Employee of the Month for July 2024 is Ms. Brook Toups!
Brooke Toups has worked for Lafourche Parish Head Start for three years. She is a true example of commitment and dedication. Brooke’s knowledge, experience and unwavering work ethic are continuously assisting the teachers and staff in our program to achieve excellence in their roles and ensure professional growth. Brooke has used data-driven research to introduce various programs into the classroom that are effective in delivering the highest quality of education to ensure success for the children of Lafourche Parish Head Start. Brooke is always willing to step up and assist her co-workers in areas outside of her normal role in order to ensure that the LPHS program operates efficiently. Brooke has written multiple requests for various grants that have been awarded to the program in order to introduce fun and innovative materials into the classrooms. Brooke was nominated to be a board member on Fletcher Technical College’s Early Education Committee.
The staff has commented on how fortunate they are to have Brooke as an integral part of the management team.
Employee of the Month for May 2024 is Ms. Claire Yates!
Ms. Yates has worked in the Office of Emergency Preparedness for a year as the OEP Office Assistant. Within that year, she has helped prepare and update grant paperwork, assist residents prepare for any emergencies in addition to learning new ways to help anyone and offers a lending hand where needed. We are appreciative that she shows up with a giving heart daily.
Employee of the Month for April 2024 is Mr. Don Daniels!
Mr. Daniels is an integral part of the success of the Galliano Field Office. Regardless of the task at hand, Don will always find a way to get the job done. Don in addition to his regular job duties also conducts the weekly safety meetings and incorporates a different operator and piece of equipment in each week’s presentation. Don is truly an asset to the Galliano Field Office and DPW.
Stoney Morris is our January 2024 Employee of the Month (EOM). Stoney is a loyal employee that has a smile on his face every day. He is always willing to help anyone no matter the task, and is always the first guy at work in the morning and the last guy to leave in the afternoon. Stoney is a valuable asset to LPG. He has a good relationship with his fellow colleagues and is always willing to share a good story with the guys to keep them laughing at the shop. He is as good a person on and off the job, always checking on staff that are out sick or injured to make sure they don’t need anything. Congratulations and well-deserved, Stoney!
Sandy has been a vital asset to our Animal Shelter team this Fall when others were out on leave. Sandy always has a positive attitude and is a consistent and dedicated employee. She provides excellent customer service and is always relatable and genuine with residents needing assistance.
Congratulations to our October Employee of the Month (EOM) Nathaniel Johnson. Nathaniel was hired in July of 2022 as an Equipment Operator/Truck Driver II at the Thibodaux Field Office. Nathaniel is self-motivated and is rarely seen without a smile on his face. Nathaniel is always up for a new challenge. He is a great co-worker and always willing to assist others. Thibodaux Field Office and the Department of Public Works is fortunate to have Nathaniel as part of our team. Congrats again Nathaniel!
Congratulations the September Employee of the Month, Mr. Chris Zeller.
Chris joined LPG as an Equipment Operator/Truck Driver III in May of 2022. Chris hit the ground running and in less than 6 months, he became Assistant Supervisor for the Lockport Field Office.
He embodies a can-do attitude as no job is too complex. When he sees a challenging task, he takes it as an opportunity to learn new things and better his skills. Chris is often called upon to lead our in-house special projects team. He is very diligent in his work and uses all available resources to get the job done safely and efficiently. Chris takes pride in his work, which is apparent if you have ever been to one of his job sites. From hauling equipment, to digging outfalls, to building pump screens, Chris undoubtedly makes things happen. We are lucky to have Chris on our team. Congrats again Chris!!!
Congratulations to our August Employee of the Month, Ms. Emily Doucet! Emily works diligently day in and day out to meet the needs and demands of LPG employees. She does her job with a smile on her face, always kind and polite to everyone, and ready to extend a helping hand. You can never tell when or if she’s having a bad day because she brings her “game face” to work each day. Her work and effort do not go unnoticed as she continually goes above and beyond for everyone. Thank you for your service, Emily! You are the BEST.
On July 13th, Kristy Chiasson will have 25 years of service with LPG. She is always smiling and willing to help others as much as possible. She is a great team player and goes above and beyond for her team. She is dependable and always readily available (even on vacations). She has been an instrumental help with executing innovative projects and strategies. LPG is very fortunate to have such a reliable, dedicated and knowledgeable employee. Congratulations on being named the Employee of the Month (EOM) for June 2023, Kristy!
Congratulations to our May 2023 Employee of the Month (EOM), Kelsey Freeman. Kelsey goes far behind her job of “Office Assistant” at the Lafourche Parish Animal Shelter. She is passionate about her job, empathetic to others, and is ready to get down to business – coffee in hand! Kelsey has done amazing work to improve owner retention and spay & neuter programs over the past few years. Kelsey calls the animal shelter team to consistent improvement, and we are thankful to have her here. Way to go Kelsey!
Congratulations to the April 2023 Employee of the Month, Caroline Eschette!Caroline has been a critical piece in the Communications department. Often times you can find her running around the parish interviewing employees for our monthly spotlight or writing press releases. She is often behind the scenes working to showcase everyone else and the parish, but rarely does she get the recognition she deserves. Caroline goes above and beyond for Lafourche and continues to put our parish on the map through her hard work and dedication.
Pearl is the type of employee who is always looking to help others, especially clients of the health unit. During Easter, she dressed as an Easter bunny to cheer up patients and take photos with kids as they came in. She always goes above and beyond, and her work is not unnoticed. Congratulations Pearl on being recognized as the "April Employee of the Month!"
Congratulations to Mr. Tyler Bernard for being selected as the February "Employee of the Month!" Tyler has been with the Galliano Field Office since 2022 and has already proven the definition of a First-Class/Excellent Employee. He's the kind of employee that any Supervisor would dream of having on his team, happy and uplifting. Tyler does what he is told to do without any negative feedback. He accepts tasks with a smile on his face and gets along with everyone! He goes above and beyond to get the job done. Congrats Tyler!
Mrs. Joyce has worked with Head Start since 1996 and has a special relationship wither families and children. After Hurricane Ida, our option for educating our South Lafourche children was at the Lockport site. Mrs. Joyce, along with other staff, visited/contacted each and every family. This year she buses 43 children , ages 3 and 4, to Lockport, stretching from Golden Meadow to Larose. With this, it can be said, that she has been the heart of our success for enrollment. Mrs. Joyce greets every child by name and personalizes a comment when they get on and off the bus. She is always willing to jump into a classroom or fill in as a meal tech as needed. Her actions were recognized by federal auditors during monitoring saying, “you can tell this was a daily routine”. They are going to recommend that she be nationally recognized through training videos for other drivers . She demonstrates superior performance of a driver’s role in a child day. Weare so fortunate to have her on our team!
Congratulations to Celese Coxen, Helen Beamon and Rosa Williams for being selected as our "December Employees of the Month!" These ladies collaborated and reached out to our community and families in the program to create a successful festival. They also reached out to local businesses, civic organizations, government agencies and used community resources to share valuable information to families. Children were able to engage with peers both socially and physically while participating in games and learning activities while exploring their community parks. Well deserved!
Congratulations to the September "Employee of the Month", Mrs. Melanie O'Gwynn! Faced with the unknown of the FEMA Direct Housing mission in one of the most devastated parishes, Mel served her role in a superb manner. Never wavering from trying to accomplish the mission, she served as a front runner for the initiation of permits, inspections, and utility installs with the information provided. This allowed for Lafourche Parish to become the first in many aspects of tracking paperwork, permit requests, and utility company coordination used by other parishes. Many of these initiatives led to them being considered “Best Business Practices” for future Direct Housing Operations! A job well done by Melanie O’Gwynn.
We want to congratulate Mona Brunet and Gail Ougel for being the August "Employees of the Month!" Both ladies are Bridge Tenders for the Parish and have worked long hours with the recent retirement of a few co-workers. They have both had a great attitude about the tough schedule and have been willing to help through the transition of adding more staff. We sincerely appreciate their dedication and could not have made it through the past few months without them. Congrats
again ladies!
We want to congratulate Mona Brunet and Gail Ougel for being the August "Employees of the Month!" Both ladies are Bridge Tenders for the Parish and have worked long hours with the recent retirement of a few co-workers. They have both had a great attitude about the tough schedule and have been willing to help through the transition of adding more staff. We sincerely appreciate their dedication and could not have made it through the past few months without them. Congrats
again ladies!
We couldn't be more excited to announce our July Employee of the Month (EOM), Mrs. Natalie Sullivan!
She has been a lead teacher at Lafourche Parish Head Start for the past 7 years with a total of 32 years in education. Natalie has since been asked to lead as a mentor teacher, sharing her knowledge and expertise in education. This year, she was recognized as a semifinalist for the Early Childhood Teacher of the Year from the Louisiana Department of Education. Out of the 25 semifinalists, she was then recognized as a finalist, being announced as one of the top five Early Childhood Teachers in the State of Louisiana.
We are so honored to have Natalie working with us at Head Start to educate our youth as she is such a great asset to our program.
Over the past decade, Jamie has continued to grow and thrive in her job at the animal shelter. If you know Jamie, you know that she works HARD and plays harder. You can usually find Jamie leading the pack when physical labor is involved- just don’t ask her to sit still! She encourages everyone around her to rise to the occasion and is always pushing herself to be better and learn more. Jamie is the face of the spay and neuter program to South Lafourche residents where she travels once a month to help residents make appointments and she regularly travels during very early mornings with our transport pets. We thank you, Jamie, for your dedication to our life saving goals!
Crystal Badeaux
Crystal has worked at the Lafourche Parish Animal Shelter for TEN years! She is a quiet leader and a quick learner. Our world of animal sheltering has evolved so much over the past decade, and Crystal is always ready to learn (and teach) a new way of doing things to increase lifesaving and promote community involvement. Crystal is quick behind a keyboard, and her team appreciates that she can enter all that important data with ease! She is also an excellent dog handler and cat wrangler—basically, she can do it ALL! Thankyou, Crystal, for your never wavering hard work and dedication to our team!
President Chaisson recognized Mrs. Nonette Davis with the April "Employee of the Month" award at Tuesday's Council meeting. He said, "The Office of Community Action and LPG is proud to have Nonette Davis as a part of our team." Nonette is calm, compassionate, knowledgeable, and a is a team player. Nonette sets the bar high for professionalism in the workplace. We have many community members that come into the office just to visit Nonette because of her gentle kindness to others. Nonette is always the first person to arrive at the office and often, the last one to leave. Nonette has a balanced and beautiful soul.
Congratulations Nonette!
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President Chaisson presented the March "Employee of the Month" Award to Rachele Wheater, Council Minute Clerk.
Rachele came on board as a temp and thru her transition to a permanent position as Council Minute Clerk she hit the ground running and has never stopped. Her work is exemplary and no job is ever too big or too small for her to undertake. Her work ethic and dedication to her job as well as her attention to details and deadlines are qualities essential to the Council Clerk's Office. Rachele truly does possess those qualities inherent in the true meaning of the words "team player" and we are fortunate to have her as part of our team and for that we say thank you and job well done.
In the Department of Public Works, there has always been one person known for going above and beyond the call of duty. Mrs. Marie has always been and continues to be one of the critical pieces of DPW. She has stood as a constant in an ever-changing environment and has helped employees develop the skill sets they need to better DPW and provide our residents with quality service. These commitments have earned Marie a great deal of respect from everyone in parish government as well as residents throughout the parish. All DPW staff and surrounding departments highly regard her work ethic and knowledge of DPW workings. Mrs. Marie is most well-known for keeping all DPW employees informed, on task and in line. If you were to look up diligent in the dictionary, you would be sure to find Marie's name. Thank you for all you do for us and our parish!
Congratulations to the December "Employee of the Month", Mrs. Tekelia White. Tekelia works with our wonderful team and is admired for her outstanding work ethic, character, and communication ability. She demonstrates a good attitude and a willingness to assist anyone without being asked to do so. Her commitment to serving the children and families of Lafourche Parish never goes unnoticed. We appreciate you, Tekelia!
Randy Robichaux was awarded the November 2021 Employee of the Month. Randy is a pleasure to work with. No task is too big or small for Randy, and he tackles each project with a great attitude. Randy is always willing to help anyone that may need an extra hand, no questions asked. He’s the definition of a team member. He finds joy in his job and you can expect to see a smile on his face when you see him around.
Congratulations to the October Employee of the Month, Mrs. Devoni Danos. President Chaisson said, "Devoni has been instrumental in working during and after Hurricane Ida. Even when running the front office and simultaneously helping people get permits for power, she kept a positive attitude the entire time." Devoni is a team player and shows what public service is all about. Great job Devoni!
President Chaisson awarded Hannah Achee the September Employee of the Month Award. Hannah went above and beyond serving residents following Hurricane Ida. Even while dealing with disgruntled members of the public and her own personal damage, she never lost her smile and remained compassionate and helpful to residents to ensure they received needed information.
President Chaisson congratulated the July Employee of the Month, Mrs. Rosela "Rosie" as we like to call her, at the Tuesday Council meeting. Rosie has been with the parish a short time, but has made a huge impact. She is self-motivated and goes above and beyond her job duties. She is always smiling and lending a helping hand wherever she can. She has made many friends all around the parish. The Building and Maintenance team are so proud!
Congratulations to the June "Employees of the Month" and "Wonderful Outstanding Worker" recipients. President Chaisson awarded Robert Thibodaux, Donavon Terrebonne, and Kelvin Cooper with the June EOM Award for providing first aid to a fellow employee. Without hesitation, when one of their peers was in need of help, they were right there by his side until medics arrived.
President Archie Chaisson awarded Mr. Eric Triggs as the "May Employee of the Month." He recently assisted the Lafourche Parish Coroner's Office during the response efforts following the Seacor Power tragedy. He was available on an as-needed basis and made sure all necessities were met. Eric is a valuable team member and we appreciate his hard work and dedication. Congratulations Eric!
Hilary is the type of person that doesn’t like the spotlight and just keeps her head down and puts in the work necessary. Running an Animal Shelter is hard work and definitely tough mentally and physically. Each day presents a new challenge, but Hilary sees them instead as new opportunities. She took 2020, the year of the pandemic and seven named storms and used it as a learning tool. She formed new partnerships with surrounding parishes and even out of state agencies during this difficult time. From 2019 to 2020 she was able to take the euthanasia rate down dramatically to only 9% and is not stopping there. She continues to promote the low costs pay/neuter program, adoptions, and the virtual pet pantry program. Hilary believes in her team and the great work they are doing. She is a servant leader and would never ask anyone to do something she was not willing to do. It has been said, “Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.” Thank you, Hilary, for being a great leader.
Gretchen is always ready and willing to go the extra mile and help out when and as needed with a smile on her face. Thanks Gretchen for all your hard work and dedication!!
President Chaisson presented both David Reed and Henry Babin the "March Employee of the Month" award. Recently, a letter was received detailing the kindness and professionalism of both men as they assisted an elderly, disabled resident. They helped with the pickup and removal of tree branches either blocking drains and/or ditches. The resident stated “I want to commend these two men for the kindness extended to me. They could have just drove away. But they did not. They explained and was caring, kind and courteous. That is rare today." Congratulations David and Henry!
Congratulations to Ms. Cheryl Boudreaux for being recognized as the February 2021 EOM - Employee of the Month!
President Chaisson described Ms. Cheryl as a great asset to the building and maintenance department. She does a great job at assisting with the day-to-day operations, displays a pleasant attitude, and is always willing to help. She never hesitates to step up in the absence of a team member and has been supportive during times of transition. Great job Cheryl!
Congratulations to Sonya Ockman for being recognized as the January 2021 EOM - Employee of the Month!
President Chaisson described Sonya's work as being very thorough, sparing no detail. He said that she's well-liked by her peers and is willing to go the extra mile when necessary. Finance Director, Renita Jackson, also praised Sonya saying that, "She is a tremendous asset to the Finance Department and has made my transition as Finance Director less challenging. She stepped into the role as Accounting Manager and hit the ground running. I'm so appreciative of her dedication."
Way to go Sonya!
Congratulations to Heather Benoit for being recognized as the December Employee of the Month! Heather Benoit, M.Ed, is the Director of the Wallace Center’s “Beyond the Bell” program which offers the youth of the Alidore Community with an after-school enrichment program. The youth members, volunteers, and community adore Heather and are so blessed to receive the fruits of her labor. Her passion shines through her service like no other.
Parish Administrator Mitch Orgeron recognized Linda Gros at Tuesday’s Council Meeting as the November “Employee of the Month”. Linda always goes above and beyond to help citizens of Lafourche. Citizens always comment on how helpful and kind she is to everyone. She does whatever is needed. Congratulations Linda!
Parish President Archie Chaisson recognized Mrs. Kathy Grabert at Tuesday's Council Meeting as the October "Employee of the Month". Kathy has taken on many duties and often offers up solutions. She has a witty personality and is always willing to go the extra mile. You don't find these qualities often and when you do, they truly need to be recognized. Congratulations Kathy!!!
Congratulations to Mr. Wayne Bruce, Galliano Field Office Supervisor, for being recognized as the September “Employee of the Month”!
President Archie Chaisson described Mr. Wayne as an excellent employee that always lends a helping hand, takes pride in his work, and can always be found in a great mood. We are lucky to have Mr. Wayne as part of our team!
