Recent promotions, hires and news from Acadiana's business scene.
Scott P. Myers of Lafayette has joined Investar Bank as vice president and treasury management officer, focusing on meeting the treasury management needs of commercial and business customers throughout Investar's footprint. A native of Lake Charles, he joins Investar with more than 10 years of banking experience, having previously served IberiaBank as Acadiana regional treasury management sales officer and, prior to that, as private banking relationship officer. Myers also formerly worked at Whitney Bank as a commercial real estate officer in Bradenton and Sarasota, Fla. Myers received a bachelor's degree in finance from McNeese State University. He is a director of Hearts of Hope in Lafayette and formerly served as a director of the State College of Florida Foundation in Bradenton.
Jenny Korner has been named director of sales and marketing for the Hilton Lafayette. Korner, who has more than 18 years of hotel sales, marketing and management experience, was formerly the area director of sales and marketing for the Fairfield Inn and Suites Lafayette and the Courtyard by Marriott Houma. She replaces Patty Marshall.
Andrew Ahrens of Ahrens Investment Partners was named one of the "Top 1200 Financial Advisors in America" by financial magazine Barron's. Ahrens was also recognized as the top Independent Financial Advisor in Louisiana. Ahrens Investment Partners is affiliated with LPL Financial LLC. Only a select group of financial advisors were recipients of this recognition, which highlights the most prominent men and women in the financial advisor industry. The rankings are based on data provided by more than 4,000 of the nation's most productive advisors and include assets under management, revenue produced for the firm, regulatory record, quality of practice and philanthropic work.
An ad designed by BBR Creative for local business M&D Industries of Louisiana was recognized by World Oil Magazine for its "outstanding readership response." The designation comes from a survey commissioned by the publication to evaluate the quality of its advertising content. The ad was part of a series designed by BBR Creative to promote M&D Industries' Ultra Seal product line. World Oil's survey ranked the 479 placements according to reader response, and the ad for M&D placed in the Top 10 alongside notable energy brands such as Halliburton, Schlumberger, Acteon and Tiger Offshore Rentals. M&D Industries engineers fluid technologies for the oil and gas industry. The ad also earned BBR Creative a Silver Addy during this year's local American Advertising Awards held in early February.
The Louisiana Gulf Coast Oil Exposition announced that Steve Maley has taken over as 2015 chairman (the biennial show will be held Oct. 27-29, 2015, at the Cajundome and Convention Center). A registered professional engineer, Maley has been on the LAGCOE board of directors since 2005 and has served as an exhibit judge and Executive Committee member throughout those years. Maley is operations manager for Badger Oil Corporation in Lafayette. Before joining Badger, he was manager of Reservoir Engineering for CNG Producing Company. Maley began his career at Shell Offshore in New Orleans after graduating from the University of Oklahoma in 1978. Kenneth "Kenny" Crouch was named 2015 LAGCOE chairman-elect. Crouch is the owner of Pressure Control Specialties in Lafayette, which he purchased in 2009 and has since opened offices in Pennsylvania and Texas. Throughout his more than three decades of service to LAGCOE, Crouch participated in various capacities within the organization's committees. After years of service on the Parking and Traffic Committee, in 2007 he began to serve LAGCOE through the Exhibitor Relations Committee and served as co-chair in 2009 and chairman in 2011 and 2013. He also has been a member of the Executive Committee since 2011. Crouch attended UL Lafayette and began his career in the oil industry with the family-owned business, Southern Wireline Service. He became president of the company prior to it being sold in 2005. Greg Stutes is 2015 LAGCOE treasurer. Stutes is a senior completion engineer with Completion Specialists Inc. His 26 years of industry experience began at Conoco in 1988 after graduating from UL and includes engineering and management positions at Drilling Services of America, Halliburton and Chevron. Stutes is a member of AADE, SPWLA, API, IADC, ICoTA, LGS and SPE, having held the office of chairman for SPE Evangeline Section in 2004-2005 and committee member for SPE International Symposium and Exhibition on Formation Damage Control since 2000. He has served LAGCOE for 10 years in Registration and Technical Presentations Committees, most recently as chairman of the Technical Presentations Committee. Stutes has been on the LAGCOE board since 2010 and the Executive Committee since 2012.
John E. Simmons has joined Preis & Roy's Lafayette office. Simmons earned a BA degree from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2003 and a juris doctorate with cum laude status from LSU in 2013. His main areas of practice include maritime and casualty litigation.
Dr. Kam Movassaghi, president of C.H. Fenstermaker & Associates, was inducted into the Louisiana Highways and Transportation Hall of Honor. Movassaghi's induction was unanimously endorsed by the six sponsoring organizations of the Hall of Honor: the Louisiana Good Roads and Transportation Association, Department of Transportation and Development, Louisiana State Police, American Council of Engineering Companies of Louisiana, Louisiana Associated General Contractors and the Louisiana Engineering Society. He is the 42nd inductee into the prestigious Hall of Honor. Movassaghi is former secretary of DOTD, where he served from 1998-2004 under former Gov. Mike Foster.
The Lafayette City-Parish Council appointed Carencro resident John E. Hebert to serve as a commissioner for the Lafayette Regional Airport. Hebert, who has been in finance for more than 20 years, served as secretary/treasurer for the Lafayette Parish Waterworks District North Board of Commissioners. He is employed by Whitney Bank as vice president of portfolio management. He will complete the term of former commissioner Jerry Spurgeon, who resigned in October. Hebert is a graduate of Nicholls State University with a BS degree in personnel administration and an MBA. He serves as a board member of the adult literacy group Volunteer Instructors Teaching Adults, with past experience as a founding member of the Tri Cajuns Club and president of the Rotary Club of Lafayette North.
Doug Keller has been named president of Knight Oil Tools International, overseeing all of the company's ongoing international business operations and responsible for the continued growth of new global markets. The company has operations and facilities in Colombia, Norway, U.K., Netherlands, N. Iraq, Middle East and Australia. Keller has been with Knight since 1988. He previously served on the executive management team for more than 10 years, most recently as executive vice president of Global Strategic Business Development. His previous positions included senior vice president, vice president of sales, and vice president of marketing and business development. Keller earned a BS degree from Louisiana Tech University.
Dr. Larry Simon, pediatric otolaryngologist (ENT) and fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, has joined the practice of Dr. Chip Hebert at the Kids Specialty Center, where he will see patients twice a month. He is accepting new patients and also has offices in Eunice. After graduating summa cum laude in biochemistry from LSU in May 1999, Simon earned a medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He completed an internship in general surgery at Baylor College in 2004 and later a residency in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery in 2008, also at Baylor College. Simon completed an additional fellowship in pediatric otolaryngology at the University of California at San Diego and Rady Children's Hospital, also in San Diego, in 2009. Most recently, he was on the medical staff at University Medical Center and Children's Hospital of New Orleans, where he served as co-director of the pediatric otolaryngology service. Simon is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans and is a member of the American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
W. Corey Grimley has been named a partner in the Gibson Gruenert law firm. Grimley, a Baton Rouge native, joined Gibson Gruenert in 2003. His primary areas of practice include business and personal injury litigation. In 1998, Grimley earned a BS in history from LSU, where he also obtained his juris doctor from the LSU Law Center in 2001.
Professional services firm Ernst & Young LLP has opened a location in Lafayette on the first floor of the Energy Plaza at 202 Rue Iberville. Since 1920 Ernst & Young has operated in Louisiana, where it now has 160 employees, according to Bob Kimbro, managing partner of EY's Louisiana practice.