Recent hires, promotions and news from the world of Acadiana business
Monday, Dec. 16, 2015
Erica Geoffroy has joined Allison Marine Holdings as marketing director, a newly created position. A recipient of the Weatherford Undergraduate Scholarship, Geoffroy earned a bachelor's degree in marketing this year from UL Lafayette's Marketing Department, which has received national accolades for teaching and student sales competitions. The Lafayette native is in charge of Allison Marine's domestic and international marketing management, strategy, sales management and promotional management. Headquartered in Lafayette, the company provides lifecycle services for production platforms in the Gulf of Mexico and internationally. Allison competes in the highly fragmented offshore services segment of the global oil and gas industry, offering services that include new platform design, platform refurbishment, marine outfitting, platform repair and maintenance, decommissioning, and well plugging and abandonment.
Veteran banker Scott Ridley has joined Home Bank's executive management team as chief banking officer, while Chief Lending Officer Darren Guidry has moved into the chief credit officer role. Ridley comes to Home Bank with more than 20 years of banking industry experience, most of which was with Capital One/Hibernia, where he led high-performance teams of commercial and retail bankers across Louisiana, including the markets served by Home Bank. He has a finance degree from UNO and is a graduate of the Southwest Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University. Guidry has served as the bank's chief lending officer since 1993. His focus as chief credit officer will be on enhancing commercial and retail credit underwriting, analysis and monitoring across the organization. He will continue to be responsible for the mortgage lending, retail brokerage and special assets functions of the company. Guidry has a bachelor's degree in finance and a master's degree in business administration from UL Lafayette.
Margaret Trahan, president/CEO of United Way of Acadiana, was elected to serve on United Way Worldwide's National Professional Council, a leadership body advising on issues of importance to United Way both nationally and in local communities. UW Worldwide's National Professional Council comprises 48 UW CEOs in the U.S. and serves as a national leadership body for a movement of nearly 1,200 member UW organizations, advising United Way Worldwide's U.S. president and providing leadership in building the UW system in the United States. Trahan is serving a three-year term.
Bryant DeLoach has joined MidSouth Bank as commercial lender for the Lafayette market. DeLoach, who was recruited from Chase Bank, works out of MidSouth's main location at 102 Versailles Blvd. A Lafayette native, DeLoach has 12 years of banking experience, having most recently worked for Chase Bank as Commercial Relationship Manager. Prior to joining Chase, he was District Sales Manager for Wells Fargo for a decade. DeLoach has a bachelor of science degree in business management/marketing from UL Lafayette. A member of the UL Alumni Association and Ragin' Cajuns Athletic Foundation, he also coaches LYSA soccer and Lafayette Little League.
Jeri S. Allison was named the Lafayette Community Health Care Clinic's executive director, and Judith Perez has rejoined the staff as director of clinical services. Allison replaces longtime ED Jeanette Alcon, who has retired. A Louisiana native, she brings almost 25 years of experience in non-profit organization management to her role overseeing the clinic's free services for the working uninsured of Lafayette Parish. Allison, who grew up in Vidalia, graduated from Comeaux High School, the University of Washington and East Tennessee State University. Most recently, she served as director at Liberty Place Recovery Center for Women in Richmond, Ky., and as capital campaign director at Hope's Place in Ashland, Ky. The clinic also welcomes back RN Judith Perez as director of clinical services. Perez, who has 38 years of nursing experience, earned her nursing degree from the Charity Hospital School of Nursing in New Orleans after working as an LPN, and has worked with patients in psychiatry, endoscopy and surgery. She began volunteering at the clinic in 2003, providing diabetic education, and joined the staff in 2004 as director of clinical services while still acting as a clinic nurse. She took a two-year hiatus in 2011 and resumed her previous position in August.
Martin & Castille Funeral Home promoted Robin Seemann and Raymond E. Martin III to funeral directors. Seemann was born in New Orleans, but has lived most of her life in Lafayette. She is a graduate of STM and attended UL Lafayette. She then began an 11-year career as a real estate closing secretary, Notary Public and approved closer for one of Louisiana's top title insurance companies. In 2007, Seemann joined the staff of Martin & Castille as an administrative assistant and in 2009 graduated from the Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service in Houston with Double Honors. She is certified by the National Board of Funeral Service Examiners as a licensed funeral director. Martin, a native of Lafayette, graduated from STM in 2003. He attended college on a football scholarship at Northwestern State University. During his career there, he was an All Southland Conference performer and was elected as a permanent team captain. After graduating with a bachelor's degree, Martin joined the National Guard as an infantryman and served in Operation Iraqi Freedom with the 256th Infantry Brigade. He later attended Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service, graduating in 2012. He completed his required one-year internship in Louisiana and he is now a licensed funeral director and embalmer.
Dr. Erin Hemsell has joined Acadiana Women's Health Group. A Lafayette native, she joins the group in the practice of obstetrics and gynecology. Prior to joining Acadiana Women's Health Group, Hemsell earned her medical doctorate from LSU Health Science Center in Shreveport. She earned her undergraduate degree in biology from UL Lafayette. She completed her residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center. During her academic career, Hemsell earned several accolades, including the prestigious Ronald B. George Scholars in Medicine Award and the Nathan Bernstein Scholarship Award for Academic Excellence. Hemsell is a member of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists as well as the Louisiana State Medical Society.
The American Association of Drilling Engineers Lafayette Chapter has announced its 2013-14 board. Each year, a group of officers and committee members from oil and gas operator and service companies volunteer their time to guide the group's mission of education and information sharing. AADE officers for the upcoming year are Derrick Daigle, president (Phalanx Petroleum); David Gomez, first vice president and programs chair (Chevron); Adam Pelletier, secretary (Frank's International); Donnie Busscher, second vice president (Stokes & Spiehler); and Sharon Moore, treasurer, website committee and national chapter representative (Halliburton).
Retired Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce CEO Rob Guidry was recognized for his contribution to the chamber of commerce profession by the Louisiana Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. The Association presented Guidry with its inaugural "Shooting Star" award for his efforts and his commitment to helping new and small chamber executives advance their careers. Guidry was also lauded for his 35 years of dedication and service with the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce.
Gov. Bobby Jindal appointed local real estate broker and COO of Coldwell Banker Pelican Real Estate Steven P. Hebert to the Louisiana Real Estate Commission. Hebert represents Supreme Court District III in the interest of serving and protecting the public in real estate transactions and other real estate-related activities. The Lafayette native has been in the real estate and construction industry all his life. Along the way, he owned and managed his own residential construction company, was a licensed master plumber and has participated in several residential and commercial real estate investments. Hebert has been researching and commenting on the Lafayette and Acadiana real estate markets for two decades.
Philip H. Boudreaux, managing partner of Andrus, Boudreaux, Landry & Coussan, was named to the 2013 edition of Louisiana Super Lawyers in the practice area of real estate. The selection process for Super Lawyers is based upon peer recognition, professional achievement and an independent evaluation process. Boudreaux is a graduate of UL Lafayette and the LSU Law Center.
Dr. Frank Courmier has joined the Lourdes Physician Group. Courmier completed his fellowship training in pulmonology and critical care medicine at Scott & White Memorial Hospital at Texas A&M Health Science Center in Temple. A Louisiana native, he obtained a BS degree in biological sciences with a minor in chemistry from McNeese State University and a doctorate of medicine from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. He is board certified through the American Board of Internal Medicine and is practicing with Lafayette physician Dr. Richard H. Fei at 4809 Ambassador Caffery Parkway, Suite 430. Lourdes Physician Group also welcomed Drs. Ashley Guy, Dana Clay Dicharry, Deidre Stelly, Jeanne Theriot and Troy Guidry. Guy has joined the practice of Youngsville physicians Dr. Kathryn Strother and Dr. Edward Lafleur. Dicharry opened an internal medicine practice in Abbeville in October. Stelly and Theriot have a long-standing practice in Breaux Bridge, and Guidry, who is board certified in family medicine, has joined the practice of Lafayette physician Dr. John Dugal.
The Sonic Drive In locations in Acadiana received the Brand Leadership Award at the Sonic national convention in San Diego. The Acadiana group of locations earned this honor because of operational excellence, exceptional service, increased sales and profits, and for the innovative Ragin' Cajun Burger. Accepting the award on behalf of all of the locations was Gary Wilkerson, president of the Lafayette Co-op and president of Kergan Bros. Inc. Kergan Bros. owns and operates 54 Sonic locations in south and central Louisiana and is the ninth largest franchise group in the Sonic system.
Victory Addiction Recovery Center announced several new hires and promotions. Kylii Bijeaux has joined as intake coordinator. She has an associate's degree in surgical technology from SLCC and has been in the addiction services profession since 2005. Prior to Victory, Bijeaux did case management and CIT work. Katie Buller has joined as an inpatient counselor. Buller received a BS degree in psychology from UL Lafayette and a MS in counseling psychology from Abilene Christian University and previously worked at Optima Specialty Hospital, Vermilion Behavioral Health Systems and Pax Renewal Center. Archie Hebert was promoted from director of nursing to hospital administrator. He's been a registered nurse since 1994 and spent the past 20 years in the mental health profession. Diana Cash Lennon was named business office manager. Lennon has been with Victory since it began in 2012 and has more than 35 years of business experience, five of those with addiction treatment centers. She graduated fourth in her class from UL Lafayette in 1993 with a BA in communications with an emphasis in public relations and business. Lennon is responsible for the daily financial activities of Victory, including analysis and reporting of data, budgeting, payroll and accounts payable. Crystal Trahan was hired as director of nursing. Trahan received an associate's degree from LSU Eunice and a BS in nursing from Northwestern State University. Prior to Victory, Trahan worked as an ER nurse at Iberia Medical Center, and Optima Specialty Hospital as an inpatient psychology nurse. Chad Willis, who has been in the addiction counseling profession for more than 10 years, was hired as inpatient counselor. Prior to joining Victory, he was an outpatient addiction counselor at Cornerstone Couseling Inc., a therapist at Lifecare Psychiatric Hospital, inpatient addiction counselor at Acadiana Addiction Center and clinical supervisor at Townsend Outpatient. Doug MacDiarmid has joined the center as events coordinator. MacDiarmid has a BA in business with a focus on marketing and most recently was a reporter and anchor at KLFY-TV 10. Erin Lovett has joined Victory as a family therapist. Lovett, an Atlanta native, received a bachelor's degree in psychology from UL, a master's degree in social work from LSU, and is working to obtain a Ph.D. in social work from LSU. She previously had an internship at the Department of Children and Family Services and Tyler Mental Health Services; Lovett also worked for the Louisiana Spirit Hurricane Recovery, which provided counseling services for hurricane victims. Amy Guilbeau also has joined the center as an intensive outpatient counselor. Guilbeau received a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's in counselor education from UL. She most recently interned at UL's Counseling and Testing Center and also served alongside Dr. Marc Bourgeois to help lead the Group Process course in the graduate curriculum.