The most recent promotions, hirings and announcements from Acadiana's biz community.
Three physicians have been added to the orthopedic team at Lafayette General Medical Center: Chief of Orthopedics at University Hospital & Clinics Dr. Michael Schutte, primary orthopedic traumatologist Dr. Blaine Walton and orthopedic sports medicine surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Witty. All three are now practicing at the Acadiana Orthopedic Center at Lafayette General on South College Road. These physicians are working with Drs. John Schutte, Scott Yerger, J. Lee Leonard, Stanley Foster, Angela Mayeaux-Hebert and Adam Kennedy. Offering a background in sports medicine, physical rehabilitation and traumatology, Michael Schutte earned his doctor of medicine from LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans in 1979 and has prior experience at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, and as a longtime orthopedic surgeon at Northern Rockies Orthopedics in Missoula, Mont. Walton earned his doctor of medicine from LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans. He's worked as team physician at McNeese State University and with athletes at Mississippi Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center in Jackson, Miss. After earning his doctor of medicine from University of Mississippi School of Medicine in Jackson, Miss., he performed team coverage of Jackson Public Schools, Brother Martin High School, Crescent City High School, Tulane University Football and LSU's gymnastics and football teams.
Rickey Romero, Angela Cormier, Mona Vizena and Mari Kraeger have joined Keller Williams Realty Acadiana as agents. A New Iberia native, Romero, who is new to real estate, has more than a decade of experience in the Acadiana building industry. Cormier, a native of Church Point and resident of Scott, has 27 years of experience in the hair salon business. Vizena, a resident of Lafayette since 1980, co-owned Village Drugs of Acadiana from 1980-1986 with her pharmacist husband. She most recently worked as an administrative assistant at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church. Kraeger, of Lafayette, is a graduate of Seminole State College in Sanford, Fla., and has several years of human resource and payroll experience.
Drs. Ankur Lodha, Krishna Nagendran and Viral Lathia have joined the cardiology practices of Cardiovascular Institute of the South. Lodha is with the CIS Lafayette General team on Heymann Boulevard. He is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, nuclear cardiology, and echocardiography, and he is a registered physician in vascular interpretation. Lodha earned his bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery at Bangalore Medical College in India. He completed his general cardiology fellowship at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he also earned the honor of being named chief resident. He continued his training in Pittsburgh, Penn., at Allegheny General Hospital where he completed his fellowship in interventional cardiology. Lodha specializes in the management and treatment of cardiovascular and peripheral vascular disease including interventional procedures. Nagendran has joined the CIS team at Lafayette Regional on Ambassador Caffery Parkway. He is trained in cardiovascular disease, interventional cardiology, internal medicine and heart failure, and he is a member of the American College of Cardiology and the American College of Physicians. Nagendran earned his bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery at Sri Ramachandra Medical College in India. He completed his internal medicine residency at New York Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn and also completed his general cardiology, heart failure/transplant and interventional cardiology fellowships at St. Luke's Medical Center in Milwaukee, Wis., where he earned the title of chief cardiology fellow. Nagendran has received the New York Methodist Administrative Award and also the Best Teaching Resident Award. Lathia joined CIS location at University Hospital & Clinics on West Congress Street. Lathia is board certified in internal medicine and is trained in cardiac computed tomography, nuclear medicine and echocardiography. He earned his bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery at Padmashree Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College in India. He completed his internal medicine residency at the LSU program in Lafayette and his cardiovascular fellowship at the LSU program in New Orleans. Lathia is active in the community, having spent time serving the Lafayette area during Hurricane Gustav and volunteering at the Lafayette Community Health Care Clinic.
Troy Olander was promoted to field service manager at Pro-T, an independent diatomaceous earth filtration company in the oil and gas deep water market. Olander, a Franklin native who has been with Pro-T 20 years, started at the company in the early 1990s working offshore as a DE filtration operator and rose through the ranks to become supervisor. Olander is responsible for operator assignments, scheduling, purchasing and accounts receivable, and training of all operators.
Three attorneys with the local office of Liskow & Lewis were recognized as "Lawyers of the Year" in the 2015 edition of the Best Lawyers in America: Joseph C. Giglio Jr., real estate law; James N. Mansfield III, energy law; and Richard W. Revels Jr., natural resources law. Only a single attorney in each practice area and designated metropolitan area is honored as the "Lawyer of the Year." Selections for this honor are based on voting averages received during Best Lawyers peer review assessments. This designation reflects a high level of respect an attorney has earned among peers regarding abilities, professionalism and integrity. Best Lawyers began designating Lawyers of the Year in the U.S. in high-profile legal practice areas in 2009.
Paul Ayo, owner of E's Kitchen in Parc Lafayette, was selected to serve as a product review panelist for HTI Buying Group, a national kitchenware group for independently owned stores. Ayo has been a member since July 2013 and is one of 12 review panelists to review products for all the members of HTI. As a panelist he will be evaluating and reporting on different products from many national manufactures.
Dr. Joseph P. Lupo, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, has joined the practice of Dr. Jeffrey Williams at Plastic Surgery Associates of Lafayette. Lupo specializes in aesthetics for face, breast and body, breast reconstruction (including DIEP flap) and full body reconstruction. Lupo earned his doctor of medicine from the University of Miami School of Medicine. He graduated cum laude with a BS degree in biological science at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. Lupo completed a general surgery residency at Dartmouth Medical School and a plastic and reconstructive surgery fellowship at Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans. He is certified by the American Board of Surgery.
Courtesy Automotive is unveiling a new state-of-the-art facility at 1345 Evangeline Thruway in Broussard at the end of October. Courtesy's 15-acre facility, which will specialize in sales and service of new Chevrolet and Cadillac vehicles along with pre-owned vehicles, will replace Courtesy's current Chevy/Cadillac showroom located just a few miles down the road on Highway 90 in New Iberia. This is courtesy first expansion into Broussard. Dealer Don Hargroder Sr., who opened his first dealership in Lafayette in 1987, says the vision for this new facility in Broussard came to him about five years ago, when he recognized the town's huge potential for growth and appealing geographic location.
The Regional Medical Center of Acadiana is hosting a hip, knee and shoulder pain seminar at 6 p.m. Oct. 23 at the Hilton Lafayette. There is no cost to attend. The event is open to the public, but you must register at 1-877-344-6601 (option 2). Dr. Paul Novakovich, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist with Regional Medical Center of Acadiana, will cover the causes of hip, knee and shoulder pain and the latest in non-surgical and minimally invasive treatment options.
John "Bubba" Leonards of Crowley was chosen Rice Farmer of the Year for the 2014 International Rice Festival Oct. 16-19 in Downtown Crowley. Leonards, who grew up on the family farm north of Crowley and is a fourth-generation farmer, graduated from Nortre Dame High School in 1980 and attended the Crowley Vocational Technical School, completing programs in both diesel mechanics and welding. This provided him with the skills to maintain and repair equipment on the family farm.