BRAC announces new Leadership Class | Business

BATON ROUGE -- The Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) introduced its Leadership class of 2013 at a breafast Thursday,  (Aug 9) morning. The breakfast was held at Boudreaux's in Baton Rouge.

The leadership program has selected a varied group of 36 participants representing several areas of the Capital Region’s business, civic, and non-profit communities.

The Baton Rouge Area Leadership Program was founded in 1985 to prepare a diverse group of professionals for leadership positions in the community.  The program’s goals are:

• to seek out, train, and promote high achievers for positions of voluntary responsibility in the community;
• to provide these developing leaders with practical information concerning community issues and problems;
• to establish a communication network among the existing and emerging leaders of the community; and
• to challenge these leaders to increase their involvement in community affairs

Each year the leadership program focuses on key areas of concern such as education, cultural and personal diversity, city and state government, healthcare and social concerns, economic development, the arts and media, the criminal justice system, and the environment.  Graduates leave the program with first-hand knowledge of the issues facing our region and the potential for a positive community experience through volunteerism. 

Applicants are chosen based on their demonstrated leadership ability through career or community achievements, concern for the future of the Baton Rouge area, and commitment to the program.  Each July, a selection committee recommends between thirty and thirty-five candidates from a cross-section of the community encompassing men and women from a variety of occupations, races, ages, and affiliations.

The program commences nine months of training with a weekend retreat in August.  From September to April, the class devotes an entire day each month for lectures, discussions, field trips, and practical exercises pertinent to community issues.  To conclude the program, a weekend retreat is held in May, followed by a graduation ceremony in June.  The program is led by Mary Beth Chevalier.

The class includes:

Chad Bacas, Forte and Tablada, Inc.

Taylor Ballinger, Teach for America – South LA

Joy M. Banks, Episcopal High School

Wendi Barnes, LaPorte, APAC

Leslie Berg, Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry

Darius Bonton, Bonton Associates, LLC

Robert Boudreaux, Crump Wilson Architects

Steven Brooksher Jr., Our Lady of the Lake Foundation

Ben Broussard, Tiger Athletic Foundation

Barrett Chaix, City Parish Planning Commission

Michelle Clement, Louisiana Hospital Association

Abigail Cook, The Dow Chemical Company

Carla Courtney-Harris, Hammond, Sills, Atkins & Guice

Melanie Couvillon, Manship Theatre

Charles Dabadie, ExxonMobil

Peggy Dean, Woman’s Hospital

Matthew Doiron, Capital One Bank

Monique Edwards, Family First Medical Clinic

James Fairchild, Daigrepont and Brian, APAC

Cassie Felder, Cassie Felder and Associates

Deborah Ford, Our Lady of the Lake

Jennifer Fowler, LBTC at LSU

Rowdy Gaudet, State of Louisiana

Catherine Giering, Donohue, Patrick & Scott

Edward Hardin Jr., Kean Miller LLP

Stephanie Jackson, LA Citizens Property Insurance Corporation

Eva Kemp-Melder, Recovery School District – LA

Parker Kilgore, Jones Walker

Nicole Kleinpeter, Baton Rouge General

Paul Laperouse, SSA Consultants

Wendi Loup, Lamar Advertising

Duane Mizell, Stuart & Company General Contractors

Dawn Pevey-Mauk, Ochsner Medical Center

Matthew Rachleff, i-mpact

Steve Werner, LUBA Workers Comp

Sevetri Wilson, Solid Ground Innovations, LLC

 About the Baton Rouge Area Chamber

The Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) leads economic development in the Baton Rouge metropolitan area.  Serving as the voice of the business community, BRAC’s investors includes more than 1,500 organizations whose employees represent over a third of the Creative Capital of the South’s workforce.