their enjoyment,” said Dupre. “We
didn’t want to price it out of reach for
some families.”
Kiwanis instead has begun seeking outside corporate sponsors from
throughout the community. Businesses
sponsoring at $100, $250 or $500 levels receive tickets to the event, logo
placement on a slideshow screen in the
line for pancakes, sales literature placement, mentions in Kiwanis newsletters,
Facebook page and club website. Business owners and managers also get the
reward of knowing they’ve supported
an organization that does much good in
the local community.
The Kiwanis Club of Houma operates the Terrific Kids program in local
elementary schools, the Play it Again
Terrebonne musical instrument loan
program, a winter coat drive, Key Clubs
in high schools, scholarships to Fletcher
and Nicholls and more. The club also
partners with other local goodwill efforts like the Books for Bikes of the
Terrebonne Parish Library, TFAE, Southdown Marketplace and others.
The Breakfast With Santa is an affordable outing which has become a holiday
tradition for many families.
“It’s a wonderful family experience,” commented
Dupre. “Children, parents,
grandparents gather and enjoy a nice breakfast together, meet friends, do crafts
and story time and then, of
course, tell Santa what they
want for Christmas.”
Dupre said she hopes the
corporate sponsors will not only increase the funds raised so the Kiwanis
can do even more for the community,
but that as word gets out about the
club’s work more folks will want to join
in the effort.
“It’s not just about the money. It’s
about letting people know there is an
avenue available by which they can
help the children of their own community thrive,” Dupre said. “People working together can do a lot of good for
Terrebonne Parish.”
The Breakfast With Santa takes place
Saturday, December 5 from 7 to 11:30
a.m. in the Vandebilt Catholic High
School cafeteria and features breakfast, crafts, face painting, storytelling and meeting Santa for a $5 ticket
($6 at the door). Photos with Santa
are available for $5 each and giant
Christmas coloring books for $8. All
money raised supports the charitable efforts of the Kiwanis of Houma.
To become a corporate sponsor or to purchase tickets email kiwanisofhouma@gmail.com,
speak
to any Kiwanis member or call
Sandy Dupre at (985) 856-6125.
WE ARE THANKFUL
This Thanksgiving season, we are reminded
how thankful we are for all of our blessings,
especially our customers and friends.
Rose Bourgeois
See more at
H o u m a - Te r r e b o n n e C h a m b e r
13
Customer Service Representative
of
Commerce Focus/November 22, 2015
/SynergyBank.
w w w. H o u m a C h a m b e r. c o m
Powerhouse Gym to Open in Houma
Powerhouse Gym International is the leader in the fitness industry, with 40 years of
experience, servicing over two
million members in over 300
locations worldwide. They are
the fastest growing gym licensing organization in the world.
They are distinguished by their
unsurpassed motivating atmosphere, knowledgeable staff
and premier exercise equipment, which supports their
members in meeting their individual fitness goals. They provide these with dedication to
the highest quality of customer satisfaction delivered with a
sense of friendliness, individual pride and company spirit.
The strength of their heartfelt
identity is utilized to inspire
every person that steps foot
into their gym to better themselves. And now Powerhouse
Gym is coming to the Houma
area in the historical old Piccadilly building at 6803 West Park
Avenue.
In January, 2015, Sandel Bastian and Melanie Boquet signed
the lease to acquire the 13,600
square foot facility. It has been
a long and grueling process.
They have had to overcome
many obstacles due to demolition, but finally in September,
the landlord turned the keys
to the building over to them.
Sandel and Melanie were then
faced with finishing demolition
and beginning the build-up process. Things are really moving
forward now, and Powerhouse
Gym of Houma will finally be
open in January, 2016.
The facility will include two
separate training areas filled
with Life Fitness and Hammer
Strength equipment. One area
is designated to the serious lifters at heart. These are the men
and women who take training
and lifting seriously. The other
area is for the beginners to
moderate lifters. By separating
the two types of people, this
will eliminate the intimidation
that some people get when
they are training around those
that lift heavy and like to groan,
grunt, and holler.
In addition to the two separate training areas, there is the
cardio area that will include
treadmills, ellipticals, and re-
a member of the Council
on Aging.
The general membership conducts a meeting
once a year, in December, to receive reports,
to nominate and elect
member(s) to the agency’s Board of Directors,
and to conduct any other
business that may arise.
The general membership
meeting will be at 11:00
AM, December 10, 2015
at the Terrebonne Council on Aging Operations
Center at 995 West Tunnel Boulevard. The agency’s board meeting will
begin immediately after.
985-746-4747
www.CALLDOUGS.com
LA Lic #46925 Plb#1666
H o u m a - Te r r e b o n n e C h a m b e r
of
Those who are interested in becoming a
member of the Terrebonne Council on Aging
may visit the Council’s
Operations Center at 995
W. Tunnel Boulevard,
Houma or call Alice Eastman at 868-8411 ext. 209
to request an Application
for Membership form by
mail. General Membership forms are also available at any of the TCOA
lunch sites or senior centers throughout the parish.
Thibodaux Regional Medical Center is pleased to announce that Jimmy
Hazel has been named Director of Environmental Services. Jimmy will be
responsible for overall direction, monitoring, and controlling activities within
the Housekeeping and Laundry departments.
Having worked in the hospital environment for 30 years, Jimmy most
recently served as Director of Environmental Services at Christus Saint Frances Cabrini Hospital in Alexandria, LA.

Serving Customers Since 1988
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Mold Certified
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Mech. Engineer on Staff

24/7 Service all brands

LA Bryant Dealer of the Year
Agency Owner

Residential and Commercial
Allstate Insurance Company

Serving Houma and Thibodaux

Daily Comet Readers Choice 2014
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Now Offering Plumbing Service
Commerce Focus/November 22, 2015
from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
Powerhouse Gym of Houma
will also have a Pro Shop and
Smoothie Bar to accommodate
its members. The Pro-Shop will
offer Powerhouse Gym and FON
clothing, along with the typical
accessories that go with a gym.
The Smoothie Bar will offer
City Blends Smoothies “Home
of the Low Sugar Smoothie”.
Sandel and Melanie are there
every Saturday from 1:00 pm
to 4:00 pm during the buildup
process for anyone who has
questions, or if you want to
stop by and take a look at the
progress. Once open, Powerhouse Gym of Houma will be
a 24/7/365 facility, so stop by
and check them out.
Hazel Named Director of
Environmental Services at
Thibodaux Regional
Council on Aging Conducts Membership Drive
The Terrebonne Council on Aging (TCOA) would
like to remind all citizens
of Terrebonne Parish that
they are accepting new
members to their organization until November
26, 2015. Membership
is free and open to all
Terrebonne Parish residents, eighteen years or
older, who have a genuine interest to be an advocate and champion for
the elderly. Members
stay on the membership
list for life or until the
agency receives a notice
from the member that
they no longer wish to be
cumbent bikes. And if that
isn’t enough cardio, Powerhouse Gym will also have two
separate cardio rooms that will
hold the Les Mills group fitness
classes, i.e., Body Pump, Body
Combat, Body Attack, Body
Step, CX Worx, and Body Flow,
along with spin and Zumba.
There will also be a martial arts
instructor, holding martial arts
for children and adults alike,
along with women’s self-defense classes.
Let us not forget about your
little ones as well. The Power
Mouse Childcare will promote
fitness and learning while you
work out and exercise. The
childcare will be available Monday thru Saturday from 8:00
am to 12:00 noon, then again
Charlotte Grace
1208 Louise St.
Thibodaux, LA 70301
Office 985-492-1579/Cell 985-665-3585
Fax 985-492-1264
Cgrace@allstate.com
14
Your trusted Allstate advisor
w w w. H o u m a C h a m b e r. c o m
Bernadette Pickett Joins
TGMC’s Board of Commissioners
Terrebonne General Medical Center
(TGMC) is pleased to announce that
Bernadette Pickett has been appointed
to the TGMC Board of Commissioners.
Pickett has a passion for being involved in her community. She graduated from Xavier University in 1989 with
a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political
Science and English. Upon graduating
from Xavier, she was awarded a fellowship to the University of New Orleans
where she pursued a Master of Arts
Degree in Urban Government and City
Politics. She entered Southern University Law School where she was awarded a Juris Doctorate in 1993. Pickett is
an Assistant District Attorney (ADA) for
Terrebonne Parish, Executive Director
of the Terrebonne Children’s Advocacy
Center, Victim Advocate for the District
Attorney’s Office and also oversees the
operations of the Family Services Unit
and the Truancy Reduction Intervention Program. In her capacity as an ADA
for Terrebonne Parish, Bernadette was
instrumental in establishing the Drug
Treatment Court and the first DWI
Court in Louisiana.
“We are excited to announce Mrs.
Pickett as a member of TGMC’s Board
of Commissioners,” said Phyllis Peoples, president and CEO. “We look forward to the knowledge, expertise, and
experience she will bring to her role as
Capital One Bank Contributes
$20,000 to Nicholls Petroleum
Services Scholarships
Capital One Bank donated $20,000 to the
Nicholls State University
Foundation to fund book
scholarships for 33 Nicholls petroleum engineering technology and safety
management students.
“Scholarships
like
those funded by Capital
One Bank and other university supporters help
to ensure that Nicholls
students are equipped
with the resources they
need to succeed in the
classroom and, more importantly, in their chosen
field when they enter the
workforce,” said Dr. Neal
Weaver, executive direc-
the board strengthens its partnerships
within our community and TGMC continues to provide exceptional healthcare services to Southeast Louisiana.”
“The reason I wanted to join the
Board of Commissioners is that I love
helping and serving others. I like talking to people and being involved in
groups where people don’t mind working and sharing the experiences they
have learned along the way,” explains
Pickett. “What a wonderful world this
would be if people shared their wisdom, admitted what they don’t know
and opened their minds to learn from
others. I’m just trying to do my part.”
Hollier Named Director
of Facilities at
Thibodaux Regional
of
Commerce Focus/November 22, 2015
ket president for Capital One Bank. “Through
this grant to the Nicholls
State University Foundation, we are addressing
a key building block of
economic opportunity in
the Tri-Parish region and
beyond.”
The Nicholls petroleum services program
is among the university’s
most popular degree
programs, with 418 undergraduate
students
enrolled for the fall 2015
semester. The program’s
facilities recently received over $250,000 in
technological and structural upgrades.
Dr. Neal Weaver, executive director of the Nicholls Foundation and Nicholls vice president for university advancement; Robbie Naquin, Tri-Parish market president for Capital One Bank; and Nicholls President Dr. Bruce
Murphy.
Thibodaux Regional Medical Center is pleased to announce that Jamie
Hollier has been named Director of
Facilities.
Hollier has more than 25 years of experience in construction and facility repair and for 12 of those years, has been
working in the hospital environment.
Hollier most recently served as Director
of Facilities/Plant Operations with The
Regional Medical Center of Acadiana
in Lafayette, LA.
H o u m a - Te r r e b o n n e C h a m b e r
tor of the Nicholls Foundation and Nicholls vice
president for university
advancement.
A longtime supporter
of education and workforce development, Capital One Bank seeks out
opportunities to enhance
the lives of individuals
residing and working in
its communities.
“At Capital One Bank,
we are committed to investing for good in our
local communities, and
a major component of
that commitment is supporting workforce development,” said Robbie
Naquin, Tri-Parish mar-
It's all about
the details...
157 TOURIST DRIVE, GRAY, LA 70359
15
985.580.1500 | WWW.CYPRESSCOLUMNS.COM
w w w. H o u m a C h a m b e r. c o m
Dr. Alexander Joins TGMC’s
Board of Commissioners
Terrebonne General
Medical Center (TGMC)
welcomes Robert M.
Alexander, MD to the
TGMC Board of Commissioners.
Dr. Alexander is a Urological Surgeon at TGMC
and Houma Surgical Center and Urology Clinic.
He received his medical
doctorate from Louisiana
State University School of
Medicine in New Orleans.
Dr. Alexander completed
his residency at Louisiana
State University Charity
Hospital in New Orleans
and St. Joseph Hospital
in Denver, Colorado. He
is board certified by The
American Board of Urology in the Specialty of
Adult and Pediatric Urology. Dr. Alexander joined
the active medical staff at
TGMC in 1977. He served
as Vice Chief of Staff in
1998 and Chief of Staff in
1999, and served on various committees throughout the years.
“I am privileged to
welcome Dr. Alexander to TGMC’s Board of
Commissioners,”
said
Phyllis Peoples, president and CEO. “He is a
valued member of our
active medical staff for
over 38 years and as
a board member his
wisdom and expertise will strengthen
our vision of providing quality healthcare
to our community.”
“As I start my tenure
on the board of Terrebonne General Medical Center, I look
forward to the
challenging problems facing medi-
HWY 90
EXIT 181
Leadership Terrebonne Alumni
Association to Host
Motivational Speaker – Ryan C. Lowe
cine in general and TGMC
in particular,” explains Dr.
Alexander. “I hope that
my input and contributions can in some way
help us to continue the
high quality of care our
patients now receive at
TGMC.”
Leadership Terrebonne
Alumni
Association
(LTAA) is hosting a buffet
luncheon mini-seminar
with motivational speaker Ryan C. Lowe. As the
President and CEO of
“Get off Your Attitude”
presentations,
Ryan
Lowe has been highlighted in Selling Power
Magazine and featured
in Success Magazine!
Ryan’s love for helping
others makes him one
of America’s most exciting motivational keynote
speakers. He doesn’t just
talk to the audience; he
connects with them with
his captivating stories,
dynamic
personality,
and contagious enthusiasm. His passion is to
work with organizations
that want to inspire and
motivate their leaders
and team members with
principles that will help
create a positive culture
and mindset to achieve
excellence.
The event is scheduled for December 1 at
Ramada Inn in Houma
from 11:30 am-1:00 pm.
Doors open at 11:30 am
and the program will be
from noon until 1 pm.
Admission is $20 per
person for LTAA members and $25 for general public. To register,
email kay@houmachamber.com or call
(985) 876-5600.
Leadership Terrebonne is accepting
applications for the
2016 Leadership Terrebonne program now.
If you are interested in
applying, call (985) 8765600 to request an application.
CLOSEST
SLOTS & TABLES!
See B Connected club for details. Must be 21 or older. Management reserves all rights.
JOIN TODAY
FREE BUFFET!
Valid for new members only. Expires December 31, 2015. Must present this coupon and valid photo ID to the
B Connected club to redeem. One offer per guest upon sign up for a new membership. See the B Connected
staff for full details. Management reserves all rights. Gambling Problem? Call 1.877.770.7867.
GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1.877.770.STOP
H o u m a - Te r r e b o n n e C h a m b e r
of
Commerce Focus/November 22, 2015
16
w w w. H o u m a C h a m b e r. c o m
The Accidental Entrepreneur’s Journey to the Stage
Angie LeBlanc contributes to Amazon’s Best Seller, “Journey to the Stage”
Journey to the Stage Volume 2,
released by the Women’s Prosperity Network, is a compilation of
stories from successful entrepreneurs. It’s a business development
book that explains the importance
of and the fundamentals of public
speaking. Angie LeBlanc, ABL Ventures, is a contributing author and
shared her personal story about
her journey from being content
working as an administrative assistant to becoming an accidental
entrepreneur.
“I am proud to be a part of this
project. I love being able to give
back to the entrepreneur community. We can all learn and grow
from each other,” said Angie LeBlanc.
Journey to the Stage is a pro-
gram developed by Women’s Prosperity Network. They teach the
fundamentals of how to speak for
fun or for profit. Public speaking
opens up new doors that give entrepreneurs the ability to expand
their business. Contact Angie LeBlanc at info@AngieBLeblanc.com
to order a copy of Journey to the
Stage Volume 2.
“Journey to the Stage is full of
inspirational stories from entrepreneurs from a wide range of
industries. Angie’s story is very relatable and comes from the heart.
I appreciate that she wants to
share her story both in writing and
on the stage,” said Joan Hoffman,
Jabez Bodyworks.
“My passion is to support women and guide them through the
Celebrating 25 years of work to preserve
our past and protect our future!
journey to achieve health and
wealth. I want to inspire women to
reach their full potential. Through
partner programs and associations
I have learned how we can work
together, support each other and
create lifetime friendships, “ said
LeBlanc.
BTNEP Starts Up Marine Debris Prevention
Program With Help of Local High School Student
The Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program, along with its partners, Port Fourchon and the
Wisner Family, have kicked off their Marine Debris
Prevention Program that will involve participation
from local high school students.
The goal of the program is to educate high school
students by bringing them into the field to see firsthand the problems with marine debris. Two students,
Junior or Senior, from high schools in Lafourche and
Terrebonne parishes were selected by their science
teachers to participate in this year’s program.
As part of the program, students will learn the issues with marine debris, which include wildlife entanglement and ingestion, flooding, unsightliness,
and the high cost to clean it up. Students will be required to collect and analyze data, research the topic,
write a prevention plan and present the
outcome to their own high school and
to Lafourche and Terrebonne parish officials. The students will clean a private
beach in Port Fourchon once a quarter
and then devise action plans that are intended to reduce the amount of trash
entering our waterways. The program
will continue next year with new students who will implement the action
plans from this year’s plans.
“The program will give the students
experience in field work, writing a plan
and solving a major problem that not
only Louisiana faces, but the whole
H o u m a - Te r r e b o n n e C h a m b e r
of
world, which is marine debris,” said Alma Robichaux,
BTNEP Education and Outreach Coordinator.
Students representing schools in Lafourche Parish include: Emmelynn Thibodaux and Renee Viator
(South Lafourche High School), Claire Blanchard and
Heidi Plaisance (Central Lafourche High School), Jace
Rhodes (Thibodaux High School) and Cayley Varnado
and Taylor Wagner (E.D. White Catholic High School).
Representing Terrebonne Parish schools were
Quinn Lapeyrouse and Hayden Robichaux (South Terrebonne High School), Bonnie Gilmore and Catherine
Shultz (Terrebonne High School), Bryahna Gray and
Garren Parfait (Ellender High School), Alexandrea Cortez and Andrew Eufemio (H.L. Bourgeois High School)
and Ashley Breaux and Emma Domangue (Vandebilt
Catholic High School).
Commerce Focus/November 22, 2015
BTNEP to Host State of
the Estuary Breakfast
The Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program (BTNEP)
will host a “State of the
Estuary” Breakfast on
December 8, 2015 at
the Nicholls State University Ballroom.
The public is invited to
attend at a cost of $15
per person. Registration
will being at 7:30AM
with breakfast served at
8:00AM.
The event will focus
on events that have
taken place in the last
year, as well as, the past
25 years of BTNEP. John
Snell, news anchor for
Fox 8/WVUE New Orleans and wetlands photographer, will be the
guest speaker.
“The State of the Estuary Breakfast will provide residents within the
16 parish area a chance
to learn about the work
that BTNEP has been in-
volved in this year and
also about the long term
ecological
advancements that the program
has provided the estuary as we celebrate
our silver anniversary,”
said Susan TestroetBergeron, BTNEP Director. “We are also excited that Fox 8 Anchor
John Snell will be at the
event to showcase his
work as a wetlands photographer and observer
of coastal ecosystems.”
For more information
or to make reservations
call the BTNEP office at
985-447-0868 or email
Nicole Babin at Nicole@
btnep.org. Checks are
to be made out to BTEF
and sent to P.O. Box
2663, NSU, Thibodaux,
LA 70310.
We treat eeryone like family.
People you know. A name you trust.
By Decision Health and National
Research Corporation
Skilled Nursing
Therapy Services
Certified Nurse’s Aid
Medical Social Worker
200 E. 6th Street | Thibodaux | 985.262.0445
www.divinityathome.com
17
w w w. H o u m a C h a m b e r. c o m
Terrebonne Library Director
Elected LLA President
The Terrebonne Parish
Library System is happy
to announce library director Mary CosperLeBoeuf’s election as
President of the Louisiana Library Association.
LeBoeuf was elected
to the LLA presidency
through nomination and
then membership-wide
voting that took place
before the 2015 annual
state conference. She
will serve a three-year
term, functioning as First
Vice President, President, and finally Past
President.
The Louisiana Library Association, established in 1925, is a
state-wide professional
association with an approximately 960 person
membership,
serving
libraries, librarians and
library professionals of
all kinds. School, public,
and academic libraries
and librarians, archivists,
subject specialists, and
even trustees benefit
from memberships in
LLA. Professional support, library literature,
and various workshops
and conferences, in-
cluding the annual LLA
state-wide conference,
are made available to
LLA members. LeBoeuf’s
three-year presidency
will include administrating and assisting in continuing these events and
development opportunities.
Leboeuf
obtained
a Bachelor of Arts in
English Literature from
Nicholls State University
in 1984. Following this,
LeBoeuf attended the
University of Southern
Mississippi where she
earned a Masters of Library Science in 1985.
LeBoeuf’s career in libraries began at the Terrebonne Parish Library
System in 1981, eventually leading to her becoming the library director in 1995, the position
she still holds.
LeBoeuf’s service in
LLA extends well beyond
basic membership. She
has served as the Public Section chair, second
vice president, has sat
on and chaired various
committees, and cochaired three of LLA’s
annual state-wide con-
Nicholls Names Dr. Marilyn Macik-Frey
Interim Dean of Business
Nicholls State University has appointed Dr.
Marilyn Macik-Frey as
interim dean of the College of Business Administration.
A native of LaMarque,
Texas, Macik-Frey held
the college’s assistant
dean position prior to
former Dean Dr. Shawn
Mauldin’s August retirement.
“Dr. Macik-Frey was the
unanimous choice of the
ferences.
Under LeBoeuf’s directorship, the Terrebonne
Parish Library System
has expanded and been
honored locally, statewide, and nationally. Beginning the late 1990s,
the system started its
expansion and remodeling process, building a
state of the art Main Library and updating the
remaining branch libraries throughout the parish. In 2004 Terrebonne
received LLA’s Louisiana
Public Library of the Year
Award. LeBoeuf herself
has received LLA’s Anthony H. Benoit MidCareer Award, given to
a mid-career librarian
who has made outstanding contributions to the
field of librarianship. Nationally, the library has
received an UpStart Innovation award and has
been an IMLS National
Medal Finalist twice.
H o u m a - Te r r e b o n n e C h a m b e r
of
Nicholls State University announced
a $50,000 renovation to the university’s graphic design lab at a ribbon-cutting ceremony held Thursday in Talbot
Hall.
The renovation, completed in summer 2015, equips the lab with new
iMac computers, peripherals, two
high-quality inkjet printers, laptop stations, an audio/video editing room for
creating 3-D motion graphics and a
dedicated critique/sketch area. The lab
serves all Nicholls graphic design students, about half of all art majors.
“It’s wonderful to have a state-ofthe-art lab facility for our art students,”
− continue on page 19−
said Jean Donegan, head of the Nicholls art department. “We will begin
offering a 3-D animation program in
fall 2016, and the upgrades to our lab
paved the way to help us accomplish
that. This facility will help us attract students looking to make art their career,
especially those students interested in
graphic design and 3-D animation.”
The graphic design lab renovation
was funded by a $20,000 donation
from the Lou and Dane Ledet family, which includes several Nicholls art
alumni, and a matching $30,000 Nicholls instructional technology grant.
Dr. Richard Abben
the certification requires an accredited third-party auditing organization
to thoroughly review a company’s internal QMS processes to ensure they
are capable of consistently delivering
a service that reliably meets customer needs and expectations. Danos is
now fully certified by ABS-QE for ISO
9001:2008 QMS for production workforce, fabrication, construction and
coating services.
“We are proud of achieving ISO certification and what this means to our
organization,” said Mark Danos, vice
president of projects. “This helps us to
− continue on page 19−
Commerce Focus/November 22, 2015
2007. Prior to arriving
at Nicholls, she owned
a rehabilitation agency,
Nicholls Art Students Benefit from
$50,000 Lab Renovation
Danos’ Amelia Yard Earns ISO
9001:2008 Certification
Danos is proud to announce that
the company’s Amelia, La.-based
fabrication facility has achieved ISO
9001:2008 certification for its quality
management system (QMS). Two of
Danos’ other locations – the Larose
fabrication shop and headquarters in
Gray, La. – are already ISO 9001:2008
certified.
The ISO 9001:2008 standard is an important benchmark for quality based
on recognized principles of superior
quality control, including strong customer focus, motivation of top leaders, decision-making and commitment
to continual improvement. Earning
business faculty to serve
as interim dean,” said Dr.
Lynn Gillette, provost and
vice president for academic affairs at Nicholls.
“She is highly respected
both in the College of
Business Administration
and in the Bayou Region
community.”
The recipient of the
Candies Family Endowed
Professorship,
MacikFrey joined the Nicholls business faculty in
Nicholls administrators join art faculty and supporters in unveiling a completed renovation to the university’s
graphic design lab. Pictured (from left) are Nicholls President Bruce Murphy; Becky Bonnecarrere; JeanneClaire Carrere; Dane Ledet Jr.; Lou Ledet; Jean Donegan, head of the Nicholls art department; Dawn Ledet;
Francesca Ledet and Cinda Ledet
18
w w w. H o u m a C h a m b e r. c o m
− REVIEW continue from page 4−
dirty on October 10 to help nonprofit
Chamber member MacDonell United
Methodist Children’s Service with
painting and landscaping at the facility. This volunteer effort was the first
service event as part of the “Chamber
Cares” initiative to support nonprofit
organizations and their work in our
community. Also, at monthly membership luncheons, Chamber members
were encouraged to donate supplies
to a featured nonprofit each month as
part of “Chamber Cares.”
Events
• Captain Richard Phillips, American
merchant mariner and author who
served as captain of the MV Maersk
Alabama during its hijacking by Somali pirates in April 2009, was the
keynote speaker of the 2015 Chamber
Banquet. LaDonna Cruse was named
Distinguished Diplomat, The Courier
received the Community Champion
award, and Jason Bergeron of Technology Professionals was named Chamber
Star.
• The Chamber Golf Tournament at
Ellendale Country Club on March 30
was another huge fundraising success
for the Chamber and a great networking event for members.
• The Health Care Committee implemented a new event called Marketplace on Wellness targeting Chamber business owners, executives and
Human Resources personnel. The
event featured over 30 booth vendors
showcasing information, services and
products to improve and/or create
wellness programs within businesses.
• Ten monthly membership luncheons were held featuring speakers
whose work impacts our members and
the community, such as local legislators, President of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry Steve
Waguespack, Executive Director of the
Bayou Lafourche Freshwater District
Ben Malbrough, Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association President
Chris John, Nicholls State University
President Dr. Bruce Murphy, and TerreH o u m a - Te r r e b o n n e C h a m b e r
of
bonne Parish President Michel Claudet.
Luncheon sponsors this year included
Bayou Country Children’s Museum,
TFAE, Houma’s Town and Country
Real Estate, Technology Professionals,
Stephanie Hebert Allstate Insurance,
FMT Aggregates, Homewood Suites
by Hilton Houma, Raising Cane’s, and
Leadership Terrebonne.
• Our Business to Business (B2B)
luncheons continued, with five held
in 2015, providing unique opportunities for members to introduce themselves and promote their products
and services in a formal way to other
members seated at their lunch table.
Sponsors included Salty Dog Vapor &
Lounge, Stephanie Hebert Insurance
Agency, Junior Auxiliary, RRH LLC, and
Homewood Suites by Hilton Houma.
• Business After Hours, the Chamber’s long-standing monthly networking event, had another successful
year in 2015. Nine After Hours socials were held at Terrebonne Place,
Holiday Inn, Stella Learning Center,
Homewood Suites, Unitech Training
Academy, TGMC, Houma-Terrebonne
Airport Commission, Stephanie Hebert Allstate Insurance, and Designs by
Two. The September 16 After Hours at
the Airport Commission was the second annual “East Side Business After
Hours,” focusing specifically on Chamber member businesses located in that
area of the parish.
This is just a snapshot of the exciting activities and achievements of our
Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce this year. With your continued
support and participation and the great
leadership of Incoming Chairman Earl
Eues, I know that the great work will
proceed in 2016. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve you as
Chair, and may God continue to bless
Terrebonne Parish!
Commerce Focus/November 22, 2015
− DEAN continue from page 18−
providing speech pathology services in
cooperation with physical and occupational therapy partners. She worked as
a regional manager for a national rehabilitation provider in south Texas and
was the national director of reimbursement training and research for a health
care consulting company.
Macik-Frey earned a bachelor’s degree for select students in psychology
and speech pathology from Stephen
F. Austin State University, a master’s
in communicative disorders from the
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, a master’s in business administration from Texas A&M University Corpus Christi and a doctorate in business
administration and management from
− DANOS continue from page 18−
continue to raise the standard that we
have set to deliver high-quality products to meet or exceed our customers’
needs.”
In addition, Danos’ fabrication shop
in Amelia has received the American
Society of Engineers (ASME) “U” and
“R” stamp certifications for the fabrication and repair of boiler and pressure
vessels. With the capacity to handle
large-scale fabrication projects, the
Amelia yard includes 120,000 square
feet of fabrication area, including
94,000 square feet under roof. Situat-
19
the University of Texas at Arlington,
where she concurrently taught at the
Goolsby Leadership Academy.
“The College of Business Administration has a well-organized, highly qualified team of individuals, and my job is
to help them stay focused on serving
our students and the business needs
of our region,” Macik-Frey said. “We
have a culture of pride in the quality business education we provide. We
have weathered many storms over the
years, changing as the business world
has become increasingly complex and
dynamic and adapting so as to be able
to continuously turn out highly qualified business individuals. Many of the
business leaders in our region have
walked through our doors.”
ed on Bayou Boeuf, the facility’s more
than 18 feet of water depth makes
load-out easy for barges traveling to
and from the Gulf of Mexico.
These industry certifications are
evidence of Danos’ continuing commitment to providing the highest level
of quality and customer service. The
ISO 9001:2008 certification (created
by the International Organization for
Standardization) establishes Danos as
a company that uses resources efficiently and has the right processes and
people in place to consistently deliver
on, and even exceed, customer expectations.
w w w. H o u m a C h a m b e r. c o m
Complete Holiday Dinners
from ROUSES starting at $ 99
59
premium dinner
$
79
Place your order in the Deli
at your neighborhood Rouses.
99
(Serves 4-6)
www.rouses.com
10-12 lb.* Baked Turkey
1 lb. Green Bean Artichoke
Casserole
2 lb. Shrimp and Mirliton Dressing
2 lb. Mashed Potatoes
2 lb. Cornbread Dressing
1 lb. Creamed Spinach
1 lb. Corn Pudding
1 Pint Cranberry Relish
1 Pint Gravy
Dinner Rolls, Dozen
Apple Pie
Alternative Entrées
18-20 lb.* Baked Turkey $8999
(Serves 6-8)
8-10 lb.* Bone-In Turkey Breast $7999
(Serves 4-6)
4-6 lb.* Prime Rib $13999
(Serves 4-6)
4-6 lb.* Pork Crown Roast $11999
(Serves 4-6)
Now taking orders
10-12 lb* Cure 81 Spiral Ham $8499
(Serves 4-6)
$
traditional dinner
(Serves 4-6)
10-12 lb.* Baked Turkey
2 lb. Cornbread Dressing
or Dirty Rice
1 lb. Green Peas
1 lb. Mashed Sweet Potatoes
1 Pint Gravy
1 Pint Cranberry Relish
Dinner Rolls, Dozen
Apple Pie
*Weight before cooking. • All dinners are sold as ‘Heat
and Eat’ • Food will not be hot when picked up.
• Dinners take 1 to 2 hours to reheat—Instructions
included with dinners. Disclaimer: Actual Holiday Dinner
containers not shown in photos.
59
99
Alternative Entrées
18-20 lb.* Baked Turkey 69
$
99
(Serves 6-8)
8-10 lb.* Bone-In Turkey Breast 59
$
(Serves 4-6)
4-6 lb.* Prime Rib $11999
(Serves 4-6)
4-6 lb.* Pork Crown Roast $9999
(Serves 4-6)
10-12 lb* Cure 81 Spiral Ham $6499
(Serves 4-6)
99
DELUXE dinner
(Serves 4-6)
10-12 lb.* Baked Turkey
1 lb. Green Bean Artichoke Casserole
2 lb. Seafood & Eggplant Dressing
2 lb. Oyster Bienville Dressing
2 lb. Spinach Cornbread Dressing
2 lb. Sweet Potato Casserole
1 lb. Creamed Spinach
1 lb. Mashed Potatoes
1 lb. Corn Pudding
1 Pint Cranberry Relish
1 Pint Gravy
Dinner Rolls, Dozen
Apple Pie
$
99
99
Alternative Entrées
18-20 lb.* Baked Turkey $10999
(Serves 6-8)
8-10 lb.* Bone-In Turkey Breast $9999
(Serves 4-6)
4-6 lb.* Prime Rib $15999
(Serves 4-6)
4-6 lb.* Pork Crown Roast $13999
(Serves 4-6)
10-12 lb* Cure 81 Spiral Ham $10499
(Serves 4-6)