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The Burden Museum and Gardens—a 440-acre rural patch in the midst of one of the busiest corridors in Baton Rouge—is one of the entities affected by a major project underway to widen Essen Lane from Perkins Road to Interstate 10. The project kicked off in April and is not expected to be completely finished until the winter of 2018. It will be divided into two phases—the first will expand the I-10 intersection, adding two turn lanes onto Interstate 10 and new lanes for each of the on- and off-ramps; the second phase will widen the road from a five-lane roadway with a center turn lane to six lanes with a continuous two-lane center turn lane.
>>> STAND ALONES
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Southeastern Grocers, parent company of Winn-Dixie, BI-LO and Harveys, will donate more than $3 million to support the Wounded Warrior Project’s Independence Program, which helps warriors live life fully, on their own terms. The company pledged 100% of profits generated on July 4 to the nonprofit. The total donation includes customer donations, vendor contributions and all profits earned that day in Louisiana and other states.
COMPANY NEWS
Baton Rouge General announced co-management agreements for the hospital’s cardiovascular service line with the Baton Rouge Cardiology Center and the Cardiovascular Institute of the South that will set new standards for clinical quality and patient care. The agreements offer patients collaborative care from leading physicians trained in cardiology, radiology, nuclear medicine, electrophysiology and prevention services. Across the country, clinically integrated collaborative agreements among health care providers are increasingly recognized as important to improve care coordination, quality and health outcomes for patients.
Danos, a 68-year-old family-owned Louisiana oil field service company, has a new state-of-the-art headquarters located in Gray. The 64,000-square-foot facility features a 9- by 15-foot magnetic map wall, a 32-foot history wall, a workout area with locker room facilities, the Bayou Market (an employee lunch room), a mother’s room, work space for more than 250 employees, seven conference rooms and a handcrafted conference room table made from a cypress tree harvested from the headquarters’ property.
Global infrastructure adviser Moffatt & Nichol celebrated 70 years of service in July. The company had revenues of $134 million in 2014 and more than 600 staff members worldwide. The company moved its operations to Baton Rouge in 2005 in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and opened its downtown location overlooking the Mississippi River in early 2010. Signature projects have included development of the groundbreaking Mississippi River Long Distance Sediment Pipeline project, the Baton Rouge River Cruise Dock and the Changing Course Design Competition.
ACCREDITATION | CERTIFICATION
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Two architects with GraceHebert Architects have successfully completed their internships and testing, and received their licenses as architects. Marcus Williams joined the firm in 2013 after serving on the staff of firms in Atlanta and Baton Rouge. Williams has worked on high-rise condominiums, resort and hospitality projects, and now focuses mainly on educational and corporate office design. Since joining GraceHebert Architects in 2009, Alexander Deshotels has contributed to some of the firm’s largest correctional and commercial office projects. He is currently managing and designing projects of various scopes and scales across Louisiana.
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Stuart Patton MacMorran recently completed his architectural registration exams and is now a licensed architect in the state of Louisiana. He has been a full-time member of Cockfield Jackson Architects staff in Baton Rouge since 2004. Patton is involved as a design team member in a variety of new and renovated high-end residential projects, as well as commercial project types including the LSU Tiger Stadium locker room renovations.
AWARDS | HONORS
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Preston Castille Jr. of Taylor Porter is the recipient of a Citizen Lawyer Award from the Louisiana State Bar Association. The award was created in 2001 to recognize outstanding lawyers and judges who have performed significant volunteer services. Castille is a partner of Taylor Porter and a member of the firm’s executive committee. He is active in various education-related organizations, including New Schools for Baton Rouge and several charter school organizations. He serves on the Greater Baton Rouge Area Chamber of Commerce Business Advisory Committee. He was a member of the Chamber’s 1997 Leadership class and was selected in 2000 by the Baton Rouge Business Report as one of Baton Rouge’s “Top Forty Under 40” community and business leaders. Castille is a member of the 2012 Louisiana Leadership class sponsored by Council for a Better Louisiana.
Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center has been recognized for its commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients with the American College of Cardiology’s NCDR Action Registry-GWTG Silver Performance Achievement Award. OLOL is one of fewer than 100 hospitals nationwide to receive the honor. Award recipients consistently follow treatment guidelines for four consecutive quarters and meet a performance standard of 90% for specific performance measures.
The Water Institute of the Gulf, in partnership with Nicholls State University, has been awarded funding under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Program for a project that will focus on linking shifts in blue crab population dynamics to changes in coastal landscape. The principal investigator on the project is Tim Carruthers, director of coastal ecology. Collaborating partners include the Institute’s Kelly Darnell and Ann Hijuelos, as well as M. Zachary Darnell of Nicholls State University. The proposal will be funded in the full amount of $283,578 beginning Sept. 1.
APPOINTMENTS | MEMBERSHIPS
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Christopher Caputo of Baker Donelson law firm has been appointed by the American Chamber of Commerce in Italy as the organization’s local representative in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Tennessee. Caputo will work to promote commerce between Italian businesses and businesses in the southeastern United States. One of his principal functions will be to assist Italian businesses in potential investments and strategic partnerships within the region. Caputo will serve in this role for a two-year term subject to further renewal.
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Anne Cochran, president and CEO of the Louisiana Credit Union League, has been named the first female chair of the World Council of Credit Unions’ board of directors. Prior to her elected position, Cochran has served the WOCCU in many capacities. Cochran is a frequent speaker at international credit union meetings, including many of WOCCU’s Congresses, tirelessly volunteering her time to help international leagues and credit unions grow and prosper. Named one of the Top 50 Women of the Year by New Orleans’ CityBusiness, Cochran is the recipient of numerous awards, including the National Credit Union Foundation’s Anchor Award in 2006 for her “strength, perseverance and leadership in helping credit unions recover from Hurricane Katrina.” Following Hurricane Katrina, Cochran developed the Louisiana Credit Union Foundation, established to provide financial assistance for statewide disaster relief efforts, and provided educational opportunities for credit union employees and volunteers. In 2011, Cochran was inducted into the Louisiana Credit Union Hall of Fame.
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Dr. Andrew Hargroder of Baton Rouge has been appointed to a one-year term on the board of directors of MidSouth Bank. The bariatric surgeon, son of the late Dr. Joe Hargroder, a founding member of MidSouth Bank’s board of directors, is a pioneer in flexible laparoscopic surgery. The Jennings native has been a bariatric surgeon at Baton Rouge General Hospital since 2012. The Capital City is one of the bank’s fastest-growing markets. He also will assist the bank with its strategic plan to further expand its services into the health care sector.
Melvin Rodrigue, president and CEO of Galatoire’s Restaurant and Galatoire’s 33 Bar & Steak in New Orleans and Galatoire’s Bistro in Baton Rouge has been named 2015 Restaurateur of the Year by the Louisiana Restaurant Association. The 2015 Hall of Fame inductee is Chef John Folse, founder of the John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University and a partner in Restaurant R’evolution in New Orleans and Seafood Revolution in Ridgeland, Mississippi. The 2015 Associate Member of the Year is Brian Girardot, brand support manager of Community Coffee. The 2015 Advocate of the Year is The Honorable Cedric Richmond, member of the United States House of Representatives and represents Louisiana’s Second Congressional District. The awards will be presented at the association’s Five Star Futures Gala Aug. 8 benefiting the LRA Education Foundation.
PHILANTHROPY | GRANTS
A new outdoor basketball court at BREC’s Expressway Park was made possible with contributions from Walk-On’s and LSU Coach Johnny Jones’ Courts for Kids program. The park is located at 935 South 11th Street and features a playground, recreation center, picnic areas, a practice football field and a trailhead to the Downtown Greenway.
Employees of PacTec Inc. of Clinton celebrated Independence Day with a $1,202 donation to the Wounded Warrior Project. Funds were raised in $2 increments in exchange for wearing blue jeans on dedicated days. PacTec Inc. then matched dollar-for-dollar what employees contributed, empowering their team to make a bigger difference. So far this year, PacTec Inc. employees have donated more than $1,800 to this effort.
