What are one or two of your greatest business and/or community achievements?

My greatest accomplishment has been uniting Iberia Parish communities by creating spaces that promote healthy lifestyles, strong character, and academic success for youth and staff, while connecting families to the resources they need to truly thrive.

I’m proud of how intentional I am about building and strengthening partnerships that don’t just exist on paper, but actively serve our community. These relationships allow us to meet real needs and create meaningful opportunities for young people and their families.

Through these connections, our youth, teens, and staff have gained greater awareness of local resources and how to access them. More importantly, they’re learning to give back. Together, we show up for community events, participate in service and cleanup projects, and work alongside organizations that once supported us. Along the way, they’ve developed leadership, confidence, workforce experience, and pride in where they come from. Seeing that pride grow, and knowing they want to pour back into our hometown, means everything to me.

What’s your favorite thing about what you do for a living?

My favorite part of my work is being able to make a real impact on people’s lives. Every day, I learn more about our community, its needs, and how to creatively meet them. That work creates a domino effect, my team and our youth begin to see what’s possible and start modeling that same mindset. Through interest-based learning, our programs help youth, staff, and even families discover their passions and find their place in the city. Having the opportunity to support others’ dreams and purpose is what makes this work meaningful to me.

You helped build youth programs focused on STEM, wellbeing, and skill building, including launching a co-ed sports league. What’s a moment with a young person that confirmed the impact you’re making?

One of the moments that reaffirmed my work was when a former Youth of the Year returned and told me our time together changed the trajectory of his life. He was facing challenges at home and at school, but the Club gave him space to discover who he wanted to become.

Together, we created a program to support him and that program is still active today. What started as a co-ed football team grew into a dance team, then a leadership and workforce development program, and eventually a basketball league. Investing intentionally in one young person created a domino effect that continues to impact many others. Sometimes changing one life is how you create pathways for many.