Podcasts about iberiabank

About the Show:                           Originally from Michigan, Keaton Smith came to the University of Arkansas for school and never left.  He came with a curiosity for what it would be like to live in the South, and now, with a wife and a young daughter, Keaton feels genuinely at home here.  Keaton has a heart for housing and sustainability, and his efforts on a professional and personal level prove this. He is currently a VP with IberiaBank, soon to be First Horizon, and he is on the Board for Partners for Better Housing for the last ten years.  Keaton is excited about the initiatives taking place by many local corporate citizens, including Walmart but he says there is still so much work to be done. For the past three years, Keaton has also served as a Board Member for the Fayetteville Public School system. Curiosity, Patience, Empathy, and Action, are four attributes that drive Keaton daily.  Check out this episode to hear why.   All this and more on this episode of I am Northwest Arkansas. Important Links and Mentions on the Show*: http://@keatonsmithfayetteville (Keaton Smith on Instagram) http://@keatonwsmith (Keaton Smith on Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/keaton.smith.50 (Keaton Smith on Facebook) http://linkedin.com/in/keaton-smith-89694614 (Keaton Smith on LinkedIn) Keaton Smith Email http://www.partnersforbetterhousing.org/ (Partners for Better Housing Website) https://www.willowbendar.com/ (Willow Bend Development) - Housing project in South Fayetteville (Mixed-Income Home Ownership Neighborhood). https://talkbusiness.net/2021/03/rapid-northwest-arkansas-growth-leads-to-higher-housing-costs/ (Rapid Northwest Arkansas growth leads to higher housing costs - NWABJ Article) https://arkansas.uli.org/ (Urban Land Institute of NWA)   This episode is sponsored by*:  https://www.signature.bank/ (Signature Bank of Arkansas) -   https://www.signature.bank/ (Signature Bank) was founded here in Northwest Arkansas in 2005. Their focus is personal and community banking. When you bank with a community bank, you're investing in local businesses, local entrepreneurs, local charities, and the causes close to home. Signature Bank has worked hard to earn its tagline, “Community Banking at its Best.” You may ask why bank at Signature?  Because they focus on the customer instead of having a branch on every corner, this means you can have your questions answered by a real person, whether you're reaching out to the call center or your banker's cell phone. You can access any ATM in the country without fear of a fee.  They will refund all of those fees at the end of every month. Finally, they are constantly improving their digital offerings to ensure you can access the best financial tools from your laptop, phone, or tablet 24 hours a day. Signature Bank of Arkansas is a full-service bank offering traditional checking and savings accounts, investment accounts, business and personal loans, and mortgages. Give the folks at Signature Bank a call (479-684-4700) or visit their website https://www.signature.bank/ (Signature.Bank) and let them know you heard about them on the I am Northwest Arkansas Podcast.  https://www.signature.bank/ (Signature Bank of Arkansas) is a Member of the FDIC and an Equal Housing Lender.     http://www.iamnorthwestarkansas.com/canva (Canva) -   Are you looking for ways to build a Digital Marketing Strategy from scratch? Whether you need to design things for your family or personal brand or need a versatile design tool to help you with your social media presence. Canva can help.   Need new Business Cards? Canva has you covered.  Need to create and post Social Media images quickly? Canva has you covered. Need to create videos for Social Media and beyond?...

Discover Lafayette welcomes Jerry Prejean, newly named Acadiana Market President of IBERIABANK, a division of First Horizon. Jerry brings talent and kindness to all of his interactions with others. Prejean has 28 years of experience in the world of banking. His most recent position was Senior Vice President and private client group manager of IBERIABANK. Prejean was head of the private banking team since 2002. Though busy in the bank, Prejean still finds time to give back to his community. He has been highly involved in the Boys and Girls Club, AMIkids, Lafayette Central Park, One Acadiana, Ragan Cajun's Athletic Foundation, Community Foundation of Acadiana, Lafayette Economic Development Authority and United Way of Acadiana. Prejean's parents, Joe and Inez Prejean, had limited education and were shaped by the Great Depression. “Because of their lack of education it was really forced on their kids to really focus on getting a good education and breaking the cycle of poverty,” Prejean said. Prejean graduated from Immaculate Heart of Mary in Lafayette, and then went on to major in Finance at USL where he graduated in 1992. His four siblings are also highly educated. Prejean heard other kids at his school talking about the Boys Club. “It really resonated with me the impact that the organization had on those kids at an early age,” Prejean said. As he got into banking, an opportunity presented itself to serve as a representative on the Boys and Girls Club board. “I really probably got more out of it than the kids got out of it,” Prejean Said. He sat on the board for 25 years and recently stepped down in 2019. Prejean got his start by working full time in retail for the Abdalla family, in college. At 19, he was the full-time manager of Brother's mall store. “I think I learned more about people and about sales, networking and getting along with people, in that retail environment than in the class room,” Prejean said. He was exposed to dealing with vendors, learned how to manage client complaints, and mastered the general business of retail. He took his people skills from retail and his analytical skills from the classroom and combined them to become the banker he is today. He started with First National Bank of Lafayette in 1993 (in 1998 became Bank One), and moved to IBERIABANK in 2002 at a time when the bank was growing exponentially under the leadership of Daryl Byrd. His focus was on private banking, which caters to an affluent population. He builds relationships with people who desire only one point of contact for their banking needs. “As the relationship evolves, we start talking investments, estate planning and the transfer of wealth from one generation to the other,” Prejean said. "I like the fact that as bankers, we can help people formalize their dreams and put a plan in place to help them accomplish those dreams,” It is important for young folks to manage credit card exposure and to avoid credit card debt so as not to impede future opportunities to acquire credit." Prejean wants everyone to have a chance to acquire their own wealth, in their own ways. “You can easily paint yourself into a corner with too much debt.” We did note that Jerry Vascocu, former Acadiana Market President, has recently been named as head of the commercial lending division across the company's twelve state region for the new combined company of First Horizon and IBERIABANK. Vascocu will remain domiciled in Lafayette. Prejean has dedicated his life to helping children in need. He focused his volunteer work with the Boys and Girls Club and AMIkids. “Early on in working with these kids, I really connected with the kids and really saw them light up when they would have personal connections,” Prejean said. He mentioned how important it is for all kids to have someone see something in them, that they may never see on their own without the kindness of a mentor paying attention to them.

Just as there are no two recipes that contain the exact same ingredients or measurements, there are no two success stories exactly the same. Recipe For Success features entrepreneurs, visionary leaders and innovators of all ages who will share their ingredients that make them successful – personally and professionally. Let's get cooking! Ms. Debra Vasilopoulos is the Market President of IBERIABANK, a Division of First Horizon Bank. She is responsible for directing the Private Client, Commercial Banking, Retail/Small Business Banking segments within the South Florida region. A recognized leader with over 30 years of experience in Private Wealth management; Debra is known for her exceptional business acumen and passion for building high performing teams that deliver profitable results. Prior to joining IBERIABANK, she was the Regional President of Sabadell Bank & Trust where she led Private and Commercial Banking services for South Florida. Prior to Sabadell Bank & Trust, she was a founding member of Lydian Bank & Trust, a boutique wealth management firm located on the Island of Palm Beach. In her leadership role at Lydian, Debra led the performance and strategic delivery of the bank’s unique services, achieving market-leading business growth in Palm Beach County. Prior to Lydian, Ms. Vasilopoulos served as the Regional Lending Director and Senior Vice President of OffitBank, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wachovia Bank. A strong advocate for supporting organizations that bring meaningful change, Debra maintains active involvement in community service organizations. Currently, she serves as an officer on the Board of Trustees for the Town of Palm Beach United Way, and a Trustee/Board Member for the Town of Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce Ms. Vasilopoulos attended Lowell University, College of Financial Planning, and received formal credit training through OMEGA. Originally from Massachusetts, Debra resides in Tequesta, and is located in IBERIABANK’s Palm Beach office. For more information about First Horizon Bank, visit https://www.firsthorizon.com/. For more information about Junior Achievement of South Florida, visit https://www.jasouthflorida.org. Follow us on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jasouthflorida LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/junior-achievement-of-south-florida/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasouthflorida Twitter: https://twitter.com/JASouthFlorida

Justin and Marie Centanni joined Discover Lafayette to share their journey together and how they work as a team to support each other. Independently successful in their own fields, you'll hear in this interview how their loving bond makes each of them stronger to tackle the myriad of family, work, and political issues that come their way. Marie and Justin Centanni on their wedding day in 2004. The couple met while in college at a Kappa Alpha Rush party, and Marie jokingly added, "I'm 5'10". I looked over and saw a boy taller than me! He was well-dressed and smart," and Marie was impressed. They were friends for years and were married after she graduated with a Master in Legislative Affairs at the George Washington University in 2004. Marie's interest in politics stems back to her early college days as a Page in the Louisiana House of Representatives where when she met Cavan Bordelon who was a general assignments reporter for KLFY. He showed her how a full day of news could be broken down into "one piece of paper" that could be shared easily on the evening news. For the first time in her life, "I became so interested in state government and civic life, which had been so foreign to me in my own upbringing" in a family immersed in the medical field. She was hooked and went on to work at KLFY in Lafayette for two years and eventually at WAFB in Baton Rouge as a Capitol Correspondent. Marie had met Gov. Kathleen Blanco while she was at UL-Lafayette and had the honor of serving as her Press Secretary following the double-hit of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. She spoke of Blanco's kindness and strength as well as how she cared for her staff members. Blanco's decision not to run for a second term as governor was a poignant one, as Marie stated, "She was the last bi-partisan governor that we'll see. The national party politics that focused on Louisiana (post-Katrina) divided our state and I don't know that we'll ever see that division come back together." With Blanco's retirement, Marie started Centanni Communications in 2009, where she helps people and organizations achieve their goals through targeted messaging and legislative strategy. Additionally, she serves as Director of Public Affairs at Louisiana Association of Business and Industry ("LABI"), where she calls upon her news skills to relay what's going on at the State Capitol in a precise, memorable, easily understand, and impactful way to its members. Marie also serves as Program Facilitator for the Council for a Better Louisiana's Leadership Louisiana. Marie and Justin Centanni at the groundbreaking of Southside High School. Justin Centanni is a graduate of Nicholls State University in Computer Information Systems, and the Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts in Natchitoches. He has worked with IBERIABANK since 2010 when he and Marie moved back to Lafayette, where they had always wanted to live. Working at the downtown branch, Justin is able to walk to work from the couple's Saints Street area home and he looks forward to doing that post-COVID. His current position is Assistant Vice President - Database Analyst for the bank, which is now a part of First Horizon. On his 37th birthday, Justin decided to run for Lafayette Parish School Board, and made that decision only one week before candidate qualifying time. It was a time of immense turmoil on the school board during the tenure of Superintendent Pat Cooper and people were ready for change-makers who could bring peace as well as stability to the budget. Justin's background in finance gave him the tools that were a good fit for the job. He turned to his wife, Marie, for help, and in the first big project they did together, she ran his campaign on a budget of $16,000 (half of which they self-financed with cash on hand). Justin campaigned door to door and shared the story of his children, then "6, 4 and 2 years of age" and how they would be public school students.

On this episode sponsored by LendKey, Tony Umholtz, a Mortgage Manager for IberiaBank, joins Tim Ulbrich to discuss 10 common mortgage mistakes homebuyers make and steps you can take to avoid them. Mentioned on the Show: LendKey: Refinance Your Student Loans 5 Steps to Get a Home Loan Free Webinar: Home Buying in 2021...What You Need to Know Iberia Bank Home Loan: Get Pre-approved and Compare Multiple Lenders to Find the Home Loan That’s Right for You YFP 169: Helpful Tips for Getting a Mortgage YFP 136: The Ins and Outs of the Pharmacist Home Loan Buy or Refi a Home YFP Real Estate Concierge Services YFP 162: Credit 101 YFP Planning: Financial Planning for Pharmacists YFP 190: 7 Ways to Reduce Your Monthly Housing Costs Real Estate RPH YFP 113: Is Your Home an Asset or Liability? Book a Discovery Call with YFP Planning

On September 24th, 2020, members of the Karen T. Stall Research and Breast Institute hosted a virtual fundraiser to raise funds for breast cancer patients in southeast Louisiana. Proceeds benefitted our endowment partnerships with Ochsner and LSU Health (as well as individual grants). The title sponsor of the evening were Susan and Fayez Sarofim, Ochsner Health sponsored our silent auction, and LSU Health sponsored our musical guest, West End Band. Our jewelry raffle was once again sponsored by Aucoin Hart Jewelers. Other sponsors included Iberiabank, Baton Rouge Orthopedic Clinic, the White Family, the Linn Family, the Clement Family, and the Delesdernier Family. We want to thank everyone that viewed our broadcast, made a donation, sent in a silent auction item, purchased a raffle ticket, bid on items, or told a friend about the event. YOU are the ones that made this possible. We also want to thank our partners at Metry Media who produced the broadcast and Thompson Auctions for assisting us with our digital platform. The evening began with donations well over the $10,000 goal. By the end of the night, that total had more than doubled to $20,000+. Our committee was elated to see the turnout from our wonderful friends and donors. We hope everyone enjoyed the broadcast. If you missed it, you can view the video embedded from our YouTube Page. Remember to wear your pink this October! If you weren't able to participate in Click to Save 2020 and want to make a gift, you can do so here. #Demand3D - The KTSRBI Team RAFFLE WINNERS: Television Raffle - 32" - Lauren Leveque 50" - Cathie Gerrets 65" - Betty Prentice 50/50 Raffle - Miza Andrews Aucoin Hart Raffle - Thomas Brahney --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/karentstall3d/message

Tony Umholtz, a Mortgage Manager at IberiaBank, shares helpful tips for getting a mortgage and what you need to know when financing a home purchase or refinancing your home. Tony also breaks down the difference between pre-approvals and pre-qualifications, how interest rates are calculated, different types of home loans and everything you need to know about escrow accounts. Mentioned on the Show 5 Steps to Getting a Home Loan Apply for the Pharmacist Home Loan with IberiaBank YFP 136: The Ins and Outs of a Pharmacist Home Loan YFP 154: Getting a Home Loan in a Pandemic Zillow Redfin Realtor.com Get the Home Buying Quick Start Guide Email Tony Umholtz: tony.umholtz@iberiabank.com Call Tony Umholtz: (813) 603-4255 YFP Facebook Group  

Just as there are no two recipes that contain the exact same ingredients or measurements, there are no two success stories exactly the same. Recipe For Success features entrepreneurs, visionary leaders and innovators of all ages who will share their ingredients that make them successful – personally and professionally. Let's get cooking! Josh Folds is the Head of Small Business, Business Banking, Merchant Services and SBA at First Horizon Bank. The bank was founded in 1864 and has the 14th oldest national bank charter in the country. First Horizon has been recognized as one of the nation's best employers by Working Mother and American Banker magazines. In 2017 our company announced the acquisition of Capital Bank Financial Corporation making us the fourth largest regional bank in the Southeast with $40 billion in assets and more than 300 branches in Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Mississippi, Georgia, Texas and Virginia. In 2019 we announced a mergers of equal with Iberiabank which will expand our footprint across the southeast while almost doubling our asset size! Josh's specialties include Competitive Analysis, Talent Management, Business Development, Treasury Management, Merchant Services, Speciality Lending, Credit, Sales, Leadership, Public Speaking. He also is the author of "Quotes for the Soul: Self Analysis for Daily Inspiration" which can be purchased on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Quotes-Soul-Analysis-Daily-Inspiration-ebook/dp/B086JDRRBK/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=%22josh+folds%22&qid=1596808798&sr=8-1 Learn more about First Horizon Bank at https://www.firsthorizon.com/. For more information about Junior Achievement of South Florida, visit https://www.jasouthflorida.org. Follow us on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jasouthflorida LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/junior-achievement-of-south-florida/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasouthflorida Twitter: https://twitter.com/JASouthFlorida Past shows are at www.jasouthflorida.org/podcastshow.

Iberiabank Vice President, Dwain Gannard pops in to discuss his family's trials and tribulations with cancer, and how others can be there for their loved ones during this time. Dwain has been a partner with KTSRBI for many years, and his name was one of the first on our lists of people to interview for this segment. If you have someone you know going through cancer right now, you're going to want to listen to this episode. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/karentstall3d/message

The Tea Podcast live with IBERIABANK’s Eddie Buttross, Vice President, Commercial Relationship Manager & Jerry Prejean, Senior Vice President, Private Banking Group Manager. We are touching on topics like Small Business Association’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) efforts, other SBA programs, and supporting our local community. The Tea Podcast is proudly sponsored by: The Music Academy of Acadiana. They are Acadiana's top choice for music lessons in piano, guitar, voice, drums, violin, saxophone, flute, audio production & more. They teach students of all ages and styles, they have sent students to college, to compete in major music competitions, and have also premiered on major TV Music contests like American Idol & The Voice. Founded by University of Louisiana at Lafayette music school graduate Tim Benson, the Academy has been voted as a top finalist in the best music school by readers of the Times since 2016 and they have won the national music school of the year award in 2014. Their goal is to make music lessons fun, educational and to help foster the next generation of musicians and creative thinkers! You can find them at the following links: Website: www.musicacademyacadiana.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MusicAcademyOfAcadiana/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-tea-podcast/message

Tony Umholtz, a Mortgage Manager for IberiaBank, discusses the impact COVID-19 is having on the housing market, the current landscape for those purchasing or refinancing a home, and the role of the Professional Loan Program (aka the Doctor’s Loan). Mentioned on the Show 5 Steps to Getting a Home Loan Apply for Pharmacist Home Loan with IberiaBank YFP 136: The Ins and Outs of a Pharmacist Home Loan w/ Tony Umholtz YFP Facebook Group Nate Hedrick, The Real Estate RPH

This episode is a first for me. As some of you may know, I record these episodes months in advance and have collected 6 months' worth of podcasts to put out. With times like this, I reached out to Scott Atwell, the Executive VP & CEO of the Key West Chamber of Commerce to bring you as many helpful tips as we can for your business. We recorded this episode on April 2nd, and it is airing on April 3rd, so we can provide the best up to date information. You may have heard my offering within this episode. Below is my email address, and if you don't have a website or social medial account and you are a Key West business, I am offering my service free of charge to get you up and running. You can email me at mark@backyardsofkeywest.com and we can have a chat about getting you up and running. Also, if you want to start your very own podcast, I put together a how-to guide found here: https://backyardsofkeywest.com/how-to-start-a-podcast/ Lastly, here is the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan Application link I mentioned: https://covid19relief.sba.gov/ More on the Key West Chamber of Commerce “The mission of the Greater Key West Chamber of Commerce is to serve its members and maintain and promote a viable economy for the businesses and working people of Key West” For more information on how the Key West Chamber can help you or your business please contact them at 305-294-2587. Website: https://www.keywestchamber.org Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keywestchamber/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KeyWestChamber/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/keywestchamber Small Business Help A message from the Chamber: There are four different programs featured in our recent newsletter, shared by SBDC. These include:  • the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program • SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program • SBA Payroll Support through the CARES Act • Florida DEO Payroll Support Program.  These loans are different than ones that have been offered in previous disasters. For the recap of those programs shared in the newsletter, go to https://bit.ly/347v4o7 For the FAQ forwarded to us by US Senator Rick Scotts Office on the CARES Act, go to https://bit.ly/343eZjd For the Coronavirus and a Business Assistance Program Information sheet provided by Monroe County, go to https://bit.ly/3aNcaFu Several of our local financial institutions can assist their customers with SBA loans, although they are waiting for further instructions from the Federal Government you can reach out to your local bank for future guidance.  First State Bank of the Florida Keys  Existing First State Bank customers who would like to be contacted to apply as soon as the SBA program is released, can fill out a Contact Request Form on the Bank’s website www.KeysBank.com/sba-loan-contact-request or contact Brad Lutz, AVP Commercial Lending, at 305-293-7163 or BradL@KeysBank.com.   For non-SBA loans, call 305-296-8535. BB&T, now Truist Both new and Existing clients seeking CARES solutions should contact Jay W. Hall or Dale Bittner directly at:   Jay W. Hall: 305-292-3832 or jay.hall@bbandt.com Dale Bittner: 305-292-3842 or dbittner@bbandt.com Centennial Bank Existing Customers can reach out to their loan officer directly; non-customers can contact Mark Todaro at 305-676-3145.  IBERIABANK  Existing Customers can contact the following: Jacqueline Luhta, Business Development Officer, 305-809-8987 Trich Worthington, Group Branch Manager, 305-289-5820

South State and CenterState are joining forces in another merger-of-equals driven by the desire to invest in technology, but the deal stands out as both institutions felt the need to partner despite operating on strong footing. In the episode, we we spoke with S&P Global Market Intelligence colleague Zach Fox, who spoke with key advisers about the drivers of the deal. The episode also features commentary from CenterState and South State executives on the deal and the efforts the latter has made to improve digital adoption among its customers as well as comparisons to previous large MOEs such as BB&T/SunTrust and First Horizon/IBERIABANK. 

With rumors swirling regarding a buyout, Jim Cramer is sitting down with Grubhub’s CEO from Art Bird in Grand Central Station to make sense of the headlines. Then, at the end of 2019 First Horizon announced it was acquiring Iberiabank, and tonight Cramer’s making sense of the deal and what it means for the year ahead. And what should you make of Snap’s recent picture perfect performance? Cramer’s digging into the stock’s history and seeing if it has more room to run.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tony Umholtz, a Mortgage Branch Manager for IberiaBank, joins Tim Ulbrich on the show. They discuss the considerations for financing a home purchase, the biggest mistakes people make when applying for lending, and a variety of lending options available to pharmacists including the Professional Loan Program (aka Doctor’s Loan). Mentioned on the Show 5 Steps to Getting a Home Loan YFP 40: 10 Things Every Pharmacist Should Know About Home Buying (Part 2) w/ Nate Hedrick YFP 41: 10 Things Every Pharmacist Should Know About Home Buying (Part 2)  w/ Nate Hedrick YFP 64: 6 Steps to Home Buying (Part 1)  w/ Nate Hedrick YFP 65: 6 Steps to Home Buying (Part 2) w/ Nate Hedrick  Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey Professional Mortgage Home Loan for Pharmacists Apply for Professional Mortgage Home Loan for Pharmacists Contact Tony: tony.umholtz@iberiabank.com 

Advocate To Host Acadiana Economic Outlook Summit on January 15, 2020 Adam Daigle, Business Editor of the Acadiana Advocate, joined the newspaper in August 2018 as the organization ramped up its daily business coverage online and in print. Its daily email business newsletter has consistently continued to add online subscribers as it feeds the need for local, up-to-date business news. On this Discover Lafayette podcast, Adam Daigle joined Jan Swift to discuss 2019 business news, the Advocate's upcoming January 15, 2020, Economic Outlook Summit to be held at the Acadiana Center for the Arts, and his love for Louisiana and why he moved back when the opportunity to work with The Advocate allowed him to be closer to family. The Advocate is Louisiana's largest newspaper and has experienced tremendous growth as it recently acquired the Times-Picayune in New Orleans and brought on extensive talent from other local newspapers. Adam shared that he feels The Advocate has "assembled an all-star team" that delivers the "best of the best" in news coverage. A 1995 graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University in Journalism and a native of Gonzales, Adam previously worked for the Tulsa World in Oklahoma for 12 years before returning to his home state of Louisiana. Adam served as a sports editor and later executive editor of The Lion's Roar, Southeastern's student newspaper. He and his wife, Shelly, have four children and are members of Asbury United Methodist Church in Lafayette. 2019 was a time of economic resurgence in Lafayette Parish, as retail sales continued to climb at a pace that may equal the all-time high previously reached in 2014 experienced prior to the oil and gas downturn which severely dampened the local economy. The Lafayette Regional Airport has counted a record number of travelers, also rivaling 2014 prior to the downturn. Real estate sales overall in Acadiana are breaking records, with St. Landry and Iberia Parishes doing exceptionally well. Job growth is steady, with a 4.3% unemployment rate, a sign that Lafayette's economy has recovered and stabilized. The biggest news of 2019 has no doubt been that of Chris Meaux's startup restaurant delivery service, Waitr, which has experienced extreme highs and lows since it went public early in its development, then acquired Bite Squad out of Minneapolis which brought on extreme debt and a consequent dramatic fall in its stock price. 2019's biggest business news story involved Waitr's dramatic fall in value as it acquired Bite Squad, had massive layoffs, and changed fee structures imposed upon its restaurant partners. Other compelling 2019 business news came late in the year and involved mergers of two solid companies based in Lafayette: (1) Lafayette General Health's merger with Oschner Health System; and (2) IBERIABANK's planned merger with First Horizon out of Memphis, TN which will enable more investment in advanced technologies and innovate practices. Both deals involve mergers of equals, which are anticipated to allow strong business growth locally in the Lafayette market and beyond. Lafayette General Health System set to merge with Oschner Health System. Photo by Leslie Westbrook.IBERIABANK's planned merger with First Horizon of Memphis. Photo by Scott Clause. Health and Information Technology job markets are hot in Acadiana, especially in Lafayette Parish, and attract young, educated workers needed to combat the out-migration of Louisiana's talent. While Adam Daigle recently wrote a series of articles on the out-migration of our under 34-year old educated populace, the majority of Louisiana towns that are losing talent are situated in North Louisiana and rural areas of the state. Adam lamented that some small towns' only source of revenue was their water department and cited examples such as Bogalusa and Clarence who may be going bankrupt due to the loss of the young people and businesses who are leaving for bigger cities and opportuni...

Life's journey takes one on twists and turns. When you're prepared, "luck" and opportunities present themselves and good outcomes may be enjoyed. In this episode of Discover Lafayette, close friends and work partners Beth Ardoin and Beth Trotter (affectionately known as "B1 and B2") share their unique journeys which led them to IBERIABANK leadership positions and the paths they follow to help others thrive and excel. Beth Ardoin has been with IBERIABANK since 2002, at a time when the bank was in a transition, being converted from a thrift to a more traditional commercial bank. With a background in print media and publishing, she brought needed experience in marketing to their target audience of privately-held commercial businesses. In the 17 years she has been with the bank, it has grown through the acquisition of 25 banks across the Southeast United States. With that expansion came additional opportunities for Beth to manage operations affecting IBERIABANK's 3600 employees. Beth now serves as Senior Executive VP and Director of Communications, Facilities, and Human Resources, as well as chief of staff for CEO Daryl Bird. Beth also just concluded service on the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta's New Orleans branch. Beth Trotter, a Tulane Law School graduate, joined IBERIABANK ten years ago as a staff attorney and is now an Executive Vice President and CRA officer. "CRA" stands for the federal Community Reinvestment Act, a law that directs banks to help meet the credit needs of low-and-moderate income neighborhoods in the communities in which they operate. Lending, Investment, and Service are the focus of the CRA. While the CRA doesn't directly mandate that banks provide grants to low-income homebuyers, the bank has chosen to implement a program that assists first time home buyers with up to $4000 in down payment assistance. "First responder" first time home buyers are eligible for up to $5000 toward their down payment. For the past few years, up to $1.5 million per year has been granted to first time home buyers affiliated with the CRA program; a total of $3 million per year has been granted to CRA-related programs. Beth's outstanding work in this field has garnered her a national reputation as a sought after expert. One community partner which IBERIABANK is proud to partner with is the non-profit Habitat for Humanity, with its approximately 12 to 15 branches across the nine-state region in which the bank is located. Beth Trotter served on Lafayette's Habitat board for five years and chaired the Women Build committee in 2017 and 2018. Habitat not only builds homes but is a mortgage lender. The bank buys back loans extended by Habitat so as to allow the non-profit to invest back in the community and have available funds to loan to deserving participants. Habitat's success is exemplary, building approximately 12 homes per year, with an extremely low default rate (less than 5%) by their clients. All Habitat homebuyers must first qualify by having taking financial literacy classes as well as money-management and home maintenance classes. Clients must also invest at least 100 hours working to build their home and other Habitat client homes. "Looking back over the past twenty years or so, the conversation was you were either a stay at home mom or you were a working mom. Today the conversation is completely different as 50% of the workforce is occupied by women. It's not about whether you will work, but how are you going to be successful as you work and provide a great life for your family. The banking industry is changing with lots of opportunities for women in leadership positions. There is no better time than now for women to find their spot and take opportunities that are there for them." Beth Ardoin Approximately 60% of IBERIABANK's workforce is female and the bank works to coach and educate its employees to achieve their highest potential for advancement.

For Monica Sylvain, chief diversity officer at Louisiana-based IberiaBank, a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion (or DE&I, as it’s increasingly widely known) starts with building community. “It’s important to lead with the ‘I,’ or ‘inclusion,’” she says on the latest ABA Banking Journal Podcast, “having a sense of fairness, and [having]your employees feeling like they have a sense of belonging.” On the podcast, Sylvain discusses IberiaBank’s approach to DE&I, including: Having a DE&I council comprising a broad cross-section of employees at all levels of the organization. “That group is really helping us to think through the things that are top of mind for our associates when they think about inclusion, when they think about equity, when they think about diversity.” Educating the bank’s leadership team—and its employees—on recognizing and understanding unconscious bias. “All of us as human beings have unconscious or implicit bias. [We] make snap judgement decisions,” she explains. “If you look at the neuroscience, we do it in nanoseconds.” The importance of including supplier diversity, as well as employee diversity, in the bank’s DE&I framework.

In the eight months she has been on the job since beginning in October 2018, Anita Begnaud has proven herself to be an inspirational catalyst for getting things done. As CEO of Downtown Development Authority, her role is to facilitate the development of downtown Lafayette by attracting new amenities, buildings, developments, jobs, and residents. Anita's high energy, ability to connect with people and attention to detail have proven to be a winning combination as downtown is poised for explosive growth in the coming years. Her work experience includes stints at Lafayette Economic Development Authority, Acadiana Economic Development, IBERIABANK, and One Acadiana, all of which taught her how to navigate governmental relations, social media marketing, and economic development issues. The Authority is funded with property tax millages assessed on commercial buildings within the district, with a budget of approximately $450,000 per year. While DDA doesn’t have the means to buy buildings or build infrastructure, its work encompasses all the intangible efforts to spearhead Lafayette’s downtown revitalization and continued growth. DDA is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors with attorney Miles Matt serving as President, attorney Lisa Thomas serving as Secretary, along with board members Mike Delcambre, Ross Fontenot, Jim Keaty, Gus Rezende, and Greg Walls. Recent announcements of companies adding staff to downtown Lafayette such as Waitr (200 jobs), the Opportunity Machine (80 plus emerging companies), and other established companies such as Perficient, have proven that the urban core of Lafayette is a desirable location for a variety of businesses. It is also the hub of Lafayette's legal community with the state and federal courthouses and law firms populating the area. DDA's focus over the next couple of years will be attracting "jobs and rooftops," as people increasingly want to be able to live close to where they work. Rather than commuting into work and leaving at 5 p.m., there is a pressing demand for residences to accommodate the growing number of diverse jobs populating the downtown area. This translates into a growing need for more retail, grocery stores, and of course, adequate parking. Throughout the interview, Anita referenced two documents that provide guidelines for growth and building downtown. The Downtown Lafayette Action Plan sets forth a comprehensive vision for how downtown can be enhanced to provide the option of high-quality city living and thus leveraged as a benefit for the entire region. The plan sets forth specific recommendations, based upon community input, to improve public spaces and parking, analyzing returns on infrastructure investment to ensure the highest transactional benefit to the entire community, enabling a transit loop to UL-Lafayette and back, and many more initiatives. The second document, the Downtown Lafayette Code interfaces with the Unified Development Code and directly governs building restrictions. The DDA hosts a monthly Lunch and Learn series which educates on issues facing downtown. The next luncheon will be held on July 24, 2019, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and focuses on "Accessibility" as many downtown sidewalks are not accessible to the disabled. Tickets may be obtained here. The August luncheon will focus on "Safety" and the enhanced security measures being undertaken such as an increase in the number of police officers patrolling the area. Facade Improvement Grants have helped small businesses in the downtown district to improve storefronts. An example is Rukus Board Shop which received funding assistance to install an awning and create new signage. These types of grants are utilized by business districts throughout the U. S. and are proven to help small business owners stay in business as they are enabled to improve their storefront. When asked what Anita's dream is for downtown, she spoke about the need for a 100 room hotel that could acc...

  Following a panel with CBA’s Talent Management Committee at CBA LIVE, several industry leaders on diversity sat down to discuss the benefits of a diverse and inclusive workforce, how to ensure organizations are recruiting and retaining top employees and how to recognize and overcome unconscious bias. IBERIABANK’s Chief Diversity Officer Monica Sylvain, Vigeo Alliance CEO and Managing Partner Cassi Chandler, TD Bank’s Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion Kelley Cornish and Wells Fargo’s Strategy Planning Manager Maggie Murphy Maertz all took part in the discussion moderated by CBA’s SVP of Education Brenda Mechling.  

Prolific Writer Covers All Topics from Travel, Food, and Romance to Paranormal Mysteries Cheré Dastugue Coen, an award-winning journalist, has been writing her whole life. Never experiencing writer's block, she is the author of books of local interest such as "Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History," "Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana," and "Exploring Cajun Country: A Historic Tour of Acadiana," the cookbook travelogue “Cooking in Cajun Country” with "Cajun" Karl Breaux, and “Magic's in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets” with Jude Bradley. She has worked for Variety magazine in Hollywood, The Advocate in Baton Rouge, and Gambit Weekly in New Orleans, and currently writes freelance for Lafayette Convention & Visitors Commission, AAA Southern Traveler; New Orleans Magazine, Louisiana Life, Country Roads of Baton Rouge, 337 and many others. She pens three blogs: Weird, Wacky and Wild South, Louisiana Book News, and Haunted Deep South. For those hungry for a good love story, Cheré also writes Cajun Romance Novels under the pseudonym Cherie Claire, which titles include "Emilie," "Rose," "Gabriel," "Delphine," "A Cajun Dream" and "The Letter." There is also the Cajun Embassy series including titles such as "Ticket to Paradise," "Damn Yankees," and "Gone Pecan." Her most recent book, “Ghost Trippin” released on Valentine's Day this year, was the fourth book published as part of her Viola Valentine paranormal mysteries. The series features a New Orleans travel writer who experienced the opening of a psychic door after the trauma of Hurricane Katrina, and who now sees ghosts who have died by water. Cheré Coen moved to Lafayette in 2005, right before Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the Gulf Coast. She brings a lifelong love of writing and a joie de vivre for life to all of the stories she creates. This Discover Lafayette podcast interview introduces you to a very talented and delightful woman who has dedicated her life to journalism. The uncanny ability she possesses to write prolifically about the region she loves, the Deep South, will motivate aspiring writers to learn more about how a determined, freelance author can make a career publishing their works. Thanks to our sponsors: IBERIABANK, Rader Solutions, and Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission for making this podcast possible!

Jerry Vascocu, Acadiana Market President of IberiaBank, sat down with Discover Lafayette host, Jan Swift to discuss his banking career. A Ruston native, Jerry graduated from Vanderbilt University with a degree in economics. Married to Julie Hiatt Vascocu, they have two children. Jerry joined IBERIABANK’s Baton Rouge commercial banking division in 2005 at a time of explosive growth for the bank. When Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, the organization decided to diversify its geographic footprint to minimize future risk. Under the leadership of CEO Daryl Byrd, the bank's first expansion occurred in January 2007 with the purchase of Arkansas based Pulaski Bank and Trust. From there, the bank moved into other community banking environments which fit its business model. Jerry served as the bank’s Market President in Little Rock in 2007 before moving to Lafayette in 2010 and has served as Acadiana Market President since then. Today, IBERIABANK has 325 combined locations, including 190 bank branches and three loan production offices in 12 states primarily throughout the South. The company has 16 wealth management locations in five states, and one Iberia Capital Partners office in New Orleans. Founded in 1887 originally as a Savings & Loan, the bank has come quite a long way in its growth and ability to serve its large client base. Since this original podcast was taped, IBERIABANK announced its planned merger with First Horizon National Bank to be finalized in 2020. IBERIABANK has stepped up to meet the challenges presented by the Covid-19 crisis. For more information, please visit https://www.iberiabank.com/landing-pages/covid-19.  Active in the community, Jerry served as Chair of One Acadiana’s Board of Directors in 2016. He also served as a Board Member of Upper Lafayette Economic Development, on the leadership teams of United Way of Acadiana and the Community Foundation of Acadiana, Ascension Episcopal’s Board of Trustees, and University of Louisiana - Lafayette’s Business Advisory Council. Community involvement is important to Jerry, as well as all IBERIABANK employees throughout the organization. Charged with giving back to the community, the bank gets involved in a selective way with organizations who make a difference. In lieu of television ads, they become engaged in the community and partner strategically. Jerry shared that its mission is to be a top-notch corporate citizen. They strive to blend a community bank feel with large bank capabilities. IBERIABANK believes that the healthier the community in which the bank is located, the healthier the bank will be. IBERIABANK Civic Impact Partners evaluate the bank's footprint throughout the Southeast U. S  to determine where the bank can best invest their lending dollars as well as its own equity dollars to improve housing opportunities in moderate to low-income areas. Just recently, IBERIABANK invested in the new, 192-unit, affordable apartment community, called Brook Pointe Family Apartments, which is situated behind North Lafayette’s Walmart at 504 N. Pierce Street. This is one of the bank's largest investments to date. Jerry is a big proponent of Project Front Yard and he has consistently encouraged locals to work together to improve our community's gateway, especially on the drive into town on I-10. He discussed how the initial impression upon entering Lafayette Parish doesn't quite capture the many great things about living here, and the work of Project Front Yard and other organizations is worth the investment in time and labor. A man of faith, Jerry reiterated several times that one’s prayer life, family, and friends are crucial to maintaining balance in one’s life. He counsels his team, whether its his family or bank employees, to be a positive, shining light, rather than allowing darkness to pervade. His manner of being has always exemplified this philosophy. Thank you, Jerry Vascocu, and IBERIABANK for all you contribute to Lafayette! ...

"Tsunami" can be defined as "a force that comes into a community and takes hold of it". When the concept for the first Tsunami sushi restaurant was being developed in 1999, Michelle Ezell, her husband, Sean, sister, Leah, and cousin, Tara, looked for names that had an Asian influence and "Tsunami" captured it. They had a vision in mind for a powerful force that would take over their community....but in a good way, without the destructive qualities. Their imaginations have led to a successful restaurant enterprise which anchors downtown Lafayette’s restaurant scene. Michele Simon Ezell, owner of Tsunami, is our guest on this episode of Discover Lafayette. Renowned for its fresh sushi as well as its trendy and inviting atmosphere, Tsunami is the place to go for great food and a wonderful ambiance. Michele had never worked in a restaurant when she got the envie (desire) to open her own sushi restaurant. She was happily working for a local media company, and she jokingly recounted that she is still on the phone list of employees at Townsquare Media and will someday return after taking a “break” from media to open Tsunami, which was eighteen years ago. The adventure all began on a trip to Los Angeles to visit her sister, Leah, for New Years’ Eve in 1998. Michele was a big fan of sushi, and would periodically make trips to New Orleans, the nearest city that offered fresh and authentically prepared Japanese sushi and sashimi.  Feeling giddy about the opportunity to enjoy great sushi which was abundantly available in L. A, she was encouraged and convinced by friends and family at that dinner to open her own restaurant in Lafayette. Saki may have played a role in the exuberant conversation! Sushi was not well known in Louisiana when Michele, her sister, Leah Simon, and Michele’s husband Sean, began research in 1998 that would bring sushi into the mainstream in Lafayette. These were the days of dial-up internet services and the research and development was arduous, to say the least. Developing Tsunami was a family affair, with cousin, Tara, designing the logo and helping come up with the restaurant’s name. Damian, Michele’s brother, who was working in Miami at a harbor with access to fresh fish, came home and assisted in running the restaurant. Sister, Leah Simon, was the family member credited with developing the visual look and sounds of the restaurant, and in fact, Michele says that Leah is endearing known as the “Minister of Vibe.” Leah eventually moved back home to partner with the Ezells in opening the Baton Rouge location. Ashley Simon, sister-in-law, was the one family member who did have restaurant experience and had planned to help out for a couple of nights for the soft opening; she brought critical skills in running the kitchen and ended up staying on for a year and a half, eventually serving as general manager. Michele took over the business end of Tsunami, in charge of hiring and the books. Bankers are not particularly open to loaning money to restauranteurs, especially those who have no restaurant experience. Eventually, Kevin Caswell of Bank of Sunset, Jeff Benton, at Source Capitol, and Jerry Prejean of IberiaBank, assisted Michele in obtaining the needed funding. Tsunami took off. The three “P’s,” People, Product, and Process, were the focus. Its menu focuses on fresh seafood and diverse dishes with a Japanese and Eastern flare. The first location of Tsunami opened in downtown Lafayette on Jefferson Street in 2000, with the second location in downtown Baton Rouge overlooking the Mississippi River in 2004, and the New Orleans location opened in the Pan American Center Life Center on Poydras Street in March 2017. Tsunami is going strong after 20 years in Lafayette  Families and friends have flocked there for special occasions in its first generation of existence, and odds are, will continue to do so for many generations. This interview is delightful, and you'll learn how the Michael Doumit, John Breaux,

Join Ron and his guest Philip Welch, Vice President for Commercial Banking at IBERIABANK, still relatively new to the Atlanta area.