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Fo us
A monthly publication of the Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce
Volume 7 | Number 3 | March 2014
www.HoumaChamber.com
Photo Gallery 10
One on One with South LA Bank 12
Member News 15
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Contact Us!
BOARD
SPOTLIGHT
Officers:
Chairman of the Board
Donald A. Hingle II
Business First Bank
Chairman-Elect
Stephanie Hebert
Stephanie Hebert Insurance Agency
Treasurer
Earl J. Eues, Jr.
KEE Environmental Services, LLC
Vice Chairman-Community Development Division
Kathleen (Kate) Theriot
Coaching for Change, LLC
Areas of Expertise:
Professional Engineer registered in Louisiana; Manufacturing Process Development
and Analysis; Well Completion and Casing Cementation Equipment; Design and
Manufacturing.
Vice Chairman-Chamber Development Division
Paul Labat
Foundation for Terrebonne General Medical Center
Vice Chairman-Infrastructure & Economic Develop. Div.
Stephen Smith
Other Interests:
Family, woodworking and wine making
All South Consulting Engineers, LLC
Vice Chairman-Government Activities Division
Mark Folse
Why do you serve on the Board of Directors?
I serve on the board to give assistance in the development
of our community and to present the view of industry to the
board.
Coastal Commerce Bank
Joseph Boudreaux
Mechanical Engineer/Sustaining Engineer
Blackhawk Specialty Tools
Immediate Past Chairman
Jennifer Armand
Armand Creative
BOARD MEMBERS:
What is the Chamber’s role in the business community?
The Chamber’s role as I see it is to aid and assist the
community, both business and consumer; and in
developing a strong Chamber so our community
can grow.
Photo provided by
Cody Blanchard, White Car Marketing
Ann Barker
Leroy Guidry
Terrebonne Ford
Chet Morrison Contractors, LLC
Jason Bergeron
Mike Lewis
Technology Professionals, LLC
Big Mike’s BBQ Smoke House
Jeff Bordelon
Oneil P. Malbrough
Southern Recycling, LLC
Shaw Coastal Inc., a CB&I Company
Joseph Boudreaux
Bruce Murphy
Blackhawk Specialty Tools
Nicholls State University
Rene Claudet
David Rabalais
Quality Hotel - Houma
Terrebonne Port Commission
Reggie Dupre
Ann Summers
Terrebonne Levee & Conservation Dist.
Synergy Bank
H. Miles Forrest
Yolanda V. Trahan
The Courier
Terrebonne Foundation for
Academic Excellence
Michael J. Garcia, M.D.
On the Cover: The Chamber launched a new website in March to better
assist its members and the community. Visit www.houmachamber.com
to learn more about the Chamber, its mission and its members.
South Louisiana Medial Assoc.
staff:
President and CEO
Suzanne Nolfo Carlos
Events &
Communication Coordinator
Betsy Breerwood
[email protected]
[email protected]
Administrative Assistant
Chantell Pepper
Membership Account Executive
Kay Thibodeaux
[email protected]
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3
Kimi Walker
Chauvin Brothers, Inc.
[email protected]
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Chamber Development
Committee
Noon
@ Vintage Garden Cafe’
6670 West Main Street
Business-2-Business
Luncheon
11:30am-12pm @
Plantation Inn
The Haven’s Annual
Spring Gala
www.houmaciviccenter.com
Houma Terrebonne
Community Band
30th Spring Anniversary Concert
6:30pm @ Southland Mall
Shopping Center
JC Penney Court
Free and open to the public
Chamber Executive
Committee Meeting
8am @ Chamber Office
Relay for Life
www.houmaciviccenter.com
Chamber Board
Meeting
8am @ Chamber Office
General Membership
Meeting
11:30am @ Quality Hotel
Government Activities
Committee Meeting
8am @ Chamber Office
Administrative
Professionals Day
Annual Luncheon
11:30am @ Quality Hotel
Good Friday
Chamber Office Closed
Education Committee Meeting
8am @ Chamber Office
Bayou Outdoor and Adventure
Expo
www.houmaciviccenter.com
Healthcare Committee Meeting
Noon @ Terrebonne Ford
Coastal Conservation Assoc.
Bayou Chapter Banquet
www.houmaciviccener.com
Bayou Outdoor and Adventure
Expo
www.houmaciviccenter.com
Economic Development &
Infrastructure Committee
Noon @ Chamber Office
Business After-Hours
Houma-Terrebonne
Airport Commission
10264 East Main Street
5:30-7:00pm
Table of Contents
Save the Date!
Houma Terrebonne Community Band 30th Anniversary Events
30th Spring Anniversary Concert
April 12 at 6:30pm
Southland Mall Shopping Center
JC Penney Court
Admission:
Free and open to the public
H o u m a - Te r r e b o n n e C h a m b e r
of
3 Board Spotlight
4Calendar of Events
5Chairman’s Message
6 Notes from the President
7Focus on the Parish
8 Join Us!
30th Anniversary Celebration
May 10 at 5:00 pm
Municipal Auditorium
Admission: $20 per person.
Tickets can be purchased from band
members or from Fabregas music.
Enjoy music and dinner from your
own community band!
C o m m e r c e F o c u s / M a r ch 2 3 , 2 0 1 4
Chamber events denoted in color.
For more information about any Chamber event
visit our website at www.houmachamber.com
or call 985-876-5600.
4
9 Focus on Health Care
10 Photo Gallery
12 One-on-One
14Focus on Membership
15 Member News
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Chairman’s
Message
Get Involved
It’s hard for me to believe
that we are already deep into
March, winter is almost over
(thank God!) and spring is near.
Mardi Gras was wet and chilly,
but our spirit of fun and frivolity was not dampened. Speaking of spring, our 6th Annual
Chamber Golf Classic is March
24th at beautiful Ellendale
Country Club. We truly appreciate the support of our sponsors and teams participating in
this event and are ready to have
some outdoor fun. Our President, Suzanne Carlos, GUARANTEES great weather and she
is always right!
I am so excited about our
committees this year! We have
some super dynamic Chamber members who are actively
tackling their issues and goals
this year. What a great way to
get to know some other members and get involved. A list of
our various committees is as
follows:
Chamber Development:
The Chamber Development
Committee assists with improving and enhancing the benefits of being a member of the
Chamber and increasing return
on your Chamber investment
through events and programs.
Led by Paul Labat and Kimi
Walker, this group is very active
and also encompasses our Diplomats.
Diplomats:
The Diplomats are the face
of the Chamber. These volunteers are occasionally mistaken
for staff members because they
assist with Chamber functions
and meetings. The Diplomats
attend ribbon cuttings and
reach out to new and existing
members. This group is led by
Paul Labat, Kimi Walker, Mary
Wayne, Cheri Blanchard and
LaDonna Cruse, this is a really
dynamic and active, fun group!
Economic Development:
The Economic Development
Committee monitors issues that
impact economic development
in the parish. The committee
has worked on parish beauti-
fication and gateway improvement projects and also listens to
business-related issues brought
forth from individual members.
This Committee is led by Stevie
Smith and Rene Claudet, this
group meets monthly.
Infrastructure:
The Infrastructure Committee
works with the parish and other entities to advocate for improvements to local infrastructure including roads, bridges,
and telecommunications. Led
by Jason Bergeron and O’Neil
Malbrough, this group meets
monthly.
Education:
The Education Committee
advocates for quality education
and workforce development in
the public school system as well
as Fletcher Technical Community College and Nicholls State
University. This group is led by
Kate Theriot and Rene Williams
and meets monthly.
Healthcare:
The Healthcare Committee
advocates for quality, afford-
able healthcare. It also monitors healthcare legislation,
evaluates reform options that
decrease the current strain
on our nation’s job creators,
and educates businesses on
the possible effects of recent
healthcare legislation.
This
group is led by Kate Theriot and
Ann Barker and meets monthly.
Government Activities: This group advocates for legislation and other issues affecting your business. They also
work closely with our lobbyist
on Chamber issues. They meet
monthly and are led by Mark
Folse and David Rabalais.
Many thanks to all of our
volunteers who lead or participate in our committees. Committees are where the rubber
meets the road. Please call the
Chamber office if you are interested in learning more about
our committees or if you’d like
to join.
Until next time, have a peaceful and healthy Lenten season.
Donald A. Hingle II
Chairman of the Board
Business First Bank
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Members and their employees receive discounts at participating
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Members enroll and receive discounts on office supplies.
H o u m a - Te r r e b o n n e C h a m b e r
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w w w. H o u m a C h a m b e r. c o m
notes from the
President
What’s new!
Suzanne Nolfo Carlos
President/CEO
Officials, we’ve listed through our partnership software and finance,
Spring is officially ment.
here! The birds are sing- Members of our Board our local, state, and fed- with Coggno. Online de- among others.
ing, the grass is growing, of Directors are featured eral elected officials for livered courses provide The Louisiana Legistrees and bushes are so that you can now con- Terrebonne Parish. You a cost effective and ex- lature got to work this
budding, and the freez- nect a face to the name just click on their name tremely convenient way month and there’s a
ing cold winter is behind and business of our and it takes you directly for you to get the train- long list of new bills that
ing to your employees. they will be tackling. As
us. Alleluia!! Everyone Board members as well to their website.
So check us out at Many of the courses are part of our Governmenis out removing all the as the staff.
dead bushes and plants, Photos on the website www.houmachamber. mandatory HR and Com- tal Activities Committee
pliance courses on topics efforts, we would like
and trimming off dead are grouped by events com!
ranging from employee to hear from you, our
We
are
now
offering
a
from
Business
After
branches in hopes that
Are there
safety, sexual harass- members.
the plant surment, violence in any bills that you or
vived all those
So check us out at
the workplace, and your professional assodays and nights of
www.houmachamber.com!
diversity, to name ciations would like the
freezing temperaa few. There are Chamber to advocate for
tures. We’ll all be
also other industry or against at the state
meeting at the
nurseries to purchase Hours, General Mem- new service via our web- specific courses rang- level? Please email us at
new plants. I’m pretty bership Luncheon, and site. It is an online em- ing from business man- info@houmachamber.
sure my poor hibiscuses Business2Business, to ployee training program agement, engineering, com
did not make it, but I’m the Annual Banquet
still keeping my fingers and Golf Tournament.
Air Conditioning
crossed for the two bou- An added feature is
Heating
gainvilleas. See you at that you can comRefrigeration
ment on them and
the nursery.
Electrical
The Chamber has a post them to your Fanew website! We went cebook page.
live at the beginning of We’ve made it easithis month. Diamond er and very convenient
Per system. One use per customer.
Advertising and White to contact your electCar Marketing worked ed officials. Under
985.222.2858
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H o u m a - Te r r e b o n n e C h a m b e r
of
C o m m e r c e F o c u s / M a r ch 2 3 , 2 0 1 4
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w w w. H o u m a C h a m b e r. c o m
Focus on the Parish
Flood Insurance Update
by Michel Claudet
Terrebonne Parish
President
At the time of this writing in early March, there
has been remarkable
progress toward our goal
of preserving affordable
flood insurance for the
people of Terrebonne
Parish.
On Mardi Gras Day, the
U.S. House of Represen-
tatives overwhelmingly
passed the Homeowner
Flood Insurance Affordability Act. This piece of
legislation has some significantly different provisions to what was earlier
passed by the U.S. Senate.
This proposed law includes several key provisions that will be very
helpful to the people of
Terrebonne. The bill reinstates the grandfathering of existing post-FIRM
properties into the lower
affordable rate structure. In other words, all
homes that were built to
the elevation required at
the time of construction
will be protected from
rates hikes due to updated FEMA flood maps.
Additionally, the sale of
any potentially impacted
home will not trigger a
drastic jump to new unaffordable flood insurance
rates. This bill also caps
the amount of annual
flood insurance premium
increases to 15%. Prior
to this bill the maximum
allowable premium increases were 20%. Also
included in this bill is a
mechanism to provide
refunds to homeowners
who purchased homes
after July 6, 2012 and
were charged excessive
flood insurance rates.
Now that the House of
Representatives passed
this important legislation, it must be approved
by the Senate and signed
by President Obama. It is
our hope that these final
hurdles will be cleared by
the time you are reading
this message.
2014 Town Hall Meeting
Schedule
We are proud to once
again be hosting town hall
style meetings throughout Terrebonne Parish in
2014.
These meetings are
one of many efforts to
outreach with and inform
residents of projects
and improvements tak-
ing place in Terrebonne
Parish. Topics covered
during these meeting include progress reports
on: hurricane protection,
roadway improvements,
drainage, and upgrades
to the recreation and
quality of life offerings in
Terrebonne. Each meeting will have a detailed
presentation tailored to
the particular location.
Following each presentation will be a question
and answer session.
The dates and locations for the 2014 Town
Hall Meetings are as follows:
• March 18, 2014- American Legion Post 380,
Chauvin
• April 29, 2014- Mon-
tegut Recreation Center
• May 15, 2014- St.
Bridget Catholic Church
Annex, Schriever
• June 19, 2014- Grand
Caillou Recreation Center, Dulac
• July 17, 2014- Terrebonne Parish Library East
Houma Branch
• August 21, 2014- Devon Keller Memorial Center, Gibson
• September
18,
2014-Terrebonne Parish
Library Main Branch
• October 16, 2014- Dularge Recreation Center
• November 13, 2014Lisa Park Gym
All meetings are scheduled to begin at 6:00
p.m.
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Lafourche area — both professionally and personally for so many years.
bourgeoisbennett.com
New Orleans 504.831.4949 | North Shore 985.246.3022 | Houma 985.868.0139 | Thibodaux 985.447.5243
H o u m a - Te r r e b o n n e C h a m b e r
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C o m m e r c e F o c u s / M a r ch 2 3 , 2 0 1 4
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w w w. H o u m a C h a m b e r. c o m
Welcome New Members
FENWARE DEVELOPMENT
COCA-COLA REFRESHMENTS
Zen Japanese grill & sushi bar
Jonas Dominique
Lloyd Babin
Emily Bourgeois
Categories: Maritime Software Technology, Software Development
Categories: Soft Drinks
Categories: Restaurants, Lounge
(985) 746-9011
P. O. Box 646
Houma, Louisiana 70361
http://www.fenware.com
(504) 818-7000
5601 Citrus Boulevard
Harahan, Louisiana 70123
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DIGITAL INSYTE, LLC
(985) 879-2195
1785 Martin Luther King Boulevard
Houma, Louisiana 70360
http://www.zenhouma.com
CROWN MARKETING, LLC
Calen Bedford
Michelle E. Vedros
(985) 879-1044
P.O. Box 907
Houma, Louisiana 70361
http://www.digitalinsyte.com
(985) 665-0105
Categories: Advertising Specialties, Promotional/Marketing Products
ORGANO GOLD BY WINDYE
Categories: Managed Services, Technology Consulting
PREMIER LABOR GROUP, LLC
Jewell Guillot
Windye Boudreaux
Categories: Employment Agencies, Temporary Staff
TRUDY VOISIN-HEBERT
Categories: Catering/Delivery Restaurant, Fast Casual Dining
DANOS AND CUROLE
MARINE CONTRACTORS, LLC
James Callahan
(985) 693-3313
P.O. Box 1460
Larose, Louisiana
http://www.danos.com
(985) 858-2897
Houma, Louisiana 70363
Categories: Individuals
Categories: Oilfield Construction & Maintenance, Oilfield Contractor
Chamber Partners with Coggno
The
Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce announces the
formation of a partnership with Coggno, the
premier Learning Management System (LMS)
and online training marketplace, to facilitate
the purchase of popular
online training courses
from the company’s vast
online library. Beginning
March 31st, members
can access Coggno online
training courses directly
through the Chamber’s
new website, and purchase as few or as many
courses as needed.
Coggno specializes in
providing a “one-stop
shop” for individuals and
organizations looking to
purchase online training
courses needed for cer-
tification, or to advance
employee knowledge in
topics such as workplace
diversity, ethics, sexual
harassment prevention,
time management, and
conflict resolution. Online training offers companies a cost-effective
alternative to sending
employees to expensive
off-site conferences, giving them the opportunity to learn at their own
pace on a wide variety
of electronic devices, including tablets and smart
phones.
“We are very proud
of
the
relationship
we’ve established with
the Houma-Terrebonne
Chamber,” said Coggno
CEO Tod Browndorf, from
the company’s offices in
San Jose, CA. “Our goal
H o u m a - Te r r e b o n n e C h a m b e r
of
(985) 870-5557
411 Corporate Drive, Suite 3
Houma, Louisana 70360
http://www.rolypolyofhouma.com
(985) 860-0647
http://www.windyeboudreaux.myorganogold.com
Categories: Organic Products & Beverages, Retail
(985) 872-0664
209 Bayou Gardens Boulevard, Suite S
Houma, Louisiana 70364
ROLY POLY OF HOUMA, LLC
Jonas Dominique
is to provide easy access
to a carefully edited selection of online training
courses that are relevant
to their membership.
We are very confident
that their members and
member employees will
embrace online learning and subsequently
enrich their professional
lives with this highly effective method of training.”
Suzanne Carlos,
Chamber
President/
CEO, notes, “We are excited to be partnering
with Coggno. One of our
goals is to provide the
resources necessary to
help our members grow
and increase the skill set
of their employees. By
adding online training to
our service offerings, we
are one step closer to
C o m m e r c e F o c u s / M a r ch 2 3 , 2 0 1 4
achieving our goals.”
About Coggno
Located in San Jose,
CA, Coggno is the premier Web-based Learning Management System
(LMS) offering thousands
of online training courses
in all price ranges, to organizations, companies,
and individuals. Coggno is the one-stop shop
for learners looking for
courses, and for content
creators to distribute
coursework. Whether it
is compliance training for
multiple employees, or
continuing education for
individuals, Coggno has
the most up-to-date selection of courses in the
widest range of topics.
For more information,
visit Coggno.com.
Join Us !
BUSINESS
BUSINESS
2
Business to Business is a networking event for Chamber members and their employees
to promote their business and hand out marketing materials to the guests at their table.
Admission is $15 per person with payment required in advance.
Sponsored by: Plantation Inn of Houma
Friday, April 4 • 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Plantation Inn of Houma, Inc.
1381 West Tunnel Boulevard
AFTER
H URS
Networking at its best!
Business After Hours is held each month for Chamber members and their
employees to network and enjoy food, drinks and door prizes.
Wednesday, April 30 • 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Houma Terrebonne Airport Commission
10264 East Main Street
Sponsored by: Pat’s of Chauvin, Stephanie Hebert Insurance Agency,
Piggly Wiggly, Chauvin Brothers, All South Engineering,
Bourg Supermarket and Coastal Commerce Bank.
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP
L U NC H EO N
Tuesday, April 22 • 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Quality Hotel
210 South Hollywood Road, Houma
Sponsored by: Terrebonne Foundation for Academic Excellence
Tom Schedler, Louisiana Secretary of State will be the keynote speaker.
Admission is $20 per person in advance and $25 per person at the door for members.
General public is invited to attend, call the Chamber at (985) 876-5600 for admission fees.
8
w w w. H o u m a C h a m b e r. c o m
Focus on Health Care
With Allstate life insurance,
e,
Health Care Update
In keeping with our efforts to assure all chamber members are informed as to any changes
regarding the Affordable
Health Care Act (ACA),
please be advised of the
following news:
The White House announced a delay Monday, February 10, 2014
in the requirement on
businesses to provide
worker health coverage.
For some employers who
have 50 to 99 employees
they have another one
year delay to 2016. For
larger employers they
will only have to cover
70 percent of workers in
2015 and then 95% the
following year and thereafter. As in the original
ACA provision, companies with fewer than 50
employees will not be required to provide health
care coverage.
We have included a
copy of the Treasury/
IRS Fact Sheet regarding
these changes below.
You can also view the
Treasury/IRS final regulations and FAQs for more
information.
The Chamber Health
Care Committee will continue to keep you abreast
of any further changes.
U.S. TREASURY
DEPARTMENT
FACT SHEET
Final Regulations Implementing Employer Shared
Responsibility Under the
Affordable Care Act (ACA)
for 2015
Provisions to Assist
Smaller Businesses and
Businesses that Offer
Most but Not All Employ-
ees Coverage in 2015
Approximately 96 percent of employers are
small businesses and
have fewer than 50 workers and are exempt from
the employer responsibility provisions. To ensure a gradual phase-in
and assist the employers
to whom the policy does
apply, the final rules provide, for 2015, that:
•The employer responsibility provision will generally apply to larger firms
with 100 or more fulltime employees starting
in 2015 and employers
with 50 or more full-time
employees starting in
2016.
•To avoid a payment for
failing to offer health coverage, employers need
to offer coverage to 70
percent of their full-time
employees in 2015 and
95 percent in 2016 and
beyond, helping employers that, for example,
may offer coverage to
employees with 35 or
more hours, but not yet
to that fraction of their
employees who work 30
to 34 hours.
Various Employee Categories
•The final regulations
provide clarifications –
many of which are based
on comments on the
proposed regulations –
regarding whether employees of certain types
or in certain occupations
are considered full-time,
including:
Volunteers: Hours contributed by bona fide volunteers for a government
or tax-exempt entity, such
H o u m a - Te r r e b o n n e C h a m b e r
of
love wins.
as volunteer firefighters
and emergency responders, will not cause them
to be considered full-time
employees.
Educational employees: Teachers and other
educational employees
will not be treated as
part-time for the year
simply because their
school is closed or operating on a limited schedule during the summer.
Seasonal employees:
Those in positions for
which the customary annual employment is six
months or less generally
will not be considered
full-time employees.
Student work-study
programs: Service performed by students
under federal or statesponsored work-study
programs will not be
counted in determining
whether they are fulltime employees.
Adjunct faculty: Based
on the comments we received, the final regulations provide as a general
rule that, until further
guidance is issued, employers of adjunct faculty
are to use a method of
crediting hours of service
for those employees that
is reasonable in the circumstances and consistent with the employer
responsibility provisions.
However, to accommodate the need for predictability and ease of administration and consistent
with the request for a
“bright line” approach
suggested in a number of
the comments, the final
I can help you protect your growing family at
an affordable price.
As your family grows, so does your need for life
insurance. The right coverage can help keep
them financially secure. Call me for affordable
options. Stephanie Hebert
Stephanie Hebert
(985) 872-0201
854 Grand Caillou Rd.
Houma
Life insurance offered by Allstate Life Insurance Company: Northbrook, IL, and Lincoln Benefit Life Company: Lincoln, NE. In New York, Allstate Life
Insurance Company of New York, Hauppauge, NY. © 2009 Allstate Insurance Company.
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w w w. H o u m a C h a m b e r. c o m
Photo Gallery
David Vice of Morrison Terrebonne Lumber/Home Hardware and Brian Savarese with Earthlink
Business visit during the Business After-Hours at the Chamber office in February.
Anh Tran and Brittni Yesso from Spahr’s Seafood, Alan Rini from The Courier/Daily Comet and Chris
Robinson with Raising Canes attend the Business After-Hours in February. Special thanks to Big
Mike’s BBQ Smoke House, Cannata’s Family Market, Griffin’s Poboy and Grille, The Jolly Inn, Raising Cane’s, Rotolo’s Pizzeria of Houma, Rouses Supermarket, Sam’s Club, Spahr’s Seafood Company
and Wal-Mart for donating food to the event.
Donald A. Hingle II, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of
Commerce, Gloria Navarro of Business First Bank, Kate Theriot of Coaching for Change, Karen Schilling with Leadership Terrebonne, Nell Milford with Mona & Company and Angie LeBlanc with ABL
Ventures pose for a picture at the Business After-Hours at the Chamber office in February.
Ann Summers and Sallie Preston of Synergy Bank, Suzanne Carlos of the Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce, and Marla Porche and Brett Means with Synergy Bank attend the Business AfterHours at the Chamber office in February.
Chris Robinson of Raising Canes wins a Mardi Gras wreath door prize at the Business After-Hours.
Special thanks to all of the members that donated door prizes including Houma’s Town & Country
Real Estate, Patterson Real Estate, Angie LeBlanc - ABL Ventures, Technology Professionals, Raising
Canes, Big Mike’s BBQ Smoke House, Cannata’s Family Market, Organo Gold by Windye, Coastal
Commerce Bank, Business First Bank and many more.
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Kim Berthelot of Canon Solutions America wins a door prize at the Business After-Hours.
10
w w w. H o u m a C h a m b e r. c o m
Photo Gallery
Royal Richoux receives a door prize from Kay Thibodeaux at the Chamber Business After-Hours.
Cheri Blanchard of Louisiana Workforce Commission receives the 2014 Distinguished Diplomat
award from Chamber Board Chairman Donald A. Hingle, II at the February General Membership
Luncheon.
Staff, family and friends gather to celebrate the Grand Opening, and cut the ribbon at Anela’s
Wellness and Yoga Lounge in Houma. Anela’s features yoga classes, meditation classes, massage
therapy, grocery, organics, essential oils, household cleaners, books, DVDs, healing jewelry and lots
more. Stop by and visit them at 7720 Main Street or visit their website at www.anelaslounge.com
for more information.
Donald A. Hingle, II, Chairman of the Board for the Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce,
Cheryl Tolbert, Executive Director for the Louisiana Business Group on Health, Suzanne Carlos,
President & CEO of the Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce and Dena Naquin and Matthew
Gaiennie of The W.L. Gaiennie Company attend the General Membership Luncheon in February.
Specials thanks to Matthew, Dena and The W.L. Gaiennie Company for sponsoring the event.
Bruce and Brenda Henry of Hydraulics Plus attend the Business After-Hours at the Chamber office in February.
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The Chamber Diplomat committee meets to discuss the new format for the program. Diplomats are
volunteers that assist at monthly events, attend ribbon cutting ceremonies and also help to recruit new
members.
11
w w w. H o u m a C h a m b e r. c o m
One-on-One with South Louisiana Bank
The Chamber selects member businesses and organizations to interview and highlight in this monthly
publication. Jimmy Klingman of South Louisiana Bank
was selected at a recent General Membership Luncheon to be featured here today. Earlier this month
we interviewed Mr. Klingman to learn more about
South Louisiana Bank.
In your own words, describe South Louisiana Bank.
South Louisiana Bank is a great place to advance
a career because of the opportunity that is given to
achieve this goal. The atmosphere is family driven,
career oriented, and community minded.
How long has South Louisiana Bank been in business?
The bank will make 34 years on June 30, 2014. It is
the only community bank that survived the economic
hardship of the 1980’s in Terrebonne Parish.
How many locations does South LA Bank have?
There are (8) locations:
1)Main Office: 1362 Tunnel Blvd. - Houma, LA
2)East Side Branch: 1308 Grand Caillou Road – Houma, LA
3)West Park Branch: 6405 West Park Avenue – Houma, LA
4)South Terrebonne Branch: 4343 Highway 24 Bourg, LA
H o u m a - Te r r e b o n n e C h a m b e r
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5)Little Bayou Black Branch: 3916 Highway 311 –
Houma, LA
6)Bayou Blue Branch: 2010 Bayou Blue Road – Houma, LA
7)South Louisiana Financial Services (Benefits/Insurance/Investments): 315 South Hollywood Rd. – Houma, LA
8)Loan Production Office: 324 Settlers Trace Blvd.
Ste #1 – Lafayette, LA
What is the company’s specialty?
South Louisiana Bank offers full service financial
needs, including lending, deposits, employee benefits, insurance and investments.
How many people are employed by South Louisiana
Bank?
Approximately 140
What are your business hours?
8:00am to 5:00pm Monday- Friday for the vast
majority of services, however the drive-in services
are open to 6:00pm weekdays and from 9:00am to
12:00pm on Saturdays. Of course, on-line banking/
smart phone applications are 24-hours.
In what ways has the banking industry changed the
most over the years?
Mostly banking (deposits/lending) at its core has
not changed much in regards to the fundamentals,
but the regulatory environment has completely
changed the way in which services are provided.
What do your clients like best about South Louisiana
Bank?
They like the overall friendly environment.
What is the one experience you want for the clients
of South Louisiana Bank?
To feel respected and to obtain great service for
whatever need they are receiving.
Tell us about you. What is your title?
Assistant Vice President – Commercial Lending
Where were you born and raised?
Houma, LA
What school did you attend?
I attended Nicholls for one
year before moving to the
C o m m e r c e F o c u s / M a r ch 2 3 , 2 0 1 4
12
University of Lafayette to follow my high school
sweetheart who is now my wife of 12 years. I also
completed the Graduate School of Banking at LSU,
which was a three year graduate school program.
What are your primary responsibilities?
Investing the bank’s liquidity by issuing loans to
commercial borrowers.
How long have you been in the industry? How long
with South Louisiana Bank?
I have been in the industry for 14 years and at
South Louisiana Bank for 10.
What do you like best about South Louisiana Bank?
Opportunity to advance career while being happy
each day I’m at work; it doesn’t feel like a job.
What is most challenging about your job?
The ever-changing regulatory environment.
Tell us about your family.
I have been married for 12 years and have 4 children; 10, 7, 4 & 4 (yep twins on the third round).
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Do you have a fundamental philosophy for
life or business that you
can share?
“It’s not your aptitude,
but your attitude that
will determine your
altitude” –
Author unknown.
Tell us about
the relationship between
South Louisiana Bank and
the Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of
Commerce?
According
to
our records South
Louisiana
Bank
joined the Houma-Terre-
bonne Chamber of Commerce in 1984.
The bank maintains
involvement by being a
member, and several employees have participated in Chamber events
and functions over the years. One
of our key employees,
Steve Crispino, served as
President of the Board of
Directors of the Chamber
in (2006?).
Why does South
Louisiana Bank
invest
in
the Houma-Terrebonne
Chamber of Commerce?
To be an integral part
of the community in
which we also call home.
The Chamber represents
local busi-
ness and
we wish to remain a
part of this support.
Can you share any of
your personal involvement with the Chamber
over the years?
I served 6 years on the
Board of Directors.
What continuing value
d o
you and South
Louisiana Bank find with
its association with the
Houma-
Te r r e bonne Chamber of Com-
merce?
The value of being the
voice for business on
many important issues
facing Terrebonne Parish
from flood protection,
legislation,
education, environment, tourism and
overall
economic
development.
Why should other
businesses invest in
the
Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of
Commerce?
Be a part of and
support the voice of
business. The membership and endless
volunteers work very
hard to sustain a voice
daily; much of the grassroots efforts are not vastly known to the general
public.
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CAMARO!
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C o m m e r c e F o c u s / M a r ch 2 3 , 2 0 1 4
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Focus on Membership
Check out members of
the Houma-Terrebonne
Chamber of Commerce
in the following Primary
Categories: Accountants
- Certified-Public, Banks
& Banking Associations,
Check Cashing, Credit
Card Processing, Credit
Unions, Finance Companies, Financial Services,
Investments, Loans, Investments, Loans, Mortgage Loans, Stock & Bond
Broker and Tax Return
Preparation & Filing
Planche-Politz-Ledet, LLC
Kevin Boquet
228 Progressive Blvd.,
Suite 100
Houma, LA 70360-4047
(985) 868-0069
Duplantier, Hrapmann,
Hogan & Maher, LLP,
CPA’s
Bill Fortier
247 Corporate Drive
Houma, LA 70360-2769
(985) 868-2630
Martin & Pellegrin, CPA’s
Richard Martin
103 Ramey Road
Houma, LA 70360
(985) 851-3638
T. S. Kearns & Co., CPA
Timothy Kearns
164 West Main Street
Thibodaux, LA 70301
(985) 447-8507
Beyer, Stagni &
Company, APC, CPAs
Roy Beyer
1620 Polk Street
Houma, LA 70360-6011
(985) 851-2433
John L. Breaux, CPA, A
Professional Corporation
John Breaux
197 Ramey Road
Houma, LA 70360-4057
(985) 872-0248
Malcolm M Dienes, LLC,
CPA
Toby Besson
5789 Hwy. 311, Suite 10
Houma, LA 70360-5594
(985) 876-6143
Frank R. Kolwe, Jr.,
CPA, APC
Frank Kolwe
1340 West Tunnel Blvd.,
Suite 506
Houma, LA 70360-2844
(985) 876-2743
Bryan McElroy, CPA
Bryan McElroy
267 Corporate Drive
Houma, LA 70360-4071
(985) 868-9744
Bennett Porche CPA
Service, LLC
Bennett Porche
173 Tyler Christian Drive
Houma, LA 70360
(985) 856-3893
Raylan J. Alleman, CPA
Raylan Alleman
1503 Saint Mary Street
Thibodaux, LA 70301
(985) 223-2350
M. Bergeron + Company,
CPA’s, LLC
Michael Bergeron
1053 West Tunnel Blvd.
Houma, LA 70360
(985) 655-1040
Bourgeois Bennett, LLC
Edward Bouterie
1340 West Tunnel Blvd.,
Suite 226
Houma, LA 70361
(985) 868-0139
First American Bank
and Trust
Rosie Delaune
1249 St. Charles Street
Houma, LA 70360
(985) 223-8753
Business First Bank
Donald Hingle
435 Corporate Drive,
Suite 102
Houma, LA 70360
(985) 879-7151
Community Bank
Norma Cortez
1227 Saint Charles Street
Houma, LA 70360
(985) 876-4126
MidSouth Bank
Sarah Solet
1214 Saint Charles Street
Houma, LA 70360
(985) 876-3073
Whitney Bank
Josh Jones
7910 Main Street
Houma, LA 70360
H o u m a - Te r r e b o n n e C h a m b e r
of
(985) 868-1660
Coastal Commerce Bank
Mark Folse
1300 West Tunnel Blvd.
Houma, LA 70361-4177
(985) 580-2265
Synergy Bank
Jerry Ledet
210 Synergy Center Blvd.
Houma, LA 70361-2166
(985) 851-3341
Teche Federal Bank
Stephanie Dandry
912 Grand Caillou Road
Houma, LA 70363
(985) 857-9990
J. P. Morgan Chase Bank
Karen Blanchard
8026 Main Street
Houma, LA 70360
(985) 873-6000
Capital One
Robbie Naquin
1047 West Tunnel Blvd.
Houma, LA 70360
(985) 857-2600
South Louisiana Bank
Chuck Weaver
1362 West Tunnel Blvd.
Houma, LA 70361-1718
(985) 851-3434
Regions Bank
Lionel Lagarde
801 Barrow Street
Houma, LA 70360-4764
(985) 872-9624
All American Check
Cashing, Inc.
Jason Stabbs
251 Enterprise Dr. Ste. 2
Houma, LA 70360
(601) 605-1678
Heartland Payment
Systems
Tammy Littleton
11101 Reiger Rd, Suite
#327
Baton Rouge, LA 70809
(225) 610-4995
FirstData/TeleCheck
Harris Coleman
1119 Dauphine St, #8
New Orleans, LA 70116
(901) 230-8755
Crystal Billiot with World
Pay Payment Processing
Crystal Billiot
Houma, LA 70360
(985) 991-9511
C o m m e r c e F o c u s / M a r ch 2 3 , 2 0 1 4
La Capitol Federal
Credit Union
Clyde ‘’Joey’’ Duplantis
6519 West Main Street
Houma, LA 70360-2296
(985) 876-8803
La Terre Federal
Credit Union
Crystal Marks
701 Barrow Street
Houma, LA 70360
(985) 872-2836
1st Franklin Financial
Kristian Solet
209 Bayou Gardens Blvd.,
Suite H
Houma, LA 70364
(985) 223-0111
IBERIABANK Mortgage
Company
Susie Boudreaux
1403 St. Charles Street,
Suite 104
Houma, LA 70360
(985) 580-4920
Northwestern Mutual of
Louisiana/Baton Rouge
Anna Fogle
11440 Lake Sherwood N.
Suite D
Baton Rouge, LA 70816
(225) 293-9527
Cash America Pawn
Kristen Mayberry
1714 Martin Luther King
Boulevard
Houma, LA 70360
(985) 872-1906
Mark Andrepont State
Farm Insurance
Mark Andrepont
5947 West Main Street
Houma, LA 70360
(985) 876-5815
Trussell & Associates
with Ameriprise Financial Services
Kirk Trussell
7835 Park Ave., Suite B
Houma, LA 70364
(985) 853-0066
APT Financial
Management
Leo Pitre
501 Canal Boulevard
Thibodaux, LA 70301
(985) 227-7114
Ameriprise
Financial
Walters Meyer Trosclair
14
& Associates
Thomas Meyer
613 Canal Boulevard
Thibodaux, LA 70301
(985) 446-1968
Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC
Arlen Ledet
1340 West Tunnel Blvd.,
Suite 300
Houma, LA 70360
(985) 879-2454
Delta Financial Advisors
McCall Baldwin
228 St. Charles Ave. ,
Suite 1100
New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 522-9676
Morgan Stanley
Tim Emerson, CFP®,
CIMA®, CFA
1340 West Tunnel Blvd.,
Suite 405
Houma, LA 70360
(985) 868-5250
Seibert Lewis Wealth
Group of Raymond
James
Colin Seibert
7731 West Park Avenue
Houma, LA 70364
(985) 580-0157
Edward Jones - James M.
Westbrook, II
James Westbrook, II,
AAMS
500 Corporate Dr., Suite C
Houma, LA 70360
(985) 851-6482
Hassell Wealth
Management, LLC
J. Thomas Hassell
300 Lafayette Street,
Suite 200
Houma, LA 70360
(985) 868-9881
Delta Financial Services
of Terrebonne, Inc.
Allyson Ponville
6260 West Park Avenue
Houma, LA 70364
(985) 223-0069
NOLA Lending
Group, LLC
Theresa Boudreaux
114 Enterprise Dr #A
Houma, LA 70360
(985) 612-2768
Wells Fargo Home
Mortgage
Charlotte Grace
4266 West Main Street
Gray, LA 70359
(985) 665-3585
Southern Mortgage
Lending, Inc.
Jackie Bernard
1356 C West Tunnel Blvd.
Houma, LA 70364
(985) 876-4100
Assurance Financial
Group, LLC
Mark Duplantis
1011 Verret Street
Houma, LA 70360
(985) 868-7554
Houma Mortgage
& Loan, Inc.
Jim Dunn
812 Barrow Street
Houma, LA 70361-0188
(985) 876-4934
Edward Jones - Lee Stiel
Lee Stiel
1161 C St. Charles Street
Houma, LA 70360
(985) 879-3550
DL Wealth Management
Carroll Domangue
255 Corporate Drive
Houma, LA 70360
(985) 853-2100
Edward Jones Blake A. Aucoin
Blake Aucoin
4752 Hwy 311, Suite 102
Houma, LA 70360
(985) 872-6314
Lanaux & Felger,
CPAs, APC
Thomas Lanaux
5779 Hwy. 311
Houma, LA 70360
(985) 851-0883
Dupre’s Professional
Services, LLC
Patty Dupre
1934 Prospect Boulevard
Houma, LA 70363-6048
(985) 917-1040
General Business
Services
Terri St. Peter
107 Verret Street
Houma, LA 70360
(985) 868-2872
w w w. H o u m a C h a m b e r. c o m
Member News
Congratulations to Morgan Stanley
“Play It Forward”
New Orleans, led by Complex Manager Andy Black, agement,” said Andy Black, Complex Manager.
has been named “Complex of the Year” by Morgan The New Orleans Complex has 141 financial adStanley Wealth Management.
visors serving clients with over $16 billion in assets
This prestigious award, announced at a recent na- maintained at Morgan Stanley. The complex consists
tional meeting in Phoenix, is given annually to the of- of eight offices including the Houma Branch located
fice complex with the strongest performance in key at 1340 West Tunnel Blvd.
criteria such as growth of client assets, retention and recruitment of financial advisors, and
increases in revenues, profitability and productivity.
“We are extremely proud of the performance achieved by all of the dedicated professionals in the New Orleans Complex,” said
Bill McMahon, Midwest/Southern Division Director.
“I am proud of our team and what we have
accomplished. Working together, we are com- Morgan Stanley staff members from left to right: Michele Dantin, Financial
mitted to making Morgan Stanley the firm of Planning Specialist, Financial Advisor, Robyn Hornsby, Senior Registered
Associate, Tim Emerson, CFP®, CFA, CIMA®, Senior Vice President,
choice for both clients and financial advisors Service
Resident Manager, Portfolio Manager, Marguerite Knight, CFP®, Senior
seeking the highest standard of wealth man- Vice President, Financial Advisor and Sherri Roach, CFP®, Second Vice
Tickets are now available at the ticket counter of
the Bayou Country Children’s Museum for their 5th
annual casino night fundraiser, “Play it Forward,”
benefiting the Children’s Museum.
The event will be held at Envie Restaurant and
Banquet Facility in Thibodaux from 6:30 pm – 11 pm
on Saturday, April 5th. Tickets are $50 per person in
advance through March 28th and $70 per person.
Ticket prices include food, beverages, live entertainment (by Todd Adams) and gaming chips for professionally run gaming tables including Poker, Blackjack,
Craps and Roulette. Prizes are given for those with
the most chips at the end of the night.
In addition to gaming tables, there will be three
silent auction tables with items like Jazzfest concert
tickets, summer camp trips for boys and girls, art
from local artists, tickets to Disneyworld and much
more! The highlight of the evening is the live auction of several items including designer purses, one
of which contains diamond jewelry from Birdsall
Jewelry! For tickets, call 985-446-2200 or visit www.
bccm.info
President, Financial Planning Specialist, Financial Advisor
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w w w. H o u m a C h a m b e r. c o m
Miller Earns Top Healthcare Credentials
Terrebonne General Medical
Center’s (TGMC) Mary Miller, RN,
Vice President of Physician Services recently became a Fellow of the
American College of Healthcare
Executives (FACHE), the nation’s
leading professional society for
healthcare leaders.
“Because healthcare management ultimately affects the people
in our communities, it is critically
important to have a standard of
excellence promoted by a professional organization,” says Thomas
C. Dolan, PhD, FACHE, CAE, president and chief executive officer of
the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE).
Fellow
status
represents
achievement of the highest standard of professional development.
Only 7,500 healthcare executives
hold this distinction. Miller is privileged to use the FACHE credential,
which signifies board certification
in healthcare management and
ACHE Fellow status.
“I would like to commend
Mary Miller on her accomplishment of becoming a Fellow of the
American College of Healthcare
Executives. Her achievement of
becoming a Fellow of the ACH
shows her ongoing dedication
and commitment to providing
exceptional healthcare with
compassion at TGMC,” said Phyllis Peoples, President and CEO of
TGMC.
Thibodaux Regional Breaks Ground
Thibodaux
Regional
Medical Center broke
ground on February 25,
2014 on the hospital’s
new Wellness Center, a
$61 million investment
in the health and wellness of communities in
Lafourche and the surrounding parishes.
The
state-of-the-art,
medically-directed Wellness Center will be the
first of its kind in the
state, and among the
finest in the nation. The
Center is designed to
improve the health and
well-being of the region
through prevention, fitness, education, rehabilitation, and focused
sports and wellness services. The 230,000 plus
square foot Center is
expected to open in late
2015.
Pictured above are (from left to right) Danny Cavell, Thibodaux
Regional Board of Commissioners Member, Jody Plaisance, MD,
Thibodaux Regional Board of Commissioners Vice-Chairman,
Greg Stock, Chief Executive Officer, Thibodaux Regional, Cleveland Hill, PhD, Thibodaux Regional Board of Commissioners
Member, Donald Ayo, PhD, Thibodaux Regional Board of Commissioners Member and Jacob Giardina, Thibodaux Regional
Board of Commissioners Chairman.
2014 Paddle Bayou Lafourche Registration
The Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary
Program and its Foundation are accepting registrations for the 2014
Paddle Bayou Lafourche.
The 52-mile, four-day
paddling trip down the
bayou begins Thursday,
April 3 in Donaldsonville
and ends in Lockport on
Sunday, April 6th. The
trip is $30.00 per day or
$110.00 for all four days
without a canoe rental
and $50.00 per day or
$190 for all four days
for those renting a ca-
H o u m a - Te r r e b o n n e C h a m b e r
of
noe. Paddlers can visit
www.btnep.org for to
complete a registration
form, call
9 8 5 447-0868
or email
Kristy
Monier
at kristy@
C o m m e r c e F o c u s / M a r ch 2 3 , 2 0 1 4
btnep.org. Registration
is required.
16
w w w. H o u m a C h a m b e r. c o m
Mary Bird Perkins Cancer
Center at TGMC Offers Free
Cancer Screenings
March is National Colorectal Cancer
Awareness Month: the type of cancer
people are often too embarrassed to
talk about. Colorectal cancer, or cancer
of the colon and rectum, is the second
leading cancer killer of men and women in the United States. Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center at TGMC is trying to
change that.
“In addition to being a leader in
cancer treatment, our facility has also
made a major impact in the area of
early detection,” said Dr. Jeffrey Long,
medical director and radiation oncologist, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center
at TGMC. “Fighting cancer starts with
prevention and early detection. Offering more free screenings and cancer
education to at-risk populations is a
critical part of our mission to improve
TGMC Community Sports
Institute Run for Excellence
The Terrebonne Foundation for Academic Excellence (TFAE) is preparing
for another great event. The TGMC
Community Sports Institute Run for
Excellence Presented by The Courier is
on Saturday, May 10, 2014, in downtown Houma. An exciting evening for
the entire family includes the Run for
Excellence, delicious food, and cold
beverages for the pay one-price admission. SOULEDOUT will entertain live on
stage from 6:30 pm until 10:00 pm.
To register online for the Run for Excellence visit the TFAE website www.
tfae.org. TGMC’s Community Sports
Institute has prepared an electronic
Training Guide, which you can download from the TFAE website.
The Rushing Media costume contest
is returning this year. Costume contest
participants must be registered in the
Fun Run and/or 5K Run.
survivorship and lessen the burden of
cancer. “
Free colorectal and breast cancer
screenings are being offered in March.
Appointments are required for breast
cancer screenings only. Please call toll
free (888) 616-4687.
Breast and Colorectal
Cancer Screenings:
Thursday, March 27
9 – 11 a.m. & 12 ¬– 2 p.m.
Walmart - Eastside
Colorectal Cancer Screenings:
Monday, March 31
10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Stage
6435 Hwy. 182, Morgan City
933 Grand Caillou Road, Houma
Join other corporate sponsors in supporting the largest community-wide
event in Terrebonne Parish. To become
a 2014 sponsor contact the Foundation
office for complete details at tfae@
bellsouth.net or call 985-868-5881.
To learn more about TFAE visit www.
tfae.org. Proceeds from the event benefit the Terrebonne Foundation for Academic Excellence in Public Education,
a 501(C)3 non-profit local education
foundation.
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1,180 Acres in Pearl River Co., Mississippi.
Completely high fenced with a very nice lodge and several lakes, this property offers deer and turkey hunting as good
as it gets! Excellent fishing and dove hunting with some duck hunting and a fantastic timber investment with tremendous
upside potential. Call for details.
Call 601-341-1131 or visit us at
www.mopforestinvestments.com.
Licensed in Louisiana & Mississippi.
H o u m a - Te r r e b o n n e C h a m b e r
of
C o m m e r c e F o c u s / M a r ch 2 3 , 2 0 1 4
17
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Sorrel Joins Staff
Nicholas Sorrel, MD,
Ear, Nose and Throat
physician has recently
joined the active medical staff at Terrebonne
General Medical Center
(TGMC).
Dr. Sorrel received
his Bachelor of Science
and Master of Science
degree from Louisiana
State University in Baton Rouge and earned
his medical degree from
LSU Health New Orleans
School of Medicine. He
completed an internship
and his residency in Otorhinolaryngology from
the University of Texas
Health Science Center in
Houston, Texas.
“We are glad to have Dr.
Nicholas Sorrel on
our active staff.
His expertise will
benefit our community
and we look forward to
working with him,” said
Phyllis Peoples, President and CEO of TGMC.
Dr. Sorrel recently joined
Southern ENT in Houma
at 1023 Wood Street.
Please call (985) 8578838 to schedule an appointment.
Rotary at Work!
Rotarians are continually at work to improve
the quality of life in their
communities and worldwide. Just to name a few
projects, Rotarians work
to eradicate polio, to promote peace, to provide
the necessary resources
for water wells, filtration
and sanitation systems in
third world countries. Locally, Rotarians support
education, literacy, and
community-wide projects.
Rotary Club of Houma (RCH) members can
be found in a variety of
ways, working in our
community. A long list of
service projects provides
opportunities for every
RCH member to find
their niche by attending EarlyAct, Interact or
Rotaract club meetings,
spending a few hours at
Southdown Marketplace
working in a cold drink
booth, serving Nachos at
the MAX Charter School
5K Run and TFAE’s Cajun
Food Festival, or a Best of
the Bayou food or drink
booth. Throughout the
year members can be
seen placing American
flags at businesses and
private homes to celebrate national holidays.
March is recognized
by Rotary International
as Literacy month and
encourages Rotary Clubs
to support literacy programs in their community. Over the past six
years, RCH members
have been involved with
the distribution of personal dictionaries to third
grade students in every
Terrebonne parish parochial, private and public
school.
To learn more about
Rotary International or
the Rotary Club of Houma, visit the RCH website
www.houmarotary.org .
H o u m a - Te r r e b o n n e C h a m b e r
of
Focus on the Parish
−continue from page 7−
New Wayfinding Signs
Popping Up in HoumaTerrebonne
Residents of Terrebonne Parish are
starting to notice new
decorative wayfinding
signage being installed
around town. This signage is part of a threeyear project developed
through the BP Tourism
Recovery Program, administered by the Louisiana Office of Tourism.
Other parts of this program included event
sponsorship funds, the
start-up of the Best of
the Bayou Festival, a
national
advertising
campaign for saltwater
and charter fishing, and
the Terrebonne Parish
Branding Project.
New signage includes
decorative downtown
street signs, informational kiosks, pedestrian
guide signs, downtown
parking signs, community gateways, and vehicular tourism points
of interest signs. The
signage boasts the new
brand and colors that
were unveiled in 2012
as part of Terrebonne’s
new Louisiana’s Bayou
Country brand.
Focus on Health Care
−continue from page 9−
regulations expressly allow crediting an adjunct
faculty member with 2 ¼
hours of service per week
for each hour of teaching
or classroom time as a
reasonable method for
this purpose.
Provisions to Assist Businesses to Comply in
2015
C o m m e r c e F o c u s / M a r ch 2 3 , 2 0 1 4
18
To provide a gradual
phase-in of the employer
responsibility provisions
and assist employers in
complying and providing
coverage, the final rules
provide transition relief
for 2015.
•While the employer responsibility provisions
will generally apply starting in 2015, they will not
apply until 2016 to employers with at least 50
but fewer than 100 fulltime employees if the
employer provides an
appropriate certification
described in the rules.
•Employers that are
subject to the employer
responsibility provisions
in 2015 must offer coverage to at least 70 percent
of full-time employees as
one of the conditions for
avoiding an assessable
payment, rather than 95
percent which will begin
in 2016.
Full-Time Employee Status Determinations
•Like the December 2012
proposed
regulations,
the final rules allow employers to use an optional
look-back measurement
method to make it easier
to determine whether
employees with varying
hours and seasonal employees are full-time.
•Responding to comments, the final regulations also clarify the application of this method
and the alternative
monthly method of determining full-time status.
Affordability Safe Harbors
•Like the proposed regulations, the final rules
provide safe harbors that
make it easy for employers to determine whether
the coverage they offer is
affordable to employees.
•These safe harbors permit employers to use the
wages they pay, their employees’ hourly rates, or
the federal poverty level
in determining whether
employer coverage is affordable under the ACA.
Other Specific 2015 Provisions
•In addition to the two
forms of 2015 transition
relief noted earlier, a
package of limited transition rules that applied to
2014 under the proposed
regulations is extended
to 2015 under the final
regulations, including:
Employers first subject
to shared responsibility
provision: Employers can
determine whether they
had at least 100 full-time
or full-time equivalent
employees in the previous year by reference to
a period of at least six
consecutive months, instead of a full year. This
will help facilitate compliance for employers
that are subject to the
employer shared responsibility provision for the
first time.
Non-calendar
year
plans: Employers with
plan years that do not
start on January 1 will be
able to begin compliance
with employer responsibility at the start of their
plan years in 2015 rather
than on January 1, 2015,
and the conditions for
this relief are expanded
to include more plan
sponsors.
Dependent coverage:
The policy that employers offer coverage to
their full-time employees’ dependents will not
apply in 2015 to employers that are taking steps
to arrange for such coverage to begin in 2016.
On a one-time basis,
in 2014 preparing for
2015, plans may use a
measurement period of
six months even with respect to a stability period
– the time during which
an employee with variable hours must be offered coverage – of up to
12 months.
As these limited transition rules take effect, we
will consider whether it
is necessary to further
extend any of them beyond 2015.
Next Steps: Final Rules
Simplifying Employer Information Reporting
Many comments on
the proposed employer
information
reporting
regulations have urged
that final rules provide
streamlined ways to comply with employer information reporting -- especially for employers that
offer highly affordable
coverage to all or virtually all of their full-time
employees. Others have
asked for a single form
for employer and insurer reporting provisions
when possible. Treasury
and the IRS will issue final regulations shortly
that aim to substantially
simplify and streamline
the employer reporting
requirements.
For the final employer
shared
responsibility
regulations visit - https://
www.federalregister.gov.
For more information
on determining whether
an employer is subject
to the employer shared
responsibility
regulations visit - http://www.
irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/
Questions-and-Answerson-Employer-Shared-Responsibility-ProvisionsUnder-the-AffordableCare-Act.
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Boiled Crawfish
Hot From the Pot 11am-7pm Daily
Pick Up These Delicious Boiled Sides
Hot From our Seafood Department:
Sausage • Potatoes • Corn
Mushrooms • Carrots
Fresh CaetcDhay!
of th
ask our seafood
experts about
the fresh catch
of the day!
Available at Market Price. While supplies last. Weather permitting.
!
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Su
Rouses Soups & Salad Bar
TRY OUR DELICIOUS FRESH HOT SEAFOOD GUMBO,
SEAFOOD-BASED SOUPS & OUR FRESH SEAFOOD SALADS.
LUNCH & DINNER EVERY FRIDAY DURING LENT
Always In Our Deli
CORN MAQUE CHOUX • SHRIMP FETTUCCINE
SHRIMP, CORN & PEPPER SOUP
CRAWFISH, CORN & PEPPER SOUP
CHEF SALAD WITH TUNA SALAD
TUNA SALAD • CHEF SALAD
TUNA SANDWICH • TUNA SALAD WRAP
Hot Plates
WHITE BEANS & RICE WITH FRIED CATFISH
SHRIMP FETTUCCINE
SHRIMP CREOLE
BAKED FISH
ONION RINGS