Leadership CenLA

John Babcock

John Babcock currently serves as Clinical Director of Emergency Services at CHRISTUS St Frances Cabrini Hospital. John began his career as a Registered Nurse at Cabrini in January of 2003. John has served in various leadership roles throughout his career as a nurse ranging from Charge RN to Nursing Director.

John embarked on his journey in the realm of healthcare with an avid desire to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. Armed with a compassionate spirit and an unwavering commitment to nursing, he pursued his education with diligence and determination. John graduated from Louisiana State University at Alexandria with an Associate of Science in Nursing, and later obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from the University of Louisiana Lafayette. As his nursing career guided him towards multiple leadership roles, he then furthered his education and obtained a Master’s of Science in Nursing Administration and Leadership from Aspen University.

John Has been a resident of Central Louisiana for over 25 years where he resides with his lovely wife and three children.

Christine Bergeron

Christine was born and reared in Alexandria, LA. Upon graduating from Bolton High School in ’92, she pursued her education at Louisiana State University before obtaining her Bachelor of General Studies degree with a Minor in Psychology from Northwestern State University. Her dedication to Louisiana State University spans nearly two decades, initially serving at the Paul M. Hebert Law Center for eight years before transitioning to her current role as Director of Grant Walker 4-H Educational Center at LSU AgCenter. Christine has exemplified leadership throughout her career, overseeing various aspects of 4-H youth development, including the flagship 4-H summer camp. Her responsibilities have been diverse, including implementing master plans with strategic planning, facility management, stakeholder engagement, marketing and communication, fiscal management, and event planning. She continues to engage in committees within and beyond the LSU AgCenter.

Beyond her professional achievements, Christine’s passions shine through her love for learning and leadership development. Her commitment extends to her role as a Master Gardener, reflecting her enthusiasm for horticulture. In her downtime, she finds peace in her yard, nurturing her flowerbeds and garden, active involvement in her church, and giving back to her community through volunteering. Family holds a special place in her heart, which is evident in her joy in spending time with her nieces, nephew, and rescue dog, “Scooter.”

Joan Botts

Joan Botts was born in Illinois and grew up in Wilmington, Delaware and Memphis, Tennessee where she spent her high school years before heading off to the University of Southern California (go Trojans!) – she received her BA in Public Relations. After spending several years in the entertainment/music industry in Los Angeles, Joan decided to transition to the world of casino marketing. Having worked in several different markets for different gaming companies for 20+ years, Joan was named the Vice President of Marketing at Paragon Casino Resort in Marksville, LA in April 2023. With over 14 years spent in Shreveport, then moving to Hot Springs, AR and Durant, OK, she and her husband were happy to return to their “home” state of Louisiana. Joan has a daughter Chelsea (an LSU grad) and a stepson Gage. Joan is also a proud breast cancer survivor of 26 years.

Dr. Susan Bowers

Susan Bowers obtained her Ph.D. in the field of Animal Physiology from Mississippi State University. She is currently serving as Department Chair of Biological Sciences and Director of the E.F. Mulder Center for Teaching Excellence at Louisiana State University of Alexandria. She serves on the FOTAZ board in conjunction with the Alexandria Zoological Park. Her primary interests are assisted reproductive strategies in exotic, captive bred animals and the use of thermal imaging as a non-invasive diagnostic screening tool to monitor animal health.

Frank Burns

Frank E. Burns Jr. is the Vice President of Physician Practice Operations for CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic for the Central Louisiana ministry. Frank is an experienced healthcare professional with knowledge of physician practice and facilities management. He received his Bachelor's in Public Health from Austin Peay State University, graduating Magna Cum Laude, and his Executive Master in Healthcare Administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, graduating Summa Cum Laude. He will be attending the Virginia University of Lynchburg in the fall to obtain his Doctoral degree in Healthcare Leadership. Frank oversees the administrative and operational aspects of the Christus Trinity Clinic in the Central Louisiana region, serving over 25,000 patients annually. Frank is a native of Knoxville, TN, and enjoys nature, art, and good ole southern cooking.

Elizabeth Campbell-Allen

Elizabeth is an Alexandria, Louisiana native whose work experience is rooted in human service and education. Her educational background includes a B.A. in Criminal Justice, an M.A. in Education, and she is currently a doctoral student at Northwestern State University perusing an Ed.D in Adult Learning and Development with a concentration in Community College Leadership. She has worked in case management and continuing education collectively for over 15 years. Elizabeth prides herself on attaining new skills that will increase her knowledge and ability to adapt in various learning environments.

Her career roles have included Adult Education Faculty, Career Pathways Coach, and Mental Health Professional. She was also appointed to the Training Faculty for the American Heart Association through Christus St. Frances Cabrini Hospital. Most recently, she serves as the Program Coordinator for the Early College and Career Academy pilot at Central Louisiana Technical Community College. Elizabeth is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.

She comes from a large supportive family and recently celebrated her 14th anniversary with her junior high school sweetheart Joseph. Elizabeth adores her 9-year-old “miracle” Landon Joseph and believes that God’s guidance will continually direct her personal and professional paths.

Karen Cole

Karen Cole is a long-time resident of Central Louisiana. Karen began her nursing journey at Rapides Regional Medical Center after graduating from LSUA with her associate’s degree in 2007. Karen has always been passionate about cardiac care and began her career on a cardiac telemetry floor, but found her true passion after she moved to the Cardiac Cath Lab. In June 2018, she became the Cardiac Cath Lab manager and finished her master’s degree in Healthcare Leadership and Administration from NSU. She currently serves as the Administrative Director of Cardiovascular Services and Neuroscience at Rapides Regional Medical Center. Karen has achieved much while leading the cardiovascular program, including multiple Joint Commission Accreditations, as well as, assisting in bringing new technology to the central Louisiana.

Karen and her family reside in Simpson, Louisiana. She and her husband Shane both enjoy traveling and are avid Texas Rangers fans (even in the ‘rebuilding’ years). Karen’s hobbies include watching baseball, reading, shopping, and spending time outdoors. Karen loves living in the country close to extended family and friends where their dogs can run free and explore.

Laura Dufour

Laura Dufour, born and raised in Avoyelles Parish Louisiana, is the First Guaranty Bank branch manager in Moreauville, Louisiana and has been so for the last 4 years. Laura has had 15 years of banking and customer service experience which began with Union Bank in Marksville Louisiana. She graduated from St. Joseph High School in Plaucheville, Louisiana and soon after attended T.H. Harris in Opelousas, majoring in General Studies.

Laura has been married for 14 years to her husband Jeremy Dufour and together they have 2 sons. Gabriel (18) and Kaleb (11). Together the family enjoys going on trips, watching LSU football and trophy catfishing on the weekends.

Alisha Ferrington

* No Bio*

Amy Flynn

Amy Flynn, a Marketing Coordinator at Captivate Minds Marketing, was born and raised in Cenla. After graduating from Holy Savior Menard High School in 2013, her passion for business ignited as she explored various business opportunities in her community. Amy pursued a bachelor’s degree in business Entrepreneurship, graduating in 2021 with concentrations in Marketing and Entrepreneurship. Despite navigating the challenges of the pandemic and weather-related obstacles, she began her career in retail sales, gaining firsthand insights into the local business environment. She then transitioned into a marketing role, which has led to her current position as a Marketing Coordinator. Today, as a single mother of two, Amy is not only advancing in her career but is also dedicated to building a bright future for her children.

Justin Fontenot

Justin Fontenot is the Manager of Distribution Engineering Support at Cleco. Justin and his team are responsible for Distribution Standards, Joint Use, Distribution Relocations, Right of Way, and Land management.

He served in the U.S. Army Reserves during college, and graduated from Louisiana State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. Justin holds certifications as a Professional Engineer (PE) and Project Management Professional (PMP).

Prior to joining Cleco, Justin worked as a Civil Engineering design professional and Project Manager for over 12 years. During that time, he completed various projects for municipal and commercial clients. He is married with two children. Outside of work, he is a regular blood donor and enjoys jogging and golf.

Amy Guidry

Amy Guidry is the Operations Coordinator for Acadian Ambulance in Central LA. This district includes 7 parishes: Allen, Avoyelles, Rapides, Grant, Evangeline, Vernon, and Beauregard. She began her career in EMS as an EMT at the age of 18 in 1999, obtained her EMT Intermediate in 2007 and Paramedic in 2008. Shortly after obtaining her Paramedic, she completed the Critical Care Paramedic course in the summer of 2008. In Spring of 2012, she became a Paramedic Field Supervisor and, in the summer of 2015, a fulltime Operations Supervisor. In January 2019 she stepped into her current position as Operations Coordinator, where she supervises approximately 230 employees, handles scheduling, coordinating events and among many other things. She has also been an EMS DRC (EMS Designated Regional Coordinator) for Region 6 for the past 7 years, for which she functions as the liaison and coordinator between EMS services in Region 6 and the state during Hurricanes, wildfires, the covid outbreak and any other major state incidents to coordinate EMS efforts to have patients moved.

Amy was born and raised in Avoyelles parish, moving to Opelousas in 2016 with her husband, Troy. In her spare time, Amy loves to hunt and fish, and sports.

Kyle Guillory

Kyle Guillory is serving as the Manager of Technology Services (Network and Telecommunications) for Cleco Corporate Holdings in Louisiana. Kyle’s primary areas of expertise are advanced network and communications infrastructure and design, Scada and field networks, fiber optic infrastructure, data center technology and infrastructure, and Cloud networking. Kyle’s background is mostly in the network engineering and design space with experience in the field as a telecommunications technician as well. Prior to the Utility industry Kyle served 7 years in the U.S. Military where he attained a BA in IT-Advanced Networking, later followed up by completing his MBA in 2021.

Rocco Guirlando

Rocco Guirlando is currently serving as the Assistant Director of Cleco Brame Energy Center in Lena, LA. He has worked at Cleco for several years and held progressively responsible roles in Engineering, Projects, Construction, and Generation Management. Throughout his career, Rocco Guirlando has worked in several industries including Petroleum, Manufacturing, Environmental, and Power Generation. He has certifications in Lean Six Sigma Greenbelt and Project Management Professional (PMP).

Rocco Guirlando served in the Louisiana Army National Guard for 6 years prior to attending college full time. In 2007, Rocco graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering, a Minor in Geology, and a more recent Master of Business Administration. He is married with two children and a longtime resident of Cenla.

Keisha Hamilton

*No BIO*

Travis Herrington

Travis Herrington was born and raised in Gardner, Louisiana. After attending Alexandria Senior High School, he embarked on a career in the oil and gas industry, starting with offshore production at the age of 18. Over the years, Travis transitioned into a midstream position in central Louisiana, where he played a crucial role in supplying energy to local communities through natural gas distribution.

Recently, Travis made an exciting move to the Cunningham Pure Water LLC. His interest in water, stemming from his offshore experiences, has fueled his passion for ensuring access to clean, pure drinking water.

As he continues to develop new skills in this role, he remains dedicated to serving the state by providing the highest quality supply of reverse osmosis water and ice, all without plastic bottles. Outside of work, Travis enjoys cooking, gardening, hunting, and being on the lake.

Jill Hulin

Jill Hulin is the Director of Quality at CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini Hospital in Alexandria, Louisiana. She earned her Associate degree in nursing at Louisiana State University at Alexandria, bachelor degree in nursing through Excelsior College, and master degree in nursing with infection prevention specialty through American Sentinel University. She also earned a diploma in Legal Nurse Consulting. Jill has been in healthcare for over 30 years. Through her experience in healthcare leadership, she has demonstrated a proven track record of driving operational excellence and strategic vision within the healthcare industry. Leveraging her expertise in healthcare management and quality improvement, she strives to implement evidence-based practices and streamline operational processes that enhance patient safety and satisfaction. Jill's goal is to contribute to the delivery of efficient, effective, and compassionate care to her community while positively impacting the overall health system.

Dr. Christina Hurd

Dr. Christina Hurd is an Army Veteran who served as a Patient Administrative Specialist. Dr. Hurd has been with Central Louisiana Technical Community College in Alexandria, Louisiana, since 2016, starting in Adult Education as an adjunct instructor and then full-time as a Career Pathways Coach. Dr. Hurd holds a PhD in Education and is currently the Perkins Region 6 CTE Director, where she oversees all Perkins funding and CTE initiatives under the Perkins V State Plan for region 6 as well as their consortia LSUA, she is also an adjunct Criminal Justice instructor for her institution. Her career goals are to stay in post-secondary and federal grant management. She enjoys being a boy mom, traveling and staying active in her community.

Hali Lacour

Hali Lacour is a VP/Regional Operations Manager for First Guaranty Bank. After graduating from Avoyelles Public Charter, she started her banking career. Over the last 13 years, she has worked in several different areas of banking, including loan operations, BSA, and compliance.

Hali is a lifelong resident of Central Louisiana. She currently resides in Moreauville, Louisiana with her husband Ben, and their 3 children, Jaylee (13), Drake (11), and Clayton (5). In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her children, making sourdough, and vacationing in Disney World.

Elizabeth "Liz" Lemoine

Elizabeth Lemoine Marksville Branch Manager for First Guaranty Bank. She has been in Banking for 16 years and a manager for 5 years.

She lives in Moreauville and has been married for 38 years. She and her husband, John have two children Tiffany (Nicholas) and Emily (Kerry) and four grandchildren Morgan, Hunter, Lily, and Brynleigh. She also considers her animals like her children, Lucy, Coco, Blitz and Jax

In her spare time, she loves doing volunteer work in the community. Her grandchildren keep her busy as they are highly active in sports in their school and community. Her favorite things are watching her grandchildren play the sports they love and being their biggest fan.

April Nugent

April is currently the Registered Operations Manager at Financial Solutions Group. She comes to us with nearly 24 years of experience working with this group in the investment industry. She began her career in customer service. Along the way, April has continued to build on her knowledge in this industry, acquiring her insurance license, securities license and investment advisory license.

April, a native of Central Louisiana, is a proud graduate of Tioga High School. She and her husband, Billy, reside in Ball, LA. Her husband, Billy, serves as a K-9 officer with RPSO. They are blessed with two children, Dylan, who serves in the USAF and Ashlyn, who serves as a SPED paraprofessional.

April, whose core value is serving others, has humbly crossed the thresh hold of each door of opportunity that has been opened to her, gaining experience that has contributed to her success in her current leadership role.

Teri Ogorek

Teri Marie Ogorek spent her early childhood in Winn Parish before relocating to Pennsylvania. In 2006, shortly after graduating from Kane Area High School, she returned to Louisiana to attend Northwestern State University in Natchitoches. Teri holds an associate degree in general studies and a bachelor’s degree in accounting both from Northwestern, and she has been a commissioned Notary Public since July 2017.

She began her extended career in the automotive industry as a part-time service cashier during college. Transitioning to Walker Automotive's corporate business office in 2015 through a business acquisition. Progressing through roles such as Accounting Clerk, Office Manager, and finally Controller after completing her Accounting degree.

Teri is dedicated to community service and volunteer work. She was a founding member of Walker's Brand Ambassador committee, leading company community projects in Central Louisiana, and has volunteered with the Volunteers of America ESL program as a weekly tutor. Currently, she cherishes her role as a mother, having welcomed her first child with her fiancé, Federico, last year. She is looking forward to continuing her education and receiving a master’s degree in management.

Abby Ohrt

Abby Ohrt is a native of Alexandria and a graduate of Alexandria Senior High School. She graduated from Northwestern State University. She is a proud wife and a mother to two children, William (9) and Patrick (6). She is employed with the Alexandria Pineville Convention and Visitors Bureau as the Sales Manager where she assists event directors to seamlessly bring their events to life in the Alexandria/Pineville area. Her responsibility includes coordinating hotel room blocks to establishing vital connections throughout the city. She ensures every event is a resounding success. Currently Abby holds a position on the Louisiana Holiday Trail of Lights Board. She is a member of St. Rita Catholic Church. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and spending time outdoors at any sporting events involving her children including baseball, soccer, football. She is very passionate about serving the community that she grew up in and loves.

John Roberts

Born in Slidell, Louisiana, John Roberts was raised in a busy family with six siblings and was taught the importance of perseverance and hard work at a young age.

Following graduation from Southeastern, with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing. His triumph in the Sales Challenge and regular spots on the Dean's and President's Lists attested to his academic excellence.

John started his career in the fast-paced world of advertising, working at Lamar Advertising as a Sales Manager. His leadership abilities and strategic aptitude led to him being selected for Lamar’s first-ever Emerging Leaders Program.

John enjoys a variety of interests and pastimes that bring him happiness and renewal apart from his work endeavors. Being a passionate sports fan, he frequently supports The Saints and Pelicans and competes in friendly matches. John places a high value on physical fitness and likes going to the gym regularly to stay healthy. He spends most of his extra free time hanging out and playing with his dog.

John is excited about the next phase of his life and will be starting a new journey in October 2024 as he gets ready to say "I do" and start a life with his special someone.

Joseph Shidiskis

Joseph Shidiskis, was born and raised in Central Louisiana. He enjoyed playing football starting in the Red River league all the way up to college football. He graduated from Bolton High School in 1993 and attended Northeast Louisiana University. After completing four years of college, Joe had a strong passion to serve his country and joined the United States Army in 1998. He proudly served with the 187th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. He met and married his wife, Lorinda, while station at Fort Campbell, KY. During his 4 1/2-year military service, Joe sustained an injury that led to a medical discharge. Joe decided to go back to college and earned his Bachelor’s degree as a radiologic technologist from Northwestern State University. He has worked 18 years at Rapides Regional Medical Center in x-ray, special procedures, and CT. He served as a CT tech supervisor the last few years and now currently the Radiology Department Manager.

Joe and Lorinda Shidiskis share three beautiful daughters. Ariyana is currently majoring in nursing and Arieus is majoring in premed, both at University of Louisiana Monroe. Their youngest daughter, Alyssia, is a sophomore at Alexandria Senior High School.

Winona "Noni" Short

Winona Short is currently serving in the role of Manager Care Management at Christus St. Frances Cabrini Hospital. She has been at Cabrini for 2 ½ years and has welcomed opportunities to grow and learn within the Christus system.

Winona is a lifelong resident of Central Louisiana having graduated from Louisiana College in 1992 with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She went on to earn a Master’s of Science in Nursing in 2004 from Phoenix University. Winona has enjoyed a diverse 32-year nursing career having applied nursing and leadership skills in multiple areas of nursing. She utilized her master’s degree as she was able to return to her Alma Mater, Louisiana College, to teach nursing. Her passion is teaching and mentoring others and watching as they succeed and grow.

In her current role, Winona mentors and leads a group of talented nurses and social workers who provide discharge services to patients and coordinating with internal and external resources. She collaborates with local entities and cultivates professional relationships in order to help find both local and national services and resources to provide for patients when discharging from the hospital.

Winona and her husband, Joey, enjoy a quiet life with their 2 dogs in the country on a 5-acre farm in the Cotile area. They enjoy gardening and have a small muscadine vineyard where the many chickens like to play.

Wendy Townley

Wendy Townley is a Family Nurse Practitioner working at Christus Trinity Clinic on Versailles where she has been seeing patients since 2017. Prior to that she had a practice in the Christus Family Medicine Clinic from 2013-2017. She serves as the regional representative of the advanced practice clinician committee for Christus Trinity. She obtained her Associate of Science in Nursing degree from LSUA in 2004, her Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree from University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2010 and her Masters of Science in Nursing degree also from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2013. She is currently enrolled in her Doctor of Nursing Program through the University of South Alabama and will graduate in December 2024.

She is a lifetime resident of central Louisiana, graduated from Pineville High and currently resides in the Kolin community with her husband of 20 years and two teenage sons. The family enjoys camping, spending time outdoors and traveling together.

Keith Adams 

Keith Adams is currently the President and CEO of the Central Louisiana Community Foundation. He earned his Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree from Northeast Louisiana University in Monroe. Keith comes to us with nearly twenty years’ experience in non- profit marketing, fundraising, and management having served a consultant advising Non-Profit Organizations and as an executive with the Boy scouts of America, Salvation Army, and Higher Education. Keith and his wife Christine live in Alexandria and have three children aged 22, 18 and 10 years old. Keith is an Eagle Scout and a Veteran. He is an avid outdoorsman with a love for spending time in God’s creation. 

Katelyn Barrone

*No Bio*

Sabrina Bordelon

Sabrina Cassidy Bordelon is the mother of 2 daughters.  She was born in Kingman, Arizona, but moved to Louisiana in 1990.  Sabrina received her diploma from DeRidder High School in 1991.  After graduating, she attended trade school where she received her license as a Nail Technician.  During that time, Sabrina was working in automotive retail sales.  She later chose to remain in the automotive industry and moved to Central Louisiana in 1994.  She began working for Walker Oldsmobile Co. in 1997 in an entry level position in the parts department.  Sabrina held multiple positions within that department and became Parts Manager over the Lincoln, Mercury, and Suzuki franchises in 2006.  In 2014 she was promoted to the Director of Parts Operations.  Sabrina has held that position since and is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in business administration.

Luke Briley

Luke Briley is currently the Dry End Manager for Roy O Martin at the Martco Plywood facility in Chopin, La. Luke received a bachelor’s degree in Construction Management/Engineering from University of Louisiana Monroe in 2011. He also played baseball for ULM where he was named team captain his senior year.  After graduating from ULM, Luke moved to Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Luke started his career as a Project Engineer with Weis Builders. After 2 years with Weis Builders, Luke moved to Minden, La as a Project Engineer for Fibrebond Corporation. 3 Years later, Luke moved to Natchitoches, La, and he began working for Roy O Martin, where he has been for the past 8 years. Throughout those 8 years, he has been Finishing/Shipping Area Manager, then promoted to Dryers/Finishing/Shipping Area Manager, and now serves as the Dry End Manager for the mill. 
Luke is married to his wife, Desirae, and has 4 kids. A 6-year-old son (Nolan), 4-year-old girl (Nora), 2-year-old girl (Allie), and the latest (and last LOL) addition to the family is a 6-month-old boy (Jack). On the weekends they are involved in church, hunting, fishing, dance, and baseball. 

Colton Campbell

Colton Campbell is a First Guaranty Bank Branch Manager in Marksville, Louisiana. Colton is a graduate of Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Colton has a bachelor's degree in business administration, minoring in accounting. 
Colton is from Coushatta, Louisiana and has grown up with four older brothers. Colton’s current hobbies include camping in Arkansas, visiting Alexandria’s Hynson dog park with his bloodhound, and fishing through Toledo Bend. Colton recently moved to Alexandria, Louisiana and has been working for First Guaranty Bank for the three years. 

Elissa Constance

Elissa Constance, a native of Central Louisiana, proudly graduated from Grant High School before pursuing her academic journey at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, where she earned a bachelor's degree in business administration. With a diverse professional background, Elissa spent fifteen years in the credit union industry before transitioning to the field of education, where she dedicated three years to teaching in the public school system. Currently, Elissa serves as the Director of Finance and Business Development at Allegiant, a Cancer Data Registry Management Company.

Elissa, her husband, Clint, and their two boys live in Grant Parish and attend Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Pineville. In her free time, Elissa cherishes moments with her family, camping, and watching baseball. Furthermore, she nourishes her spiritual journey by attending faith-based conferences, where she gains insights and inspiration to use in her personal life as well as her work life.

Timberly Deville

Timberly Deville, an accomplished educator and advocate for underserved populations, has almost 15 years of experience in education and administration. She has received numerous awards such as District Teacher of the Year and the LA Military Department Exceptional Performance Award.

In her current role as Education Coordinator for seven LA National Guard programs and Lead Instructor Chair for the NGB Youth Challenge National Training Committee, she forms partnerships with organizations like LDOE and LCTCS and provides both state and national professional development for educators. Additionally, as part of the National Guard's Joint Diversity Executive Committee, she helps create and deliver NGB’s Diversity and Inclusion Plans.

Timberly is a 2021 and 2022 STAND Lead Fellow, President of the Alpha Pi chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, and holds a BLS in English, an MS.EdL in Educational Leadership, and is pursuing an Ed.D. in Educational Administration from the University of Southern Mississippi.

Arlene Andrepont Duos

Arlene A. Duos is the Director of the School of Education at LSUA .  After teaching high school at Alexandria Senior High School for 14 years (1994-2008), Arlene started working at LSUA on July 1, 2008, as the Programs Coordinator (2008-2013), Assistant Professor (2013-2019), Associate Professor (2019-2021, Chair (2021-2022) for the School of Education.  She graduated from Sacred Heart High School in Ville Platte, Louisiana; earned her BA in Business Education from ULM, MA in Administration and Supervision from NSU, and Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from ULM.  Arlene hosts the annual Educators Rising Regional Conference at LSUA since 2019.  She was the founder of a summer enrichment program at Carter C. Raymond Elementary School in Lecompte, Louisiana called Camp Carter (2010 – 2013).  Arlene is a member of Alexandria Rotary, Louisiana Association for Career and Technical Education (LACTE), and National Educators Rising.

Arlene’s husband, Mitch, is a pharmacist and they live in Woodworth, Louisiana.  They have two sons, Brock (GIS in Colorado Springs) and Brad (Speech Pathologist in New Orleans).  They also have two granddaughters, Harper (6) and Honor (4).  Arlene is a huge New Orleans Saints fan and loves riding roller coasters at theme parks.  

Sarvette Duplessis Talley

*No Bio*

Dustin Etheridge

Dustin Etheridge is the Community Relations Supervisor for Acadian Ambulance Services Central Louisiana district. This district includes the parishes of Avoyelles, Allen, Evangeline, Grant, Rapides, Vernon and Beauregard. He began his career in EMS back in 2002 as an EMT. He then obtained his paramedic license as well as his critical care certification. He has been in many roles within the company serving as Paramedic Field Supervisor, Operations Supervisor, Operations Coordinator, Field Training Officer, and Quality Improvement Coordinator.  In his current role he deals with contracts with multiple facilities, billing issues and customer service issues. Dustin also manages our repetitive patient process in our area. He is married to his lovely bride Abigail of almost 10 years and together they have two wonderful children that keep them busy! He is looking forward to learning more about what our Cenla team has to offer and to continue to network with some amazing folks.

Jeremy Hebron

Jeremy Hebron was born and raised in Ball, Louisiana. After graduating from Tioga High School in 2004, he attended Louisiana Tech University from 2004 through 2009 earning a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering. He also attended Louisiana State University from 2009 through 2010 and the University of Wyoming in 2010 to obtain required coursework in pursuit of land surveying licensure.

He is currently a project manager and practices as a Professional Civil Engineer and Professional Land Surveyor at Meyer, Meyer, LaCroix & Hixson (MMLH) located in Alexandria. Jeremy has been with MMLH for over 13 years gaining knowledge and providing services on engineering and land surveying projects for various clients in sectors such as commercial, government, industrial, oil and gas, and private. 

He and his wife, Stephanie, reside in Natchez on Cane River Lake with their daughter, Sydney. The family enjoys many outdoor activities common to the area such as boating and water sports, hunting and traveling. 

Brandi Laroux

A lifelong Central Louisiana resident, Brandi Laroux grew up on Toledo Bend in the small town of Zwolle, Louisiana.  She is a graduate of the University of Louisiana at Monroe from 1999 with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Radiologic Technology.  Brandi continued her education in Mobile, Alabama at the Institute of Ultrasound Diagnostics in 2001.  She earned her advanced certifications from the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography in Abdominal, Vascular, Breast, Pediatric and OB/Gyn modalities.  

Over the last 20 years of service at Rapides Regional Medical Center, Brandi has held multiple clinical and leadership positions.  She currently serves as the Radiology Director at the facility. 

Brandi and her husband, Waylon, reside in the town of Woodworth with their 4 children, Coen, Ava Grace, Reed and Sara Kate.  In her spare time, Brandi enjoys traveling and spending time outdoors at any sporting event involving her children including baseball, soccer, cross country and basketball.

Jessica Lemoine

Dr. Jessica Lemoine is the Assessment Coordinator at Central Louisiana Technical Community College with over ten years of teaching and administrative experience in K-12 and postsecondary education. She is a native of Alexandria, Louisiana, and an alumna of Alexandria’s Holy Savior Menard Central High School and Louisiana State University of Alexandria (LSUA). Jessica holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from LSUA, a Master of Arts in English from Northwestern State University of Louisiana (NSULA), and a Doctor of Education in Adult Learning and Development with a concentration in Community College Leadership from NSULA. Jessica currently serves as the chair of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System’s Accreditation Liaison Peer Group. In October 2022, Jessica received the Mid-South Educational Research Association’s (MSERA) Outstanding Research-in-Progress Award for her research on the ACT and retention rates of first-time first-year freshmen at NSULA. In their spare time, Jessica and her husband, Duane, enjoy traveling, attending performances of various symphony orchestras, and spending time with family and friends. 

Britni Lilley

Britni Lilley is Louisiana Central’s Communications Coordinator where she is responsible for coordinating and implementing marketing and public relations communication plans, in addition to developing written content for external communications. A Mass Communication Studies graduate from Louisiana State University of Alexandria, Britni finds purpose in creatively coordinating communication strategies and impactful messaging for organizations and individuals striving to make a difference in their communities.

Britni was born and raised in the small town of Lecompte, Louisiana. Her college journey led her to Lafayette, Louisiana for a year where she met her Canadian husband while studying at the University of Louisiana in Lafayette for a short time. After living in Central Louisiana for the first 4 years of their marriage and beginning their family, they ventured onto a life in Alberta, Canada. There they had their 3rd child, and not long after, found that their hearts lied in the South, specifically in Central Louisiana.

Britni and her family are lovers of travel, animals, and quality family time. They appreciate Louisiana and its strong culture, and are proud to call Cenla home. Britni’s individual hobbies include gardening, being involved in her church, observing and creating art (when she has time), listening and singing to music, joy riding to new places, and anything that involves her family and/or friends.

Continuing to grow and develop is something Britni values. She also believes in being open to experiencing new things and finding ways to serve others. She currently serves as Central Louisiana’s Public Relations Association of Louisiana’s board as Secretary, the Young Professionals Group of Cenla’s board as their Member at Large and on the Volunteerism Committee, and is working towards earning her Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) while enjoying the experience of being involved in Leadership Central.

Tina Lindsay

Tina Lindsay is an Economic Development Project Manager for Cleco with over 8 years of experience in Community and Workforce Development and 15 years of experience developing and implementing strategies to recruit and retain business and industry. 

Prior to joining Cleco, Tina served as a Project Management Lead for the Oklahoma Department of Commerce in Oklahoma City, OK.  There she supported local partners with specialized focus on recruitment of industries in targeted sectors i.e.  Automotive, Data Centers, Distribution & Warehousing.   Additionally, managing multiple community and workforce grants and developing strategic implementation plans and results analysis.  

Tina received her certificate of completion from the Oklahoma University Economic Development Institute (OUEDI) and is a graduate of Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, OK, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics.  She is an advocate for and supportive of efforts that create economic growth opportunities for all.

Chrystal Mabou

Chrystal Mabou is currently the Manager of Financial Reporting for Cleco. Her responsibilities primarily include managing the timely and accurate presentation and distribution of periodic financial statements and other financial data for external and internal use. This consists of ensuring reports and filings comply with Securities and Exchange Commission, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, and other regulatory requirements. 

A native of the Central Louisiana area, Chrystal joined Cleco in 2012 after working in public accounting for 10 years. Chrystal holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Northwestern State University, and she obtained her CPA license in 2010. 

Chrystal is married to her husband of 26 years, Jeremy, and has two sons, Bailey and Karson. In her spare time, Chrystal enjoys spending time with her family and being active outdoors. 

Emily McGruder

Emily McGruder is the proud spouse of CPT Shiloh McGruder, and their family is currently stationed at Fort Polk. Being a military spouse has awarded her the opportunity to find a true purpose in serving the military community. Emily recently took that purpose and turned it into a career as the Director of Membership Development for Louisiana Armed Forces Alliance. 

She is also heavily involved in the non-profit sector. Emily currently serves as the President of the Fort Polk Spouses’ and Community Club, Treasurer of the Fort Polk Thrift Shop, and as the Fort Polk Giving Tuesday Military Ambassador. In 2022 she volunteered over 1,100 hours, this led to her being recognized as the 2023 Armed Forces Insurance Fort Polk Military Spouse of the Year and one of the CENLA 4WARD’s 4-under-40. She is also the proud recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award (Gold).

When Emily isn’t working or volunteering, she enjoys spending time with her husband, drinking far too much coffee, and playing with her two golden retrievers – Butter and Biscuit.

Luke Miller

Luke Miller is currently a Project Manager for Meyer, Meyer, LaCroix & Hixson, Inc. (MML&H) in Alexandria, LA. Luke received a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Louisiana Tech University in 2006. After graduation, Luke went to work for Garver Engineers in Little Rock, AR before moving back to Alexandria. In 2011, Luke went to work for MML&H in 2011 as a Project Engineer. Since 2011, Luke has worked on various Structural and Civil engineering projects for municipal, industrial, and private clients. 

Luke has served as President of the Alexandria Chapter and State Board of Louisiana Engineering Society and the Kiwanis Club of Alexandria. Luke continues to serve in various volunteer rolls within both organizations. 

Luke is married with three kids; 13-year-old son, 6-year-old daughter, and 1 year old daughter. Luke and his family are members of First United Methodist Church of Alexandria. 

Kristen Nelson

Kristen Nelson works at First Guaranty Bank in Marksville, LA as a Commercial Lender since 2021. She graduated Louisiana State University of Alexandria (LSUA) in 2020 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management. She is currently pursuing her MBA in Human Resource Management and Project Management at Louisiana State University of Shreveport (LSUS).

Kristen resides in Marksville, LA with her beautiful baby girl, Anastasia St. Romain who recently turned 1 and her fiancé Jonah St. Romain. Ms. Nelson was born in Tokyo, Japan where her parents were stationed in the Air Force at the time. She has traveled to eight different countries to include living in Frankfurt, Germany while her dad was active duty in the Air Force for 26 years. Kristen loves the outdoors, traveling, and spending time with her family. 

Jajuanna Pardue

Jajuanna Pardue is the Alexandria Branch Manager for First Guaranty Bank. She has been with the bank since April 28, 2011. Jajuanna graduated from Pineville High School (class of ’92), she attended Northwestern State University receiving her associate degree in Paralegal Studies (’03). Before working at the bank, Jajuanna worked 18 years at Central Louisiana State Hospital as a Psychiatric Aide helping those with mental problems learn to cope with the diagnoses they had been given. 

Jajuanna has been married for 27 years. She and her husband have 3 children, Bryce (28), Brianna (27) and Brett (26). The Pardue family enjoys antiquing and thrift shopping all over the country. The Pardue family is a very close-knit bunch, that enjoys spending time hanging out. Unfortunately, due to conflicting work schedules, this does not happen as often as they would like. They are looking forward to a new addition to the family with Brianna’s upcoming wedding in October 2025.

Milan Patel

Milan Patel currently serves as a Senior Medical Director on CHRISTUS St Frances Cabrini Hospital administration. He is also a Pulmonary Critical Care Physician. Dr Patel has served various roles throughout his career ranging from ICU doctor to hospital administration and has a sound understanding of complex healthcare value chain. He completed his internal medicine residency at Wright Center in Pennsylvania and pulmonary critical care fellowship training in State University of New York Upstate. In addition to medical training, Dr Patel has received a Master of Business Administration degree from Columbia University in NY.  Before joining Cabrini, Dr Patel worked at Welllspan Health in PA serving as a pulmonary director and population health champion.  

Dr Patel moved to central Louisiana with wife, Poonam, and two young girls (3 and 5). He is excited to be in Alexandria and enjoys hiking and other outdoor activities.  

Robyn Patterson

*No Bio*

Jamie Peterson

Jamie Peterson is the Market Development Manager of Sabine State Bank & Trust Company in Alexandria, La. She began her career as a teller and quickly advanced into a management position in lending. Her banking career spans over a decade during which she attended multiple seminars and courses provided by the Louisiana Bankers Association. 

Jamie graduated from Tioga High School in 2012 and is a resident of Pineville, La. She passed the Louisiana Notary Exam in 2019. In the Spring of 2024, she will be receiving her BS degree in Accounting Information Systems and Data Analytics. Jamie is a member of the Young Professionals Group of Central La and the National Society of Leadership and Success. 

In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, attending social events, and spending time with her family in Lafayette, La. Every other Saturday, she does volunteer work for the Pentecostals of Alexandria-Street Ministry. 

Natalie Roblin

Natalie Roblin was born and raised in Hamburg, Louisiana and recently moved back to the area with her family. She attended LSU where she graduated with a Bachelor's in Mass Communication. After beginning her career in public relations and marketing in the lottery industry, she moved to New Orleans where she received her Master's Degree in Public History. Her lifelong passion for Louisiana history led her to work in the museum and tourism industry for several years in New Orleans before starting her own business in 2021 where she offers both marketing and public history services. She specializes in working with nonprofits and small businesses who wish to engage with their communities in purposeful and sustainable ways. 

Natalie is also the Founder and Director of the Bayou des Glaises Cultural District, a community organization that supports cultural revitalization, historic preservation and art in the Bayou des Glaises community. She is involved in the Avoyelles Arts & Humanities Council as well as the Avoyelles Commission on Tourism. 

Natalie and her husband, Corey, spend their down time going to concerts and comedy shows, utilizing local outdoor recreation areas and and rediscovering what makes Avoyelles Parish and the CenLa area special alongside their two-year-old daughter. 

Keneshelia Smith

Keneshelia Smith is a native of Alexandria, La and is also a graduate of Peabody Magnet High school. She joined the Air Force after high school and served in the United States Air Force oversees and abroad.  She is married to Raymond Smith Jr.  and together they have three children Gabrielle, Nathan, and Leslie.  While serving in the Military, she went through extensive training at Patrick, Air Force Base in Florida on how to deal with sexual harassment and discrimination in the Air Force.  While performing as a Military Equal Opportunity non-commissioned officer, she was required to Plan, organize, and direct Military Equal Opportunity (MEO) activities.  She developed MEO and other related education programs.  She performed administrative functions including but not restricted to preparing reports, analyzing program statistics, and initiating and maintaining case files. 

She Identified existing and potential equal opportunity and other human relations issues, advised and assisted commanders, supervisors, and personnel with possible solutions in resolving MEO concerns.  She also conducted briefings, lectures, group discussions, seminars to improve an organization’s human relations climate.  She helped to educate, monitor the Affirmative Action Program, and conducted climate assessments for military and civilian personnel.  She also completed Leadership and Management training through the Air Force where she learned techniques, and practical application of leadership such as problem solving, stress management, concepts of human behavior, standard of discipline, and effective counseling techniques. 

Upon her separation from the military, she became a full-time mom and also very active in her local community she obtained her paralegal degree and finally she went back to school to obtain her real estate license.  She worked as a successful realtor where she helped several families from moderate to low-income families obtain home ownership, she currently the CEO and founder of an organization CLUB/Cares which has successfully launched March 2021 to train community new and existing entrepreneurs. 

Monica Westmoland

Monica Westmoland is the Director of Finance at St. Francis Cabrini Hospital, a facility within the CHRISTUS Health System.  During her career, she has worked in the both the insurance and the hospital sectors of the Healthcare industry.   She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Southern University.  She also achieved CHFP (Certified Healthcare Financial Professional) designation from the Healthcare Financial Management Association in June 2018.  Monica is a native of Louisiana hailing from Natchitoches, the oldest settlement in the Louisiana Purchase.  When not working she enjoys settling down with a good book over a long weekend.  Currently immersed in “The Last Widow” by Karin Slaughter.  

Daniel Williams

Daniel Williams was born and raised in Louisiana and moved to Alexandria when he was 10.  He still lives in Alexandria today, married with one child.

He received a Bachelor of Science from NSULA double majoring in Computer Information Systems & Business Administration.  His first job out of college was in 2007 when he started working for LSUA as a Web Services Coordinator.  In 2014 he left LSUA and took a position at Cleco as an Applications Programmer.  Over the years he has moved throughout positions within the umbrella of IT to end up where he is today as the Manager of IT Operations which took over in 2021.

Elizabeth Milton Beard

Elizabeth Milton Beard is Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at LSUA. A proud central Louisiana native, Liz has been on the English faculty at LSUA since 2005. She graduated from Rapides High School (class of ’92); earned her BA in English, Secondary Education from Spring Hill College; and completed her MA and PhD in English at LSU Baton Rouge. Liz was the founding coordinator of the LSUA Writing Center, a Louisiana Writing Project teacher consultant, and is the current holder of the Richard Bryan Gwartney Endowed Professorship in the Liberal Arts. Her areas of research and teaching include writing pedagogy and regional literature. Liz serves on the Alexandria Museum of Art Board of Directors and the Generals Athletic Association Board.

Liz’s husband Willard is a family practice physician assistant. The Beards and their two sons, Ben (20) and Charles (17), are active in the outdoor fitness community, enjoying cycling and running.

Timothy Belcher

Timothy Belcher Jr. is originally from Mobile, AL. where he graduated from Alma Bryant High School in 2009. Currently he serves as the Plant Manager for Great Southern Wood Preserving located in Mansura, LA. He began his journey with Great Southern Wood Preserving in 2011 at the age of 19 where he started at the ground level as a laborer. He then went on to serve in several different roles as he rose through the ranks for Great Southern Wood Preserving at their Mobile, AL. location. These positions included forklift operator, cycle counter, plant operator, and supervisor. In 2017 Timothy Belcher Jr. was named the Plant Manager for Great Southern Wood Preserving located in Mansura, LA., where he still currently serves. Timothy Belcher Jr. completed the continuing education course Fundamentals of Supervision at LSUA in 2018.

Joel Byram

Joel Byram is currently a Human Resources Assistant Manager for RoyOMartin at the Martco Plywood facility in Chopin, La. Joel received a bachelor’s degree in Business Communication with a concentration in Human Resources from Louisiana Tech University in 2009. After graduating from Louisiana Tech, Joel moved back home to the Metro New Orleans Area. Joel started his career with Parking Management Services, Inc. (PMSI) where he oversaw Human Resources and Payroll. After four years with PMSI he and his family relocated to Central Louisiana, and he began working for RoyOMartin, where he has been for the past seven years. All seven years have been in the Human Resources Department. In 2017 Joel obtained the SHRM-CP Certificate in Human Resources.

Joel is married with two kids, a son that is eight years old and a four-year-old daughter. On the weekends they are involved with church and family activities. Hobbies of Joel’s include sporting events, fishing, camping, and attending music festivals.

Shirley Branham

Shirley Branham is a native of Marksville, who graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Louisiana Tech University. After college, she moved to Dallas where she began her career and was able to travel extensively for design/build projects outside of the US. In 1997, Shirley returned to Central Louisiana. She has over 30 years of experience working in the construction industry as a Project Manager. She is also an ICC Certified Building Official and a licensed Real Estate Agent. In 2008, she began working for the City of Alexandria, where she has revamped the Plan Review and Permit process and incorporated new software that would streamline project management. In 2015, she transitioned to Community Development where she oversees several grant funded construction related programs, again designing and utilizing software to work more efficiently, including the deployment of new GIS services for the City. She and her husband reside in Alexandria where they enjoy spending time with their friends and family, including precious three grandchildren, and their English Bulldog, Izzie Mae. She is a huge animal lover and enjoys playing golf on weekends with a group of long-time girlfriends. She and Jay also love to travel as often as possible.

Robert Breedlove

Robert is currently Vice President of Generation Operations for Cleco. He has over 25 years of experience in the power generating industry and joined Cleco in November 2021. Throughout his career, he has held numerous roles both in plant management and key operational support roles, including strategic planning, training and workforce development, regulatory compliance and engineering services. He is passionate about leadership development, performance management and implementing strategies for organizational performance improvement. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Mississippi State University and a Master of Business Administration from Tulane University.

Robert and his wife, Jan, recently relocated to the Central Louisiana area and currently reside in Deville with their two daughters, Lauren (18) and Allie (15).

Bernetta Bryant

Bernetta Y. Bryant is a native of Jackson, Mississippi. She is the third of four daughters to Bernard and Mildred Bryant. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics with an emphasis in Accounting and Business Administration from Tougaloo College in 2005. Thereafter, she immediately enrolled in a Master's program and completed her Masters of Accounting degree from The Jackson State University in 2007. After the completion of her Masters, Bernetta began working for a local accounting office and teaching accounting as an adjunct professor at Tougaloo College. After an end of the semester speech, pushing and urging her students to go further in their education, Bernetta was asked "what is your next achievement Ms. Bryant?" The question of what was next reignited her passion for achievement. In 2011, Bernetta applied for and was accepted to law school at Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, LA. After graduating and passing the Louisiana Bar in 2014, Bernetta moved with her son to Alexandria, Louisiana.

Since moving to Alexandria, Bernetta has practiced in various areas of the law. Bernetta is currently an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Alexandria. She is also completing a Master of Law in Taxation degree from The University of Alabama and will graduate in August 2022. Bernetta loves to travel, shop and read novels. She is a huge football fan...college and professional football. When she is not in school or working, you'll find her gardening and pruning her roses or wood working in her backyard.

John Broderick

John is a retired Firefighter-CEP/CET from Arizona and has taught in K-12 and Higher Education since 1991. Though an NAU Lumberjack at heart, John, son of Chief Master Sergeant John Michael Broderick from Elton, LA, has traveled worldwide and spent two years based at England Air Force Base in Alexandria, LA. John has enjoyed a thriving and diverse "first life" as a firefighter, business owner, and adventurer. John currently trains and runs 5k to 100k trail races.

The summer of 2018 brought John to CLTCC as an adjunct psychology instructor, and he soon rose to Dean of Academics. Focused on exploring the challenges Academic Programs face within Louisiana's Community and Technical College System and the educational issues that confront our community, state, and nation Dr. Broderick works diligently to serve students and help in creating success. Dr. Broderick earned his doctorate from Grand Canyon University in Organizational Psychology and holds a master's degree from Northern Arizona University in Educational Psychology, specializing in human relationships, and several other degrees from Arizona State University and Mesa College. Dr. Broderick's areas of expertise include workplace friendship and relationships, human flourishing, leadership, and positive psychology.

Outside of Higher Education, Dr. Broderick serves in the Education and Workforce Division of the Central Louisiana Regional Chamber of Commerce. A true-blue Sport to the Core, Dr. Broderick is married to Michelle Broderick, RN, a native of Crowley, LA., and enjoys the peace and solitude that only six children and seven grandchildren can bring. Dr. Broderick's latest publication is entitled "The Role of Workplace Friendship in Human Flourishing Among Service Sector Workers." He is currently working on two papers concerning Holistic Leadership and Workplace Diversity, respectively. Dr. Broderick is a dedicated educator, researcher, and adventurer.

Sarah Ceballos

Sarah Ceballos is the Administrative Director of Louisiana Central, an Economic Development non-profit located in Alexandria, LA. Louisiana Central is vital to the development of a 10-parish rural population through recruitment of industry, expansion and retention of existing manufacturing economic drivers, workforce development, mid-level agriculture, and entrepreneurship development. Her areas of responsibilities include monitoring 15 grant revenue streams, in the form of federal, state, and private grants; as well as corporate sponsorship. She also oversees human resources, compliance, and office management.

A long-time resident of central Louisiana, formerly from Vernon Parish, she and her family moved to Alexandria in 2020. She earned her AGS, focusing in Business, at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, LA. Sarah then received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, concentrating in Finance from Northwestern State University, and, in December 2021, earned her MBA, concentrating in Human Resources Management from University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Sarah is a member of Society of Human Resources Management, SHRM, and the local chapter, CLSHRM. In 2021, she completed The Rapides Foundation program, BoardBuilders, and is currently investigating local boards, determining where her talents can be best utilized. She is an avid volunteer, giving her time to Girl Scouts and Junior League of Alexandria. In her spare time, Sarah enjoys taking her children camping, hiking local trails, and making jelly from locally sourced fruit.

Angela Cerami

Angela Cerami is a native of Alexandria, Louisiana, and is a 1993 graduate of Alexandria Senior High School. She is currently a Corporate Logistics Specialist at RoyOMartin and started her career with the company in 2006. Throughout her 16 years of experience with the wood manufacturing company, Angela has held positions throughout numerous departments and subsidiaries, including invoicing and administration at the former Colfax Treating Company, a promotion to the sales department at RoyOMartin-Plywood in Chopin, Louisiana, and for Colfax Treating Company. She has been in her current role since 2009. She handles the outbound shipments of finished goods for trucks and railcars out of the Texas subsidiary, Corrigan OSB L.L.C., located in Corrigan, Texas. Before joining the team at RoyOMartin, Angela worked for the 9th Judicial District Judge's Office for eight years. She is very active within her community and has served on the board of the Krewe of Camelot for six years. In addition, Angela volunteers for organizations such as the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Salvation Army, and United Way of Central Louisiana. She is married to her husband of 23 years, and they have two sons. Outside of work, Angela loves horseback riding, hunting, fishing, and camping with her family.

Jermaine Davis

Jermaine Davis is a 38-year-old resident of Ball, La. He has 2 daughters, and is a graduate of Bolton High School, as well as the University of Phoenix with a degree in Accounting. He works as a Purchasing Coordinator at RoyOMartin where he has been employed for 16-1/2 years. Jermaine is a member of the American Purchasing Society and achieved the Certified Purchasing Professional designation in 2020. In addition, he is a licensed Emergency Medical Responder by the La Bureau of Emergency Services. Currently, he is in the process of becoming a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) through the Children’s Advocacy Network where he will serve in Rapides Parish.

In his leisure time, Jermaine enjoys traveling, attending LSU and Saints games, gardening, mentoring and volunteering with nonprofit organizations in Central Louisiana.

Amanda Drummer-Wells

Amanda Wells is the Purchasing Manager at Cleco. She has a native of Avoyelles Parish who currently resides in Pineville. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems from Northwestern State University and Master of Science degree in Applied Science and Technology with a concentration in Computer Systems and Network Technology from Alcorn State University.

Amanda has been with Cleco for 3 years and held various roles including IT Quality Analyst, IT Strategic Vendor Management and Financial Analyst and Manager of IT Planning and Governance. She currently serves as secretary on the Diversity and Inclusion Council at Cleco.

Amanda is married to her husband of 18 years, Alvin and has two children, Joshua and Madison. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and spending time with family and friends. She is a member of Zion Hill Church in Pineville where she serves on the Planning Committee and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

Tomesha M. Farris

Tomesha M. Farris relocated to Alexandria, Louisiana from Montgomery, Alabama. She attended Booker T. Washington Magnet High school where she graduated in May 2004. She attended Auburn University where she became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated and later earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in May 2008. She then attended Jacksonville State University and earned her Masters of Science in Behavior Analysis in May 2010. Thereafter, she earned her Doctor of Philosophy degree from Western Michigan University in December 2016. With over a decade of experience Dr. Farris serves as the Director of Operations for Chick-fil-A. She is a certified grand opening trainer and marketing director. She has opened approximately five Chick-fil-A locations across the country. Dr. Farris enjoys partnering with local organizations in order to have a positive impact on those in the community.

Olivia Helmer

Olivia Helmer was born in Havana, Cuba, grew up in Miami and has been living in Alexandria for 3 years. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Art History from the University of Florida and a Master’s Degree in World Art Studies and Museology from the University of East Anglia. Since graduating, she’s worked within the arts and culture field in a variety of roles including contemporary art sales and consulting, art and antique appraising, auction planning, and project management.

She is currently the Director of Development and Community Relations at the Alexandria Museum of Art. She’s an active member of the Junior League of Alexandria and sits on the board for the Chamber of Commerce’s Young Professionals Group. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking with her husband and son and making ceramics.

Curtis Hilton

Curtis Hilton has been a resident of Central Louisiana his entire life. Curtis received his Associate Degree in Respiratory Therapy in August of 2008 from Louisiana State University of Eunice as he went on to practice as a Respiratory Therapist. He went back to school to acquire his Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Louisiana State University of Alexandria in 2016. Curtis has been an employee of Rapides Regional Medical Center for nearly 10 years where he has served in multiple roles from bedside care to leadership. He has recently graduate with his Master of Business Administration degree and currently serves as the Director of Critical Care/Acute Care at Rapides Regional Medical Center.

Curtis is married to his wife, Mariia, and has two beautiful Ukrainian-American boys, Jackson and Gabriel. Current hobbies include chasing those two boys around and enjoying family time.

Oscar Donta Howard

Oscar Donta Howard, Jr was born and raised in Alexandria, Louisiana and a graduate of Peabody Magnet High School. He received a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies from Southern University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 2017. In 2019, he also received a Master of Public Administration from Southern University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Oscar has been employed with the City of Alexandria for over 16 years. He is the Assistant Director of Public Works for the City of Alexandria where he assists the Interim Director of Public Works with planning and prioritizing the Public Works maintenance and construction projects including assessing operational challenges.

Oscar is a member of the Rapides Chapter of Southern University Alumni Federation where he helps support the goals and objectives of Southern University through recruitment, community outreach and financial support. In his free time, Oscar enjoys working on DIY projects, reading and traveling.

Max Lakes

Dr. Max Lakes was born in Lexington, Kentucky, and spent his childhood living in the Cincinnati and central Kentucky region. He spent much of his time as a youth at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens and always dreamed of working in a zoo.

Life had other plans for the first part of his life. Following the death of his father, Max dropped out of high school after his ninth-grade year and went to find his own way in the world. He spent many years in restaurant management and almost a decade in higher education administration at the University of Kentucky. When the great recession happened and he was laid off from his job at the University of Kentucky, Dr. Lakes decided to go after his dream of working with animals and in zoos.

He finished his B.S. degree at the University of Kentucky and then went on to obtain his M.S. in Recreation and Park Administration concentrating on the Human Dimensions of Wildlife Management. Dr. Lakes studied the Public Perceptions of Black Bear Re-introduction to the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. While working on his master’s thesis, he enrolled in the Doctorate of Education program where he studied the impact zoo behind the scenes tours have on pro-conservation behavior change at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Columbus, Ohio.

While working on data collection at the Columbus Zoo, Dr. Lakes began working as a part time education interpreter. Soon after graduating, he obtained his first full time zoo position at the Sedgwick County Zoo as an Education Specialist. Soon thereafter, Dr. Lakes accepted the position of Curator of Education at the Lee Richardson Zoo in Garden City, Kansas. After 9 months as the Curator of Education, he was promoted to Deputy Director where he served for another year and a half before accepting the position as Director of the Alexandria Zoo.

Dr. Lakes is an active member in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and participates in conservation efforts that align with the Alexandria Zoo’s mission. He sits on the Social Science Research and Evaluation Scientific Advisory Group executive committee and the Zoo Conservation Outreach Group executive board. Dr. Lakes also sits on the board of the New Opportunity School for Women located in Banner Elk, North Carolina. He is very grateful to be in Alexandria as the director as only 251 people have the honor of being a director at an AZA institution.

Dr. Lakes moved to Alexandria with his two pit bulls, Winter and Bailey, and rescued a St. Bernard, Jameson, soon after arriving. He and his dogs enjoy taking hikes in Kisatchie National Forest on the Wild Azalea Trail that is a short distance from his home.

Dr. Lakes is happy to be living in Alexandria, Louisiana and looks forward to becoming more involved in the amazing community that has so openly welcomed him.

Jeff Langston

Jeff Langston was born and raised in Central Louisiana. After graduating from Forest Hill Academy, he attended the University of Louisiana Monroe in Radiologic Technology and Chattanooga State in Nuclear Medicine. After working in patient care for 10 years, he pursued his MBA and MHA at Louisiana State University in Shreveport. He is currently employed as the Vice President of Support Services at Rapides Regional Medical Center. He serves on various committees within the organization and maintains national certifications within the radiology field.

He and his wife, Kim, reside in Woodworth with their three kids. The family enjoys many outdoor activities common to the area such as camping, fishing, hunting, and traveling.

Krissy McCrea

Krissy McCrea is a lifelong resident of Central Louisiana. She is a graduate of Tioga High School, Class of ’96 and earned her college degree from Louisiana State University at Alexandria. Krissy spent 20 years working in the medical field before moving into Postsecondary Education. She is the Campus Director at Unitech Training Academy in Alexandria. Prior to her current role she taught the Medical Assistant Program, was the Clinical Coordinator, and the Director of Education. Krissy is passionate about providing quality graduates to be employed in Central Louisiana and the surrounding Parishes. She is a Notary Public, a member of the International Society of Female Professionals, and a committee member of the American Medical Certification Association. In her spare time, Krissy enjoys traveling and camping with her husband, Jeremy, and their 4 children.

Kimberly McGee

Kimberly McGee is a Reentry Affairs and Volunteer Coordinator at FCC Pollock, one of two Federal Correctional Complexes in Louisiana. She has 20 years of work experience in the Federal Government. She began her career as a student clerk for the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) at the age of 16. She worked her way up to a full-time legal assistant position with EOIR and obtained a Bachelors of Liberal Studies in Communication Studies from LSUA simultaneously.

Kimberly was assigned to the Federal Bureau of Prisons in 2010 and has held various positions of increasing responsibility since her initial appointment. Today, she is a member of the Correctional Support Team (formerly known as the Crisis Support Team).

In her free time, Kimberly volunteers in the community through the Junior League of Alexandria where she sits on the Public Relations and Marketing committee. In addition, she volunteers at her church, Sanctuary of Praise, where she is a member of the Media and Creative Team.

Kimberly is married to Skip McGee and together they have two children, Caroline (5) and Hudson (10). She loves spending time with her family and traveling as often as possible!

Zachary McLendon

Zachary K. McLendon is the Director of Accounting Services & Bursar Operations at LSU of Alexandria. He attended Northwestern State University and graduated with a Bachelor’s in English in 2012 and a Bachelor’s in Accounting in 2015. He moved to Alexandria, Louisiana in 2015 and began working for the local CPA firm, Payne, Moore, & Herrington. He earned his CPA license in 2017 and has over seven years of auditing and accounting experience. He is currently pursuing his Master’s in Business Administration at LSU of Shreveport. Zach’s hobbies include cooking, cheering for the Saints, jamming on the guitar, and watching anything Marvel.

Roseline "Rose" Oyeyemi

Roseline was born and raised in Kaduna state, the northern part of Nigeria. She relocated to Lagos, the western side of the country after her bachelor’s in pharmacy degree in 2005. She worked in the hospital pharmacy sector for 2 years and moved to the manufacturing sector in 2007 when she joined Procter and gamble Nigeria as a production pharmacist and qualify control manager. While she worked as a quality control manager, she led several work process improvements and won the P&G CEO award for productivity improvements in the quality assurance laboratories. The passion for work-place and business improvement led her to the site quality assurance manager role leading quality program in 4 Business Units in the P&G Nigeria plant. After 8 years in the quality assurance and control roles, her passion for people development led her to the Human resource department where she took on the site HR leader role and also stewardship/internal controls leader. She moved to the central Louisiana 1st March 2022, after being assigned an assignment at the P&G Alexandria site. She is currently a member of the International Management Institute and pursuing an MBA.

When Roseline is not working, she loves to cook, speak for conferences and spends time indoor and outdoor with Jemimah her 3 year old and Gbenga, her husband of 15 years. She looks forward to bigger networks and contribution to Cenla.

Kellie Peyton

Kellie Peyton is owner and creative lead at Queen Bee Marketing, a local digital & social media marketing agency that focus on growth strategies for small to medium sized businesses. She has over a decade of human resources, project management, recruiting and staffing experience ah has provided hundreds of employees for local industries including Procter & Gamble 3PL, Eclectic Products, Plastipak, Pollock Federal Prison construction and various projects on and off Ft. Polk.

Kellie is also heavily involved in the non-profit sector, serving on the board of The Central Louisiana Homeless Coalition, the board of Fostering Community Fostering Community, was a Power in Purple Ambassador in 2021 for the American Cancer Society Cenla Relay for Life, serves on the Tom Peyton Memorial Arts Festival Committee and was a former festival co-chair with Husband, Jonathan. Kellie is also in her tenth year of membership with The Junior League of Alexandria, where she has served as Fund Development Vice President, A Very Merry Market Chairman and most recently serving on the leagues newly formed Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Workgroup. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her two sons, her family and friends. Kellie and her husband Jonathan, reside in Alexandria.

Vern Rennier

Vern is the Program Director of the Behavioral Health at Christus St. Frances Cabrini Hospital. He finds it to be an honor to serve the community through helping those in need of mental health treatment. In the past Vern has worked with the Alexandria Police Department where he was involved with the Crisis Intervention Team. There he learned to deescalate a person in a mental crisis. Vern served the United States Army as a Scout Sniper until he was wounded in combat in Baghdad, Iraq on May 4, 2005. He was later awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star with a “V” device for his actions that day. Vern takes his service to his country and to his community as a driving force to help others in need.

Brian Schmolke

A graduate of LSU with a Bachelor’s and ULL with a Master’s of Business Administration, Brian is a part of the Schmolke Investment Team. He holds a Certified Financial Planner™ designation and as such holds himself out to his clients and the general public as a financial fiduciary. His knowledge of finances and financial markets is highly sought after among the public and his clients.

Mr. Schmolke is the current president of Kiwanis of Alexandria, a leading service organization that is “dedicated to improving the world, one child and one community at a time”. He also volunteers his time with the Gracie United Brazilian Jiu Jitsu organization by coaching the youth class at Genesis Martial Arts in Alexandria.

Brian and his wife, Amy, have three children, and live in Woodworth. He is a member of the CENLA LSU Alumni Chapter, the CENLA Young Professionals Group, and Mensa International. He holds a black belt in Judo and is currently a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Terri "Alecia" Smith

No bio submitted.

Nina Wagner

Nina Wagner is a Marketing Support Specialist who spends her workdays on the “Frontlines” of the insurance world at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana’s Alexandria District office. Nina thrives on helping others with a strong belief in paying it forward and never doing the bare minimum; instead, she cheerfully goes above and beyond with each and every task.

With over 12 years combined in experience working different insurance/coding and billing-based positions at both the providers and facility levels; Nina knows firsthand just how intimidating and confusing the sheer volume of information can be, not to mention the fact that it is written in a largely unfamiliar lingo. Even for the ones who work in the field this is a never-ending hurdle to leap; so, she dedicates her days to not just answering questions, but also providing easy to understand explanations so that everyone she assists leaves not just with an answer, but an understanding.

Just recently Nina successfully obtained her Accident and Health or Sickness, and Life licenses from the Louisiana Department of Insurance. In her 4 years with BCBSLA, she has established herself as one known for always getting the job done while smiling, laughing and even some random dance moves along the way!

Caitlyn Watkins

Caitlyn Watkins is a communications strategist at Cleco. She grew up in Bunkie and today resides in the Deville area. Caitlyn attended college at the University of Louisiana at Monroe and obtained a bachelor's degree in communication with a public relations concentration. She has spent nearly five years in her role at Cleco working on internal and external communication projects related to social media, employee engagement, customer experience, events, and executive and crisis communication.

While at Cleco, she has led internal communication and social media efforts throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, four major hurricanes, two winter storms and one tropical storm. In addition, Caitlyn has developed and implemented robust communication plans for various organizational changes.

Caitlyn is active in the community through the Junior League of Alexandria where she currently serves as the Public Relations and Marketing Committee Chair.

When not working, Caitlyn enjoys being outdoors, cooking, and spending time with her husband, Caleb, as they train their two chocolate labs to compete in hunt tests.

Lindsey Bertrand

Lindsey Bertrand began her journey in the credit union industry at the age of 20 when she was enrolled in online classes to become an elementary school teacher. Soon afterwards, she realized she enjoyed her time working at the credit union a great deal and wanted to learn more. She decided to double major in human resources management and later work towards completing a MBA. The knowledge she has gained from working in the industry is priceless. Lindsey began her credit union journey as a teller and today is the Vice President of Operations for Valex Federal Credit Union.

When not working in the office, Lindsey may be found spending time with her husband of ten years or playing ball with her two children. Their family will be complete late summer 2021 with the addition of a new baby girl.

The things she loves most in life are faith, family, and friends.

Cheryl Bordelon

Cheryl Bordelon is a lifelong resident of Central Louisiana. After graduating from Marksville High School, she attended LSUA to obtain an Associate Degree in Nursing, and she has been employed as a Registered Nurse for over 30 years. After raising her family, she returned to LSUA to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing and her education quest continues as she is pursuing a MBA in Healthcare Leadership. She is currently employed as the Director of Perioperative Services at Rapides Regional Medical Center providing supervision over surgical services program at the facility. She serves on various committees within the organization and maintains national certifications within the nursing profession.

She and her husband reside in Avoyelles Parish and enjoy their blended family of 4 children and 6 grandchildren. She enjoys many outdoor activities common to the area such as camping, hiking, traveling, and fishing.

Joseph Borne

Born and raised on the bayou in St. Mary Parish, Joey Borne grew up in the small town of Franklin, Louisiana. He has worked in Central Louisiana for the past 4 years as the Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration at Central Louisiana Technical Community College (CLTCC). He is not your typical higher ed employee. He worked in the gaming industry for 15 years prior to his 6 years in higher education. He worked as an Auditor, Financial Analyst, Finance Analyst Manager, Finance Manager and Controller.

His experience in managing a multi-million-dollar operation has helped him succeed in higher education, as it relates to managing multiply funding sources that are required to operate a community college.

He works hard and plays harder! He loves spending time outdoors with his 4 kids fishing, hunting, and kayaking. His wife, Callie Dupuy Borne, is originally from Avoyelles Parish. Joey and his family currently reside in Cottonport. They have 4 children: Viley Kate 15, Preston 13, Ada Louise 10 and Henri 7. They absolutely love small town living and Joey enjoys working in the big city of Alexandria. He is looking forward to expanding his working network in Cenla.

Toby Brazzel

Toby Brazzel is a lifelong resident of Central Louisiana. He is the Owner of Allstate Financial Services, LLC investment firm in Alexandria for over 24 years. He was an Allstate Insurance Hall of Fame Inductee in 2017 and is a Million Dollar Round Table Member, 2020 Top of the Table Qualifier.

Toby is a graduate of Northwestern State University and double majored to earn a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Science and Business Finance in 1991. He and his wife, Kelli Brazzel, own Robbie G's Restaurant in Alexandria, LA. Toby is the President of the LSUA Generals Athletic Association and a member of Alexandria Downtown Rotary.

Shondria Cheatam

Shondria Cheatam is a native of Alexandria, Louisiana. She is a graduate of LSUA and Northwestern State University with degrees in Business Administration and Psychology. She began working at the Alexandria Housing Authority in 2006 serving as a property manager for 6 years, she has also served as Human Resources Director and Housing Program Director prior to becoming the Chief Operating Officer for the agency. Outside of work, Shondria enjoys reading, travelling and spending time with her family. Shondria holds a SHRM-CP certification from the Society of Human Resources Management, Housing Quality Standards Certification from Nan Mckay, Tax Credit Compliance certification and is certified as a Public Housing Manager by the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials.

Robin Cosenza

Robin Cosenza has more than 20 years of experience in project management and public relations. She has an extensive background in the development and implementation of public awareness and political campaigns as well as brand expansion that stems from years of working with both corporate and small businesses in the Central Louisiana area and beyond.

Robin holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Louisiana College in Pineville. She is a member of the Central Chapter of the Public Relations Association Louisiana (PRAL), having served on the board for 10 years.

She is a native of Central Louisiana and resides in Pineville with her husband, John, and their children Michael and Lela Marie.

Jennifer Cowley

Jennifer Cowley was born and raised in Alexandria. She grew up in the Garden District, and she is an alumna of Bolton High School, Class of ’94. She attended Louisiana Tech University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing. After graduation, she moved to Dallas, TX. During her time there, she held various positions. She worked in sales, retail, and advertising. In 2004, she returned to Alexandria. She became interested in teaching, so she pursued her teacher certification in Elementary Education from Louisiana State University at Alexandria and taught for the Rapides Parish School District. Jennifer has also earned a Master of Business Administration from LSU at Shreveport. Jennifer currently serves as the Program Manager for K-12 for The Orchard Foundation. She has a loving husband and is a mom to three beautiful daughters.

Brandi Dubea

Brandi Dubea is DETEL’s Chief Executive Officer, responsible for providing the leadership, management and vision for our company that is necessary to stay on the forefront of innovative technology for 21st century classrooms.

With over 19 years of industry experience, Brandi understands the importance of customer satisfaction. Understanding that our customers desire innovative, reliable products that are heavily supported has been her impetus to position DETEL as a product and service integrator that provides exemplary customer service and support.

Prior to assuming the role of Chief Executive Officer, Brandi served as DETEL’s Chief Operating Officer, and previously the Director of Sales and Marketing. In these roles, she was responsible for all sales and operations while simultaneously developing corporate-level marketing, branding and business-development strategies.

Brandi graduated from Louisiana State University in 2001 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communications. She also has a Network+ Certification and holds many vendor-neutral trainings and certifications.

Stephan Fontenot

Stephan Fontenot is the Executive Director of the Alexandria Housing Authority. Stephan is a seasoned housing professional with decades of management experience and he has helped to rebuild, modernize and strengthen the agency’s housing stock through the Rental Assistance Program (RAD) with a housing portfolio totaling over $100 million dollars in assets. Prior to his appointment as Director, Fontenot held several Senior leadership positions at the agency. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Management, a Master of Arts degree in Education and has taken extensive courses towards the Doctorate in Education.

He also holds certifications from the National Association for Housing and Redevelopment for Low Income Housing Management, the National Center of Housing Management; Housing Quality Standards; and Public Housing Management.

With a goal of empowering and engaging residents, Fontenot works with a staff of 25 employees. His agency partners with local businesses and stakeholders to provide the very best in affordable housing through trailblazing, forward thinking and quality of life initiatives.

Stephan is married to wife Patricia and they have 5 children and 5 grandchildren. He is also a life member of Kappa Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Melynda Gremillion

Melynda Zangla Gremillion is a native of Alexandria and a graduate of Holy Savior Menard High School. She received a Bachelor of Interior Design from Louisiana Tech University in 2004. She is a proud wife and a mother to two children, a son (10) and daughter (5). She has been employed with the City of Alexandria for 8 years and is currently the Interim Director of Planning. Melynda holds positions on the Board of Commissions for the Alexandria Housing Authority and the Star Committee at the Planning Commission. She is a member of Our Lady of Prompt Succor Catholic Church and will serve on the OLPS Home and School Board as President for the 21-22 school year. In her spare time, she enjoys baking and spending time with her family.

Andre Guillory

Andre Guillory is the interim Vice President and Chief Customer Officer for Cleco Power - focused on strategy and execution of all Distribution and Customer-related operations. With a background in engineering and experience in operations across the electric utility, Andre most recently served as Director of Metering, Billing, and Revenue Collections.

Mr. Guillory has extensive project management and leadership experience with Cleco across a variety of functional and technical initiatives over the past 15 years. Within Cleco he’s led various technical and operational teams, initiated the Distribution Automation / Smart Grid efforts within Cleco and led Cleco’s AMI implementation.

In 2016, Andre assumed the responsibilities of leading Cleco and its partners through an enterprise digital transformation to SAP’s S4/Hana platform. Partnered with IBM and SAP, the Cleco successfully went live on SAP across the business in 2019.

Mandi Guillory

Mandi Guillory is the Director of Marketing and Business Development at Alexandria Emergency Hospital. Working in the Recruiting/Sales & Marketing industry in Central Louisiana since 2011, she accepted the position at Alexandria Emergency Hospital while the hospital was still under construction. Their first year in business, AEH received awards for Best Specialty Hospital and Best New Business of 2020. Mandi is an active member of the Junior League of Alexandria, a member of the Executive Leadership Council for Rapides Parish Relay for Life, the current Chair for the Power in Purple Campaign, and a Board Member for the YWCA of Alexandria. She is very passionate about serving the community that she grew up in and loves. She is a resident of Woodworth and a graduate of LSUA.

Charles Jones

Charles McKinley Jones is a native of Pineville, Louisiana and a graduate of Pineville High School. He received a Bachelor of Science from Northwestern State University, Natchitoches, Louisiana in 2008. In 2017, he received a Master of Science in Human Resources Education and Leadership from Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA.

Charles is the Assistant Director of Human Resources and EEO Officer for the City of Alexandria where he assists the Director of Human Resources with managing the daily operations of the Human Resources Division.

Charles is a member of the Zion Hill Baptist Church, Pineville, LA. He is also a gospel singer and an avid lover of music (all types). In his spare time, he enjoys traveling (road trips), and spending time with family and friends.

Jaimie T. Lacombe

Jaimie T. Lacombe graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management with a minor in Finance from the University of Louisiana Lafayette in 1998. She worked in the private sector for 10 years before her current employment as the Supervisor of Finance for the Avoyelles Parish School Board in Marksville and also serves as the Sales Tax Collector for the parish. While in this positon she graduated with her MBA from LSU in 2017. She is active in several governmental organizations that include GFOA, LASBO and LATA. She enjoys being part of an industry that plays a vital role in the education of our greatest resource, our children, our future.

Leisa Lawson

Leisa Lawson is the Civil Service Director for the City of Alexandria, LA. Outside of work, she is active in the community. Leisa serves as Board President of the Children’s Advocacy Network since 2020, a Trustee of The Circle Church in Alexandria, and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Zeta Lambda Omega Chapter. Prior to joining the City, she practiced law with the Louisiana Department of Justice and Gold, Weems, Bruser, Sues & Rundell. She was admitted to practice in all Louisiana state and federal courts in 2011. She holds a Juris Doctor from the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center in 2011, and a Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology from Rice University in 2008.

Wendell Luneau

Wendell Luneau was born and raised in Alexandria, LA. He graduated from Pineville High School in 2015 and then went on to further his education at Louisiana State University. Wendell graduated from LSU in 2019 with a degree in Industrial Engineering and a minor in Business Administration. His work experience in college centered around engineering and the construction industry, but he went a different route with his career after college. Wendell has moved back to Pineville and is now an Insurance & Risk Advisor for Brown and Brown Insurance in Alexandria. He holds a Property & Casualty insurance license and specializes in medium to large commercial customers. When not at work, he is an avid outdoorsman and bow hunter.

Sekou Ma'at

Sekou Ma’at is originally from New York. Sekou received his Bachelors of Science in History/Political Science from Hofstra University, NY and his Masters in Social Work from Hunter College School of Social Work, New York. He is a lifetime member of the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice, an active member of the American Correctional Association, and an active member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

Sekou began his career with the Federal Bureau of Prisons at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York in January 2000. Since that time, Sekou has been assigned to positions of increasing responsibility including: Correctional Treatment Specialist, FCC Coleman, FL, August 2000 to February 2003; Assistant Regional Designator, Western Regional Office, Dublin, CA, February 2003 to April 2005; Unit Manager, FCI Beckley, WV, April 2005 to December 2007; Executive Assistant/Satellite Operations Administrator, FCI Bastrop, TX, December 2007 to August 2009; Associate Warden, FCC Pollock, LA, August 2009 to May 2012; Associate Warden, FCI Aliceville, AL, May 2012 to August 2015 and Associate Warden, FCC Butner, NC from August 2015 to November 2018. On November 18, 2018, he returned to FCI Bastrop and was promoted to the position of Warden. On October 11, 2020, he was promoted to Complex Warden at FCC Oakdale.

Titan Marler

Titan Marler is 24 years old & originally from El Paso, Texas. Currently, he is a loan officer at BOM Bank and has been there for two years. He is also a Young Adults leader at Heart of Worship Church in Pineville, an 8U baseball coach for the Louisiana Outkast, Vice President of the Kiwanis Club of Pineville & member of the Pineville Rotary Club. Titan double majored in Management/Marketing & Finance from Louisiana College. In college, he played baseball at Colorado Christian University & Louisiana college for 5 years (medical redshirt). In the spare time he has, he likes to fish & attempt to break 100 in golf.

Liz Mileshko

Liz Mileshko is the President and CEO of the Central Louisiana Community Foundation (CLCF). Liz grew up in the Metro Atlanta area and attended the University of Alabama. Upon graduating she married her husband, Alex, and moved to Fayetteville, North Carolina. Liz started her career in the sales and marketing pool of the corporate world but was quickly pulled into the nonprofit realm. Liz spent a few years as the Regional Development Director for the American Heart Association before being recruited to become the Executive Director of the Airborne and Special Operations Museum Foundation. After receiving military orders, her family moved to Central Louisiana in October of 2019 and she began her tenure at President and CEO of the Central Louisiana Community Foundation in December of 2019. Outside of the normal 9 to 5 day, Liz enjoys spending time with her husband, two children, and her two German Shepherds.

Jeffry Pogue

Jeffrey Pogue has been married to his better half, Michele, for 27 years. They have three children Savannah, Lauren, and Joel. He was a military child growing up moving from base to base until the age of 12. His father chose to retire at England Air Force base, and he has called Central Louisiana his home since.

Jeff went to Tioga Jr High and Tioga High School, then on to LSUA. While at LSUA he joined the local fire department in Kolin and became interested in first response. Jeff then decided to take an Emergency Medical Technician class, which was the start of his career in Emergency Medical Services. He is currently the Operations Manager for the Central District of Acadian Ambulance, overseeing seven surrounding parishes.

Cenla Ambulance Service 1991-1995

Acadian Ambulance Service 1995- Present

Michelle Purl

Michelle Purl is originally from Minnesota but has called Florida home for 32 years. A graduate from Florida State University, she started her nonprofit career working on a wagon train with delinquent youth. In her 4 ½ years at United Way of Lake & Sumter Counties she helped to establish their Master Teacher program and transformed their fundraising to a modern campaign style.

Creating change in lives and communities is an amazing experience. Being a part of the non-profit world for over 30 years has allowed her to be a part of this transformation. Nonprofits are the best of both worlds- success is determined by being business oriented and understanding the many complexities that are needed to be successful in strategy, leadership, financial goals, and marketing. Creating change is never easy but working collectively we can have better insight, solutions, and resources.

Teddy D. Price

Teddy Darrell Price is 24 years old and was married to his fiancé Taylor in June 2021. His family is originally from Winnfield, La, but moved to their current home in the Pollock area in the early 2000s. He attended primary and grade school at Alexandria Country Day, followed by High School at Holy Savior Menard. Teddy recently graduated LSU with a Bachelors in Finance in December of 2019. He began his working career at Plantation Manor, a Long Term Care facility in Winnsboro, La as an Administrator in Training for Central Management Company. He spent 8 months there training and recently gained his NFA license in early January ‘21. Once licensed, Teddy moved back home to the Cenla region and began work at CMCO’s home office learning their insurance programs.

Dawn Rabalais

Dawn Rabalais is from Mansura, Louisiana. She is currently single with no children but engaged to be married on 08/14/2021. Dawn has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics with a minor in Computer Science from LSU in Baton Rouge, LA. She currently works at CLECO in Pineville, LA and has been employed there for the past 24 years. Her current job title is Supervisor of Customer Billing. Her hobbies are traveling, reading, gardening, volunteering for different organizations and most of all spending time with family and friends.

Ryan Riche

Ryan Riche is Director of Rehabilitation and Outpatient Services at Rapides Regional Medical Center in Alexandria, LA. Ryan holds a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport, and a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology from Louisiana College in Pineville. Having worked at Rapides Regional for over 8 years, Ryan has held both clinical and administrative positions. Ryan is married to Lara Riche, and has two sons, Rennick and Aceson Riche. In his free time, Ryan enjoys being in the outdoors, spending time with family and friends, and beekeeping.

Grace Semones

Grace Semones was born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya. She moved to the USA 16 years ago to get a quality college education. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Louisiana Tech and later obtained a Master of Science Degree in Mathematics. She is an Instructor of Mathematics at Louisiana State University Eunice at the LSUA Campus and the Liaison for LSUE at LSUA. She is also the Co-Chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and a member of the search committee at LSUE.

Grace is married to Steven Semones and together they have 4 children. She volunteers for the Junior League of Alexandria where she currently serves in the Nominating Committee and will be serving as the Chair of the new class committee for the upcoming year. She also volunteers for the Rotary Club of Alexandria where she serves in the Vocational Committee, Scholarships Committee, and Grants Committee. In addition, she is on the board of the Hope House of Alexandria and Foster Care Board.

Courtney Squyres

Courtney Squyres has been employed with Louisiana Eye and Laser Center in Alexandria for over a year and was promoted to HR Senior Generalist after only 5 months with the company. She graduated from NSU in December 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Unified Public Safety Administration and has plans to continue her education in the near future. Outside of the office, Courtney enjoys spending time with friends and family and reading anything she can get her hands on. She is also a huge travel junkie with goals to travel to every state within the next ten years.

Sarah Swain

Sarah Swain is the Facility Administrator at Alexandria Emergency Hospital. She has a degree in Healthcare Management with a Professional Practice Concentration. She has been in healthcare for 10 years in various roles including; Emergency Services Management Support, Human Resources and Facility Operations. Her committee involvement includes Emergency Services Joint Oversight, Incident Command/ Emergency Preparedness, and Patient Experience. Sarah has found her home with Alexandria Emergency Hospital as this has been her largest project to date, from ground breaking to their second successful year. In addition to her role at AEH, Sarah has had the opportunity to travel to various sister facilities to assist in opening their practices. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, spending time with friends and family, and shopping. She is excited to be a part of Leadership CenLA 2021 and have the opportunity to network and learn with other growing leaders in the community.

Thelma Sumbler

Thelma V. Sumbler AD, CRT is the Respiratory Therapy Coordinator at CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini Hospital. She has been a respiratory therapist for 20 years. She began her career at CHRISTUS St. Patrick hospital in August of 2001 then transferred to CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini Hospital in December of 2001, where she has worked in the adult critical care unit, the emergency department, and pulmonary function lab. As the respiratory coordinator, Thelma is responsible for maintaining accreditation with Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments and College of American Pathologist, as well as being the charge therapist on day shift. Thelma is also a Basic Life Support instructor for CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini Hospital.

Thelma graduated from LSU-Eunice, being the first member of her family to attend college. Thelma is the daughter of immigrant parents and speaks fluent Spanish. She enjoys spending time with her two, very active children, Alexa, 18 and Jacob, 12.

Deron Thaxton

Deron has over 23 years of experience in Higher Education management and administration with 21 of those years within the state of Louisiana. He began his career at his alma mater, Northwestern State University, in 1998 as a Systems Administrator and quickly moved in to the Director of Information Systems role. He later served as Director of Technical Services at Truman State University located in Kirksville, Missouri.

Deron joined LSU of Alexandria in March of 2003 as Director of Computing Services and has been involved in all areas of University Administration since that time. Throughout his career in higher education, he has traveled to various universities in the United States and Canada to provide expertise and guidance in the areas of Student Records and Registration, Financial Aid, Accounting Services, IT Resources and Data Management. Deron currently serves LSUA as the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer.

Outside of Higher Education, Deron serves on the Board of Directors for VALEX Federal Credit Union. His educational background consists of degrees in Computer Technology, Electronics Engineering, and a Master’s in Healthcare Administration. Deron is married to his wife of 24 years, Shere’ Matthews Thaxton. They have one son, Aiden, who pursuing a Computer Science degree through LSU/LSUA. Deron and his family reside in Alexandria, Louisiana.

John Waight

John Waight is a Senior Business Transformation Analyst at Cleco. John holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from LSU and a Master’s Degree in Policy Economics from Tulane. John is currently pursuing the CFA charter and is a CFA level III candidate. He grew up in Belize City, Belize and immigrated to Louisiana as a teenager. John now considers himself to be a Louisiana Native, as he has now lived in Louisiana longer than he has in Belize.

His previous work experiences have been primarily analytical in nature, as he has worked as an Economist for the Central Bank of Belize and a Financial Analyst at P&N in New Orleans. John has been with Cleco for ~5 years and has worked on many projects that have given him a thorough understanding of the electric industry. One of his proudest achievements at Cleco was to assist in the development of a financial model that was used to value the $1BN Cleco Cajun acquisition. He prides himself as being someone that is highly adaptable, as he has worked on projects outside analytics, such as Cleco’s COVID-19 pandemic planning. Outside of work, John enjoys traveling and spending time with family.

Clay Walker

Clay Walker is the Manager of NERC CIP Compliance for Cleco. He was born in Baton Rouge, but moved to Pineville in 1991. He attended Pineville High School student and graduated as a valedictorian in 1995. Clay attended Louisiana Tech University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems in 1999 and a Masters of Business Administration in 2000. He has been working at Cleco for 20 years and has worked in the following departments: Information Technology, Internal Audit, Financial Systems Support, and now NERC CIP Compliance. Clay met his wife at Louisiana Tech, and they have been married for 18 years. They have three boys, Garrett (15), Carson (11), and Crosby (9), who keep them very busy all the time. They love traveling, and especially love all things Disney and Marvel!

Justin Whitcher

Justin Whitcher is currently a Purchasing and Storeroom Supervisor for RoyOMartin at the Martco Plywood facility in Chopin, La. He grew up in the Central Louisiana area and graduated from Buckeye High School in 2007. Justin then received a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Business from LSU Baton Rouge in 2011. He has been with RoyOMartin for six years, all of which has been in the purchasing department in Chopin. He is married, and has three boys, the oldest being six and a set of one-year-old twins. Justin is heavily involved with his church (First Pentecostals of Deville) and hobbies are anything outdoors: hunting, fishing, golfing, and kayaking just to name a few.

Shane Williams

Shane D. Williams was born and raised in Alexandria, Louisiana. He attended Alexandria Senior High School where he graduated in May 1997. He attended Southern University where he earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in July 2001 and received his Master of Science Degree in Urban Forestry in July 2002. Thereafter, he earned his Juris Doctorate from The Southern University Law Center in May 2005.

Mr. Williams works as the City Attorney for the City of Alexandria. Mr. Williams was appointed to this position by Alexandria Mayor Jeffrey W. Hall in January 2021.

Mr. Williams is also certified as a sports agent by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA).

He currently serves on the Executive Council of the Alexandria Bar Association.

Mr. Williams is happily married to his wife, Myra, and they have a 7-year old son.

Mark Bordelon

Mark is the General Manager of Engineering and Project Management based out of Cleco’s corporate office in Pineville, LA. Mark and his team are responsible for the planning, designing, and executing of all large, complex capital projects at Cleco. These types of projects range from new power plant construction to large scale transmission system upgrades.

Mark joined Cleco after graduating Louisiana Tech University with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering and over the last 18 years has worked on both generation and transmission sides of the business.

Shannon Carmouche

Shannon Carmouche is currently a Coordinator with the Rapides Parish School Board by day and an Adjunct Instructor of Adult Education at CLTCC by night. She works with a variety of principals and teachers to help enhance educational practices at their schools. Shannon has a Master’s degree from Northwestern State University in Educational Leadership and also served as an elementary principal for 12 years. Before being appointed principal, she taught 1st, 3rd, and 5th grades all in Rapides Parish Schools. Shannon enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband and two adult sons who are away at college. In December 2019, she will be the mother of a college graduate.

Lauren Clark

Lauren Clark is a clinical manager at CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini Hospital, where she leads the day-to-day operations of the respiratory care department. Lauren began her career at CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini in 1999 as a respiratory therapist. Since that time, she has served as the supervisor for the RT department, as well as an HR business partner. Lauren is credentialed by the LSMBE as an RRT, and obtained her MBA with a concentration in healthcare administration in 2018. In her free time, Lauren enjoys reading and traveling.

Taura L. Denmon

With over a decade of experience housing citizens in Central Louisiana, Taura L. Denmon, a native of St. Louis, Missouri, has strong ties to the southern region. Since 2004, she has made Alexandria, LA her home. She has immersed herself in the fabric of Central Louisiana and has the ability to not only see a problem, but seek immediate solutions that have sustainable impact. Using her unique skills, training, experiences and education in the housing industry, Taura is ready to bring positive change to all residents in CenLa.

Amy DeSelle

Amy DeSelle has worked for Gilchrist Construction Company for over 20 years. She was recently promoted to Business Leader where her main focus is to maintain or increase project gross profit margins. When she is not working, she spends time with her children Anna and Mikey. She likes to read, cook and sleep late on weekends. She is a serious TV binge-watcher and a Starbucks connoisseur.

Lisa Doney

Lisa is the Campus Dean for Central Louisiana Technical Community College Alexandria Campus. She has worked in higher education administration for over 20 years. Lisa is originally from Natchitoches, LA and graduated from NSU with a Bachelors in Business and a Masters in Student Personnel Services. She currently resides in Alexandria with her husband, Bruce and son, Christopher.

Mark Dubea

Mark Dubea is a lifelong resident of Avoyelles Parish, Marksville, Louisiana. Mark is a Human Resource generalist and a current employee of Gilchrist Construction. Mark has been employed by Gilchrist for 11 years. Mark is a graduate of Louisiana State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology. Mark enjoys being in the Human Resources field because he gets to meet and help many people. Mark is a member of the St. Cecelia Chorale and a Member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. Mark enjoys participating in his Fantasy Football league and outdoor activities, such as camping.

Heather Ledet

Heather Ledet, BSN, RNC-OB, C-EFM is the Nurse Manager of Labor & Delivery at Rapides Women’s and Children’s Hospital. She earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing degree in 2007 from Northwestern State University. She holds national certifications in Inpatient Obstetrics and Electronic Fetal Monitoring. Heather is also a member of the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrics and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN). She is an active member of Our Lady of Prompt Succor Catholic Church, Cenla ACTS, and she serves as a Girl Scout Troop Leader for Troop 1026.

Mary Lee

Mary Lee is a manager at Cleco where she oversees 13 Customer Service Offices throughout their service territories; her team provides face-to-face services to Cleco’s walk-in customers. Mary has been with Cleco for 25 years and has previously worked in just about all departments within Customer Service. Mary’s years of experience in Customer Service prepared her to serve in the capacity as Team Lead, Supervisor and now Manager. Mary was born in Avoyelles Parish where she frequently visits and spends a lot of time. She has been a resident of Rapides Parish for the majority of her life. Mary has been married to Alan Lee, Sr. for 29 years. They are parents of two children: Alana Lee, a Registered Nurse in Houston, Texas and Alan Lee II, a senior majoring in Biochemistry at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Mary and her family enjoy traveling and spending time with extended family.

Landon Lohmann

Landon Lohmann is a Process Engineer for RoyOMartin working at an OSB manufacturing facility located in Oakdale, Louisiana. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Oklahoma State University. His experience in the wood products industry began in Texarkana, Texas where he worked as a Reliability Engineer at Graphic Packaging International for nearly two years. Landon’s passion for this industry, people, and safety drives success into each of his projects as he seeks to develop as a leader in his company and community.

Jason Lavergne

Jason Lavergne is the Radiology Manager at Rapides Regional Medical Center. Jason has over twenty one years of clinical Radiology experience and just under two years of management experience. With experience, both personally and professionally in non-profit and for profit organizations, Jason has a diverse background of the healthcare landscape in Central Louisiana. Jason holds a Masters in Healthcare Administration from Louisiana State University Shreveport and is a licensed Radiologic Technologist with advanced certification in MRI.

John Marks

John Marks is an assistant professor of criminal justice at LSUA. A native of Georgia, he moved to Central Louisiana in January 2019. After being honorably discharged from the United States Navy, he worked in the service industry as a waiter, a salesman, and a correctional officer in adult and juvenile corrections. He has a BS in Political Science, an MPA with coursework specific to city management, and a PhD in Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State University.

Sybil Montegut

Sybil Montegut is the General Manager of the Transformation and Innovations Department at Cleco Corporate Holdings LLC. Career highlights include integrating the $1.0 billion acquisition of NRG South Central Generating, a subsidiary of NRG Energy, Inc. and working on the 2016 privatization of Cleco Corporation. She joined Cleco in 2008 and has worked in various capacities within Cleco’s financial organization, including the corporate analytics department, investor relations, corporate taxation, and transaction teams.

Prior to Cleco, Montegut worked for Stewart Enterprises in New Orleans, as Supervisor of Corporate Tax. Montegut serves as Treasurer on the boards of Cenla Alliance for Animals (CAFA) and Montessori Educational Center which are located in central Louisiana. Montegut holds a B.S. in Accounting from Northwestern State University.

Lenná Mouton

Lenná has been in the public sector over 30 years. Currently, she is the Direct Service Coordinator of Rapides Parish Library, supervising 10 locations. She is a graduate of Alfred M. Barbe and attended McNeese State University for 2 years. Her career began with Waldenbooks in 1979 as a part-time worker. In the 20 years with Waldenbooks/Borders, she grew within the company, becoming Assistant Manager, Manager, Area Manager and District Manager of 23 stores over a range of 3 states. Her career has led her from managing staff to leading and mentoring staff for the betterment of their career.

Lenná was born and raised in Lake Charles, LA. Parent of one daughter, Leshia Castille for 39 years. She has two awesome grandsons, who are the joy of her life. Lenná loves to plan and organize events in her pastime. She is an avid reader of Christian Fiction and Business books. She enjoys life of being a Christian and support her church in community events.

Tracie Nugent

In July 1991, Tracie Nugent began her career with Cleco and has worked within the Customer Experience area for 28 years. Tracie, born and raised in Alexandria, Louisiana, started her Cleco career working in the Alexandria Customer Service Office as a Customer Representative assisting customers with payments, billing, and the overall customer experience.

Tracie has served many roles throughout her years within the Customer Experience area, such as, Customer Service Representative, CIS (Customer Information Systems) Coordinator, Revenue Protection Coordinator, Supervisor of Customer Systems & Credit Department, and her current position as Manager of Customer Billing, Customer Systems & Credit and Permit Department. Outside of Tracie’s career life, Tracie enjoys spending time with her husband Reggie of 16 years. Tracie and Reggie have three adult children: Lauren Mallory (Jordan), Dylan Nugent (Charli) and Kyle McLeod (Makaylin). Tracie and Reggie enjoy hunting, camping and spending time with family and friends.

Mildred Price

Mildred Price is employed with the City of Alexandria as the Examination Analyst in the Civil Services Department. Throughout her career, Mildred has worked with various companies in different industries which include: hospitality, healthcare as a clinician and non-clinician business executive, financial industry, and currently government. Away from work, she spends her time serving her church in different capacities, volunteering with the youth, and she is involved in various community service events and non-profit organizations. In 2019, she was awarded Grand Lady of the year for the State of Louisiana by the Knights of Peter Claver and Ladies Auxiliary for her service. Mildred has been married to her amazing husband Quentin for 15 years and they have two children; Franjone' and Quentin Jr.

Rebekah Simpson

Rebekah Simpson is the Program Manager for Early Childhood for the Orchard Foundation. She is responsible for the development and implementation of the Early Childhood initiatives, including the early childhood family literacy program, Read to Soar. Mrs. Simpson holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master’s degree in Elementary Education from Delta State University. Prior to joining the Orchard Foundation, Mrs. Simpson served as a classroom teacher at the lower elementary level throughout Mississippi.

Nolan Spillers

Nolan J. Spillers is a lifelong resident of Alexandria, LA with over 25 years of retail, commercial and consumer lending experience. His current position is Vice President at First Federal Bank in Alexandria where he has direct oversight of retail operations at seven Central Louisiana branches as Branch Administrator. His job consists of commercial lending, hiring, and monitoring of staff and employee growth. Mr. Spillers serves as Treasurer on the Board of Directors of the Cenla Homeless Coalition and enjoys being involved in local non-profit events. He enjoys fishing and cooking in his spare time.

Summer Steiner

Summer Steiner, a Louisiana native, currently serves as the Accounting Manager for the England Authority/Alexandria International Airport. In this role, she manages the day-to-day financial operations of the organization and oversees the nearly $50 million dollars in state and federal capital improvement grants. Prior to joining the England Authority, she was a staff accountant at Rapides Regional Medical Center. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from Louisiana College and was the recipient of their “Outstanding Graduating Senior in Accounting” Award. She is a Certified Government Finance Officer and a member of the state and national Government Finance Officers Associations. She is also a member of the Central Louisiana Chamber’s Young Professionals Group. In her spare time, Summer is an avid duck hunter and a passionate Dallas Cowboys fan.

Angela Stewart

Angela Stewart is the Laboratory Director at CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini Laboratory in Alexandria, LA. Angela was born in Ipswich, Suffolk in the United Kingdom. She moved to the US in 1993 and attended the Trident Technical College in Charleston, South Carolina. She moved to Central Louisiana in 1995 and in December 1998, graduated from the first Clinical Laboratory Science Associates Degree Program at LSUA. Angela performed her clinical internship at the Cabrini Laboratory and as a result was hired to work the evening shift as a Medical Technician in the Laboratory. Angela had a desire to lead and to supervise on the Evening Shift so she proceeded to continue her education and hence graduated in 2004 with her Bachelor’s degree in Clinical Laboratory Science from the Louisiana State University in Monroe. Upon Graduation, Angela was promoted as the Evening Supervisor.

In April 2007, Angela was promoted as Quality Assurance Coordinator. In her new role Angie and her Team concentrated on Service Excellence and received an award for “Most Improved” in July 2008. The Laboratory went from the 6th percentile to the 98th percentile in Patient Satisfaction in the Laboratory Outpatient area.

In August 2015 and then October 2017, Angela was promoted as the Laboratory Manager and the Laboratory Director respectively. Angela currently serves as Laboratory Chair for the CHRISTUS Health resource group in Irving, Texas. She is instrumental in assisting in making decisions on group buys and standardization of Laboratory processes and equipment.

Scott Townsend

Scott Townsend is the corporate purchasing manager for RoyOMartin, a forest-management and wood-products manufacturer in Central Louisiana and East Texas. In his role, he leads a team of 15 professionals, who are responsible for procurement, contracting, and storeroom operations at the company’s three manufacturing facilities and the corporate office. Scott holds a MBA from Auburn University and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Louisiana College. Prior to joining RoyOMartin in 2013, Scott worked as an accounting manager.

Krystal Webb

Born and raised in Central Louisiana, Krystal Webb graduated from Pineville High School with the class of 1998. After many years of work in healthcare, she transitioned into the field of health insurance. Licensed by the Louisiana Department of Insurance in Health and Life insurance, she has worked for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana for 12 years in their Alexandria District Office. As an Associate Account Manager, she manages groups in the Alexandria and Monroe regions. She currently resides in Pineville, LA with her husband of 14 years, Jacob, and their two children, Matthew and Emma.

Steve Walker

Steve is in sales and website management at Cenla RV Center. He consults with his clients during an interview process to discover the best recreational vehicle that fits their lifestyle and budget needs. He also runs multiple social media websites under Steve Walker “Camper Guy” with over 50,000 followers.

Steve graduated from Louisiana College in Management/Marketing and has over 30 years in the Recreational Vehicle Industry. He grew up in his family's recreational business Jimmy Walker RV Sales. Steve is an active member in Central Louisiana Chamber of Commerce and Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria. He currently resides in Alexandria, LA with his wife Cadee Ann, and their two children, Grace and Emma.

Lennisha A. Webster

As a Business Partner in Human Resources, Lennisha consults with the leaders and managers by providing HR guidance on employee relations and helping to increase morale to continue improving working relationships. Lennisha is detail-oriented, ambitious and driven. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a certificate in Human Resource Management. She has been an employee at Rapides Regional Medical Center for over 20 years. Lennisha is also a member of the Central Louisiana Society for Human Resources Management.