Fred Werner attended the second annual Top Advisors Summit hosted by Barron's magazine and R.J. Shook, author of The Winner's Circle books rating Americas' top financial advisers. The invitation-only conference was held at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Sept. 27'29. Werner is a managing partner of Summit Financial, affiliated with Wachovia Securities Financial Network in Lafayette.
Lafayette native Brooke Giglio has joined the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce staff as communications director, responsible for informing the membership and general public of chamber activities and services. She maintains and updates the Chamber's Web site, writes stories for the Inforum and Inforum Weekly newsletters, and designs the Chamber's e-mailed newsletter, the E-Flash. Giglio has a bachelor's degree in business administration from LSU and most recently worked in Bossier City as marketing coordinator for Harrah's Louisiana Downs Racetrack & Casino. The chamber also announced its officers for 2007 and the members of its board of directors. Board members elected to serve as officers on the executive committee are: John Bordelon, Home Bank, chairman; Robbie Bush, Associated Travel Group, chairman-elect; and Donna Landry, Lafayette General Medical Center, immediate-past chair. Also elected to serve as officers on the executive committee are: Kam Movassaghi, Fenstermaker & Associates; Cherry Fisher May, The Independent Weekly; David Welch, Stone Energy; Greg Guidry, Onebane Law Firm; Greg Davis, Cajundome Commission; and Trey Hill, Atmos Energy. CEO Rob Guidry also sits on the executive committee. Officers serve one-year terms beginning Jan. 1. The following individuals were elected by the membership to serve three-year terms on the board of directors: Michele Ezell, Tsunami Restaurants; Nanette Heggie, Smith Barney; Robert Daigle, River Ranch Development; Greg Guidry, Onebane Law Firm; Linda Larkan, Skylark Services; Bill Hendrix, Whitney National Bank; Trey Hill, Atmos Energy; and Carl Bauer, UL Lafayette. Six members appointed to the board for one-year terms are: Steve Horn, First Baptist Church; Peter Yuan, IberiaBank; André Comeaux, ICT Insurance; Greg Davis, Cajundome Commission; Ramesh Kolluru, UL Lafayette Center for Business & Information Technology; and Kyle Viator, Southwest Medical Center. Valerie Keller of Acadiana Outreach Center was appointed to fill a two-year unexpired term on the board.
National recording artist and home-grown talent Marc Broussard donated $45,630 to United Way of Acadiana's hurricane relief fund.
Funds were raised by Broussard through the sale of a live CD titled Bootleg to Benefit The Victims of Hurricane Katrina. The CD was released by Island Records last October, and all proceeds are for hurricane relief efforts. Funds were also raised through the sale of a special Hurricane Relief bracelet sold via Broussard's online store and at live shows. As 2006 campaign spokesman, Broussard represents United Way of Acadiana and has given special performances for its staff, volunteers, sponsors and supporters. Broussard's photographs and musical themes appear on all campaign marketing materials.
J. Eustis Corrigan Jr., executive vice president and CFO of Lafayette-based MidSouth Bancorp Inc., spoke at the New York Society of Security Analysts' 6th Annual Banking Conference Nov. 14. Corrigan's presentation focused on the strategic vision and financial position of the $800 million bank holding company, which owns MidSouth Bank and Lamar Bank of Texas. Corrigan said the New York City conference was an excellent opportunity to present MidSouth's success story to potential investors and analysts. NYSSA organized an impressive forum that featured presentations by senior execs from a select group of 10 mid-cap and small-cap banks. A CPA, Corrigan has two decades of experience as a public accountant. Before joining MidSouth earlier this year, he was a tax services partner with KPMG LLP in San Antonio. In other MidSouth news, the banking group broke ground on a full-service retail facility in Conroe, Texas, at 2101 North Loop, 336 West (corner of Loop 336 and Longmire Road). The 4,377-square-foot location will have four drive-thru lanes, office suites and a conference room with video conferencing capabilities and is scheduled to open in June 2007. The new facility will replace the bank's Conroe office at 3828 West Davis St.
Eunice-based Tri-Parish Bank this month opened its first full-service Lafayette branch at 914 South College Road. The two-story structure was designed in the Southern grace and charm of the A. Hays Town style of architecture and offers a new concept in branch banking. There are no teller windows and no long lines waiting for transactions to be completed. Instead, a universal banker greets the client and leads him to one of the offices that surround the interior of the bank. The universal banker then processes the client's transaction and sends it off to a secure, concealed teller operations office via pneumatic tube system, keeping the focus of the banking experience on interaction with the customer.
The facility offers a comprehensive suite of financial services, including commercial banking, mortgage lending, online banking, investment management and retail banking.
As Louisianans count down to the Jan. 1 enactment of the Louisiana Smoke-Free Air Act, many area restaurants are already protecting their patrons and employees from health effects of secondhand smoke exposure with voluntary 100 percent smoke-free policies. The Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living is encouraging others to act early and go smoke-free before the New Year. "Our customers tell us they prefer a smoke-free environment," says Johan J. Adendorff, owner of American Meat Pie in Lafayette. "They thank us all the time and tell their friends that we're smoke-free. The fear of losing business is a myth. Seventy-five percent of people in Louisiana don't smoke. It's good business to cater to the majority of the population." The Louisiana Smoke-Free Air Act, also known as Act 815, will eliminate smoking in most public places and workplaces including restaurants containing bars beginning Jan. 1. American Meat Pie, Catahoula's Restaurant, McAllister's Deli, Vermilionville's La Cuisine de Maman, and Casa Olé are just a few of the many area restaurants that are already smoke-free. In Louisiana, an estimated 650-1,150 people die each year from the effects of exposure to secondhand smoke. For more info., visit www.tobaccofreeliving.org.
The Lafayette Economic Development Authority's marketing efforts for Lafayette Parish were recognized at the Southern Economic Development Council's Annual Conference with a Merit award and an Excellent award. LEDA's Web site, www.lafayette.org, received the Excellent award in its division. LEDA uses its Web site to provide demographic and statistical data, as well as demonstrate Lafayette's unique way of life to individuals or businesses looking to relocate, expand, or start up in the area. The site hosts a downloadable list of businesses located in Lafayette Parish, a library of demographic reports, newsletters published by LEDA, and a variety of information about LEDA and the area it services. The site is maintained internally by the LEDA staff. The Lafayette Works for Me campaign received the Merit award for Direct Mail Campaign. Launched in 2004, the campaign targets regional business leaders and out-of-state site selection consultants through a series of direct mail pieces. Each of the mailers in the series features a Lafayette business person and conveys the message of how Lafayette "worked" for them. Featured business leaders include Tom Cox, Nancy Van Eaton Broussard, Gail Romero, Chuck Vincent, and Matt Stuller. The direct mail campaign will continue into 2007.
American Eagle Outfitters has moved to a larger space near Dillard's in the Mall of Acadiana. AE designs, markets and sells its own brand of casual clothing targeting 15- to 25-year-olds, providing high-quality merchandise to both sexes at affordable prices. AE's original collection includes standards like jeans and graphic T-shirts as well as essentials like accessories, outerwear, footwear, basics and swimwear. The new AE location also features a new collection of dormwear and intimates, "aerie by American Eagle," which includes bras, underwear, camisoles, hoodies, robes, boxers, sweats and leggings. The line is designed to offer AE's female customers a new way to express their personal style everyday, from the dorm room to the coffee shop to the classroom.
In partnership with the Lafayette Council on Aging, Cox Communications is offering senior citizens in six Acadiana parishes a 10 percent discount on the cost of their basic cable television service. The program is available to people 60 and older with an annual household income of less than $24,000. The monthly cost of Cox basic cable television service is $12.97. The discount applies every month for qualified Cox customers and equals one free month of Cox basic cable television service per year. Seniors in the Cox service areas of Acadia, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Martin, St. Mary and Vermilion parishes are encouraged to apply.
Amy Castro has joined IberiaBank as branch manager for the recently opened Settlers Trace location in River Ranch. The Abbeville native has more than a decade of banking experience, most recently serving as branch manager/vice president for Capital One (formerly Hibernia Bank) in Lafayette. Castro is an active member of the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, has been involved with Junior Achievement of Acadiana and was a team leader for Hibernia in the March of Dimes' annual campaign.
Architect Allen Bacqué of Lafayette was elected to serve on the board of the Louisiana Chapter of the American Institute of Architects at its annual Design Conference held in Shreveport in September. Bacqué, who works with the firm of MBSB Group, will serve as vice president of District C, which includes the southeastern part of Louisiana. Current AIA Louisiana President Steven Oubre of Architects Southwest will continue on the board next year as immediate past president. Since 1947, AIA Louisiana has represented the professional interests of Louisiana's architects.
Miles Perret Cancer Services Executive Director Laura Slavich was invited to represent the local organization at The Lance Armstrong Foundation's Inaugural LIVESTRONG Summit in Austin, Texas, Oct. 27-29. The event was conceived to organize, inspire and direct the efforts of cancer survivors from across the country. Slavich was one of only eight representatives from the state of Louisiana. Through the LIVESTRONG Summit, attendees will lead a survivorship movement to broaden awareness and positively impact the physical, emotional and practical needs of people living with cancer. Inspired by speakers and motivated through roundtable discussions, 800 selected Summit delegates identified needs, set goals and developed action plans to change the face of cancer survivorship in their own communities and nationwide.