People & Flashes

ABiz People

by Walter Pierce

Who's been hired? Who's been promoted? The acquisition of University Hospital & Clinics by Lafayette General Medical Center prompted the founding of an official health system, Lafayette General Health. The health system owns or manages five facilities and has affiliations with Opelousas General Health System, Abbeville General Hospital, American Legion Hospital in Crowley, Savoy Medical Center in Mamou and Franklin Foundation. As part of the system implementation, several leadership positions, job duties and titles have expanded or changed. David L. Callecod is now the president/CEO of LGH, and Patrick W. Gandy Jr. is the new EVP of LGH and CEO of Lafayette General Medical Center. Callecod's main focus has shifted to system initiatives for LGH, while Gandy's focus is directed at management of LGMC. Jared Stark is the new CEO of University Hospital & Clinics. Additional LGH system leadership roles include Roger Mattke being named SVP and CFO, SVP Gordon Rountree now general counsel and chief legal officer, VP Dean Ducote taking over operations and support services, and VP Edwina Mallery assuming the role of chief information officer. VP Paul Molbert is now in charge of network development and the Accountable Care Organization, and VP Carolyn Huval is in charge of physician recruiting. In medical roles, Drs. Ziad Ashkar and Amanda Logue will also have health system oversight. Ashkar is chief medical officer and Logue is chief medical information officer for LGH. Several of the aforementioned positions share a dual role of focusing on both hospital and system-wide initiatives.

MidSouth Bank announced the promotions of Sara Huval, Leslie Olinger, Jennifer Fontenot and Katherine Gardner. Sara Huval, who was promoted to EVP and chief human resources officer, joined MidSouth Bank in 1999 as HR assistant and was promoted to director of HR a year later. In 2008 she was promoted to SVP of HR, the position she most recently held. A Breaux Bridge native, Huval handles all of the processes involved in managing MidSouth's Bank's more than 600 employees in two states. Before joining MidSouth Bank, she worked at FNB of Lafayette for 13 years, leaving shortly after its 1998 merger with Bank One (now Chase). Huval has 28 years of banking experience. Leslie Olinger, who has served as AVP and manager of MidSouth Bank's Consumer Credit Department since 2008, has been promoted to First VP. As consumer credit department manager, Olinger and her staff evaluate all consumer and small business loan applications for the bank's 60 locations. A Crowley native, Olinger has been with MidSouth Bank for 17 years, having joined the bank as a commercial loan assistant. She has 24 years of banking experience. Olinger has a bachelor of finance degree from LSU and an MBA from UL Lafayette. Regional Retail Manager Jennifer Fontenot and St. Landry Parish City President Pam Landreneau were both promoted from VP to First VP. Fontenot joined MidSouth Bank in early 2006 as banking center manager of its Johnston Street location and was promoted to regional retail manager in December 2011. She manages, oversees and directs all banking centers in the Cajun Region, which includes Lafayette, Carencro and Opelousas. Fontenot graduated from UL Lafayette with a bachelor's degree in finance in 1999 and obtained the Certified Manager designation in 2011. Landreneau oversees all lending activities and business development throughout the Opelousas and Carencro markets and is also a commercial lender. Landreneau has 36 years of banking experience, having spent the past 14 years with MidSouth Bank. She is a native of Washington, La., where she continues to reside. She has a degree in business education from UL Lafayette, graduated from the LSU Graduate School of Banking and is a Notary Public. Katherine Gardner was promoted from consumer underwriter to loan administrative aupervisor. An Opelousas native now living in Carencro, Gardner works out of the bank's main office on Versailles Boulevard in Lafayette. In her new role, Gardner supervises the loan booking process once the loan is in the bank's system. She has been with MidSouth Bank since 1995, having joined the bank as a commercial loan assistant, and has more than 21 years of banking experience. Gardner attended LSU-E and UL Lafayette and has completed American Institute of Banking and Louisiana Bankers Association courses in business, banking and lending. She also completed Rapport Leadership International's Power Communication training.

Mark Whitney has joined Right Angle as a copywriter. Whitney, a native of St. Martinville, has a BA in English/creative writing from UL Lafayette and is studying for a bachelor's degree in marketing. He has four years of freelance writing experience. Whitney has written locally for 008 Magazine, The Times of Acadiana and the Evangeline Parish School Board. Outside of Louisiana, he's published articles for a number of technology websites. His writing for Right Angle extends beyond working with clients and includes public relations and brand identity.

Brandon Bradley has joined Bradley & Moreau as a real estate attorney. A Lafayette native and graduate of Loyola University New Orleans' College of Law, Bradley has been a practicing attorney since 2011. After graduating from Loyola in 2010, he served as a law clerk to the Honorable James R. McClelland in the 16th Judicial District and has practiced law in the areas of insurance defense, personal injury defense, and worker's compensation defense with the law firm Caffery, Oubre, Campbell, & Garrison.

Teche Federal Bank promoted Alex Robichaux and Lesley Schexnayder. Robichaux, who was elevated to banking officer, is a commercial portfolio manager and is located at Teche's Broadmoor office on Johnston Street. He has a bachelor's degree in economics from LSU and an MBA from UL Lafayette and has been employed with Teche Federal since 2009. Lesley Schexnayder, who also works at the Broadmoor branch as branch lender, was promoted to VP. Schexnayder has 13 years of banking experience and has been employed with Teche Federal since 2003.

The recipients of the Virginia Miniex/Margo St. Julien Simien Memorial Scholarship were honored at a reception at the Staybridge Suites Hotel in the Margo Simien Conference Center. This year's recipients, all of whom graduated from local high schools this year, are: Aaliyah Lavergne (3.78 GPA) of Teurlings Catholic - attending UL Lafayette; Brandon Dale (4.0 GPA) of Lafayette High School - attending Brown University; Zanna Smith (3.9 GPA) of Northside High School - attending UL Lafayette; and Camille Prejean (4.0 GPA) of the Academy of Sacred Heart - attending LSU.

Renee Box has joined Coast Capital Mortgage as a loan officer. A Lafayette native, Box graduated from UL Lafayette and has experience in business, marketing and education.

Jeff Gonsoulin has joined Abell + Crozier + Davis Architects as project coordinator. A New Iberia native, Gonsoulin has 10 years of experience in the industry and a bachelor's degree in architecture from UL Lafayette. He is also an associate member of the American Institute of Architects.

Martin & Castille Funeral Home's R.T. Delhomme and Lane Bernard were appointed to the Louisiana Funeral Directors Association for the term 2013-2014. Delhomme, who is general manager of Martin & Castille, was named president of the association, and Bernard, Martin & Castille's funeral director, was installed as the southwest governor.

Mary "Sis" Rideau Doucet was appointed to Opelousas General Health System's board of trustees for a six-year term. Doucet replaces Stella Thomas, a retired educator who served on the board since June 1995. A lifelong resident of Opelousas, Doucet is the administrator of special education with the St. Landry Parish School Board. She also worked as an educational diagnostician and as a coordinator of Special Education Instructional Programs for the school system. She earned a master's degree in urban ethic communication disorders from Southern University.

Pharmacist Ivan Landry of Towne Pharmacy in Broussard was installed southwest regional director of the Louisiana Pharmacists Association. Pharmacists Andy Soileau of Soileau's Pharmacy in New Iberia and Ryan Dartez of Teche Drugs and Gifts in Youngsville were installed as directors-at-large of the association.

The Consulate General of Israel to the Southwest United States, which represents multiple-states, including Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arkansas, hired Karen Naumann as press officer. She is contributing to the Houston-based consulate's strategic communication efforts, specifically helping build mutually beneficial relationships with the media, organizations and communities in its region. Naumann is a graduate of Carencro High School and LSU, where she earned a bachelor's degree in mass communication and political science. She is a former Daily Advertiser staff writer and Times of Acadiana contributing writer.

Jennifer Raggio was named United Way of Acadiana's director of marketing and communications. A member of the leadership team, Raggio is responsible for developing a unique and consistent brand experience for UW of Acadiana's stakeholders, crafting and executing strategies that enhance visibility and composing effective messaging to enhance community understanding of the organization. Raggio previously served as the organization's marketing and communications intern, campaign manager and strategic back office manager. She also worked at The Daily Advertiser in Lafayette and the Harris County Medical Society in Houston. A Lafayette native, Raggio earned her bachelor's degree in journalism in 2005 from UL Lafayette. Also at UW of Acadiana, Antoinette Guthrie has joined as senior workforce engagement and campaign manager, responsible for fostering relationships with current and prospective donors, with special emphasis on supporters within the workforce. She primarily focuses on the annual workforce campaign, affinity groups cultivation, special fundraising events management and cultivation of year-round relationships in order to meet annual fundraising goals. Guthrie previously worked at CB&I in Baton Rouge as the business development representative of the Environment and Infrastructure Division where she executed several events, including the inaugural fundraiser Every Kid a King, in which $1 million was raised. She coordinated events ranging from small company tailgates to large client dinners in Washington, D.C., for Louisiana Mardi Gras. She earned her bachelor's degree in general studies from LSU.

The Regional Health System of Acadiana received top billing recently from the Leapfrog Group, earning an "A" for patient safety. The Leapfrog Group is an independent national nonprofit operated by employers and other large purchasers of health benefits. The Hospital Safety Score used 26 measures of publicly reported data on patient injuries, medical and medication errors and infections. Hospitals across the U.S. received a grade of A through F.

Van Eaton & Romero was named to REALTrends 500 top brokers in the nation for the 21st consecutive year. The company also ranks 236th in the nation based on closed transactional sides and in 2012 was 280th based on closed sales volume. Additionally, REALTrends reports that Van Eaton & Romero is the 81st largest independently owned real estate firm in the country.

Thomas Middleman was promoted to general manager for Advanced Safety and Training Management, a service line of Knight Oil Tools. Middleman previously served as district manager for Advanced Safety, having worked for the division for seven years.

The Louisiana Center for Women in Government and Business named Carolyn Doerle Schumacher its Woman Entrepreneur of the Year award at its 5th National Women's Leadership Summit on Small Business Entrepreneurship in New Orleans. Managing director and CEO of Doerle Food Services, Doerle Schumacher was also a 2012 Finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for the Gulf Coast region and was one of ABiz's Women Who Mean Business Honorees. She has been in the food-service industry for 33 years. Doerle Food Services is a multi-million dollar independent, broad-line food service distributor of grocery, meats, produce, paper, chemical, and table-top supplies.

Pam Frey of Lafayette received the 2013 Angel Award presented by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation. The award is given annually to outstanding volunteers who give of their time and talents for Louisiana's children. With the Hearts for Hope program, Frey uses her voice to speak for the youngest victims of abuse, also assisting with fundraisers and helping implement new programs. She also helped initiate a court monitoring program, Public Awareness of the Legal System, or PALS, where volunteers attend hearings and collaborate with court staff. The program is designed to recommend improvements in the legal system that will lead to more justice and closure for sexually abused children.

LHC Group's long-term acute care hospitals were recognized for their quality tracking initiatives and practices by The Advisory Board Company, a Washington D.C.-based research, technology and consulting firm. The Lafayette-based company's quality tracking program was highlighted by the Advisory Board in a teleconference with health care leaders from across the nation on trends affecting long-term acute care facilities. LHC Group operates nine long-term acute care hospitals.