Discover Lafayette

Dr. Joshua Clegg Caffery, director of the Center for Louisiana Studies at UL- Lafayette, is our guest. Josh has deep historical ties to the university, having earned master’s and doctoral degrees in English and folklore studies from UL - Lafayette. His great-grandfather, Sen. Robert Martin, is the namesake for UL - Lafayette's Martin Hall.

Locals are familiar with "Ambassador Caffery Parkway" which is named after one of Josh Caffery's family members, Jefferson Thompson Caffery, one of the first graduates of UL - Lafayette (then known as "Southwestern Louisiana Industrial Institute), who served as a U. S. Ambassador to Columbia and Cuba and worked for 43 years in foreign service under eight U.S. presidents: Taft, Wilson, Harding, Coolidge, Hoover, F. D. Roosevelt, Truman, and Eisenhower.

Caffery's family has also had many successful politicians and business people of note, including Donelson Caffery, a civil war veteran and U. S. Senator representing Louisiana, as well as Patrick T. Caffery, a New Iberia native who served as a Louisiana State House Representative and member of Congress, and other family members who made profitable livings as sugar plantation owners. The late Louisiana Governor, Murphy James "Mike" Foster, Jr., was a relative, having family connections through the common thread of the Murphy family. Caffery emphasized that President Andrew Jackson was the catalyst for the opportunities opened to his family in the early 1800s which led to their economic success.

A young man, husband, and father of two small children along with his talented wife, Claire Oliver, Josh’s career has already taken many paths which have incorporated his skills and interest in folklore. He is the author of two books, “Traditional Music in Coastal Louisiana: The 1934 Lomax Collection,” which included a Grammy-nominated CD compilation, and “In the Creole Twilight: Poems and Songs from Louisiana Folklore,” a collection of poems inspired by Louisiana myth, legend, and oral history.

Joshua Caffery is the author of two books, “Traditional Music in Coastal Louisiana: The 1934 Lomax Collection,” which included a Grammy-nominated CD compilation, and “In the Creole Twilight: Poems and Songs from Louisiana Folklore,” a collection of poems inspired by Louisiana myth, legend, and oral history.

Caffery served as head of the English Department at Episcopal School of Acadiana. He was an Alan Lomax Fellow in Folklife Studies at the Library of Congress and also served a fellowship in folklore at Indiana University. He took a sojourn into private enterprise, working for the acclaimed jewelry manufacture, Stuller, in helping them identify and market the ideal pieces to meet their clients' needs.

An acclaimed musician, known for the French folksongs he performed with the Red Stick Ramblers and Feu Follet, Josh Caffery received a 2010 Grammy nomination for Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album for his performance and songwriting on the “En Couleurs” album by Feufollet. He also received a Grammy nomination in 2016 for Best Regional Roots Album, "I Wanna Sing Right: Rediscovering Lomax In The Evangeline Country."

The Center for Louisiana Studies at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette was established in 1973 to plan, promote, and pursue programs that provide scholars, students, and the public with a better understanding of Louisiana history and culture.

His current work with the Center for Louisiana Studies has included raising funds to restore the J. Arthur Roy House located at the Northwest Corner of University Avenue and Johnston Street. For locals interested in really making UL - Lafayette a destination of choice, having the Roy House restored is a wonderful way to make a difference with your tax-deductible funds.

Carlee Alm-LaBar, President and CEO of United Way of Acadiana ("UWA"), is our guest. As a young woman who first moved to South Louisiana for Teach for America teaching High School Math in Churchpoint in 1998, Carlee has proven that her heart is dedicated to public service and in leaving things better than she found them.

Many knew Carlee as a candidate in the 2019 Lafayette Parish President's race. Prior to that she worked with Southern Lifestyle Development and served as Head of Development and Planning for Lafayette Consolidated Government. She also served as assistant to City-Parish President Joey Durel, overseeing communications and community relations for LCG, and spent eight years working in the nonprofit sector at the Community Foundation of Acadiana and Acadiana Youth.

On the volunteer front, Carlee served as chair of the Leadership Institute of Acadiana, the parent organization of Leadership Lafayette; in Junior League of Lafayette, she served as chief financial officer and communications vice president; she was a long-time board member of Lafayette Youth Soccer Association and was honored as a Woman Who Means Business and a "Top 20 Under 40" young professional. She organized and led the Fix the Charter group, a citizen-driven effort that supported the reorganization of our Lafayette Consolidated Government into two separate city and parish councils.

In late February 2020, she started her new post at the helm of UWA, which was two weeks before the COVID shutdown turned our world upside down. Carlee has been focused on disaster relief ever since. The economic devastation wreaked by the COVID disaster has shone the light on the importance of UWA's work in giving people the "building blocks for a better life."

"Most of my career has been in service to others so the transition to United Way of Acadiana has been an easy one." UWA has been a perfect fit for Carlee's talents and drive to better the community.

Carlee had to quickly learn how to manage staff who were working from home while also navigating fundraising responsibilities in an environment that precludes in-person events. UWA has focused on using resources wisely in its outreach to the community; they have recently partnered with Court Appointed Special Advocates of South Louisiana ("CASA of SoLA") which is now located on UWA's campus. Carlee explains that "this is a great opportunity for cross-collaboration in helping our most vulnerable.....foster children who are in need of advocates."

With its focus on "Education, Earnings and Essentials," UWA partners with other community non-profits in coordinating volunteer resources and ensuring that basic needs are met. The organization not only funds other deserving non-profit "partners" which have been vetted for effectiveness, but it also provides direct services in areas of need that are not being met by other non-profits. Carlee explained that our region has approximately 100 to 150 active and viable non-profits; some have employees and are run as a business, while others thrive on volunteer efforts to get the job done.

United Way of Acadiana is a Nonprofit Multi-Tenant Center with Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana, American Red Cross, Louisiana Emergency Medical Units (LEMU), and the Lafayette Public Library System.In addition, the Multi-Tenant Center provides a community training room for non-profits and government agencies to host trainings and meetings. The room is available from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. at no cost to non-profits and government agencies and for $50 per workday for private businesses and corporations. To reserve the room, call 337.233.8302.

In October 2020 as this interview was recorded, many people were still underemployed or unemployed while also having bee...

Discover Lafayette welcomed Surgical Oncologist Dr. Shaunda Grisby of Oschner Lafayette General to discuss her journey in medicine and her mission in helping people be free of breast cancer.

With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a yearly event held to increase awareness of the disease (which is the most common cancer in women aside from some types of skin cancer), it seemed a fitting time to shine the light on Dr. Grisby. A general surgeon, Dr. Grisby is fellowship-trained in Breast Surgical Oncology with advanced techniques such as oncoplastic breast surgery, nipple-sparing mastectomy, skin-sparing mastectomy, and management of benign breast diseases.

Originally from Northern California, Dr. Grisby studied to earn a Doctor of Medicine at the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science and the David Geffin School of Medicine at UCLA, a medical program that "provides training in the scholarly and humane aspects of medicine and fosters the development of leaders who will advance medical practice and knowledge in underserved areas in the United States and abroad." She went on to be a general surgery resident at Easton School of Medicine in Pennsylvania and completed a breast surgical oncological fellowship in Michigan at the William Beaumont Hospital.

Dr. Grisby's parents were originally from the Shreveport area, and she had maintained ties to Louisiana. With Louisiana consistently being ranked #3 in breast cancer mortality, Dr. Grisby found Lafayette to fit the bill as the perfect site for her medical practice and to have the opportunity to make a real difference in health outcomes. She moved to Lafayette from Michigan in 2017.

Dr. Grisby believes that education is the first step in helping people become aware of the need to have routine check-ups and prevent cancer from becoming invasive. She has worked diligently to teach breast cancer awareness and breast cancer prevention throughout the region, sharing her compassionate and caring voice to the community. Her message on positive lifestyle choices includes such measures as eating a varied diet with a focus on healthy oils such as olive and avocado and "good" carbohydrates such as fruits and vegetables, getting in exercise for 30 minutes several times a week, and limiting alcohol consumption. It's been hard during COVID for many of us to get inadequate exercise so her advice is to be creative and fit in exercise when you can, even if it means walking around the house.

In recognition of her work in Acadiana to increase breast health, Dr. Grisby was recently honored as a 2020 SPIRIT OF HOPE HONOREE by the American Cancer Society.

In recognition of her work in Acadiana to increase breast health, Dr. Grisby was recently honored as a 2020 SPIRIT OF HOPE HONOREE by the American Cancer Society.

While many believe that having a genetic mutation linked to breast cancer is the biggest risk an individual may face, in fact, approximately 12.5 % of women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime no matter what their genetic make-up or family history is. Standard protocol is that women should begin having mammograms at the age of 40; however, if the individual has close relatives (such as grandmothers, mother, sisters, or aunts on either side of the family) who have had breast cancer diagnosed by the age of 40, they should begin having mammograms by the age of 30 and have additional screenings each year. It is not recommended that mammograms be conducted on younger women as their breast tissue is at a less developed stage and mammograms can be difficult to interpret. Physicians may recommend a breast ultrasound for patients under 30 years of age as the best imaging modality.

Dr. Grisby's typical patient presents after having a diagnostic screeni...

Dr. Pearson Cross, seasoned political analyst, joined Discover Lafayette to discuss the political climate in this 2020 election cycle. Early voting will run through Oct. 27, 2020, preceding the November 3rd election, and it seemed a good time to have Dr. Cross join us and discuss the political landscape here and across the region.

Dr. Cross is a respected professor on UL - Lafayette's campus as well as our community, serving as Interim Head of the Department of Political Science, Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, and an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science.

He is host of a weekly radio show, Bayou to Beltway on KRVS (88.7 FM), that focuses on politics and policy, and is a frequent commentator on political issues for news media at the national, state and local levels.

As a young man, Cross always wanted to be a musician and actually dropped out of college and played rock and jazz for about ten years, traveling across the Western U. S. But a "sit down" gig in Palo Alto allowed him the opportunity to stay in one place to make a living and he realized he needed to do something different, to go back to school.

Dr. Pearson Cross (pictured far right) in Banshee, the band in which he performed as a young man as they toured the Western U. S. Dr. Cross found his calling in teaching political science while working in Palo Alto CA and returned to school after taking a ten-year break from college.

A political science class spurred his interest in the subject. A teacher/mentor encouraged him to earn a PhD and pursue a career in teaching, a vocation which mirrored that of his parents and one he never dreamed he would follow. After a stint at UL - Monroe, Dr. Cross ended up in South Louisiana at UL - Lafayette where he is raising his family and has become a part of the political landscape.

COVID has turned the 2020 election cycle upside down with its resulting need to social distance and limit large gatherings. Cross reminisced about the days of "retail politics" in which politicians such as Edwin Edwards would work six or seven events a day as a way to meet constituents, march in parades, kiss babies, and raise funds; those days are "pretty much done" and social media has become more and more important.

Today, the "Matthew Principle" rules: "To those who have, get. To those who are given, more is given," says Cross. If a candidate already has a reputation and a fundraising operation, they can raise funds. But newcomers are at a great disadvantage. There is less door to door interactions. Incumbents are at a great advantage and can get by with much less advertising.

Dr. Cross anticipates a great surge in mail in/early voting and at the time of our interview, 15 million people in the U. S. had cast ballots early. On the day of this posting, October 23, 2020, at least 51 million people have already voted in advance of the November 3rd election, which number represents over a third of all votes cast in the 2016 presidential election. In some states everyone is allowed to vote by mail; in Louisiana, there are a limited number of reasons that allow mail-in ballots such as having had COVID, being over 65 years of age, or having a recognized disability. Cross stressed that while many conservatives believe that mail-in balloting leads to broad and pervasive fraud, there have been no findings to that effect although there are occasional findings of illegality or altered ballots.

Cross predicts that the national election results will be determined the night of November 3rd as Joe Biden appears headed to a solid victory. At the time of this interview, Biden had a commanding lead in the polls yet in the aftermath of the October 22nd debate,

Kip Judice, candidate for Lafayette City Marshall, joined Discover Lafayette to discuss his desire to serve our community and bring a common-sense approach to restoring trust in the Marshall's office. The election will be held on November 3, 2020.

Kip Judice developed an interest in law enforcement when he joined the Explorer Scouts in the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's office during his Sophomore year in High School. His keen interest in operations led the staff to encourage him to apply for a job and he was hired at the age of 19 by Sheriff Don Breaux in 1985.

His first job was in the Dispatch Center of the Sheriff's office and over the years he served in various leadership capacities under Sheriff Don Breaux (1985 - 2000) and Sheriff Mike Neustrom (2000 - 2015). As Commander of the Civil Department under Sheriff Neustrom, Judice garnered experience in operations similar to the duties required of the City Marshall: issuing subpoenas, picking up people on outstanding warrants, handling evictions, and seizing property pursuant to court judgments. He also served as the department's spokesperson relaying information to the media.

Over the years, Kip Judice has been front and center working to resolve high-profile cases involving heinous criminals. One particularly disturbing case included the "South Side Serial Rapist" who had raped seven women at gunpoint over a thirteen-year period; unfortunately, the perpetrator ended up being a respected employee in the sheriff's office, Detective Randy Comeaux.

Judice was also involved in another violent criminal being brought to justice after brutally raping and killing seven women between 1992 and 2003. Serial killer Derrick Todd Lee had flown under the radar of law enforcement because he was Black and law enforcement believed that the murders could only have been committed by a white male and were only testing the DNA of white men. During the interview, Kip discussed the emerging use of DNA genomic testing in 2003 which allowed the investigators to determine there was a 98% probability that the same African American's DNA had been gathered from all of the victims. The case was quickly wrapped up as the crime labs started testing DNA of Blacks who had been arrested and Derrick Todd Lee was the match. Judice's detective work on the case led to him giving a presentation on investigative aspects in the serial killer case to the highly esteemed Academy of Forensic Sciences in 2006

Another high-profile and fascinating case Judice reflected on involved Knight Oil Tool family where one brother attempted to frame his sibling for a felony so as to cut him out of his anticipated multi-million inheritance. Again using a common-sense approach, Judice and his team solved the crime by examining the evidence which just didn't add up. Sadly, the case also involved two fellow law enforcement officers who accepted bribes to plant evidence on Bryan Knight.

Judice stayed with the Sheriff's office until May 2015 when he was hired to serve as Duson Police Chief. He inherited a police department rife with controversy after the previous four chiefs had either been indicted for crimes or were already serving prison time. The office was in disarray with only two employees who were making exorbitant amounts of money due to excessive overtime, there was no records management system, and the community had a mindset that if you knew someone in charge you could receive special favors.

Kip focused on improving the office from day one. By his seventh day in office, he had hired two additional police officers who were already certified and qualified to work in law enforcement. He was able to do this at no extra expense and actually saved the office money by getting rid of the overtime expense that had bogged down the budget.

Hannah Gumbo incorporates fun and whimsy into each of her artistic creations. Whether it is a 43 foot "Legacy Barn Mural" designed to tell the story of a beloved family member, a commissioned piece which captures the essence of Rodgers and Hammerstein's My Favorite Things, or illustrations for children's book, The Book That Wanted To Be Red written by Jerica Guillory, Hannah Gumbo's signature leaves a colorful imprint on beautifully designed art that is one of a kind.

Darrell Smith, left, and Hannah Gumbo in front of the barn being painted by Gumbo at 1444 Highway 758 in Eunice LA. The 43-foot mural celebrates the life of the late Calvin Smith. (Photo on left by Harlan Kirgan). More about this story may be read in the Eunice News here.

A Lafayette native, Hannah was homeschooled until she entered high school when she encountered visual art teacher, Kathy Reed, who she credits for inspiring her and many other Acadiana artists. Reed would take her students on field trips and invite area artists to come to school to share their passion for design. Hannah realized through Reed's example and nurturing that art and expression were paths worth pursuing. While she never thought she would "work" as an artist, she looked at art classes as a gift and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from UL - Lafayette with a concentration in painting & printmaking. And, 'art' is definitely her day job and passion!

Hannah's work has evolved since she graduated and while she was trained to paint and draw, she joking said that her worst grade was in digital art. Ironically, today she incorporates digital art into most of her designs. Hannah uses a Wacom, which is akin to large iPad, and hops back and forth from sketches on paper and on the digital pen drawing tablet. The device allows Hannah to scale her drawings and try different colors as she works with her clients and tries out different colors and effects before finalizing the ultimate design.

Hannah's desire is to make art fun and easy, more accessible, and less intimidating to people. She loves public art because it is available to all to enjoy. She tells people, "Don't worry about dissecting art intellectually....ask yourself, 'How do you feel about it?"

Hannah Gumbo in front of the mural she painted on the Sides & Associates building in Downtown Lafayette. The work was commissioned by Downtown Development Authority and Sides.

COVID has affected Hannah just as it has so many other artists experiencing the cancellation of so many festivals and outdoor markets. Yet this time has also afforded an opportunity to indulge herself with a "Passion Project." Inspired by 100 Day Projects of other artists, she created the "Sunday Hairies" and committed to create 100 watercolor and gel pen portraits of original and iconic hairstyles sported by celebrities. Sold on Etsy, she released seven new portraits each Sunday.

Hannah Gumbo created the Sunday Hairies to create 100 original works illustrating iconic hairstyles of celebrities such as Colonel Sanders, Farrah Fawcett, and Red Lerille, which were sold on Etsy.

Making a living as a freelance artist entails wearing a lot of hats, and Hannah has learned that one of the most important is communicating clearly when defining expectations of the end result. She's learned to clarify what the client is envisioning prior to completing the final product to ensure that everyone is happy at the end of the day when the project is complete. "The silver lining is that I really get to know people and bring their visions to life."

Hannah Gumbo's work may be viewed at hannahgumbo.com.

Hannah and her husband plan to travel more as they both work remotely from home. Her family instilled a love of travel and they...

Kay Karre’ Gautreaux, a native of Lafayette and practicing attorney of 33 years, is our guest today. She is a candidate for judge in the 15th Judicial District, Division K, in Lafayette Parish, in the upcoming November 3rd election. 

A graduate of LSU Law School, Kay has experience in civil and criminal law, all areas of litigation, and managing jury and non-jury cases. She served as a law clerk for two district judges in state court (Judge Bennett J. Gautreaux) and federal court (Judge John Shaw for twelve years). Additionally, Kay has been appointed by the Louisiana Supreme Court on several occasions as a judge pro tempore in Lafayette City Court. She has handled cases ranging from misdemeanor and felony crimes to civil litigation to family matters such as divorce or succession matters. She currently manages her own law firm handling private client matters at Kay Karre Gautreaux, LLC in Lafayette.

In addition to her law practice, Kay has served on the board of the Lafayette Parish Bar Association, Lafayette Volunteer Lawyers, UL Lafayette Alumni, St. Thomas More Advisory Council, Our Lady of Fatima Foundation, Our Lady of Fatima Alumni Council, Acadiana Republican Women’s Organization, Lafayette Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Lafayette Junior League of Lafayette.

Her achievements include being selected as the Outstanding Young Lawyer for State of Louisiana, University of Louisiana Volunteer of the Year, Louisiana State Bar Foundation Fellow Honoree, 2012 Distinguished Warrior Award, and Named “Best of Acadiana. ”

Kay is married to Mitch Gautreaux and they have two children, Michelle and Matthew. She is one of six siblings, four of which are attorneys, and all have been fortunate to achieve advanced education being the children of Albert and Inez Karre. Kay jokingly shared that she has 41 first cousins on her mom's side! They still gather twice a year to keep up their loving connection.

Kay's dad, Albert Karre, was a highly-esteemed attorney in Lafayette as well as a WWII hero, who taught her a great deal about serving clients and how to deal with people who trusted him to take care of their interests. In his day, the clients would deliver pecans or other goods to cover their bills if they didn't have the ready cash. Her dad was her role model and she realized she wanted to follow in his footsteps of service by providing legal services to those in need.

The Gautreaux family: Matthew, Michelle, Kay and Mitch.

A sweet note to share about how Kay got her name: her dad, Albert Karre, opened a jewelry shop in Crowley when he returned from WWII, named "Kay's Jewelers." Kay's parents bestowed that lovely name upon her and we know that tribute carries forward poignant family memories.

During our interview, Kay shared her love of Lafayette, her deep roots in the community, and her fond memories of the Oil Center as she grew up. As a student at Our Lady of Fatima High School, she would have field trips to watch LAGCOE as it was held at the Blackham Coliseum. The experiences left a lasting impression her as she learned the impact that the oil industry had on Lafayette's economy. People came from all over the country to visit Lafayette and she expressed deep regret over the demise of the oil industry and hopes people appreciate how important the oil sector has been to the development of Lafayette.

"I believe strongly in our court system and our system of justice.  I believe I can be a positive representative of this court system by helping it work fairly, efficiently, and instill confidence that I am not only knowledgeable of the law, but will follow the law.  I am the only candidate who has been a legal assistant to two judges in state and federal court,

Mark deClouet of Axis Behavioral Health & Recovery, a Board Certified Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, joined Jan Swift to discuss the rise in fatal opioid overdoses in the Acadiana area.

Drug dependency has impacted people from all walks of life, flying in the face of the stereotypes of those who succumb to addiction. Envision your grandmother breaking her hip at the age of 73, being prescribed opioids for the first time in her life, and becoming addicted to painkillers. People who end up with Substance Use Disorders may experience chronic relapsing conditions unless they can access appropriate behavioral health and medical treatment.

With the push against Big Pharmaceutical companies who have profited from addiction and the mandate on doctors to reduce their prescriptions of painkillers, as people suffer from withdrawals they have turned to street drugs such as heroin which may be laced with the deadly fentanyl. These drugs are easily accessible and much more affordable than prescription drugs.

Some local numbers on our rising rate of overdoses: According to current information from the Lafayette Parish Coroner’s Office, 57 people overdosed in 2019 compared to 46 in 2018 and 43 in 2017.

From January through May 2020, there were 23 overdoses, with 18 of those deaths being attributed to opioid overdoses. The 70508 zip code had more overdose deaths than any other zip code in the parish this year — and more overdose deaths in that zip code within the first five months of 2020 than all of 2019.

Alarming, more people die of drug overdose in Louisiana than by firearm or homicide. In 2018 nearly 40% of the 1,140 reported drug overdose deaths in Louisiana involved opioids —a total of 444 fatalities.

What may be causing this rise in overdose-related deaths? With the COVID pandemic shutdown, many people in recovery have not been able to access fellowship meetings with others who share their struggles. The required social distancing measures have raised a great challenge as people lose the means to stay in touch with their community. Many of us depend on the support of others and have been raised in a culture where we are not only exposed to continuous parties and festivals, but we are not accustomed to being socially isolated for long periods of time.

In light of the rising number of local overdose deaths and the struggle to access quality treatment programs for addiction in the region, Mark deClouet opened a second location of Axis Behavioral Health & Recovery in the Oil Center (the first being in Alexandria, LA).

The Axis team uses buprenorphine, a specific treatment modality approved by the Food and Drug Administration, to treat opioid use disorder. Buprenorphine competes with opiates for the same receptors that opiates bind with, the ones that give a feeling of euphoria. This chemical bond is stronger than the one of the opiates; if a person happens to relapse while on the drug, they will not experience the effect of the opiates. This has been found to keep people in recovery and deter people from falling further into the throes of addiction. Additionally, you can't overdose on buprenorphine (if it is taken alone).

deClouet explained that most individuals with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) still do not have access to or receive any form of medications to combat their addiction. Even though the approved drugs are covered by Medicaid/Medicare and all insurance companies, clinicians typically prescribe buprenorphine on a cash-basis only as they are not reimbursed at a cost-effective level. As the drugs cost $250 to $300 per month, people have to choose between taking care of their children, paying the light bill, buying groceries,

Daniel "Danny" Landry, candidate for District Attorney for the 15th Judicial District Court (covering Lafayette, Acadia, and Vermilion parishes), joined Discover Lafayette to discuss the upcoming election on November 3, 2020, and the reasons he has always wanted to serve the public as their District Attorney.

A lifelong Lafayette resident, Landry is a graduate of Lafayette High, LSU, and LSU Law School, and has worked for the DA's office since 1984 where he served as Felony Assistant DA in the 15th JDC for over 35 years.

In his early days with the office, DA Nathan Stansbury took him under his wing, mentored him, and demonstrated the leadership qualities that have shaped Landry's career and molded his work ethic with a focus on public service.

Landry currently serves as First Assistant DA under the current District Attorney, Keith Stutes, who is not running for re-election. His job duties include supervising budget and management operations of the DA’s office, and prosecution of major cases. The office has close to 100 employees and works to administer and prosecute misdemeanors and felony offenses, which are "Title 14" crimes under the criminal code. Funded through 14 different sources of revenue, Landry believes that public safety issues should be a top priority. "If you have good public safety in a community, people want to come in, locate their businesses and homes there. Arts and culture can thrive."

Landry is particularly proud of the case management system he implemented which "brought the DA's office into the 21st Century." With 26 law enforcement agencies throughout Lafayette, Acadia, and Vermilion parishes reporting to the DA's office, under the pre-existing paper-based filing system it was possible for arrest documents to be "lost" or fall through the cracks. Utilizing the new electronic tracking system for the past four years, the DA is now better able to meet the mandated 30-day review of charges, keep track of the average prison sentences meted out for crimes by judges, respond to calls from the public, and keep the entire justice system accountable to the public.

Danny Landry with his wife, Nancy, and their children Morgan, Kelly and Chris.

Landry also serves as the Pretrial Intervention Director which is designed to assist first-time offenders to examine the underlying reasons for their criminal behavior, such as socioeconomic circumstances, mental health issues, or lacking access to needed resources. He explained that many overlapping issues can lead to survival reactions such as a young woman in poverty stealing diapers for her newborn or a boy stealing bread and lunch meat because no one is taking care of him at home. These non-violent offenders don't need to be incarcerated but they do need direction and guidance counseling to get their lives on a better course to keep them from returning to the justice system.

Known for his work on major felony cases that garnered national interest, Landry reminisced about the Mickey Shunick murder investigation that "out of all the investigations and prosecutions, was one of the best executed I've ever been involved with." Thousands of tips were gathered and the team of Stutes, Landry, Alan Haney, and Roger Hamilton coordinated with many law enforcement agencies that led them to forensic evidence pointing to Brandon Lavergne, who they determined had also killed another person. Mickey Shunick's remains were unearthed in Evangeline Parish behind a pauper's graveyard. "If you had to write a book about how to prosecute, this was the case. Mickey was finally returned to her family."

Danny Landry, along with DA Keith Stutes, as they interview on NBC Dateline discussing the prosecution of Brandon Lavergne in the Mickey Shunick murder ca...

Traci Aucoin, the Lafayette Parish Public School System GEAR UP Project Director, joined Jan Swift, host of Discover Lafayette.  GEAR UP stands for “Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs."

A competitive grant program funded by the U.S. Department of Education, GEAR UP works to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education by providing states and local community-education partnerships six-to-seven year grants to offer support services to high-need, middle and high schools. The program begins work when the youngsters are in 6th and 7th grade and follows them through high school and into post-secondary education.

GEAR UP works to increase the number of students who are prepared to enter and succeed in post-secondary education by providing valuable educational experiences and academic support and helping students and their families prepare and plan for post secondary education.  GEAR UP's vision is to have all students ready for college and career.  

Lafayette Parish is the only school system in Louisiana that has been awarded the highly competitive GEAR UP grant. Originally awarded a six-year grant in 2008, Lafayette Parish is now in the last year of its second 7-year $13.8 million grant cycle and is working with high school seniors and college freshmen who were part of the original cohort group which began in 2014.

Approximately 3000 students participate in GEAR UP and attend Acadiana, Carencro, Lafayette, and Northside High Schools. The students began their GEAR UP journey while in the following middle schools: Acadian, Carencro, Judice, Lafayette, Paul Breaux, and Scott Middle schools. Aucoin explained that even if a student did not originally begin GEAR UP as a student in middle school, the program provides services for an entire grade at the participating high schools. This is a powerful tool for the school as it helps keep peer groups on target planning for college and focused on the success tools they will need to continue their educational journey.

GEAR UP students are encouraged from their middle school years to consider possible career choices and what education they will need to follow that path. College tours, in and out of state, as early as 6th-grade offer enrichment opportunities and food for thought for the students as they realize what is possible in their lives if they apply themselves to their school work.

Transitions from middle school to high school, and then high school to college, are difficult for any student, but especially those whose parents and family members have not finished high school or obtained any post-secondary education. In today's technology-based economy, 70% of jobs require some form of post-secondary education; Aucoin stressed that once you provide the tools to help educate a student through post-secondary, you can get each succeeding generation in his or her family to understand and appreciate the importance of receiving a similar education. You can break the cycle, drastically improve the quality of life for that family, improve health outcomes, and build success.

It's too late to start thinking about college when you're in 11th or 12th grade, and the many enriching activities offered by GEAR UP ensure that students start early, stay motivated, and on track. After school tutoring, educational travel opportunities, enrichment camps, parental assistance with FAFSA applications, and family emotional/social support profoundly affect these young lives. GEAR UP also ensures that students have access to technology and hot spots for wi-fi to have the tools to get their work done. As the students transition to college, GEAR UP makes laptops and other necessary equipment available.