Bryce Gaspard has joined Thomson, Smith & Leach Insurance Agency as a partner/personal lines producer. In addition to servicing existing accounts for the agency, Gaspard is charged with managing its personal lines book of property and casualty insurance business and introducing multi-line benefits to customers. He previously owned Gaspard’s Allstate Insurance Agency in Lafayette, which he sold in April of this year. Before moving to Lafayette in 2004, Gaspard garnered numerous industry awards while an agent for Farm Bureau Insurance and Union National Life Insurance Co., both of Natchez, Miss. A native of Alexandria, Gaspard holds insurance licenses in life, health, accident, industrial fire, property, casualty, variable life insurance and a variable annuities Series 6 license.
Cheri Minckler and Tim Taylor have been named project managers at the nonprofit statewide agency Manufacturing Extension Partnership of Louisiana, both hired to deliver lean manufacturing, a process to improve productivity and efficiency, to Acadiana’s manufacturers. A certified energy manager, Minckler holds undergraduate degrees in sociology and petroleum engineering from the UL and a master’s in science education from the University of Florida. She has more 25 years experience consulting with companies in the areas of human resource and organizational development. Taylor earned his bachelor’s in business management from Louisiana Tech. He has more than 15 years of experience in the manufacturing industry including paper/pulp, lumber and construction services. He previously was the quality manager for Weyerhaeuser in Dodson, La.
KADN-TV Fox15 has added meteorologist Brett Cummins to the Fox News Lafayette team as chief meteorologist weeknights at 9 p.m. He replaces Nelson Robinson. He comes from KARK-TV, the NBC affiliate in Little Rock, Ark., where he spent seven years as chief meteorologist. He has also worked as a meteorologist at several stations in Mississippi and served as assistant clerk of meteorology at the Naval Oceanographic Office in Bay St. Louis. Born and raised in Waynesboro, Miss., Cummins is a graduate of the meteorology program at Mississippi State University and holds a bachelor’s degree in geosciences. While in college, he received a prestigious industrial/undergraduate scholarship from the American Meteorological Society.
Michael T. Domingue, a financial advisor with Sterling Financial Partners and MassMutual Life Insurance Company, has been authorized by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards to use the CFP marks. These marks identify those individuals who have met the rigorous experience and ethical requirements of the CFP Board, have successfully completed financial planning coursework and have passed the CFP Certification Examination covering the following areas: the financial planning process, risk management, investments, tax planning and management, retirement and employee benefits, and estate planning. Domingue, who is also certified in long-term care, founded Sterling with Odon L. Bacque’ Jr. in the fall of 2007 and has worked with MassMutual since 2005.
Knight recently promoted Jerome Lane to operations manager for its Oil Tools operating company. He previously was a quality assurance/quality control pressure control specialist with Knight. He has worked in the oilfield for the past 30 years specializing in blowout-prevention and related pressure-control equipment.
Matt Rowzee has been promoted to director of new business development at C& S Janitorial Services. He recently graduated from UL with a bachelor’s degree in business management and has worked for C&S Janitorial Service for the past five years.
Wellbore Energy Solutions has appointed Jason Foreman as quality, health, safety and environment manager. He supports existing QHSE policies and procedures and will implement initiatives to continue to foster a company-wide commitment to safety and quality assurance. Prior to joining WES, Foreman spent 12 years with Baker Oil Tools.
Judy Briscoe and Rhoda Cormier of Home Bank successfully completed the 2008 Bankers School for Supervisory Training, a week-long program focused on developing managerial skills for bankers. The 36-year-old school is provided by the Louisiana Bankers Association and held in Baton Rouge at The Bankers Center, hosting students from all over the state. To date, more than 4,000 bankers have participated in the program.
Thomas Reeves Russell has been named airport operations specialist at Lafayette Regional Airport. He oversees the day-to-day operations of the airport to ensure activities are in compliance with all FAA standards. Russell is responsible for airfield inspections and maintains close contact with the tower on maintenance issues, the security sergeant on security problems and the Air Rescue and Fire Fighting chief on ARFF station activities, training and equipment requirements. Russell most recently worked for Monroe Air Center, a flight school serving north Louisiana. He is a graduate of Carencro High School and UL Monroe with a bachelor of science in Aviation.
Copy & Camera Technologies has been named one of the country’s Elite Dealers by OfficeDEALER magazine in recognition of superior sales and marketing programs, dedication to customer service, community involvement and the ability to effectively provide customers with unique and innovative solutions. The award is presented annually to the top office equipment, office products and office furniture dealers in the U.S. According to the magazine, 110 dealers were selected from a record number of entries.
Parkway Services Group (formerly Parkway Machine and Mechanical) has acquired Fred’s Radiator Service, a 36-year old New Iberia company. Parkway was founded in 1976 and is a diversified group of companies that provides mechanical, machine and fabrication, radiator and cooler, and equipment rental services to some of the largest refineries and Gulf of Mexico exploration and production companies. Parkway provides a one-stop repair, fabrication and parts sales solution for all rotating equipment such as compressors, pumps, engines and generators. Parkway is actively hiring machinists, fabricators and mechanics to support its ongoing expansion.
United Way of Acadiana and Southern Mutual Help Association Inc. of New Iberia were awarded the LANO Seal of Excellence during an awards luncheon on Oct. 29. The honor came after the nonprofits were re-certified for the Louisiana Standards for Excellence Voluntary Certification Program, having first achieved the Seal of Excellence three years ago.
Louisiana Economic Development is moving forward with the creation of the Louisiana FastStart program, a turnkey workforce solution modeled after Georgia Quick Start that will provide customized employee recruitment, screening and training for new and expanding companies in Louisiana. The program, which will be implemented in partnership with Louisiana Community and Technical College System, Louisiana Workforce Commission and private partners, is a major element of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s workforce development reform plan adopted in the recent legislative session.
Home Bank’s Mary Hopkins, Joe Zanco, John Bordelon, Darren Guidry, Sarah Oubre and Scott Sutton
John W. Bordelon, president and chief executive officer of Home Bank and its parent company, Home Bancorp Inc., presided over the Nasdaq closing bell ceremony Thursday, Nov. 20. The company’s stock began trading on the Nasdaq Global Market Oct. 3. Home Bank was invited by Nasdaq to ring the closing bell in celebration of its successful initial public offering and 100th anniversary. “We are incredibly fortunate to serve communities with such rich cultures and an overriding spirit of entrepreneurship,” Bordelon says. “The $89 million in capital raised through our initial public offering will help us reach more potential customers searching for a strong, community-focused bank.”