A look at recent promotions and other developments in Lafayette's business community.
Amy Castro was promoted to VP/private banker in the Lafayette market for IberiaBank. Castro has 18 years of banking experience and for the past seven years served as branch manager of the bank's Settlers Trace facility in River Ranch. She serves as a volunteer with ECGC Women's Business Center, where she presents small business seminars. IberiaBank also announced branch manager changes for three of its Lafayette locations. VP Shelia Thibodeaux moved to 332 Settlers Trace Boulevard in River Ranch; VP Mary Nain moved to the Downtown Tower branch at 200 West Congress St., and VP Reenae Guillory transferred to 2110 W. Pinhook Road. Thibodeaux joined IberiaBank in 2008 and has more than 32 years of banking experience. She most recently served as branch manager of the Downtown Tower location. Nain, who joined the bank in 1998 and has more than two decades of banking experience, most recently served as branch manager for the Pinhook location. Guillory joined the bank in 2011 and has 15 years of banking experience. She most recently served as branch manager of the Moss Street location.
Dr. Joe Simmons is the new director of UL Lafayette's New Iberia Research Center. The NIRC offers a broad range of diagnostic, laboratory, and human resources for the development and characterization of nonhuman primate models for applied and basic research aimed at promoting human quality of life. Simmons is regarded as a strong, thoughtful leader in the biomedical research community, says Dr. Ramesh Kolluru, UL Lafayette interim vice president for research. Before joining the NIRC, a research center that houses, breeds and manages nonhuman primates, Simmons was executive director of nonhuman primate veterinary and professional services at Charles River Laboratories in Houston. Simmons has worked as a research professor at the University of Missouri, where he earned a doctoral degree in veterinary pathobiology. He earned his doctor of veterinary medicine degree from Colorado State University's College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
David Lang was named Mid-Continent regional manager for the testing and services business unit of Greene's Energy Group. Based in Lafayette, Lang provides leadership, direction and operational support to the facility managers in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kansas. Lang most recently was store manager for Eagle Oilfield Services, a subsidiary of Greene's Energy Group. He has more than 40 years of oil and gas experience in various aspects of the industry - both domestic and international. He previously was co-owner of Lang Tools Inc. and owner/operator of Eagle Oilfield Services, which was purchased by GEG in 2005. Greene's also named Ray Naquin Sr. senior advisor of the business unit. Naquin is responsible for providing GEG corporate management with insight, analysis and growth opportunities for the unit. Naquin most recently was the GM of Cherokee Services, a division of Greene's Energy Group. Also at Greene's, Shawn Ellis was named director of sales-North America for the testing and services business unit. Prior to his new role, Ellis was Gulf of Mexico director for GEG. He attended the E.J. Ourso College of Business and completed the LSU executive program.
Amber Broussard has joined Sides & Associates as graphics artist/designer. Broussard has more than four years of experience as a graphics designer and communications specialist. She has expertise in threat communications, most notably in disaster recovery, public assistance, hazard mitigation and resiliency planning. Broussard received her BFA with a concentration in graphic design from UL Lafayette.
Blake Lagneaux has been named creative director at Right Angle. A Rayne native and UL Lafayette graduate, Lagneaux has more than a decade of creative development experience - having served on both the marketing firm and client sides of the business. His background also includes video and print media production experience. Lagneaux won an international design award for the new Lafayette Consolidated Government logo, as well as awards for Cajun Heartland State Fair posters and Lafayette Transit System bus designs. Prior to joining Right Angle, Lagneaux held in-house marketing and graphic design positions in the banking and oil and gas industries. Lagneaux is a member of the Acadiana Advertising Federation, previously serving as ADDY Awards chair.
Jane Fournet, an environmental regulatory specialist with Fenstermaker for six years, was promoted to Lafayette environmental leader. Fournet graduated from UL Lafayette with a geology degree in 1984. She has been specializing in regulatory permitting for oil and gas in Louisiana, and has interfaced with federal, state and local regulatory agencies on many levels. Also at Fenstermaker, Ryan Fuselier was promoted from an advanced technologies director to Fenstermaker's AT leader. Fuselier earned a B.S. in civil engineering from UL Lafayette in 1996 and continued his education at T.H. Harris Technical College, obtaining his professional land surveyor licensure in Louisiana and Texas and eventually securing his professional engineering license in Louisiana. Fuselier has been with Fenstermaker for eight years. Additionally, Marc Broussard returned to Fenstermaker as Lafayette survey and mapping leader. Initially joining the company in 1982, Broussard advanced to become a project manager and served that role until leaving in 1996 to start his own company. He has more than 25 years of experience in strategic planning, business development and management, spending 17 of those years as president of his own firm, M.J. Broussard Inc.
Craig Tappel has joined Brown & Brown Insurance's Lafayette office as vice president, sales leader. Tappel has 20 years of insurance experience and holds an array of professional designations, including Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter, Chartered Life Underwriter, Certified Financial Planner, CPA and Chartered Global Management Accountant. He received his undergraduate degree from the Louisiana Scholars College at Northwestern State University. Tappel earned an advanced degree from the Duke University Fuqua School of Business' Global Executive MBA program, where he graduated with honors. The New Orleans native enjoys participating in triathlons. Also at Brown & Brown's Lafayette office, Elizabeth Minvielle was promoted to vice president, employee benefits sales executive. Minvielle, who handles sales and service of employee benefits throughout the state, began her career with Brown & Brown in 2006, and soon after completed the Brown & Brown University leadership training program. Born and raised in New Iberia, where she currently resides, Minvielle was Mrs. Louisiana in 2008. Brown & Brown has also welcomed Justin Delcambre as corporate sales executive in the Lafayette branch. Delcambre completed the Brown & Brown University leadership development program and earned the National Alliance Certified Insurance Counselor designation. Delcambre received a BS degree from UL Lafayette and is active in the National Guard with 12 years of military experience, including two deployments to Iraq with the 256th Brigade Combat Team. He has seven years of customer service and sales experience with the largest car rental company in the U.S.
Chase Design Group, an architecture firm with offices in New Orleans and Lafayette, has changed its name to Chase Marshall Architects, following the addition of Nick Marshall as partner. Principal Architect Jay Chase same the name change was done to formalize a partnership that is more than six years in the making. Founded by Chase in 2006, the firm has been recognized for projects including fire stations, office buildings, retail buildings, and health care facilities. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Marshall relocated to New Orleans where he earned a master's degree in architecture from Tulane University. He is licensed in the state and has more than 20 years of experience. He has also obtained his LEED certification to design energy-efficient buildings. Chase graduated with a bachelor's degree in architecture from LSU. He also has more than 20 years of experience managing projects for a variety of clients and is licensed to practice architecture in Louisiana and 10 other states. Chase is also a past president of the AIA South Louisiana Chapter.
Kelly Jackson, formerly a nail technician at Coccolare Spa, is now an aesthetician following her aesthetics certification completed this year. Jackson is a graduate of New Iberia Cosmetology Institute.
Coldwell Banker Pelican Commercial has earned the 2012 Commercial Elite Award, bestowed upon the top 15 Coldwell Banker Commercial affiliated companies globally. This is the highest honor that any affiliate can achieve and marks the first time the Lafayette office has earned this distinguished award. (Companies are chosen based on closed adjusted gross commission income during 2012.)
LHC Group's marketing and communications department earned awards and recognition in three different national competitions. The Lafayette-based company saw 10 different marketing and advertising initiatives recognized with 13 awards from The Communicator Awards, the Healthcare Advertising Awards and the Aster Awards.