Discover Lafayette

Paul Kieu’s photography is rich and colorful and captures the essence of any moment being commemorated. His work speaks for itself and includes iconic local events such as Festival International de Louisiane.

A freelance photojournalist specializing in editorial, commercial, music and event photography, Paul grew up in Abbeville the son of Vietnam War refugees who settled in South Louisiana.

Paul Kieu began his professional career with The Daily Advertiser after graduating from UL Lafayette in 2012.

Always intending to attend law school, Paul has put that career path on hold as he enjoys a rewarding and successful career in freelance photography. His work has appeared on the front page of the Washington Post and in outlets such as USA Today, NBC News, and The Atlantic.

Working with partners in Clandestine Collective, Paul and his friends host pop-up events around downtown Lafayette which have included film screenings, live music, and comedy events. Capturing the joie de vivre of Lafayette, their Facebook sites states, "We see the potential for growth in alternative forms of entertainment throughout the city while also aiming to pay homage and incorporate the cultural identity and mischief that make our hometown so special." Their most recent celebration ringing in the new year was Last Night NYE: Return of the Roaring 20's.

A co-founder of Krewe de Canailles, a walking parade without barricades which launched in February 2018, Paul Kieu definitely knows how to have a good time while including others in the festivities!

For more information on Paul Kieu’s photography, please visit www.paulkieu.com. Also check out https://krewedecanailles.com and https://www.facebook.com/clandestinelft for more information on the fun activities Paul and his buddies have created for the benefit of our entire community!

The South is known for its hospitality. And in Acadiana, one name, in particular, comes to mind: Michael Doumit, the guest on this edition of Discover Lafayette. Currently partnering with the City Club at River Ranch as Outside Catering Manager, Michael Doumit was the founder of Michael's, a Catering Experience that later evolved into Michael's Ballroom. And then, of course, A La Carte, a restaurant in Lafayette's Oil Center which was iconic for its delightful ambiance and delicious food.

New Iberia native Michael Doumit’s experience in the catering industry includes all types of Mardi Gras events from Carnival balls to royalty parties. His experience with Carnival is a result of his working with the Washington Mardi Gras for more than 20 years and for Lafayette Mardi Gras Krewes for more than 45 years. Michael Doumit has also been recognized as King of a Mardi Gras Krewe.

Michael's tremendous reputation has influenced other restauranteurs and continues to serve as their inspiration for making everyone feel at home while being spoiled with delicious food.  He even has a sushi roll named after him at Tsunami, the Michael Doumit!

Discover Lafayette is grateful to Michael for sharing the story of his family's trek to South Louisiana from Lebanon in the late 1800's through today, where the family ties remain strong and loving.  He also traced the beginnings of his catering career as a young man, working first in New Iberia, and then growing his business quickly in the 1970's in Lafayette.  The rest is history!

Post podcast, we continued our discussion with Jason Sikora, of Rader Solutions, who engineers the production of Discover Lafayette. You may listen here.

We hope you enjoy this edition of Discover Lafayette. Acadiana is fortunate to have such a wonderful man among us.  To engage Michael's catering services, please visit City Club at River Ranch's website.

Thank you Michael Doumit!

As a young man, Lafayette native Rex Moroux's poetic bent carried him to Los Angeles to write for a playhouse.  A dream led him to buy an inexpensive guitar and illumine his words through singing and songwriting. His career in the music industry took off and his work climbed the charts. Moroux's quick mind also landed him a spot on America's favorite quiz show, Jeopardy, which aired on April 23, 2018.

While Moroux still plays music when he has the time, he is now living back in Lafayette as the married father of three children and working as a commercial sales and leasing agent with Scout Real Estate. He worked previously with Coldwell Banker Commercial Real Estate (later NAI/Latter and Blum).

While the odds of being selected to compete on Jeopardy are tougher than being accepted to Harvard Law School, anyone who's ever conversed with Rex Moroux will not be surprised by his appearance on this top-rated iconic game show.

In this episode of Discover Lafayette, Rex shares his journey of returning to L. A. to be a contestant on Jeopardy.  He also shares his ties to the music industry and in particular, the late David Egan, who played an important role in Moroux's early career.

While Rex Moroux was Lafayette's first-ever contestant on Jeopardy, it wasn't his first time on a national game show. In the early 2000s, he was a contestant on Win Ben Stein’s Money. Best wishes to Rex as he continues his journey and hopefully explores even more creative endeavors which will enrich our world.

Rex ultimately came in third place in his appearance on Jeopardy, yet shared later that it was one of the best experiences of his life. He gave a humorous account of the competition in an article in the Current which can be accessed here.

In a discussion after our interview ended, Rex shared why he quit touring to return home to be a husband and father. His priorities were definitely in the right place and may be listened to here.

This post was updated on October 8, 2019.

As a student at St. Joseph’s Seminary College, a Benedictine college and monastery in Covington, Lafayette Police Chief Toby Aguillard wasn’t always focused on a career in law enforcement. Growing up with “the best pastors in the world, phenomenal men of God,” he initially felt called to study theology.

During summer breaks, however, he worked as a part-time deputy for Cameron Parish Sheriff Sono Savoie, and his interest in law enforcement was piqued. Aguillard realized his true calling was law enforcement, and he’s never looked back.

A friendship with legendary attorney J. B. Jones led Aguillard to understand that a career in law was also a ministry.  Jones helped Aguillard navigate the path into law school; he studied at Southern University Law Center while working as a patrol deputy for the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Aguillard returned home after law school graduation to serve as an assistant DA in Cameron Parish and established the 38th Judicial District’s first crime victim assistance program. He missed Baton Rouge, however and yearned to return.

A chance meeting with Louisiana Attorney General Richard Ieyoub at a silent retreat at the Jesuit Spirituality Center in Grand Coteau led to Aguillard being hired as a special agent at the Louisiana Department of Justice. He served dual roles as prosecutor and investigator and was the only lawyer “walking around with a gun on his hip” as he jokingly recounted.

While at the Louisiana Attorney General’s office, Aguillard was a founding member of the High Technology Crime Unit. Aguillard credits Ieyoub for his far-sightedness and early understanding that the proliferation of cell phones would transform the manner in which crimes are perpetrated. The AG’s office took steps to effectively combat the consequences of digital media in criminal activity and Aguillard served as the first commander of the Louisiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. This service led to his niche in prosecuting and deterring online sexual exploitation of children.

Aguillard served as director of the Internet Crimes Division of the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office immediately prior to his appointment as Chief in Lafayette.

Warm-hearted and humble, Chief Aguillard jokingly says that he has taken the road less traveled.  Yet, he is serious when he affirms his belief that maintaining the trust of the entire community is crucial to preventing and solving crimes. His faith remains with him, step by step, in ensuring that all citizens receive the justice to which they are entitled.

Continuing the community outreach program initially begun under Deputy Chief Reginald Thomas, officers walk door to door to meet with residents, which has gone quite well. In fact, Chief Aguillard recently received a call from a British member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police to inquire about Lafayette’s walking program. The force is also receiving more training on how to deal with mentally ill people and de-escalate situations before they lead to deadly outcomes. Each uniformed officer is outfitted with a body camera to help document interactions with the public.

In closing, Aguillard shared effective ways to protect yourself. First, lock your possessions up!  Whether it’s your vehicle or your home, thieves look for easy targets.  Make it hard on them by taking a moment to double-check your locks. Take your gun out of your car so it’s not targeted for theft. Don’t use your cell phone while driving or walking around; people get hit by cars while distractedly crossing the street, especially on UL’s campus. And last, if you see a crime or witness suspicious activity, pick up the phone and dial 911. We can all make a difference working together.

We continued our conversation after the podcast was over,

Paul Hilliard, President of Badger Oil Corporation, has led a wonderful life of generosity and love of community that provides a humbling lesson in being a good steward of God’s resources.

Hilliard exemplifies the selfless spirit and pride of our WWII generation of heroes, as well as the successful ingenuity of a veteran oil and gas entrepreneur.  Known for his self-effacing wit and ability to achieve in spite of a hardscrabble upbringing in Wisconsin, Hilliard has been a successful independent operator and owner of Badger Oil Corporation since 1955 and has seen fit to use his success in business to help others in need.

Awarded the Civic Cup in 2003 and the esteemed national Horatio Alger Award in 2009, Hilliard has also been active in statewide associations working to improve the oil and gas industry, business, and civic endeavors.  He has been a generous benefactor in causes to help at-risk children learn to read so that they can overcome poverty as he did.  He and his late wife, Lulu, provided $5 million dollars in seed money to start the Paul and Lulu Hilliard Art Museum at UL – Lafayette.

Paul ended the interview by sharing his gratitude for being born in the United States of America.  He spoke of a favorite quote by Cicero: "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others."  Words of wisdom that we should always remember.

In closing, it is fitting to share the message of the bumper sticker proudly displayed on Paul's vehicle.....Temporarily Unassigned Old Marine. Any group lucky enough to be assigned the company of Paul Hilliard has much to be grateful for!

Louanne Greenwald, Hilliard Art Museum Director, became fascinated with creative expression through the arts as a teenager.  Today, she works to spread the incredible joy she felt at her first major exhibit in Akron, Ohio where she grew up. The beauty of an exhibit by Julian Schnabel who was known for his "plate paintings" ---large-scale paintings set on broken ceramic plates, remains with her.  Providing access to high-quality arts for all to find their own creativity is Louanne Greenwald's life's work.

Before Ms. Greenwald was appointed Director of the Hilliard University Art Museum in July 2014, she worked as a consultant in Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles raising funds for educational institutions. In Los Angeles, she served as curator and educator for the Natural History Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the MAK Center for Art and Architecture.

A native of Ohio, Greenwald earned a Master of Fine Arts from USC- Los Angeles and is a Certified Fund-Raising Executive.

Her vision for the museum is one where the Hilliard Art Museum is not exclusive to the fine arts community or the university; Greenwald feels programming needs to be diverse, responsive to the community and considerate of the city’s many constituencies.

Ms. Greenwald envisions the museum as a bridge between the University and the community, connecting the culture of our region to a broader national and international discourse, and promoting lifelong learning through the arts. In the first two years of her tenure, she has expanded the museum’s hours, increased staff and established free Wednesday night programs featuring the research and talents of UL faculty from across campus.

Located on the University of Louisiana at Lafayette campus not far from downtown and the Oil Center, the museum is comprised of two buildings, the original 1967 A. Hays Town plantation-style house and the newer state-of-the-art Hilliard Museum with three exhibition galleries and a gift shop featuring crafts by local artists. The museum and adjacent grounds are a popular venue for private events and campus gatherings.

Special gratitude to Paul and LuLu Hilliard for their major pledge of funding to build the museum was expressed during this Discover Lafayette interview.

To discover more about the Hilliard Art Museum, visit http://www.hilliardmuseum.org.

George Graham, Acadiana Table food blogger, author and President of the Graham Group exudes passion: for life, for the rich culinary heritage of Cajun and Creole Cooking, for photography, and for Lafayette....the place he calls home.

Graham began his award-winning Acadiana Table food blog in 2012 which eventually led to a collection of stories and recipes published in his cookbook, Acadiana Table: Cajun and Creole Home Cooking from the Heart of Louisiana. Louisiana's cultural cuisine is brought to life in this breathtaking book which evokes all the delicious reasons people love to visit Louisiana. In fact, Graham shared that research has proven that the #1 reason people come to Louisiana and why they want to return is our food.

In this Discover Lafayette interview, George Graham discusses his adventure with food, which began with his first "dish," a grilled cheese sandwich he made when he was five years old!  Growing up in Bogalusa, he literally stirred the pot in his dad's restaurant, the Acme Cafe. After college, George worked with the Lafayette-based Chart House group, a publicly held corporation and the owner of over 500 restaurants throughout the U. S. According to Graham, one of the reasons Lafayette has spawned such a very robust restaurant culture is because so many people employed by Chart House have gone on to develop their own restaurant concepts.

His curiosity about unique cultures and their food dishes led him to travel with food in mind.  It was during a trip to Provence, France that he realized the region's farm to table, fresh approach to its cuisine mirrored the focus on fresh food enjoyed right here at home, in Acadiana. Our own "butchers, bakers and boudin makers" live out South Louisiana's rich heritage which Graham believes should be cherished and preserved.

A self-taught photographer, Graham launched his brand, Acadiana Table, which visually and verbally documents his delight in the recipes and stories of our "one of a kind food culture" right here in South Louisiana.  I can promise you, hearing George Graham's story and experiencing his loving attention to detail found in Acadiana Table will ignite your appetite for all things Cajun and Creole.  Bon Appetit!

For more information on George Graham and Acadiana Table, please visit https://acadianatable.com.

Philip Gould’s exquisite photography brings the unique culture of Louisiana to life.  A documentary/architecture photographer who has made Louisiana his home and favorite subject since 1974, Gould has photographed throughout the state, across the nation, around Europe, with ventures into Mexico and the Caribbean. He prefers long, in-depth, multi-year projects, which more often than not become photographic books.

Gould’s work has been published in over twenty books including Ghosts of Good Times: Louisiana Dance Halls Past and Present; The Public Art of Robert Dafford; Soul Exchange: the Paintings of Dennis Paul Williams; The Louisiana Houses of A. Hays Town; Les Plus Belles Gares de France (the most beautiful train stations of France); Every Day's a Party with Emeril Lagasse; Louisiana's Capitols; The Power and the Beauty; The World of William Joyce Scrapbook;  His first publication was Les Cadiens d'Asteur/Today's Cajuns.

Most recently he has undertaken a documentary project tentatively entitled Bridge the Mississippi: Spans Across the Father of Waters, a portrayal of architecture and humanity along many of the 225 bridges across the  Mississippi. The book is tentatively set to be published in Spring 2020 and an exhibit featuring its photography will be held at the Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum on UL - Lafayette's campus.

For more information on Philip Gould’s works or to contact him for a photographic assignment, please visit http://philipgould.com.

The video of our interview may be seen here.

Warren Perrin Holding Proclamation by Queen Elizabeth Apologizing for the Acadian Deportation from Nova Scotia

Warren Perrin, renowned historian of Acadian culture and a man who has dedicated his life to promoting the accurate history of the Acadians, is our guest on this episode of Discover Lafayette.

Author of "Acadian Redemption," a biography of Beausoleil Broussard, Perrin has worked tirelessly to reinvigorate the Acadian pride movement, most notably through his Petition for an Apology from Queen Elizabeth II for the Acadian deportation from Nova Scotia. The Queen signed a Proclamation granting such apology on December 9, 2003. Perrin established the Acadian Museum in Erath, LA. He has been engaged in many activities on behalf of the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana, known as CODOFIL; he served as President of CODOFIL from 1994 to 2010.

Perrin is a partner at Perrin, Landry & deLauney in Lafayette, Louisiana. He was a member of the UL - Lafayette (then known as Southwestern Louisiana Institute) weightlifting team which won eight national championships between 1957 and 1971, and established itself as one of the nation’s most-successful collegiate lifting programs. A documentary film tentatively entitled, The Ragin 13, by filmmaker Nicholas Campbell, is currently being filmed and traces the inspirational underdog story of this exceptional team and its achievements.

CODOFIL celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2018 and was featured in the Governor's Office in the Old State Capitol in Baton Rouge.

For more information on the Acadian Museum, please visit http://www.acadianmuseum.com. Information on CODOFIL may be accessed at https://www.crt.state.la.us/cultural-development/codofil/index.

Discover Lafayette and Jan Swift would like to take this opportunity to thank Warren Perrin for his many contributions to the preservation of Acadiana's cultural heritage and for his lifetime commitment to educating the world about the accurate history of the Acadians. Warren credits his first boss, Judge J. Cleveland Fruge of the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, for opening his eyes to the plight of the Acadians and how they ended up in South Louisiana. We hope you enjoy this excursion into Acadiana's rich culture!

The tables are turned on Jan Swift as her daughters, Kelly and Taylor, interview her about why she started Discover Lafayette, her love of her community, and anything else that came to mind!  Kelly and Taylor have been there, along with their dad, John Swift, as Jan has served as a community volunteer, run for office, worked as an attorney, and run the local non-profit economic development group, Upper Lafayette.  We hope you will enjoy this episode as much as we did taping it! Discover Lafayette has truly become a Swift family project.