Chris Meaux speaks much more confidently about his techie restaurant delivery company these days than he did four years ago when announcing Waitr’s launch in Acadiana.

There’s a good reason for that. Meaux only had success in a single market, Lake Charles, before launching Waitr in Lafayette. He had no way of knowing that hundreds of thousands of dollars of investment early on would one day be worth billions when the company went public on Nov. 16, 2018.

“That was the day I could stand in front of a group and say, ‘OK, I’m no longer a failed entrepreneur,'” Meaux told a crowd Thursday morning during the Broussard Chamber of Commerce’s Business Over Breakfast. “Investors who invested in Waitr have made money.”

Read the full article at The Advocate.

Town Planner Publisher of the Year is Announced!

Richfield, Ohio – April 12^th, 2019 – Town Planner recently held its national conference in Chicago, Illinois.  At this conference their annual award winners were announced.

Town Planner Corporate gives out this award annually to a publisher who meets the following criteria:

• You must be one of the 3 Top Producers in one of our groupings
• You must show sales growth over a period of time
• Overall business is growing
• Show a history of sales success
• Must have published for a minimum of 4 years unless you have taken over or purchased existing territory

Based on the above criteria Town Planner’s Publisher of the year award was presented to Mandi Pooler.

Congratulations on this award and congratulations on your success!

Mandi is beginning her 11^th year with Town Planner.  She published 9 editions for 2019 with a total distribution of almost 93,000 calendars.  She has steadily been increasing her business and has championed Town Planner’s University Editions.  She currently does an edition for the University of Louisiana Lafayette that is so popular that there is a fan edition as well.  She has been instrumental in helping to grow the Town Planner brand and she truly epitomizes what hard work and dedication can lead to.  She is a true asset to our company and we are fortunate to have her.    

Her 2019 calendars hit the streets in December while her university editions come out in August.  Please look for them around town if you did not receive one.  They are a local community resource tool that you must have.

Thank you.

Rick Martin

Director of Franchise Development
3046 Brecksville Road, Building 2 Ste.B1
Richfield, OH 44286
(234) 400-0068
martin@townplanner.com

Contact Emily Berry

Title: Marketing Director

Company: M C Bank & Trust Company

Telephone: 985.384.2100

Board Names Jeremy Callais President

At M C Bank

MORGAN CITY – The Board of Directors of M C Bank has announced that long-time employee Jeremy Callais has been elected President of the Morgan City-based bank. In doing so, Kenneth Nelkin, Chairman of the Board stated:  “I am extremely proud of Jeremy and the remarkable accomplishments he has achieved.  The M C Bank Board of Directors looks forward to a very bright future with Jeremy leading the bank.  I would also like to thank Larry Callais for many years of outstanding service and dedication to our M C Bank Family!”

According to Larry Callais, Chief Executive Officer, Jeremy’s promotion is a result of the next step in the bank’s formal Succession Planning Process. “Jeremy will now take over the day-to-day operations of the bank,” Larry Callais stated. “He is well-prepared to assume the Presidency of M C Bank and to lead the bank for many years to come.”

Jeremy Callais earned Bachelor of Science and Master’s degrees in Education. He has completed studies at the Stonier Graduate School of Banking, conducted at the University of Pennsylvania as well as the Wharton School of Business Leadership and Management Certification, also held at the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania. He has also completed the ABA Compliance School and the BAI School of Operations, Payments and Technologies.

A former educator and coach, Jeremy Callais is active in a host of civic and economic development organizations. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Kiwanis Club of East St. Mary and is a member of the Advisory Council for Central Catholic Schools. He serves on the Board of the St. Mary Industrial Group; is a past President of the St. Mary Chamber of Commerce; and serves on the Financial Council of Holy Cross Church. In 2017 Callais was named a recipient of the St. Mary Parish Role Model award, sponsored by the St. Mary Parish Community Foundation.

Professionally, Callais is a member of the Administrative Committee for the Community Bank Council of the American Bankers Association, where he also serves on the Core Processing Committee. He has also served as a task force and peer group member for many of the Louisiana Bankers Association’s working groups.  Jeremy served as an Advisor for the Stonier Graduate School of Banking for the past 2 years and is a former member of the Board of the Louisiana Young Bankers Association.

Jeremy began his banking career as a Network Administrator and subsequently served as a BankTrainer for Fiserv, Operations Officer, Chief Operations Officer, Chief Financial Officer and now, as President.

Jeremy Callais and his wife, Casie, have three children: Sinclair, Charlotte and Evangeline who are in eleventh, eighth and first grades, respectively.

“Through the years, Jeremy has proven himself time and again in whatever capacity he was serving,” Larry Callais said. “His professional training at Stonier and Wharton has also prepared him to assume the role of President of M C Bank.

We are proud to offer you the opportunity to travel with us to the Congrès Mondial Acadien (CMA 2019) with full immersion in authentic Acadian music, art, and festivals in the territory of exile, Acadie. Space is limited so register now to secure your spot!

Register now!

Broussard Chamber of Commerce President/CEO, Jeremy Hidalgo, announced today that he will be stepping down after accepting a position as Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the City of Broussard under newly elected mayor, Ray Bourque.

Hidalgo, the Chambers first President/CEO, said that his tenure has been a life changing experience. “The past three and a half years have been extremely rewarding for me. Getting to work alongside such strong community leaders has been a blessing, and leading the Broussard Chamber has been one of the greatest privileges of my career.”

Chamber Chairman of the Board, Jesse Regan, thanked Jeremy for leading the chamber to its current level of success. “Jeremy took our all-volunteer chamber to the next level and put us on the map,” said Regan. “He has prepared the Broussard Chamber for great success, and while we will miss his leadership, we wish him well and look forward to working with him as he pursues this new endeavor.”

Chamber Vice President and Events Committee Chair, Nicole Landry, who has worked very closely with Hidalgo since 2010 said, “We’ve enjoyed working with Jeremy. He’s brought a lot of new ideas, and has pushed everyone to do new, progressive things.”

Hidalgo’s position with the City is a new position. Recently elected Mayor, Ray Bourque, stated that “after evaluating the City’s organizational structure, I recognized the need to create a more stable foundation. During the weeks leading up to me taking office, I couldn’t think of a better person to fill the COO position than Jeremy Hidalgo. His work ethic, determination, motivation, and commitment to service are just what the Mayor’s office and the City need.”     

During Hidalgo’s tenure as President/CEO, the Broussard Chamber has experienced a whopping 70% growth in membership and engagement. The Chamber has become a major “quality of life” resource for the community, and has been hugely successful in uniting key stakeholders within our area. Shortly after taking over, Hidalgo pivoted the Chamber’s marketing efforts to more strongly highlight the community’s healthy business-friendly culture. The chamber also committed to marketing sports and outdoor activities more heavily to complement Broussard’s new state-of-the-art sports complex.

Hidalgo also had a voice in conversations regarding the creation of local tourism marketing efforts, such as revitalizing historic downtown Broussard, sports and recreation, and the renewed relationship with our sister city in New Brunswick, Canada, Cap-Pelé. “There have been so many accomplishments made by our chamber over the years,” said Past Chairman of the Board, Ray Bourque.

Stacy Romero, currently Broussard Chamber’s Community Development Manager, will serve as Interim President/CEO effective immediately. “Stacy has been with the Broussard Chamber for one year, and her leadership over the last 12 months gives us every confidence in her ability to guide our organization through this transition,” said Chamber Chairman of the Board, Jesse Regan.

“Stacy’s dedication to her community and extreme skill level will serve the Broussard Chamber very well,” said Hidalgo. “I will be available to assist Stacy and the Broussard Chamber as needed during this transition.”

As 2018 comes to an end, the Broussard Chamber of Commerce is gearing up for a successful 2019 after having experienced another record-breaking year of more than 16% growth. With well over 300 members who represent nearly 10,000 employees, the Broussard Chamber is committed to its mission of “assisting in the development and growth of business”.

Since 2007, the Broussard Chamber of Commerce has focused on furthering the collective interests of the businesses it serves, and advocating for economic prosperity while advancing its community. This focus has created a solid foundation for its membership.

This year the Chamber launched four new member and community benefits. First, BROUSSARD Women in Business. This engaging and empowering series brought nearly 200 women together to connect, learn, and recharge. This event was a huge success and is sure to impress again in 2019. The revival of our “shop local” brand, Eat-Shop-Play Broussard, was launched in September. With a strong focus on quality of life, the Broussard Chamber brought St. Julien Jams to the community. This is a live music series where good times and culture collide. In addition, the Broussard Chamber introduced a brand-new concept and has become the very first neXus chamber. This is an exclusive designation to a Chamber that is committed to sharing with its members the philosophy and practices of the neXus Initiative. Together with Brent Henley, author of the neXus Initiative and CEO of the Pyramid Group, the Chamber will offer to its members new ways to grow their business.

In addition to these new initiatives, the chamber welcomed Stacy Romero, Community Development Manager to the team. Stacy will focus on the implementation of Vision 2040, among many other things. “Adding Stacy to the team has truly taken our organization to the next level. Her work ethic and skill level are second to none.” Our outstanding board of directors have provided a solid vision for the organization and are committed to its successful implementation.   

Moving forward you can expect to see your chamber championing collaborative efforts that progress its community. “With a strong and dedicated membership that spans the City of Broussard and beyond, the Broussard Chamber is dedicated to ensuring local business success.”

As your advocate, we will continue to collaborate with local, parish, and state officials to ensure a strong pro-business climate.  In an effort to strengthen economic vitality, we will continue to support, unite, and lead.

-Jeremy Hidalgo, President/CEO