Loren Carriere, Life Achievement Awardee 2019

Loren Carriere was born and raised in Opelousas, LA. 

 Loren was a 1999 graduate of Beau Chene high school, but his loving family and large support system did not protect him from the struggles many of our youth face.  At a young age he found himself in jail and addicted to drugs. There, at his lowest point, he called out for help, finding love and forgiveness from people he will frankly say, “should not have helped him.”  In this recovery Loren found the love of Christ, went to college, and put down roots in Opelousas.

 Loren took this new start as an opportunity to finish with a degree in General Studies at the University of Louisiana in 2005 where he was named the Outstanding Graduate of his class. Following graduation, he channeled his passions for ministry, the outdoors, youth, and his hometown into Hope for Opelousas.   

 Since co-founding Hope for Opelousas (HFO) in 2008, Loren has grown the program from 12 students in the 4-8th grades to a vibrant community partner and a philanthropic example throughout Acadiana. He leads a committed staff that are there for the kids and families of Opelousas children. Eleven years later HFO has grown to serve 100 kids in 1st-12th grades. 

 What is unique about Loren’s ability to connect with and make such an impact on a young person’s life is his belief in the premise that “Love Changes Everything.”  Like the unconditional love of a parent, Loren and his staff work with each individual child and their family. Loren loves Opelousas and works every day to make it a better place for his four children and for his HFO kids as well.  

Loren has channeled his work at HFO to include community-wide development efforts. He has served in local churches and is a past chair of the St. Landry Parish Chamber of Commerce. He has been recognized statewide as a 2016 Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation Angel for his work with Opelousas youth, was awarded the Our Lady of Lourdes Franciscan Medal of Honor in 2015, and in June of 2019 was selected as a Father of the Year Honoree by 100 Black Men of Greater Lafayette.

Loren and his wife Tory and their four children, Ivy, Autumn, Loren Jr., and Jesse live near Opelousas Junior High and are renovating an old house built in 1920’s and they plan to impact Opelousas for many years to come. 

Kimberly Lewis Robinson, Secretary of Revenue, State of Louisana

DREAM STATE SPEAKER

Secretary Robinson is a 1998 graduate of the LSU Law Center. She attended LSU where she received her B.A. in Political Science in 1993 and a M.A. in Public Administration in 1995. 

 Before becoming Secretary of Revenue, Ms. Robinson was a partner in the Tax & Estates Practice Group at Jones Walker, LLP focusing primarily on state and local tax matters, economic development financing, incentives and government relations.

Before joining Jones Walker, Ms. Robinson served as Special Counsel for the Office of the Governor of the State of Louisiana, where she provided legal counsel to Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco and served as Senior Policy Advisor on Revenue, Economic Development and Insurance Policy. She also worked for six years at the Louisiana Department of Revenue, serving as Assistant Secretary for the Office of Legal Affairs and Confidential Assistant to the Secretary. From 1998-2000, she served as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Justice Bernette J. Johnson of the Louisiana Supreme Court. 

 Secretary Robinson currently serves as a board member of the Federation of Tax Administrators Board of Trustees. She was the 2016-2017 President of the Southeastern Association of Tax Administrators (SEATA) and is a highly sought-after speaker on matters involving income, franchise, sales/use, severance, ad valorem property, and other tax issues. Since 2016, she has been a member of the Sales Tax Streamlining and Modernization Commission, the Task Force on Ad Valorem Tax Structure, and the Transportation Infrastructure Funding Task Force. She co-chaired the Task Force on Structural Changes in Budget and Tax Policy and currently chairs the Louisiana Sales and Use Tax Commission for Remote Sellers and the Louisiana Retail Food and Beverage E-Commerce Task Force. 

 Ms. Robinson was State Tax Notes Notable Person of 2017. She was listed in The Best Lawyers in America in 2015 in the area of Tax Law, and in the 2014 edition of Louisiana Super Lawyers in the area of Tax. She has chaired the Section of Taxation for the Louisiana State Bar Association. In 2015, she received the Distinguished Achievement award from LSU Law Center and the Diversity Journal recognized her as one of the “Women Worth Watching.” In 2016, The LSU E.J. Ourso College of Business Public Administration Institute honored Ms. Robinson as the Distinguished MPA Alumnus. 

Robert Holleyman, No Man Is An Island Awardee 2019

Delegate Year: 1972, Alfred M Barbe High School, Lake Charles, LA

Ambassador Robert Holleyman is the president and CEO of CROW-WELL & MOOR-ing International and a partner in the law firm. He advises companies on topics of global trade, cyber security and investment practices.

Ambassador Holleyman has assisted the United States Government through numerous boards, time in the Senate and Presidential appointments, and most notably served as Deputy U.S. Trade Representative from 2014-2017, with the rank of Ambassador. 
 
Ambassador Holleyman began his long career of government service, here in the great state of Louisiana, by serving as Judicial Clerk to a U.S. District Judge in New Orleans and later as Legislative Director to United States Senator Russell B. Long.

Ambassador Holleyman has testified frequently before Congress, international bodies, and on media interviews regarding topics of innovation, emerging markets, and intellectual property. 

He was named by Managing IP magazine as one of the “50 Most Influential People” in the intellectual property world and by the The Washington Post as a key private sector player in cybersecurity policy.

Please give a BIG L-Y-S SuperGREAT to Ambassador Robert Holleyman!

Representative Ted James, Political Parties Speaker

State Representative Edward “Ted” James’ was first elected in 2011, he represents East Baton Rouge Parish District 101. After graduating from the historic McKinley Sr. High School, he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Southern University and graduated from Southern University’s Law Center.

In 2006, Ted passed the Louisiana Bar Exam; however, instead of pursuing a traditional legal career, he dedicated himself to the recovery and rebuilding of Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina & Rita. He was able to secure a twenty-five million dollar investment into Louisiana Housing through his role as the Governor’s policy advisor on housing and community development.

After working for the governor, he was appointed to serve as Special Counsel to the Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Revenue, where he developed the department’s legislative strategy. His leadership in this role led to an appointment by Governor Bobby Jindal to serve on the Louisiana Advisory Commission on Inter-government-Tal Relations where he focused on greater communication and cohesion between agencies to further the well-being of Louisiana and its citizens.

Ted’s passion for leadership is driven by a deeply held desire to impact the lives of others while transforming the community he calls “his village”. A Baton Rouge native who was taught at an early age the value of service, the strength of community, the importance of a quality education, and the principles of social justice.

He has a record of dedicated community service through his work with a number of causes- including mentoring students in Baton Rouge area schools, serving on the Board of Directors for the YMCA Capital Area, and as a committee member of Baton Rouge RECreation & Parks.

Ted is married to Veronica Michelle James  and they are members of Beacon Light Church of Baton Rouge.

Madeleine Landrieu, Life Achievement Award in honor of Roddy Richard

Madeleine M. Landrieu became Dean of Loyola University New Orleans College of Law on July 1, 2017.  Prior to her appointment, she served as a judge on the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal for the State of Louisiana,and prior to that as a trial court judge on the Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans. During her 16-year tenure in the judiciary, Dean Landrieu served as President of both the Louisiana District Judges Association and the Louisiana Judicial College.  

Dean Landrieu has spent a large part of her career advocating for improvements in laws and policies relative to children who come before the courts as a result of abuse or neglect. She is a founding Board member of the Louisiana Institute for Children in Families, and was instrumental in the launch of Louisiana’s Quality Parenting Initiative and Louisiana Fosters, efforts to raise awareness about the needs of abused and neglected children and their families. Since 2008, Dean Landrieu has served as Chair of New Judge Training for all newly elected judges in Louisiana.

Dean Landrieu is the recipient of many prestigious awards and honors. This past summer, Dean Landrieu received the inaugural President’s Award from the Louisiana Judicial College for her “dedication to judicial education, particularly in the areas of new judge training and mentorship.” She currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Covenant House, New Orleans, a service provider for homeless, at-risk, and trafficked youth.