Leadership Institute of Acadiana

Time for another XXXVII #ClassMemberMonday, this time with Micah C. Nicholas! Read on to learn more about him. Micah is the Executive Director of the American Red Cross Capital West Chapter. In this role, Micah supports region-led mission capacity building, identifies community needs and perceptions, and strengthens relationships across the state. Before becoming the Executive Director, Micah served as the Director of Impact for the United Way of Acadiana (UWA), where he oversaw several transformative community projects that improved the lives of individuals throughout United Way’s five-parish footprint. Micah also served as a club director with the Boys & Girls Clubs for five years; president of the board for Solomon House, the longest-operating food pantry in Iberia Parish; chair of the diversity committee for the Episcopal School of Acadiana; and president-elect for the705, Acadiana’s premier young professionals’ organization. Recognized for his innovative leadership, Micah has received several awards and honors, including Louisiana Professional of the Year, Southeast Region Professional of the Year, and a 2018 Top 20 Under 40 award presented by the Daily Iberian. Micah earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Sewanee: The University of the South and a master's degree in nonprofit administration with a specialization in disaster preparedness from Louisiana State University at Shreveport. Most recently, Micah was recognized as one of Acadiana’s Top 20 Under 40 award winners. #leadershiplafayette #reppin37

Huge thanks to Jones Walker LLP for hosting members of Class 37, the LIA Board, Leadership Louisiana, and 1A Ambassadors for 2 years in a row!

What a great morning listening to generational expert, speaker, author and CEO Mark C. Perna thanks to Lafayette Economic Development Authority (LEDA)! Many of our LIA board members were there, even more than we were able to snap a picture of! Super excited to read “Answering Why” - break down silos, connect the pipelines! #markcperna #answeringwhy #leadership

Let's get this week off to the right start with another #ClassMemberMonday - say hi to Dianne Mouton-Allen of NBCI Lafayette! Dianne brings a wealth of experience to her role as chapter director with an international organization. The programs she directs are experiential where management is afforded the opportunity to identify real employee concerns along with other matters that affect organizational operations, such as controversial issues. Organizational controversies were resolved in such a way that informed policy making. As Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Louisiana State Parks, Dianne developed management processes to ensure hiring and retention of qualified management level personnel regardless of race, gender, class, etc. Qualifications of all managerial applicants rose from mediocre to highly qualified under her direction due, in large part, to her fair hiring practices. Additionally, she developed and managed a leadership institute for the Office of the Lieutenant Governor to improve communication across agencies and to advance the leadership skills of department personnel. As Marketing Support Representative for a major computer company, it was her responsibility to educate clients on system design and performance. She also designed and conducted presentations on system capabilities for corporate personnel from the entry-level personnel to highest levels of management. Dianne holds a Master of Science Degree in Organizational and Interpersonal Communication and is also a Certified Training Professional. #leadershiplafayette #reppin37

Class XXXVII also met with Blaise Zuschlag of Acadian Companies during Health & Wellness Day. Thanks for being a program supporter today! #acadian #localbusiness #reppin37

It's Health and Wellness Day for Class XXXVII! Huge thanks to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana for being our sponsor for the day. #reppin37 #LeadershipLafayette

It's time for another #ClassMemberMonday with this mover-and-shaker, Dr. Arial Moore! Read on to learn more... Dr. Moore is a change-maker, educator, connector and protector with a passion for teaching every person that they are worthy of respect, love, and pleasure. Through her establishment of Safe Havynn, Dr. Moore was awarded a staggering 2.8 million dollars to empower Louisiana’s next generation with essential healthy relationship education. These programs provide youth with the essential knowledge for making healthier decisions while highlighting the significance of goal setting. Apart from educating youth, she provides in-depth and unapologetic classes on reproductive health, adolescent pregnancy prevention, STD and HIV prevention and treatment, pleasure, and sexual pain conditions. She combines humor and art with her own personal experiences to facilitate learning, healing, and acceptance. Dr. Moore has also forged a successful path in the world of grants, running a grant writing, grant management, and grant evaluation business that helps organizations maximize their financial resources and amplify their mission’s impact. She pays her success forward by serving on boards, such as the Louisiana Department of Health - Office of Women's Health and Community Health Advisory Board, and mentoring aspiring grant writers. On her free time, she likes to thrift, relax with her family, and love on her two babies, Havynn and Ayson. #ClassXXXVII #reppin37

Cheers to the final day of Intro (to Loving) Lafayette with the @cgi_us interns! The group went on a downtown scavenger hunt and celebrated with @sundaysdowntown. Thanks to @downtownlafayette ❤️💙💛 #introlafayette #cgi #locallove #downtownlafayettela

Time for another #ClassMemberMonday with Class XXXVII! Today, meet Adam Lopez. Adam says: “I am proud to be born and raised in Lafayette. I have three children, Lex, Addie and Grey. For 20+ years I worked in the graphic side of the aviation industry, creating graphic packages to help rebrand or refresh commercial airliners paint schemes. As Operations Manager, I was able to build my skills in balancing both managing employees while meeting high production expectations. In 2015 my wife, Sarah, and I purchased Awardmaster and we have been busy growing the business and giving back to the community since. I love being able to use my design skills to bring in more creativity to the recognition industry. In 2022, we purchased our second store in Breaux Bridge, Archie’s Recognition Specialists. Both Awardmaster and Archie's have a long-standing 40+ year history in their communities and both Sarah and I are honored to be able to build upon their past success by increasing their current capabilities with new technology. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends and love cheering on the Cajuns and the Saints!” #reppin37 #leadershiplafayette

Your last chance to apply for the first cohort of Community Impact Fellows ends today at 5pm central! Finalize those applications, gain valuable skills to launch you into the next phase of your leadership journey, and create real, actionable change right here in your community. #communityimpactfellows #leadership #communityleaders https://lnkd.in/gBNWWMCB