Adonica Pelichet Duggan, 39
Chief of communications and public relations, East Baton Rouge Parish School System
Adonica Pelichet Duggan doesn’t need to be bothered with silly things like sleep. She’s an early riser—4 a.m. on a workout day—and as the head of communications and public relations for the East Baton Rouge Parish School System, she’s practically on call 24/7. But it’s all in a day’s work for Duggan. “I love sharing the work our teachers and students are doing,” she says. “The innovative projects, exposure to technology and relevant experiences make students excited about learning. That excitement is contagious.” Duggan is a member of the Alumni Board of LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication. In addition to her own fitness efforts—she’s training for Ironman Chattanooga in 2017—she volunteers at Rocketkidz Foundation events and for Girls on the Run South Louisiana.
NAME THREE MAJOR PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
- I am honored to have the opportunity to share the stories of the outstanding teachers and students of the East Baton Rouge Parish School System with the world each day.
- I had a full-circle moment last year when I was on a team that prepared my alma mater McKinley High School for a historic visit by President Barack Obama.
- Each year, the opening convocation ceremony for our teachers and employees is a particularly special time to refocus on the importance of the work we do in our community. This year, as we celebrated Building the Future of Baton Rouge, the energy in the room was electric. It was profoundly fulfilling.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR VOLUNTEER & COMMUNITY AFFILIATIONS AND INVOLVEMENT.
My volunteer efforts center on helping to support active, healthier lifestyles for families in our community. I volunteer at Rocketkidz Foundation events, various races, and have served as a coach and site coordinator for Girls on the Run. I am also honored to serve on the Alumni Board of the Manship School of Mass Communication.
NAME ONE BOOK THAT HAS INSPIRED YOU PROFESSIONALLY.
Leadership Matters by Lee Colan is a quick read, but really hones in on the characteristics of great leaders. We worked through it in a book study with our administrators and district cabinet. The conversations about great leadership transcend industry.
WHEN YOU WERE A CHILD, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP?
An architect, but I think it was just because I thought I would be drawing beautiful buildings all day.
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB, HOW OLD WERE YOU AND WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM IT?
I babysat for many of the families in my neighborhood before I was old enough for my first official part-time job. I learned responsibility and flexibility, and I also gained a closeness with many of the families I worked for as I watched their kids grow.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE FOR A BUSINESS LUNCH IN BATON ROUGE, AND WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DISH THERE?
Lunch is often in my office between meetings, so I am grateful that my salad subscription to Freshjunkie keeps me on track and saves me from eating out of vending machines. I could eat their Brickhouse dressing on a shoe.
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT?
I consider the richness of my life my greatest achievement. I am blessed to have an amazing support system that allows me to balance my job, my marriage, four amazing young children and triathlon training. I don’t believe you can have it all, but I do believe you can prioritize what matters to you, and make the sacrifices necessary to make those things happen.
HOW DO YOU GET PUMPED UP BEFORE A BIG MEETING, PRESENTATION OR PITCH?
Typically, for me it is more about containing excess energy than getting pumped. I pray about it, I run about it, and then I pray while running about it.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST FULFILLING MOMENT IN YOUR CAREER SO FAR?
After the flood, I was the only member of our district leadership team who was in an area that allowed me safe passage to the shelter going up at Scotlandville High School. I went there hoping to assist with facility logistics as someone who would have access to the proper internal contacts to help things run smoothly. I ended up spending the next two days working with people who had lost so much. I was blessed that my professional role offered me an opportunity to help people in need in a way that was different than what I do every day.
WHAT WAS YOUR PROFESSIONAL “AHA MOMENT?”
For me I don’t think I have had one real “aha moment.” I find my job to be a constant exercise in growing, stretching my personal limits and adapting to the changes in our community and the ways we communicate.
WHAT IS YOUR BEST PRODUCTIVITY HACK?
I get a jump on productivity for the day by being the first person in the office. I am a morning person, so I find that coming in early allows me to catch up on the news of the day, prepare a list of things to accomplish and mentally focus before the pace gets too hectic.
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED THE HARD WAY?
Everything. My parents can vouch that I am the child who needs to touch the stove and can’t really take your word that it is hot.
WHAT ABOUT YOUR JOB WOULD SHOCK CUSTOMERS OR CLIENTS IF THEY KNEW ABOUT IT?
Most people think my work day is done when there are no students in buildings, but I am on call pretty much 24/7.
HOW DO YOU TYPICALLY DRESS FOR WORK—CASUAL? PROFESSIONAL? BUSINESS CASUAL? OTHER?
My typical work day uniform is a dress, a blazer and a distinctive piece of jewelry.
WHAT PART OF YOUR JOB DO YOU LOVE? WHAT PART DO YOU HATE?
I love sharing the work our teachers and students are doing. The innovative projects, exposure to technology and relevant experiences make students excited about learning. That excitement is contagious. I am most disappointed when the negative actions of a few cast a shadow over all of the great things taking place in our schools.
WHAT IS THE BEST COMPLIMENT YOU’VE EVER GOTTEN FROM A COLLEAGUE OR BOSS?
Superintendent [Warren] Drake always says I make things look easy. I think making the complicated look effortless is a skill, so I take that as a big compliment.
MAC OR PC?
Mac for personal, PC for work.
ARE YOU ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA? IF SO, ON WHICH PLATFORMS ARE YOU MOST ACTIVE?
I love Facebook for keeping up with my friends in the triathlon community, and the people I grew up with in Baton Rouge who are now all over the country. I dabble in Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat. I keep trying Snapchat hoping it will stick, but for some reason I only turn to it when I am on vacation.
HOW LOW WILL YOU ALLOW YOUR REMAINING PHONE OR COMPUTER BATTERY LIFE GET (IN %) BEFORE YOU HAVE AN ANXIETY ATTACK?
Anything below 50% is cause for alarm if I don’t have a plan about where I will be charging next.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE APP AT THE MOMENT?
I am a big fan of Drive and all of the Google productivity apps.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT OF THE PAST DECADE?
I love that my car can give me turn by turn directions, because I am often directionally challenged.
WHAT TIME DO YOU GET UP ON WORKDAY MORNINGS?
I get up at 4:40 a.m. if I am not working out, 4 a.m. if I am.
BREAKFAST AT HOME? BREAKFAST ON THE GO? BREAKFAST AT YOUR DESK? NO BREAKFAST AT ALL?
I usually don’t skip breakfast, but where I have it depends on what my kids decided to eat.
THE SAYING GOES: “BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD.” SPECIFICALLY, WHAT ARE YOU ‘BEING’ TO MAKE BATON ROUGE BETTER?
I am being engaged. It is easy to become so focused on raising your own family or doing your own thing that you lose sight of the problems of your neighbors or the rest of the community. We can’t turn away from the problems of others. We have to be engaged in building bridges and finding solutions in the spaces where we live.
WHEN DID YOU REALIZE YOU WERE “GROWN UP?”
I am definitely not!
WHAT WAS THE BEST VACATION YOU HAVE EVER TAKEN?
We love spending time on 30A with our kids, and try to fit in a weekend every month.
FAVORITE GIFT YOU WERE GIVEN AS A CHILD?
Holiday Barbie Dolls.
WHAT’S A NICKNAME YOUR FRIENDS OR FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE FOR YOU?
Until I was an adult everyone in my family called me Kay. A lot of my friends call me A.D. now.
WHO FASCINATES YOU?
I really think every person has something fascinating about their life story that has shaped them into who they are today. I believe if we took more time to understand each other’s motivations and experiences we would all be better for it.
FAVORITE DRINK?
I love an ice cold Coke, but I’m working on keeping that to a minimum.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BAND OR SONG?
Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) is my favorite inspiration right now, but my taste in music is super eclectic.
WHAT SCARED YOU AS A CHILD, AND WHAT SCARES YOU NOW?
Everything! I am generally a fraidy cat. I work hard to overcome my fears, which is one of the reasons triathlon is so important to me.
IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR 18-YEAR-OLD SELF?
I would tell myself that nothing we hold in our hands is eternal. Five years ago, our 110-year-old home burned to the ground after we left for work one morning. It was a difficult time for my husband and our four very young children, but it taught us to focus less on stuff and more on people.
TELL US ABOUT A MOMENT THAT CHANGED YOUR LIFE.
Becoming a mother gave me a new perspective on just about every aspect of my life. My whole world view shifted in an instant. I try to filter every professional decision through the lens of how I would feel if this was my child. I work to help our community be the best it can, because I know this is the legacy we leave our children.
WHAT’S THE NEXT BIG PERSONAL OR CAREER CHALLENGE YOU PLAN TO TAKE ON?
I am training for Ironman Chattanooga in 2017. A full Ironman is 140.6 miles of swimming, biking and running. This is something I never could have imagined for myself a few years ago.
WHAT CONCERNS YOU MOST ABOUT THE FUTURE?
I think as a society we have become incapable of hearing voices that differ from our own, and choose not to look at things from differing perspectives. This inability to engage in civil dialogue is dangerous and unproductive. We have to be able to have difficult, meaningful conversations to get to solutions.
WHAT GIVES YOU THE MOST HOPE ABOUT THE FUTURE?
I see our future every day in the schools of this city. These students are bright, inquisitive and talented. They give me hope for what our community can become.
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ADVICE FOR FUTURE FORTY UNDER 40 HONOREES?
I would tell future Forty Under 40 Honorees to refuse to be outworked, and to remain true to your own beliefs. Live a life that makes your mama and your children proud.
DO YOU PLAN TO BE IN THE CAPITAL REGION FIVE YEARS FROM NOW? WHY OR WHY NOT?
I definitely hope so, but I have also learned that God has a plan and we just have to learn to walk in it.
WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST HOPE FOR BATON ROUGE?
My greatest hope for our city is that 20 years from now we can look back on the tragedies of the summer of 2016 as the impetus for Baton Rouge coming together to build a thriving community that is a desirable place to live, work, play and raise a family.
