Under new management: David Thompson is leaving IberiaBank to join Red River Bank as its new Baton Rouge market president. Thompson will replace Joanie Netterville Montelaro, who announced her retirement last month. Thompson has more than 25 years of local banking experience, most recently serving as senior vice president and commercial group manager for IberiaBank since 2008. “Red River Bank is a great fit for me,” Thompson says in a press release. “The bank shares the same vision and ideas for growth that I have for the greater Baton Rouge area. I’m excited to be part of a team that’s customer-focused as well as Louisiana-focused. I’m also impressed with the commitment Red River Bank has shown to the area adding branches on Essen and the new construction at Perkins and Acadian.”
Under contract: The Office of Group Benefits has selected Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana as the third-party administrator of the self-funded health plans that provide coverage for state government employees, retirees and their dependents. Blue Cross was awarded a three-year contract, effective January 1, 2016, with two one-year renewal options. The contract is estimated to be worth $35 million per year and includes claims processing, subrogation, population health management, reporting and customer service. Also included in the contract is payment to providers on OGB’s behalf. Approximately 230,000 state employees get their insurance through the OGB. Blue Cross has had the contract since 2013 and was among four bidders for the new contract.
Road work ahead: Construction to improve Essen Lane at Interstate 10 will begin on Monday, city-parish officials have announced. The project is one of two to improve Essen Lane from Perkins Road to I-10. Work to widen Essen between Perkins and the interstate began in early April. That project will convert Essen from a five-lane roadway with a center turn lane to six lanes with a continuous, two-way center turn lane, and is expected to be completed in spring 2018. Command Construction Industries will be responsible for the intersection improvement project, which will cost $2.1 million and is expected to be completed later this year. Both projects are a part of the city-parish’s comprehensive Green Light Plan for roadway improvements. Essen Lane is estimated to have more than 55,000 autos travel on it daily.
