AIDSLaw opened its Baton Rouge office, located at 4560 North Blvd., Ste. 118, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 2. AIDSLaw provides legal services to those living with HIV/AIDS, including protection from discrimination, access to essential medical care and public benefits and estate planning.
AlwaysCare Benefits, Inc. has introduced small-group voluntary life and voluntary short-term disability plans designed for employers with less than 50 employees. The products are underwritten by National Guardian Life Insurance Company and rated A-minus [Excellent] by AM Best [2008]. The company also has introduced AlwaysPartner, a service designed to simplify the sales process while assisting producers with growing their voluntary business.
Denbury Resources Inc. hosted an open house on May 28 to provide an update on the Green Pipeline project in Louisiana. The 320-mile pipeline, being built from Donaldsonville to Hastings, Texas, is one of the first of its kind and is designed to transport both natural and man-made carbon dioxide. The CO2 will be injected into existing oil reservoirs to recover additional crude oil from depleted fields. The pipeline’s economic impact on Louisiana includes the creation of nearly 800 jobs and a total capital investment of $750 million.
Ivize, a legal document services firm, has a new owner and a new name. Chris McMahan bought out the local operations and has changed the name to Electronic Discovery of Baton Rouge. The company opened its operations downtown in October and has seven employees.
Lamar Advertising has introduced an environmentally friendly digital billboard, which uses less power and doesn’t emit light. The new billboard, which was installed in New York, is undergoing testing before it goes online. Lamar says the neighborhood-friendly billboards are 50% to 75% more energy-efficient than its conventional digital billboards.
Learning Sciences Corporation has been chosen by HEI Hotels and Resorts to provide instructional design, creative development and courseware production to meet the hotel investment company’s learning and training objectives. Learning Sciences Corporation specializes in determining a corporation’s comprehensive learning needs, then develops tailored learning solutions using eLearning and in-classroom training methods.
The Louisiana Resource Center for Educators has moved into its new home on Florida Boulevard after renovating 25,000 square feet of a 30,000-square-foot building it bought last year from Louisiana Office Supply for a little under $1.7 million.
New Iberia-based Teche Federal Bank celebrated its 75th anniversary on May 29. The bank opened in 1934 as Teche Federal Savings and Loan Association; it operated with the help of St. Mary Bank on Main Street in Franklin before moving into a separate office on Willow Street. Today, Teche has 20 branches in south Louisiana, including three in Baton Rouge and one in Prairieville. It is the fourth-largest publicly traded bank based in Louisiana, with more than $750 million in assets.
The Shaw Group’s environmental and infrastructure division has been awarded multiple contracts from the Department of Defense to manage fuel at eight military bases. The value of the five-year contracts was not disclosed. The deal covers environmental assessment, remediation and emergency response support services at defense fuel support points in Charleston, S.C.; Fort Hood, Texas; Tampa, Fla.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Savannah, Ga.; Verona, N.Y.; Melville, R.I.; and Norfolk, Va. The division also has been awarded a contract worth up to $375 million to support FEMA’s disaster assistance program. The five-year contract covers comprehensive emergency management for disasters in nine states, including Louisiana and Texas.
VooDoo BBQ & Grill has sold the franchise rights for a Houma location and plans to open a restaurant in the city later this year. Angelle and Edward Thibodeaux own the franchise rights for the Houma restaurant. VooDoo opened its eighth location on June 8 in Mandeville. A VooDoo BBQ Express is scheduled to open in the Mall of Louisiana food court by August, and a Denham Springs restaurant is scheduled to open later this year.
Walker-based Richard Price Contracting has completed the Pinnacle Parkway-East Brewster Road exit off Interstate 12 in St. Tammany Parish. The $10 million exit serves as the gateway to the Stirling Mandeville shopping center just south of I-12 and the gateway to the Colonial Pinnacle Nord du Lac town center under construction just north of the interstate. The company received a $300,000 bonus for early completion and an $85,774 bonus for the smoothness of the asphalt paving.
Woman’s Hospital opened a metabolic health clinic to help prevent issues such as type 2 diabetes from occurring. The clinic is focused on women and their health needs with an emphasis on preventive care.
AWARDS/HONORS
Adams and Reese ranks No. 122 on the Intellectual Property Today list of top 150 law firms for its trademark practice. The list ranks firms according to the number of trademark registrations issued in 2008, where the firm is listed as the legal representative on the registration. Adams and Reese obtained 153 federal trademark registrations in 2008.
Andrew Maverick, the Philip & Foymae Kelso West Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and chairman of LSU’s chemistry department, has received the Charles E. Coates Memorial Award, which honors outstanding contributions to chemistry or chemical engineering, the corresponding professional society and the community.
Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz ranks No. 46 on the Intellectual Property Today list of top 150 law firms for its trademark practice. The list ranks firms according to the number of trademark registrations issued in 2008, where the firm is listed as the legal representative on the registration.
The Baton Rouge Area Chamber has been recognized for the third year in a row by the American Chamber of Commerce Executives with several national awards in their Awards for Communication Excellence competition. The ACE program is a competition designed to recognize the achievements of outstanding communication programs, campaigns and projects, and includes all areas of “communication excellence.”
Bill Freshwater, president of Homewatch CareGivers’ Baton Rouge franchise, has been selected to the Homewatch CareGivers International Advisory Board. Freshwater was chosen by his peer franchise owners for his business experience, track record, innovative marketing strategies and leadership abilities.
Cheryl Ratcliff has been inducted into Avon Products’ Circle of Excellence as one of the beauty giant’s best district sales managers. The honor is bestowed to the top 10% of district sales managers with the largest sales increase.
Cortana Kiwanis Club elected officers and board members for 2009-10. They are: Bill Blackwood, Citizens Bank & Trust, president; René Roberts, JPMorgan, president-elect; Billy Burris, Seale, Smith, Zuber & Barnette, vice president; and Nancy Wertz, Rogers & McDaniel, past president. Board members whose terms end in 2010 are Pete Arceneaux, retired; Tommy Davis, Olinde’s; and Charlene Ourso, Circle Bowl. Board members whose terms end in 2011 are Debbie Salvant, The Bug Man, Inc.; Sean McDonald, Cook, Moore & Associates; and Brent Salter, Provost, Salter, Harper & Alford. Board members whose terms end in 2012 are Danny Fields, Children’s Miracle Network; Scott Gremillion, Business Report; and Cal Robbins, Calvin L. Robbins Jr., CPA.
Donna D. Fraiche of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz has been named an Outstanding Healthcare Fraud and Compliance Lawyer by Nightingale’s Healthcare News. Fraiche, who was among 12 attorneys from across the country who were named to the list, was recognized for her work defending Medicaid investigations for a variety of clients.
John S. Battaglia, of Northwestern Mutual of Louisiana-Baton Rouge, has been chosen to receive the Northwestern Mutual Forum Award. Battaglia has been chosen in recognition of his performance for 2008-09 and service to clients. Of the company’s 8,000 financial representatives, only 236 were eligible for this award.
Kizzy Payton, the director of public information for the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, has been appointed to the East Baton Rouge Parish Library Board of Control.
Larry Crumbley, KPMG Endowed Professor in the LSU E.J. Ourso College of Business’ accounting department, has been awarded the Certified in Financial Forensics Credential by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. The CFF Credential, established in 2008 by the AICPA, is granted to CPAs with considerable professional experience in financial forensics.
Lenore Elvir, the director of sales for Embassy Suites, has been named the chain’s Director of Sales of the Year. Elvir has been with the hotel since 1991, including the past decade in her current position. The award recognizes leadership, accountability, business sense and creativity.
The Louisiana Bayou Chapter of the In Plant Printing and Mailing Association elected officers for 2009-10. They are: Jason Laborde, Livingston Parish Public Schools, president; Dale Johnson, Woman’s Hospital, vice president; Paul Bethel, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, treasurer; and Leonard Stennett, Lafourche Parish Public Schools, secretary.
LSU AgCenter Vice Chancellor Paul Coreil has been appointed chair of the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy. The group is comprised of Extension Service directors and administrators from the nation’s land-grant university system. It develops policies and helps to provide guidance to the national Cooperative Extension System.
LSU’s E.J. Ourso College of Business has been ranked in the Top 50 of the internationally known “Top Business Schools” by Eduniversal, which first placed the school in its worldwide ranking of top 1,000 business schools in October 2007. Eduniversal then placed the schools into five leagues by their level of international importance and influence.
Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center has been named Hospital of the Year for Respiratory Care by the Louisiana Society for Respiratory Care for hospitals with more than 200 beds. The respiratory care department was recognized for its competence, professionalism and evidence of best outcomes.
Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center’s marketing team has received national and local advertising awards. At the Aster Awards, OLOL received one Gold for its Children’s Hospital calendar, three Silvers for its We Believe ad campaign and one bronze for its Nursing Annual Report. At the Healthcare Advertising Awards, OLOL received two Silvers, two Bronzes and three certificates of merit. And at the Pelican Awards, presented by the Louisiana Society for Hospital Public Relations and Marketing, OLOL earned eight awards and one certificate of merit. Elizabeth Badeaux received the Golden Pelican Award as the Graphic Designer of the Year.
Renae Conley, president and CEO of Entergy Louisiana and Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, and Baton Rouge attorney Gerald Thomas Arbour Sr. have been named to the LSU E.J. Ourso College of Business Dean’s Advisory Council. Conley will join the council as part of the Globalization Committee, and Arbour will join as part of the Academic Committee.
Todd Shupe, a forest products professor at the LSU AgCenter’s Louisiana Forest Products Development Center, has been elected vice president of the Society of Wood Science and Technology. He will assume the role of president-elect in 2010 and president in 2011. The Society of Wood Science and Technology is an internationally recognized organization of wood scientists, engineers, marketing specialists and other professionals.
The YMCA of the Capital Area bestowed four awards at its annual meeting. Donna Carville received the Myron Falk Fundraising Award; Dean Cooper received the Edward D. Grant Volunteerism Award; Richard Preis received the Red Triangle; and Mike Patterson and Pat Hanchey received the Red Heart Award.
