Listed: Baton Rouge-based ITI Technical College has made Forbes magazine’s list of Top 30 Trade Schools. ITI ranks No. 24 on the list, which ranks two-year trade schools throughout the country. Joe Martin, ITI president, in a statement says he’s excited about the newfound recognition. ITI was founded 44 years ago to fit the needs of business and industry in Louisiana and the Gulf Coast. The technical school has 14 programs, 10 areas of study and has produced 8,000 graduates in technical fields. The ranking is based on data from the U.S. Department of Education.
Face to face: C.J. Brown and its parent, Latter & Blum, have launched a new video email and text based platform designed to make it easier for its 1,400 agents to communicate with clients. Agents in Louisiana and Mississippi can use the platform to create and send video messages that can be embedded in email and text messages. Clients can view the messages and respond by video or text without having to download any special apps or software. C.J. Brown says the new service will allow agents to communicate more effectively and enhance relationships with clients.
Safety first: The Federal Election Commission unanimously voted in favor of allowing lawmakers to use campaign funds to upgrade their home security systems after U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana was critically wounded in a shooting last month. The Associated Press reports the commission cited rising threats of violence against members of Congress in making its decision. The FEC is basing its decision on a request from Paul Irving, the chief law enforcement official for the House. Irving says threats against members of Congress have soared from 902 last year to 950 about halfway through this year.
