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

As the President of the Industrial Development Board, I helped push throught the PILOT program that brought Costco and the accompanying developmnet to Lafayette.

In my work with the family Tree and in partnership with Zen Den, I was able to offer a full year of free community prenatal yoga classes.

With my wordwith Pride Acadiana, I served as a volunteer coordinator and had the joy of working with and coordinating all the beautiful people that make that event happen. I know this was making a difference when someone approached me and thanked me for creating a safe space in Lafayette.

Also, with Acadiana Queer Collective, I participated in the 24 Hour Citizen Project which funded and helped us launch Inclusive Prom.

Currently, I am serving on the board of Acadiana Center for the Arts working to help with the development and launch of the new Louisiana Music Museum.

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

Being a trial lawyer means every day is a new adventure. I am constantly solving puzzles, withing with people, and digging into lots of different subject matter areas.

You won the inaugural LSU Law Arbitration Competition and later became a partner in 2023. What would you say to young lawyers who are wanting to reach that next level?

Well, we have to define what the next level is. One of the challenges with law is that if you let you, this practice will destry you. It will eat you alive. And part of how that happens is becuase there’s always another, there’s always another, there’s always another.

So you won this case, there’s another case. You won this appeal, there’s another case. You made income partner, well now you got to get equity. You did this origination, but now we have to push it. There’s always another bar and the bar is constantly moving. So in every situation that you’re in, stop and focus on what you’ve achieved.

Be grateful for where you are. Because if you look back five years ago, would “five years ago you” be proud of you right now? I have accomplished the things I was praying for five years ago. Now I’ve got new bars and new stresses and new things, right? But let’s stop and be present right now.

And how can you be really, really good at what you’re doing right now? Because that’s how you get to the next level. You also have to take care of yourself and your mental health. How can you manage your stress? How can you manage the load? How can you find better balance? And once you get that, it all ties back into how you can be better right now.