Carlos Femmer was promoted to president of Lafayette-based John Chance Land Surveys. Femmer succeeds Jimmie Stoute, who is retiring after a 34-year career with the company. Femmer has been with Fugro Chance for 13 years. He began as a senior systems engineer in 2002, then joined subsidiary John Chance Land Surveys in 2006. As an IDS manager, vice president and COO, he oversaw various aspects of development, innovation, operations and strategic endeavors across the land survey and airborne divisions. He also currently serves as the global geospatial pipeline vertical leader supporting Fugro clients and colleagues in Europe and Australia. Femmer, who is bilingual in English and Spanish, received a bachelor’s degree in management information systems from the University of Massachusetts and has an MBA from LSU.
Three new faculty members with MBAs joined the B.I. Moody College of Business Administration at UL Lafayette beginning in the fall 2015 semester. Stacey Chamberlain is an instructor of principles of marketing and promotions management. Chamberlain previously worked as a business and technology teacher at Saint Thomas More Catholic High School, where she designed and implemented business curriculum. From 2011 to 2013, she worked at ArchPoint Consulting as a project manager and marketing coordinator. Chamberlain, who earned a bachelor of science in marketing, is serving as a faculty advisor for the American Marketing Association student chapter. A new assistant professor of law, Chase Edwards was a commissioned officer in the U.S. Air Force who served 6.5 years with the National Security Agency and National Reconnaissance Office. Edwards earned an MBA in contract and acquisition management from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. After leaving the service, Edwards returned home to Louisiana where he attended law school at LSU. He received the CALI Award for the highest grades in Louisiana Civil Procedure and Advanced Torts. Edwards remains an active member of the Louisiana Bar Association; he defends white collar crime cases and advocates for military veterans. Reece Theriot, a St. Martinville native who graduated from UL with a bachelor’s degree in public relations in 2012 and earned his MBA from UL in 2014, graduating summa cum laude, has been named marketing instructor and professional sales team coach. During his undergraduate studies, Theriot started Lamleo LLC, the parent company of several entrepreneurial ventures. During his graduate studies, he worked as a top orthopedic salesman for Arthrex Inc. Theriot hopes that through his courses, students will learn the processes to become elite salespeople.
Local McDonald’s owner/operator Ajay Patel was awarded the Ronald Award, an honor given to only 1 percent of McDonald’s franchise owners. Patel owns and operates seven area franchises in Central and Southwest Louisiana. The award recognizes an owner or owner organization that has made outstanding contributions to McDonald’s, the local community and customers. As a member of the McDonald’s National Leadership Committee, Patel has been instrumental in driving some of McDonald’s recent food and operations improvement initiatives. As a community leader, he has participated in many local projects such as CADA’s Taste ’n Tell and the Games of Acadiana to benefit Miles Perret Cancer Services. He actively seeks to hire veterans and spouses of active military by participating in job fairs at Fort Polk. He is a strong believer in education which is evident in his support of McTeacher Nights, coupons for student achievement, overall support of local schools in his franchise areas and by sponsoring a scholarship at LSU-Eunice. Patel came to America from India in 1977 and started college at UL in 1978. To pay tuition, he had to have a job, and that’s when he found McDonald’s. He worked his way up to area supervisor and in 1992 bought his first franchise.
The Krampe family has received the McDonald’s Great Southern Region Excellence Award. The late Ed Krampe was the first McDonald’s owner/operator in the Southwest Louisiana eight-parish region of Acadiana. He came to Louisiana in 1972 with his young family to open his first store on the Evangeline Thruway in Lafayette, a store that was rebuilt in 2015. The Excellence Award recognizes the owner/operator organization that achieves the highest business standards and contributes significantly and consistently to the region and community. Recipients must demonstrate leadership among fellow owner/operators, managers, and staff through teamwork, idea-sharing, innovations, and brand-building. The Krampes — sons E.J. and Chris accepted the award on behalf of their late father — have been deeply involved in community organizations, including Lafayette General Medical Center, the Lafayette Economic Development Authority, Upper Lafayette Economic Development, Our Lady of Lourdes Foundation, UL Lafayette, Boys and Girls Club of Acadiana, Acadiana Symphony Orchestra and Miles Perret Cancer Services.
JD Bank has hired Dinah LeBlanc as a mortgage executive and vice president. LeBlanc is based at the bank’s Lafayette branch located at 300 Verot School Road. A native of New Iberia, LeBlanc has more than 20 years of banking experience. She previously worked at Chase Bank, Investar Bank and First Bank and Trust. LeBlanc currently serves on the ambassador team of One Acadiana and is also a member of the Realtor Association of Acadiana.
Monique Boulet, regional administrator for the Acadiana Planning Commission, will represent the state in the first-ever one-year Economic Development Training Program funded by the Austin Regional Office of the U.S. Economic Development Administration. Boulet is one of 10 applicants selected by the National Association of Development Organizations Research Foundation. Boulet will attend in-person workshops held at various EDA project sites around the Austin region, which includes Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, where they will learn best practices in comprehensive economic development strategies, project cultivation and management and stakeholder engagement.
The program’s goal is to help economic development district planners and project coordinators grow into future executive directors of EDDs. The APC is comprised of Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Martin and Vermilion parishes. The organization operates on behalf of Louisiana Planning District 4, and is governed by a board of elected leaders from each parish.
The Lafayette Airport Commission has selected Paul A. Guilbeau Sr. to serve as the commission’s 2015-2016 chairman. Tim Skinner was elected vice chairman, and Valerie Garrett was chosen secretary-treasurer. Guilbeau was appointed to the commission in 2008, Skinner in 2013 and Garrett in 2007. Commissioners represent all areas of Lafayette Parish. The City-Parish Council, city-parish president and area mayors appoint the seven members.
Monique Bradberry, human resources generalist at MidSouth Bank, was named 2015 Human Resources Professional of the Year by the Acadiana Society for Human Resources Management.
Bradberry, who joined MidSouth Bank in 2009 and later earned her Professional Human Resources Certification, was nominated for the honor by Sara Huval, the bank’s chief HR officer. Bradberry has played a vital role in improving the delivery of operational HR functions, Huval said in the nomination, “proving time and time again that strategy and tactics work in tandem for the organization like ours.” In 2012, she managed the HR team through an HR management system conversion that incorporated manager and employee self-service and workflow approvals and Cognos reporting on at least six different modules.
A year later, Bradberry researched and implemented WellnessPlus, a program that collects and stores each employee’s medical history and helps guide them toward a healthier life.
Daniel Elsea has been promoted to deputy director of the Lafayette Regional Airport. Elsea has experience in project management, grant facilitation, operations compliance and FAA coordination. His responsibilities also include managerial work oriented toward contract administration, fund procurement, regulatory compliance program supervision and promotion of airport improvement and expansion. Elsea is an Accredited Airport Executive with the American Association of Airport Executives, holds an MBA from Mississippi State University and a bachelor of science degree from Louisiana Tech University. He previously served as assistant project manager at the airport.