A Publication of the Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce February 2015COMMUNITY CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Chamber Connection

Deliver to:

If you have not yet received a copy of the 2015 Ruston-Lincoln USA, it should arrive in your mailbox any day now.

Approximately 5,000 copies of the 76-page, full-color relocation and visitor’s guide will be distributed this year. The publication is placed in all local hotels, is sent to each Chamber member and is given to every business prospect, as well as tourists and those inquiring about moving to or visiting Ruston and Lincoln Parish.

The magazine is also available for businesses, clinics, and other offices to place in their waiting rooms and reception areas.

The cover of this year’s magazine was created by Heather Lee, a Communications Design major who is currently enrolled at LA Tech and interning at the Chamber office. The magazine was designed and published by Ruston Daily Leader.

Ruston-Lincoln USA includes articles on education, health care, arts and recreation, local economy, local history, faith-based and civic organizations, and a look at the main towns in the parish; Ruston, Choudrant, Dubach, Vienna and Grambling. There’s also information on public, private, and higher-ed

educational institutions, a list of the community Adopt-A-School partners, a Shopper’s Guide featuring Chamber members by business category and a community relocation section.

Even if you’ve been in Lincoln Parish for years, you may be reminded of some of the great things this community has to offer by perusing this magazine.

By changing the mailing date to the beginning of the year rather than the end of the year, all 2014 members are listed in the directory. There will not be a mid-year edition printed.

Copies of the magazine are available at the chamber office located in the Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce at 2111 North Trenton St. in Ruston.

rustonlincolnUSA2015 Community & Relocation Guide

2111 North trenton Street, ruston, La 318.255.2031 www.rustonlincoln.org

LINCOLN

SIMSBORO

GRAMBLING

RUSTON

VIENNA

DUBACH

CHOUDRANT

PARISHRuston.....One of the Most Charming Towns of the South.

- USA Today

“ “

Ruston Lincoln USA

For over 36 years, Drake Mills has made impactful contributions to the business, civic, and cultural dynamics of the Ruston/Lincoln Parish community. His vision has helped propel Community Trust Bank from a small local bank with locations in Choudrant and Ruston, to a regional bank with offices from Texas, across north Louisiana, and into Mississippi. Drake’s passion for banking and his desire to help others has been felt across Lincoln Parish for over three decades.

Drake began as a check file clerk at the bank more than 30 years ago before working his way through positions as in-house system night operator, branch manager, consumer loan officer, commercial lender, and chief financial officer. As president and chief executive officer of Community Trust, Drake has now overseen the growth of the bank from assets of $200 million to over $3.5 billion while investing over $11 million in new facilities or improvements. He has maintained the corporate headquarters in Ruston, expanding the employee base in Lincoln Parish to 192 and the overall employee base to 629. He has also been instrumental in driving growth and economic development by working to bring other businesses to the area as well as being a primary stakeholder in the creation of The North Louisiana Economic Partnership.

While Drake has made countless contributions in the business community here, his commitment to being a resource for

Drake Mills wins the 2015 Russ Award

Louisiana Tech University is unmatched. Named Alumnus of the Year in 2009, he has been involved in serving the Louisiana Tech University Foundation, the College of Business Advisory Board, and the Louisiana Tech Research Foundation. Drake was co-chair for the Quest for Excellence Campaign and through Community Trust Bank has led the effort in being one of the largest corporate partners with the University. He fully understands the impact Louisiana Tech has on the community and throughout his career has taken action to ensure that the impact continues to grow and expand.

Drake has also been the driving force behind many civic organizations throughout the community. As President of the Boys and Girls Club of North Central Louisiana, he has helped turn the organization into one that is a model for the state and nation while leading fundraising efforts that have allowed the club to serve more children. Drake has also been involved with United Way

of Northeast Louisiana, serving as Campaign Chairman for Lincoln Parish and member of the board. Through his leadership, United Way was able to increase its giving and in turn, increase support to partner agencies throughout the community.

Recently named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for the Gulf States Area, Drake has also served on the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas’ Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council as well

as the same council on the national level in Washington DC where he served as President. Yet from past president of the Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce to the past President of the Choudrant Kiwanis Club, his heart remains with this community. Drake Mills has represented Lincoln Parish well through a passion that has worked to advance our community in every way possible as well as an unparalleled commitment that ensures he will give even more in the future.Drake Mills

February 2Teacher of the Year

Banquet6:30 p.m.

Civic Center

February 4-7The Last Night of Ballyhoo, LA Tech

Stone Theatre

February 6Screening of Doro-thea Lange, 6 p.m.,

Dixie Theatre

February 7 – 16th Annual Krewe of

Allegro Mardi Gras Ball, 7 p.m., Civic

Center

February 9-10 St. Jude Radiothon at Super One Foods-

Ruston

February 11Femfessionals

Meeting8 a.m.

February 12 Leadership Lincoln

February 13-15 The Battle of Arcadia Crossroads at Bonnie & Clyde Trade Days

February 14 Valentine’s Day

Dinner Event, Rose-mary’s Kitchen

February 19 Business After Hours,

Argent Financial Group, 5-7 p.m.

February 23 Colors of

New England travel presentation, Cham-

ber board room, 5:30 p.m.

February 28 Women’s R&R

Conference, 8-Noon, Temple Baptist

Church

Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce • 2111 North Trenton St., Ruston, LA 71270 • (318) 255-2031 • www.rustonlincoln.org

Chamber UpdateBy Judy Copeland, President, Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce

2 CHAMBER CONNECTION

Judy Copeland

Notes From The ChairRuston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce – By Mike Jones, Chairman

Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce Staff

Judy Copeland, PresidentIvana Flowers, Communications & Special Events

Melissa Carpenter, Office Manager

Ruston Lincoln Convention & Visitors Bureau Staff

Travis Napper, Executive DirectorAmanda Quimby, Marketing Director

Deana Sherrill, Administrative AssistantDeadline for submitting newsletter information

is the 15th of the month.

Executive Chair & Finance, Mike Jones Argent Financial

Chair Elect & Organizational Devt. Patrick Blanchard, OWL Center

Past Chair, Aaron Paul, BTG

Community Devt., Cathi Cox-Boniol LP School District

Program Devt., Lee Denny, Bank of Ruston

Economic Devt., Doug PostelLA Delta Comm. College

Board of Directors

Celebrating our people

The Chamber’s positive values

Ex-Officio Members

Les Guice, LA Tech Univ.Courtney Hall, LP Police JuryRonny Walker, Ruston Mayor

Kristi Lumpkin, Ruston Econ. Devt.Gregg Phillips, State Farm

John Rosenthall, Grambling State Univ.Ranaee Thomas-Walley, RL Crime Stoppers

Sheila Bordelon, LP Tax AssessorNeal Carter, Community Trust Bank

Heath Hattaway, Law Office of Rick GallotTravis Lee, Chartreuse Pear

Rodney Manning, The Ensure GroupRandy Null, Ruston Artisans

Donna Ott, Hunt, Guillot & AssociatesSharon Shrell, FNB

Brandon Sutherland, Hampton InnErica Wheelis, Centric FCU

Mike Jones

Executive Board

What initially sparked your interest in working in your field? Briefly describe your career path.

I’ve never heard an assessor say they wanted to be an assessor when they were growing up, and that is the case with me. Many people do not even know what an assessor does and neither did I. I am friends with a previous assessor’s daughter and he hired me to come work one summer and I never left.

What is your area of specialty?

When I first started, I learned how to read legal descriptions and draw the parcels on our paper maps. Thankfully we now have digital maps, and it’s always like putting a puzzle together when you put all the land in the Lincoln Parish boundary. The mapping

Board Spotlight

Sheila BordelonLincoln Parish Tax Assessor

(318) 251-5140sheilag@lincolnparish.org

portion has always been my favorite. How has membership in the Ruston-

Lincoln Chamber of Commerce been of value to you and your professional development?

Joining the Chamber and participating in Leadership Lincoln has allowed me to go off of my beaten path and meet people I probably would not have otherwise met. Although I have lived in Ruston my whole life, I have learned interesting tidbits about Ruston and businesses around town.

One of the great benefits of closing the books on the previous calendar year and starting a new one is the opportunity it brings to stop and analyze where you have been, where you are, and where you're going. This is true both personally, professionally and also with organizations, such as your local Chamber of Commerce. The leadership at the Ruston Lincoln Chamber of Commerce has been engaged in such a process, so I thought it would be beneficial to share with you the realities and points of emphasis for 2015.

First and foremost, the members have selected a board of directors which

is committed and energized to serve effectively for this calendar year. Every board member has agreed to participate in one of our standing committees. These committees form the backbone for accomplishment as we tackle the

agreed upon objectives. Secondly, each standing

committee will have its own goals and objectives, as well as a process to measure the accomplishment and success of stated goals. Next month I will introduce you to the chairpersons of these committees and their committee’s goals. Trust me, they are an impressive ensemble!

Lastly, your leadership

has made a commitment to reinforce the primary purpose of the Chamber: to serve its membership to cultivate a healthy business environment. As time goes by too many organizations spend far too much time and energy keeping the organization alive and drifting from the primary purpose or purposes of the organization. To that end, we are in the process of analyzing the time and energy allocated to running the Chamber with the goal of identifying ways to redirect as much time and energy as practical to member services.

Please feel free to contact

me (318) 251-5844 or Judy Copeland (318) 255-2031 with any thoughts as to how the chamber could better serve its membership. We would love to hear from you.

As we look to celebrate Valentine’s Day and Mardi Gras, let’s celebrate the kindness given to our community by all of the award recipients at our Annual Banquet last month. These people were chosen because they volunteered their time to serve this community. Time they could have spent with family, but instead they chose to give it to others in need. Let’s not forget that these are only a few of our outstanding citizens, there

are countless others out there giving their time and their hearts to help make our community better. Thank you to all of you who give so much of yourselves.

We’ve recognized the individuals, now it’s time to focus on our Business of the Year. The Chamber of Commerce and Louisiana

Tech College of Business will be hosting its 2nd B.O.T.Y. and Hall of Fame on April 30, 2015 at Squire Creek. This black tie optional affair will recognize and award a small business chamber

member for its impact on the vitality and strength of the community. The College of Business will also recognize a Teacher and Researcher of the Year. Watch for the

announcements in the months to come.

In the midst of planning these events (and Peach Festival), we at the Chamber of Commerce continue to look for ways to bring business to your door. Whether it is through hosting events or just helping you create a hot deal to market your business, we are here for you. Occasionally we will send

out surveys via email to see where we are lacking and to ask you what you need us to do so that we can serve you better. If you aren’t receiving emails from us, please call the office and get added to our list so you can stay informed.

See photos from the Awards Banquet on Facebook.com / RustonChamber

CHAMBER CONNECTION 3

•

Justin BarnesSr. Project Manager

Melodye TannerCEO, CFO

Tom BourlandRF, ACF, CWB

Director of Operations

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YEA! is a fun and exciting class that guides middle and high school students through the process of starting their own REAL business or nonprofit organization. Students learn as much about self-esteem, personal potential and leadership skills as they do about budgeting, planning and production, and have an opportunity to work directly with business leaders in the Ruston-Lincoln community.

Save-the-DatesLA Tech Hall of Fame and

Chamber Business of the Year Awards Dinner

April 30 at Squire Creek Country Club

June 26-27

Ruston Gun, Knife & Coin Show

September 19-20

Coming in November!

Thanks to Jill Howard and LA Capitol Federal Credit Union for being a great host of the January Business After Hours. After recently expanding and adding new technology we celebrated with a ribbon cutting. The corporate visitors from Baton Rouge enjoyed meeting the Ruston area Chamber members and plan to come back for a visit. Thanks also to all the door prize sponsors.

Business After Hours

Join us at Business After Hours to celebrate the expansion of Argent Financial Group’s corporate head-quarters.

“We invite Chamber members to tour our expanded corporate head-quarters building. The Ruston com-

February Business After Hoursmunity has supported us for our 25-year history as we have grown from our one office to a regional wealth management firm with over twenty offices in nine states serving over $11 billion in client assets.” ~ Kyle McDonald, CEO

Thursday, February 19

5-7 p.m.500 East Reynolds Drive

Rustonwww.ArgentFinancial.com

Congratulations to Cathi Cox-Boniol

for being named one of 8 “Louisianians of the Year”

by Louisiana Life Magazine.Read the article on www.rustonlincoln.org, News.

LA Capitol FCU975 Tech Dr., Ste. 1Ruston (318) 251-4140www.lacapfcu.org

CEO, Mike HooperExecutive VP, Karen VinesSVP Member Services and

Sales, Kim LaBauveVP of Facilities Planning, Bert Callender

VP of Marketing, Leo O’DonnellRegional Manager, Ronnie Dowling

Branch Manager, Jill Howard

View all photos on Facebook.com/RustonChamber

®

Ruthie EvansGeneral Manager IIRuston/Bastrop/Jonesboro

1001 Cooktown RdRuston, LA 71270

F 318.251.2711E ruthie.evans@suddenlink.com

2000 Farmerville Hwy. Ruston, LA 71270 www.genesisenergy.com•

4 CHAMBER CONNECTION

The Chamber Connection (023/623) is published monthly for $12 a year by the Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, 2111 North Trenton St., Ruston, LA 71270. Application to mail at Periodicals postage rates paid at Ruston, LA and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Chamber Connection, 2111 North Trenton St., Ruston, LA 71270-4420. All contents copyright and may not be reproduced without permission of the publisher.

Printed by Ruston Newspapers, Inc.

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How isHeritage Realty Group,

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heritagerealtyruston.comRobyn Brown, Broker

Business Spotlight

Ruston Community Theatre (RCT)is proud to bring live theatre to our thriving community. We seek to involve the local community in all aspects of theatre production and to provide accessiblity to audiences in Ruston and its surrounding communities. Theatre provides a social and educational outlet in collaboration with artists and other art organizations to facilitate the exchange of ideas. Ruston Community Theatre strives to unleash the artistic potential of every community member.

Our Theatre’s success can also be exemplified in our rising audience numbers. Our summer production of “The Sound of Music” was sponsored by the Gale and Lucy Chumley Musical Series and had two sold out performances. “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” sponsored by the Lewis Family (of Lewis Boutique), held two sold out school performances, three evening performances, and a Sunday matinee. These six performances

Ruston Community Theatreset an RCT attendance record.

RCT’s next production is the classic drama “To Kill A Mockingbird” sponsored by The Law Offices of Woodard and Clement. Performance dates are Thursday-Saturday, March 5th, 6th and 7th at 7:00 p.m. with a March

8th matinee at 2:00 p.m. Performances are held at The Dixie Center for the Arts in Ruston. Tickets at the door are $12 for adults and $6 for students/

children. RCT’s annual summer musical, award-winning Bye Bye Birdie, is sponsored by The Gale and Lucy Chumley Musical Series and will open July 9th.

Ruston Community Theatre invites you to come experience one of our performances. We also invite you to become a season member. Our season members save on ticket prices, and each season member votes for the best performances of our season. Our season is celebrated in August at our annual Rustony Awards.

Visit RCT’s website at www.rctruston.org, on Facebook at www.facebook/

Vendor applications are available. Email iflowers@

rustonlincoln.org for food or amusement applications. Email lapeachfest.artsandcrafts@gmail.com for Arts & Crafts vendor applications.

If you plan to sponsor any part(s) of the festival and have not yet confirmed your sponsorship please do so by calling 255-2031 or by emailing jcopeland@rustonlincoln.org.

June 26-27, 2015

Saturday night headliner – The Molly Ringwalds Watch soon for a new

Louisiana Peach Festival website!

CHAMBER CONNECTION 5

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The What:HIPAA (Health

Information Portability and Accountability Act) was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1996 in order to provide health insurance coverage for workers and their families when they change or lose their jobs. This was known as Title I. Title II required the establishment of national standards for electronic healthcare transactions between providers, insurers and patients and includes the privacy and enforcement rules most people are familiar with today. The HITECH Act from 2009 compliments HIPAA and provides incentives to medical providers to more effectively use electronic health records while many additional requirements.

The Why:

The main purpose is to keep your information private. If Aunt Nelda broke her toe and someone found out, the worst that may happen is that she gets a call or a visit from a concerned friend. On the other hand, consider information getting out about your college age brother who is being treated for drugs and is HIV positive or a CEO of a company battling mental illness or fighting a terminal illness. It could ruin someone’s life or destroy confidence in a company fast.

Compliance with HIPAA and HITECH regulations is mandated by federal law and every entity that touches, processes, stores or shreds patient information is required to comply. Stiff penalties ranging from $50,000 for a single non-malicious offense to $1,500,000 plus 10 years in prison for fraudulent misuse are assessed by the department of Health and Human Resources (HHS).

The How:

Providers, insurers and business associates have invested many hours and dollars to keep up with training employees, upgrading computers and network security. They run monthly or quarterly risk assessments on their entire businesses. Medical software is secured with strong passwords, computers and laptops have encrypted hard drives in case they are stolen, and email goes through secure websites rather than

straight to your Gmail or Yahoo account.

The Impact:

Compliance with regulation is complicated and expensive. Training, tedious security procedures, dedicated compliance officers and the constant IT requests to buy faster and more secure hardware and software are increasing the cost and time per patient, leaving less profit for medical professionals. This could negatively impact the quality of care all of us receive as more people consider the return on investment of going to school for 12 years to become a doctor and have $100,000 or more in student loans.

By Matt Orr, Hi-Tech Computers of Ruston

HIPAA Compliance: The What,The Why, The How, The Impact, and The Silver Lining

Special rate if booked by April 6. Stops include Boston, Woodstock, Stowe, North Conway, New Hamp-shire, Lake Winnipesaukee, Booth-bay Harbor, and Kennebunkport.

A presentation of “Colors of New England” will be held in the Chamber board room at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 23.

The Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce presents

“Colors of New England”

Please contact Judy at 232-7985 or jcope-land@rustonlincoln.org for more information.

October 6-13, 2015

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The Silver Lining:

Anytime there is despair and frustration, an entrepreneur sees an opportunity. IT companies who are brave and dedicated enough to learn and comply with the same HIPAA and HITECH regulations are offering services to ease the pain on the medical profession. For example, we at Hi-Tech offer automated HIPAA Risk Assessments and mock compliance audits to reveal potential threats before a breach occurs and patient information has been released to unauthorized users. It’s hard to effectively protect your local doctor’s office if companies like Sony are hacked by North Korea, or millions of credit card numbers

are stolen from Target. However, these regulations are in place to keep your data safe. It’s much easier to get a new credit card than a new social security number and impossible to get a new birthday.

As technology improves and providers anywhere in the world have secure access to your medical information, it just may save your life. Used responsibly, the quality of medical care should improve as experts from all over the world are able to come together and treat patients more effectively.

If you are with a medical entity and would like a free consultation on how to comply with HIPAA and HITECH regulations, please contact Richard Raue at Hi-Tech Computer at richard@hitechruston.com or (318) 255-1110 x102.

Hunt, Guillot & AssociatesRuston, Louisiana•

A Pause at the Podium

Cathi Cox-Boniol

By Cathi Cox-Boniol, Lincoln ACHIEVE Coordinator

6 CHAMBER CONNECTION

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We’re now a month into the new year and I have to admit that I’m not much on resolutions. That means I don’t have to beat myself up right now for already dropping the ball! That being said, I always want my next year to be better than the one that just ended. Maybe it’s part of wanting to continue to grow, to be a better individual, or maybe just to make my time here count. As country artist Brad Paisley said it when asked about the new year, “Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one.”

I find myself reflecting on some writing that I was recently reviewing. The pages were evaluations that students completed after they had participated in our “Geometrics Through the Arts” project with regional artist Frank Kelley, Jr., at Louisiana Tech University. Let me assure you they wrote some good ones, but not simply because of correct grammar and sentence structure. No, the good stuff came from what was communicated by these young artists.

Okay, let’s get one thing out of the way—the common thread throughout all of the evaluations was one single word: FUN. The students had fun working with the guest professional in a truly professional setting. They felt like the experience allowed them to see themselves as authentic artists—inspiring some to express interest in pursuing a degree and/or profession in an art-related field. However, some of the other comments were even more telling.

One student came away from the experience realizing that he now understood the value of collaboration and working nicely with others. Another stated that in addition to learning how to work in a team, he also learned better communication skills. There was the realization from one that working with the guest artist showed him how they can use their love of art to create balance in their lives. Others noted that they see shapes in a totally different way now, and that will help them in math. Also they now understand that you can start with something plain or ordinary and make it into something beautiful and unique. And how about this one: after working with teams from other schools, they really appreciate what it feels like to be an encourager and appreciate how others can succeed. Am I the only one that sees these as significant tools in their toolkits for success?

As I visited the workshop each day, I was truly overwhelmed with the extraordinary openness these students expressed in sharing their gratitude for this special experience. And I came away realizing that it’s imperative that I find ways to provide more opportunities for our students to not only interact with area professionals in authentic learning experiences, but reap the incredible benefits that can come from them.

That’s where the members of our community become important stakeholders for the year ahead. There will be so many different ways that you can uniquely contribute your talents and energy toward providing those authentic experiences our students crave. In fact, there are two on the horizon this month.

On February 10 and 11, all sophomores across the parish will participate in our annual “Dollars and $ense Reality Fair.” Hosted by United Way of Northeast Louisiana, this event is designed to help equip our students with the information and skills necessary to make informed decisions about their future. Held in the Ruston Civic Center, the simulation randomly assigns students a job packet that includes their salary. Each student will then rotate through ten stations where they must make at least one purchase (housing, food, transportation, etc.) from each

while maintaining a budget based on their assigned job and salary. They then return to their financial counselor and learn how to repair any problems they may have had with their budget and other strategies for managing money. We will need volunteers to man the different stations the students visit as well as serve as financial counselors for the students after they have completed the station rotation. It is a robust and rewarding experience that models so many exceptional skills for our students while allowing them the opportunity to become better informed decision-makers.

Then the following week on February 18, ACHIEVE will host the annual Lincoln Parish White House Dinner where every fourth grader in the district gathers at the Ruston Civic Center for this special event. Parents and other community stakeholders will be needed to serve as a table host for each of the tables as our youngsters put into practice the table etiquette they have learned as well as enjoy this “formal” experience.

And toward the end of the month, the schools will begin working on their Green Projects for the year. Part of the Adopt-A-School service initiative, students will engage in not only cleaning up and greening their school campuses, many of them will connect this effort to a bigger picture that reaches across our parish lines as well as

the boundaries of our state and nation. You could be an invaluable partner in these special emphases where our students further internalize the gift of gifting as they work toward greater civic awareness and responsibility.

And this is just getting the year started! But our takeaway isn’t anything new. The point is, we need for everyone to see where the can plug in to help enrich the educational experience for all of our students. Whether it be one of these unique volunteer opportunities or something more structured like reading with elementary children, offering job shadowing, serving as a guest panelist in the classroom, partnering with campus projects, supporting Teacher Appreciation Week, working at a field day, or simply helping fund new or ongoing initiatives, just find where you fit. There are so many opportunities available for you to get connected and engaged. And if you’re wondering why it’s important, just think back to what was shared at the beginning of this column, straight from the mouths of our students.

“I now understand the value of collaboration . . . I’ve learned better communication skills . . . I now know how to create balance in my life . . . I can make something beautiful out of something plain . . . I am now an encourager and appreciate the success of others.” Wouldn’t you love to contribute toward the development of this type of young person and then watch them blossom into a magnificent addition to this community?

So what will it take for each of us to “write a good one” this year? And what opportunities will we take advantage of ? It’s important for us not to just think of volunteering as something nice that people do. It has real impact. As volunteers, we have an enormous impact on the health and well-being of our community and make a difference in day-to-day life of those around us. And that counts double for education. But as you consider your role, stop and think about what our cities, towns, schools, and more would look like if no one took the time to make those volunteer connections? What opportunities to grow, learn, and thrive as a society would be lost?

Maybe we all should consider that as we continue writing the next chapter of our “new” book this year. We have many, many, many blank pages ahead—why not commit to making it the best one yet?

Write a Good One

CHAMBER CONNECTION 7

www.ensureagency.com

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•

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What has been a highlight of

your work?

We recently celebrated our one-year anniversary in our new facility here in Ruston. I was not part of the Serenity Springs family during the construction and move. I did, however, meet our CEO and Dr. Gullapalli at the hospital’s open house and ribbon cutting. I joined this fabulous team four months after they were settled into the new facility.

How has membership in the Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce been of value to you and your professional development?

As I said before, I met our CEO at a Chamber event. I was working for another company at

Sandy BondSerenity Springs Specialty Hospital, Program Director

(318) 202-3860hr@serenityhospital.com

Ambassador Spotlightthe time, but Chamber events are a wonderful way to meet other business professionals, regardless of the field in which you work. You never know when you may find say to yourself, “Wow, I sure wish I knew someone who works with…..” By being a Chamber member, chances are, you already do. If not, one phone call can get you the information you need.

Who is your favorite role model-and why?

As silly as it may sound, my husband and two daughters are my role models. My husband, Clay, and I own 12 poultry houses. Clay is the hardest working man I know. All his hard work is dedicated to our family and making a better life for us. He has taught our daughters what it means to work hard for what you want. He often tells them, “If you work hard now, you can play hard later.” My daughters, Courtney, 22, and Hailey, 17, are the most loving and respectful children any parent could ask for. It is such an honor to say I am their Mom and Clay’s wife.

2015 Business After Hours (BAH) Schedule

February 19 - Argent Financial GroupMarch 19 - Lagniappe Embroidery

& Gift ShoppeApril 16 - RE/MAX Results Realty

May 14 - LA Tech SciTech in College of Education

June - No BAH due to Louisiana Peach Festival

July 16 - Jim Taylor FordAugust 20 - Available

September 17 - AvailableOctober 15 - LA Tech Athletics

November 19 - AvailableDecember 10 - Available

Contact Ivana to host a BAH or to be a

Door Prize donor.iflowers@rustonlincoln.org, 232-7985.

Staff:David Tinkis, President and CEORomney Guy, Chief Operating OfficerAudrey Tarr, Chief Compliance OfficerJulie Bass, Chief Programs OfficerAvery Overstreet, BlueDawgs store managerJennifer Khalifa, Retail Director.David Awalt, Marketing

Ribbon CuttingsFind photo albums for all Chamber events on Facebook.com/RustonChamber

Goodwill Industries BlueDawgsStop by and check out the remodel at Goodwill.

They’ve added BlueDawgs, a “Tech fan” boutique. Remember, .87 of every dollar you spend goes back into helping others.

Goodwill Industries BlueDawgsGraham Shopping Center, Ruston(318) 251-9162www.goodwillnla.org

Stop by for a great lunch and say hi to these fine folks!

Firehouse Soulfood & Grillin' 202 West Louisiana St., Ruston

(318) 202-3877

Tommy & Delorise Caesar - OwnersJacque Kennedy, Toni Holland,

George Holland - Staff

Firehouse Soulfood & Grillin’

8 CHAMBER CONNECTION

•

• 3 Meeting Rooms• Free Breakfast Bar• Fre WiFi Internet

Holiday Inn Express & Suites®

Ruston1825 Roberta AveRuston, LA 71270

318-513-9777holidayInnexpress.com/

Touring Lincoln ParishRuston Lincoln Convention & Visitors Bureau – By Amanda Quimby

Amanda Quimby

Member Anniversaries

Brandon Sutherland Wins Hospitality Award

15+ YearsHunt Forest Products, Inc.

10+ YearsBeehive Outlet CenturyLink Dawg House Sports Grill JACO Federal Credit Union Xerium/Stowe Woodward

5+ YearsApplebee’s Impact Healthcare Solutions LA Tech Sports Properties Linn Energy (Formerly Devon Energy) Little Caesar’s Ruston Animal Clinic Ruston Pediatric Associates - Dr. Janice L. Ford Verizon Wireless 1+ YearsChampion Trophies Choudrant Appliance, LLC City of Ruston Frank Stone & Son Construction Company, Inc. Grambling State University J&K Telecom, LLC Lagniappe Auto Title, LLC LifeCare Specialty Hospital of North Louisiana Mark Johnson Plumbing, Inc. North Louisiana Economic Partnership Northeast Louisiana Cancer Institute, LLC Robertson Fruit & Produce, Inc. Security Finance Wood Marine, LLC

New Members

Bulldog Dining, LLC dba Newk’s Eatery (coming soon!)Began in 2004 by the founders of McAllister’s Deli. Offers dine-in, call-ahead & pick-up, Grab-n-Go cooler items, and catering.301 South Vienna, Rustonwww.newks.com

Humana - Ray Ramsey(318) 789-4513www.humana.com

About: Established in 1991. Open 24/7. Offers taxi service, special event drivers, and airport

The Ruston Lincoln Parish Convention & Visitors Bureau is proud to announce the 2014 recipient of the Lincoln Parish Hospitality Award is Brandon Sutherland, Sales Director at the Hampton Inn of Ruston. Mr. Sutherland will be presented the award at the Ruston Lincoln Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Banquet on January 28th at the Ruston Civic Center.

Throughout the year Sutherland has

gone above and beyond what is expected. During February of 2014, an ice storm had roadways closed. A young woman who had been in an accident on I-20 and was without a vehicle came into Hampton Inn needing a room for the night only to discover all hotels in the area were sold out. Sutherland did some research and found the closest available room was 40 miles away. Without hesitation, he offered to drive the woman in his own truck to ensure she arrived safely.

Sutherland has also received the Spirit

of Hampton Award for his outstanding

customer service. The Spirit of Hampton Award is the hotel brand’s highest form of individual recognition given only to team members who consistently exceed expectations and positively impacts guests, the hotel and the community. The Spirit Award winners represent less than two percent of the entire Hilton Worldwide team member population!

With such

exceptional management and valued staff, it is no surprise that Hampton Inn of Ruston is being recognized for their services. Hampton Inn recently received the Movers and Shakers Award for showing the greatest improvement in customer service. Hampton Inn of Ruston is now rated number 16 out of 1,964 Hampton

properties. They also rank number one on TripAdvisor in Ruston, LA and have

received the 2014 Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence for their commitment to their guests.

“Working with Brandon

and getting to know him has been a joy. Knowing his work ethic, it is easy to see that this honor is well deserved,” says CVB President/CEO Travis Napper. “Lincoln Parish and the Ruston community are lucky to have such fine young professionals who looks after our visitors. He continues to make me believe that the people in Ruston are what sets us apart.”

The Lincoln Parish Hospitality Award

began in 1999 to reward and recognize members of the community who provide a significant benefit to the tourism economy of Lincoln Parish during the past year.

transportation.(318) 497-0724www.rustonexpress.com

Ruston Express, LLC