Discover Lafayette

Eighteen years ago, Dr. Bryan Sibley, a well-known Lafayette pediatrician, had an epiphany that changed his life.  He realized that the things on which he spent his time were not in line with his true priorities in life: his faith and his family. His book, God First – Setting Life’s Priorities, published in October 2016, lays out important biblical principles which provide guidance on balancing everyday responsibilities with living the meaningful life God intends for each of us upon our creation.

Dr. Sibley has been an active member of Asbury United Methodist Church in Lafayette, Louisiana for over 20 years. He and his wife, Shelley, have 3 children.

A Certified Lay Minister for the United Methodist Church, Bryan recently launched “Living Generously”, a ministry of stewardship and generosity at Asbury and serves as the Acadiana District Finance Chairperson.

Dr. Sibley serves on the clinical faculty at LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans and Shreveport.  Among Bryan’s professional interests are serving children with special health care needs.

Dr. Sibley is President of the Louisiana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and is past Chair of the St. Thomas More High School Advisory Council. Throughout his career, Dr. Sibley has also served his community, his hospital staff, and his professional associations in a variety of leadership roles, including Pediatric Department Chief at Lafayette General Medical Center.

For more information on God First, please visit http://godfirstthebook.com.  For more information on Dr. Bryan Sibley's pediactric practice in Lafayette, Louisiana,  please visit http://www.drsibley.com.

Known today for his expertise in mineral law, Patrick S. Ottinger leaped into Lafayette's oil and gas heyday in December 1973 after graduating from the University of Southwestern Louisiana and LSU Law School where he was a member of the Moot Court Board. In the years since he began practicing law, he has honed his craft and legal knowledge to become a renowned expert in all matters relating to mineral law.  Along the way, Ottinger matured into not only a talented attorney but a respected public servant.

A partner in the law firm Ottinger, Hebert, L.L.C., Ottinger served as City-Parish Attorney for the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government from January 2004 to January 2011 during the term of Joey Durel, having held the position longer than any other attorney.  He is a Special Assistant Attorney General, representing the State of Louisiana in waterbottoms litigation. He is an experienced arbitrator and mediator in oil and gas matters.

Pat Ottinger serves as Chair of the Louisiana Mineral Law Institute which was developed to promote an understanding of the mineral law of Louisiana. He has been an Adjunct Professor of Law at the LSU Law Center since 1996, where he has taught Mineral law from the course materials he authored. He is also the author of Louisiana Mineral Leases: A Treatise, published in June 2016, and has provided course materials in many, many other publications.

Ottinger is a Fellow of the Louisiana Bar Foundation and served on its Board of Directors from 2003-7. He has served as President of the Lafayette Parish Bar Association and as a Member of the Board of Governors of the Louisiana State Bar Association. Mr. Ottinger served as the President of the Louisiana State Bar Association during the years 1998-99.

He and his lovely wife, Cheryl, are parents of Talbott and Stuart, and proud grandparents of four grandchildren.

Patrick Ottinger is well-known for his honesty and work ethic and has maintained a keen interest in providing access to the legal justice system for all, no matter their economic standing. He's a proud resident of Lafayette, Louisiana who epitomizes our local culture.  Discover Lafayette is honored to shine the light on our friend, Patrick S. Ottinger!

Lafayette is known for its family-friendly music festivals. Festival International is the largest international music and arts festival celebrated in the  U. S. with over 300,000 attending the free outdoor event for five days the last week in April each year.

Showcasing Lafayette's warm joie de vivre and family-friendly environment, visitors travel here from around the world to experience our inviting culture in Acadiana. It’s impossible not to enjoy the multicultural musical groups and artists representing over 20 countries with a focus on our Acadiana and Francophone connections.

Scott Feehan serves as Executive Director of Festival International. A graduate of Comeaux High and U.L. Lafayette with a degree in Information Technology, Scott opened a drum shop on Johnston St. in 1998 that still operates today – Scott’s Drum Center. He also started a music school in 2001, Acadiana School of the Arts.

Scott's service with Festival International began first as a board member, then president of the board, and he eventually served as a volunteer interim director before being hired as Executive Director in May 2016.

Serving in this capacity has been one of the biggest honors he could have ever imagined. Scott has not missed a Festival since his first one in 1992. He met his Canadian wife at the Fais Do Do Stage in 2001. They now have two kids who are growing up with Festival, as well.

Festival International will be held April 24 – 28, 2019.  For more information and the full lineup of performers, please visit http://festivalinternational.org.

This post was updated on April 17, 2019.

Issac Williams serves as Executive Director of AMIkids of Acadiana, which is located in Branch, a rural town right outside of Lafayette in Acadia Parish.  Mr. Williams has 24 years of experience working with troubled youth and has dedicated his life to helping young men separate their troubled past from a bright future. His own words say it best, "I help each youth on an individualized basis and ensure that each young man understands that he has value and that his future doesn't have to be dictated by his current situation or circumstances. Each youth is assessed and given opportunities to grow in the areas of treatment, education and behavior modification."

Since 2008, AMIkids Acadiana has been dedicated to helping kids discover the potential within them, transform their lives and strengthen the community. AMIkids Acadiana empowers young men through care and guidance to reach that potential and, as a result, break the cycle of failure and poverty. Partnering with the Louisiana Office of Juvenile Justice, AMIkids Acadiana is a residential program for boys ages 14-18 and has helped over 600 boys since its founding. Its board of directors is a caring group of community leaders who are hands-on volunteers who care about the young men who flourish under AMIkids's direction and leadership.

Even kids with a troubled past have the potential to achieve a bright future, and AMIkids Acadiana works every day to separate their troubled past from a bright future.

For more information, please visit www.amikids.org  or email [email protected].

This episode of Discover Lafayette shines the light on Chris Rader, CEO of Rader Solutions.  A local entrepreneur who is also known for his generous philanthropic endeavors throughout Acadiana, Chris shares his business insights on how to increase a business’ bottom line through technological innovation, the importance of getting things right the first time, and prioritizing family in the competing demands of work and home.

Chris founded Rader Solutions in June of 1998. His first two clients were in Houston and Los Angeles; while most companies start local and expand outward, Rader Solutions began on a national level and Chris learned quickly how to get the job done right the first time in Raders’ quest to provide quality service to clients far and wide.

Chris Rader’s goal has been for his customers to continue to improve their bottom line and meet their financial objectives through a balanced use of technology, education, and training.

Chris has worked on-site with over 500 building supply companies in 45 states. Today, Chris and his staff of 27 full-time employees manage Information Technology for over 175 companies; fast-growth energy, medical, and manufacturing-related companies anchored in South Louisiana and 65 regional building supply dealers based throughout the United States.

Chris’ educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems [1990] from Spring Hill College in Mobile and an Executive MBA from the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University.

Chris currently serves on the Board of Directors for Home Bank, Lafayette; Board of Trustees, Spring Hill College; Board of Directors, The Lester Group, a regional LBM dealer, Martinsville, Virginia; Board of Directors, United Way of Acadiana; Board of Directors, Petroleum Club of Lafayette; and a member of Lafayette General Medical Corporation Membership Corporation, Lafayette, Louisiana.

Most recently, Chris served as Chair of the Board of Trustees, Schools of the Sacred Heart in Grand Coteau; Board of Directors of Lafayette Community Health Care Clinic; and the Louisiana Innovation Council, focusing on bringing more than 38,000 annual jobs to Louisiana working with education and government, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Chris is also a 2012 graduate of Leadership Louisiana.

Chris Rader is an in-demand speaker who guides audiences on methods to focus on the bottom line and improve profitability, in particular through the use of technology. He also counsels clients on the importance of fraud prevention and important steps all businesses and individuals should take to secure their private data and financial information.

For more information on Rader Solutions, please visit www.radersolutions.com.

This article was updated in February 2019.

It’s always enjoyable when we can celebrate the warm “joie de vivre” or joy of living of our local people, and this episode of Discover Lafayette is no exception.

Humor and a fun-loving spirit define today’s guest, Al Hebert, otherwise known as the Gas Station Gourmet. Al explores America’s undiscovered culinary treasures across the United States: gas station food!

While we all plan stops on road trips for fuel and restroom breaks, most people don’t give much thought to the cuisine found at a gas station. But as Al Hebert has found out and shares passionately with a wide audience, gas station food can rival anything your grandmother could cook.

Al Hebert takes viewers to unique restaurants inside big truck stops and convenience stores.  He showcases mom and pop owners of convenience stores, celebrating the indomitable spirit of the great American entrepreneur who offers everything from delectable chicken salad to boudin to eggplant dressing.

The Gas Station gourmet offers a light-hearted look at outstanding examples of the more than 154,000 C Stores across our country.  Al’s journeys have even uncovered the best jail food in America as well as prisoners who bake bread for civic clubs right here in South Louisiana.

In addition to his work as Gas Station Gourmet, Al Hebert writes monthly for the National Association of Convenience Stores, he’s a healthcare journalist and media consultant, and works at KADN News here in Lafayette as morning show producer.

Al is genuinely one of the nicest men you'll ever get to know, and this interview is a wonderful and humorous exploration of his life on the road highlighting the many "mom and pop" convenience stores which make America great!

For more information on Al Hebert and his work as the Gas Station Gourmet, please visit http://gasstationgourmet.com

The Citron family of Hub City Ford has offered outstanding automotive sales and service to the Acadiana region for 76 years.  Brown Fortier, founder of Hub City Motors, Inc., was affiliated with Ford Motor Company for 25 years prior to the award of a Ford Motor Company Franchise in August 1943.

Fortier's only daughter, Marcelle, who attended Holy Name of Jesus Catholic School and later graduated from Ursuline Academy in New Orleans, would help him with paperwork. When Fortier moved to Lafayette to open the Ford dealership in 1943, Marcelle joined him, helping with employees. Over the years, she worked her way up to serve as co-owner and vice president of Hub City Ford.

“She grew up with Ford,” said Todd Citron, Marcelle’s youngest son and Hub City's general manager. She watched the books, signed paychecks, and did public outreach for the family-owned business.

That lifelong relationship with Ford enabled her to stay close to her father and later her husband, David Elroy Citron, and the couple’s six sons — Rusty, Mike, Randy, Scott, Andy and Todd — five of whom worked at Hub City Ford. Marcelle Citron passed away surrounded by her loving family on March 3, 2018, after a full life dedicated to family, local charities and community causes.

In this episode of Discover Lafayette, Todd Citron visits with Jan Swift about his family's history in the automobile industry and their love of Lafayette. For more information on Hub City Ford, please visit http://www.hubcityford.net.

To watch the video version of our interview with Todd Citron, please click the video box at the upper right of your screen.

Lafayette is a wonderful place to visit and experience the unique and delicious cuisine that locals take for granted.  On this episode of Discover Lafayette, Jan Swift interviews restauranteur Charlie Goodson, a principal of Southern Hospitality Kitchens and managing partner of Charley G’s and Social Southern Table & Bar.

Charlie shares his experiences starting back in the 1970’s when he opened Judge Roy Bean’s Saloon with Earl Hebert, through the lean times of the late 1980’s with the economic downturn of the oil industry and launching Cafe Vermilionville and Charley G’s with Ken Veron, through his current partnership with Southern Hospitality Kitchens. Charlie has a compelling and warm-hearted story to share about his love of and involvement in the restaurant business still going strong today.Charlie was named Restaurateur of the Year in 2017 by the Louisiana Travel Promotion Association and has been honored by the Acadiana Restaurant Association as Restaurateur of the Year in 1987, 1988 & 1994.

Founder of Eat Lafayette, an annual promotional event and celebration of the treasure trove of local home-owned restaurants, Charley Goodson is also a beloved mentor to other restauranteurs.

Known for his knack for quality, service and exceptional cuisine, all of the restaurants Charlie Goodson has managed are not only popular with business executives, but become the “go to” restaurants for important family celebrations and holiday celebrations.

Kimberly James Boudreaux, Executive Director of Catholic Charities of Acadiana, has dedicated her life to being in service to others. As a young adult, Kim sold all her possessions and traveled abroad to work as a missionary, including time spent with Mother Theresa’s Missionaries of Charity.

While she always believed she would spend her life working on foreign soil, Kim has found her greatest fulfillment working with Catholic Charities and raising her young family right here in Lafayette.

In this episode of Discover Lafayette, Kim speaks with Jan Swift about how her first day volunteering at St. Joseph Diner changed her understanding of the challenges homeless people in America face.  Kim is a passionate advocate and director of the charitable services offered by Catholic Services of Acadiana which include St. Joseph Diner, St. Joseph Emergency Shelter for Men, a partnership with Our Lady of Lourdes which offers free healthcare through St. Bernadette Clinic, St. Michael Center for Veterans, as well as ongoing disaster recovery relief efforts coordinated with Acadiana VOAD which have come to the forefront after the recent devastating flood of August 2016.

Other services offered include Stella Maris Center, a hygiene facility was created to offer a place for homeless individuals to take a shower, use the restroom, wash their clothes, and manage other basic hygiene needs. In 2012, Catholic Charities of Acadiana also began operating a re-housing program to work one-on-one with individuals experiencing homelessness to secure affordable permanent housing. Housing coordinators support the clients after being housed with six months of case management, ensuring they have the resources to maintain their homes such as income, furniture, and food.

For more information on Catholic Charities of Acadiana, please visit http://catholiccharitiesacadiana.org

This post was updated on July 31, 2019 to reflect the name change to Catholic Charities of Acadiana following a reorganization of the charter.

Power couple Dr. Paul Baker and Lauren Baker showcase this edition of Discover Lafayette with Jan Swift.

Both talented musicians, Dr. Paul Baker is Headmaster of Episcopal School of Acadiana, one of the top rated private schools in Louisiana. He is also an active and sought-after composer whose arrangements have played around the country, including his Requiem of Psalms which premiered in Carnegie Hall.

Lauren Baker, renowned for her compelling command of the violin and the haunting renditions she shares with captive audiences, has maintained a private Suzuki violin studio in Lafayette for 30 years. She has also served as Chairman of the Orchestra Committee for the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra, as well as concertmaster where she has been a featured soloist many times.  Memorable occasions such as weddings, receptions, or corporate events have been enriched by the live musical performances by Lauren Baker and the experienced professionals with whom she partners.

Paul and Lauren Baker epitomize the unique and inviting culture Lafayette has to offer.

For more information on Dr. Paul Baker and Episcopal School of Acadiana, please visit https://www.esacadiana.com.  For more information on Lauren Baker, please visit http://www.vermilionstrings.net.