Acadiana Trailblazers 2021

 

 

  1. Philanthropy – Entrepreneur Matthew Stuller founded the Lafayette-based Parish Proud to “minimize visual pollution and optimize visual vibrancy.” The group partners with public and private partners to stage litter cleanups around the area and to campaign against littering. parishproud.org
  2. Conservation – Jim Foret is a horticulturist and arborist and teaches at UL Lafayette. Foret has been and is involved in many projects from planting wildflowers on highway medians and rights of way and projects at West End Park and City Park in New Iberia to bicycle tours of live oaks in New Iberia and more.
  3. French/Cajun Culture – Will McGrew and Drake LeBlanc, founders of Télé-Louisiane, a group of young French-language content creators founded as a partnership of French-and-Creole-speaking Louisiana filmmakers, artists, researchers and entrepreneurs in October 2018, Télé-Louisiane is a multi-lingual media platform.
  4. Visual Art – Francis X. Pavy, painter, Lafayette.
  5. Education – Terysa Ridgeway is a Lafayette-based senior technical programmer at Google. The Sunset-native has been recognized by the Governor, as well as countless entities locally, nationally and internationally for her humanitarian work and for her work teaching STEM to underprivileged children.
  6. Music – Cecelia-native Dickie Landry, Saxophone player, composer, visual artist and photographer has traveled the world, creating art in various genres for decades. In 1969 he was a founding member of the original group that formed the Philip Glass Ensemble and performed with the ensemble till 1981. He has collaborated with Robert Rauschenberg, Laurie Anderson and performed with Bob Dylan and a host of Grammy-award winning Zydeco and the Lost Bayou Ramblers, all while simultaneously managing his 80-acre pecan farm for 40 years.
  7. Performing Arts – Sarah Gauthier Roy, founder and artistic director at Théâtre Acadie in Lafayette, is a native of Carencro. A graduate of Carencro High School, and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Gauthier holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Performing Arts with an emphasis in theatre. She has been performing on stage for over 20 years within her community and nationally. She is dedicated to sustaining the arts, culture and community in Lafayette and South Louisiana through classes, camps, workshops and community building in the arts.
  8. Culinary – Ken and Andrea Veron are Lafayette natives and husband and wife owners and operators of the historic Café Vermilionville. Ken is a second-generation restaurateur whose father, Poncho Veron, founded the restaurant in 1981. Ken is the spokesman for Eat Lafayette, and holds a position on the Eat Lafayette board of advisors. Andrea’s background is in interior decoration and historic preservation. She holds a seat as Historic Preservation Commissioner of the Lafayette Preservation Commission, and is a board member of Preservation Alliance of Lafayette.
  9. Business – Rayne-native Megan Arceneaux, owner of Hub City Cycles (Lafayette) and third generation boil master at Hawk’s Crawfish Boilup (Rayne), has built her businesses around the concept of community. Hub City is based on the concept of affordability and accessibility. She has built both businesses from the ground up and with kindness and community at the heart of each one.

 

 

 

 

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