Shannon Bernard has been promoted to sales support manager and Doug Hill to production manager for Cox Media’s clients in Acadiana and Baton Rouge. Bernard joined Cox Media as an account executive in 2001. Before that she worked for Goodwill Industries of Acadiana. She has a master of science from UL Lafayette and served as an adjunct faculty member. Hill joined Cox in February 1999. Prior to joining Cox, he was an instructor at Huf Espana in Madrid, Spain, and a freelance producer in San Francisco, Calif. He attended San Francisco State University majoring in broadcast electronic communications.
Accel Protection and Technologies has recently expanded into the residential market and has named Craig DeRoche director of operations for Accel Home. DeRoche most recently served as general manager of Argus Security Group in Lafayette. His focus will be applying his 16 years of sales and management experience to operations, new customer development, customer service and public relations. He is active in the Louisiana Life Safety and Security Association. Also at Accel Home, Jeremy Gaspard was named senior technician. Gaspard has seven years of residential security experience, and his main responsibilities will include design, installation, service, and customer relations.
Medco Energi US, the Lafayette-headquartered subsidiary of PT Medco Energi Internasional Tbk, has appointed four new vice presidents as a part of the company’s realignment of executive positions. The new executives are Daniel Frugé, vice president and chief financial officer; Steve Goff, vice president of petroleum engineering; Gary Johnson, vice president of production operations; and Ted Russell, vice president of drilling and capital projects. Frugé has extensive experience in all aspects of accounting, taxation, financial management, litigation and risk management. Prior to his new position, he served as executive vice president and CFO for WHC Inc. Goff has more than 30 years of experience in managing operations and engineering functions and will be responsible for production and surveillance engineering activities on the company’s properties. Prior to joining Medco, Goff served as president for EPiC Energy Resources. Johnson has more than 34 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, and comes to Medco from ENI Petroleum, where he was offshore operations manager. Johnson also spent 29 years with predecessor companies CNG and Dominion, ultimately becoming operations manager for Dominion before its acquisition by ENI. A registered professional engineer, Russell has more than 30 years of domestic oil and gas experience in drilling/workover operations, asset management and production operations with offshore Gulf of Mexico and Gulf Coast expertise. Medco Energi US is engaged in the exploration, development, acquisition and production of oil and natural gas reserves in the Gulf of Mexico.
James L. Pate, a partner in Laborde & Neuner, has been named a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in America. Founded in 1950, the college is composed of the best of the trial bar from the U.S. and Canada, with fellowship extended by invitation only to experienced trial lawyers who have mastered the art of advocacy and whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct and professionalism. Lawyers must have a minimum of 15 years trial experience before they can be considered. An alumnus of Loyola University School of Law, Pate has been practicing in Lafayette for 28 years.
Shannon Lynd, senior vice president of production at Bizzuka Inc., was the opening speaker at the National Jeweler Online Retailing Forum held this summer in New York. The invitation-only event for independent jewelry retail executives was an academically-based forum to help retailers solve current and future business challenges. The event addressed the strategies, processes, and technologies/services surrounding key online transactions for jewelry retailers including distribution, marketing and merchandising. Bizzuka has partnered with National Jeweler, a trade magazine, to build Web sites for independent jewelers, with Lynd integrally involved in the formation of that partnership and development of the jeweler Web site product. Lynd addressed the importance of the Web as part of the jeweler’s marketing plan and introduced the National Jeweler, Bizzuka partnership. She was joined on the podium by representatives of major industry brands including Ice.com, Jewelry Television Network and International Diamond Exchange.
Buddy Webb has joined Rayne State Bank and Trust Company as vice president–business development officer. Webb has extensive experience in financial services and lending, having worked in the local banking industry for 34 years. Webb was the founding chairman of Goodwill Industries and has been a board member or principal officer in organizations including Habitat for Humanity, LARC, the Kiwanis Club of Lafayette and Rebuild Lafayette North Committee. Webb is currently a board member and treasurer of Hospice Foundation of Acadiana, chair of the board of commissioners of the Lafayette Housing Authority, and a board member of the Upper Lafayette Economic Development Foundation.
Link Staffing Services Corp. franchisee Terry McNichols was honored by the International Franchise Association with its Franchisee of the Year Award, which recognizes outstanding performance and the contributions he has made to enhance the growth and development of franchising.