30-Minute Mentor Program

The 30-Minute Mentor Program at the Women’s Leadership Conference provides an opportunity for short, but intentional, interactions between small groups of conference attendees with respected community leaders.

Meet the Mentors

Carlee Alm-Labar Carlee Alm-LaBar was recently named President/CEO of the United Way of Acadiana. She assumes this role after a run for Mayor-President of Lafayette Parish in 2019. She was most recently the Director of Traditional Neighborhood Developments for Southern Lifestyle Development, a position she held for about a year. Carlee worked for Lafayette Consolidated Government for eight years, first as the Assistant to City-Parish President, then serving as the Chief Development Officer, and finally serving as the Development and Planning Director. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Northwestern University in Illinois and holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration from LSU.

She is a past chair and current board member of the Leadership Institute of Acadiana and was a participant in the Leadership Louisiana class of 2018. She is a longtime member of the Junior League of Lafayette and its current community Vice President. She has won several community awards including the 2015 Women Who Mean Business Award.

Missy Bienvenue Andrade Missy Bienvenu Andrade is the President & CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Acadiana, serving nearly 2,600 youth at 5 clubs throughout four parishes. She most recently served as the Vice President of Investor Relations and Development for One Acadiana, formerly the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce. In 2015, Andrade was a Top 20 Under 40 Acadiana Leadership Award Recipient, a class member of Leadership Lafayette (Class XXVIII), and was also a 2016 class participant of Seth Godin’s AltMBA program (Class 5).

Prior to joining the Chamber, Andrade spent a number of years in pharmaceutical sales, with various territories spanning the entire state of Louisiana. She is also a former head instructor, choreographer, and staff trainer for Varsity Spirit Brands, the driving force in cheer and dance athletics across the globe. During her time with Varsity, Andrade taught extensively throughout Central and South America, Europe, and Asia. Andrade remains involved in the dance world, primarily as a judge for statewide, national, and international competitions.

Tonya Bolden-Ball Tonya Bolden-Ball is the program manager of the Center for Minority Excellence at South Louisiana Community College. She holds a Master of Science in Leadership from Grand Canyon University and a Bachelor of General Studies from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Tonya also completed the Graduate Certificate program in Life Coaching from Grand Canyon University.

Her community and volunteer involvement spans over 15 years. She serves as the mentor for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette's Black Women Leadership Association as well as one of the mentors for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Women's Basketball Team. Her leadership involvement includes serving as the Louisiana Chair of Cluster 3 for Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She is the Immediate Past President for the Faith House Inc. Board of Directors. Tonya currently serves as the Vice-President of the Academic Affairs Committee for the Christiana Smith Alumni Chapter at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She is a graduate of the Leadership Institute of Lafayette and the Leadership Louisiana programs. Tonya is also a two-time appointee to the Louisiana Women's Policy and Research Commission.

Liz Webb Hebert Liz Webb Hebert is a native and lifelong resident of Lafayette Parish with a history of civic leadership and active public service. She is a graduate of Northwestern State University and Teurlings Catholic High School.

Liz is the Director of Business Development at Surgery Partners and currently serves as Councilwoman of District 8 for the Lafayette City- Parish Council where she was recent Chairman for the LPUA (Lafayette Public Utility Authority). Liz currently sits on the board of directors for Leadership Institute of Acadiana and Acadiana Animal Aid. She has also served on the board of the 705 Young Professionals, is a past president of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Acadiana and has served as president of her homeowners' association for 8 years.

Hebert was recognized in 2013 as one of the Daily Advertiser's "Top 20 Young Professionals under 40", the Independents 2015 “Influencer of the Year” and ABIZ 2016 “Trailblazer of the Year” for Women Who Mean Business Awards. Liz is a graduate of Leadership Lafayette, Class XXIII in addition to serving as chairman of Leadership Lafayette and Junior Leadership Programs. Ruben Henderson Ruben Henderson is the Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Recruitment at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He received his undergraduate degree in Marketing and Legal Studies from the B.I. Moody III College of Business and his Master of Business Administration (MBA) at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Ruben is the advisor of the Black Male Leadership Association (BMLA), and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated. Ruben also serves on the Board of Directors for Miles Perret Cancer Services, the Lafayette Education Foundation and the Hilliard Art Museum. He is a graduate of Leadership Lafayette Class XXIX (29). He serves as Immediate Past President for the Black Faculty and Staff Association and Vice President of Events for the Christiana Smith African-American Alumni Chapter.

His achievements include the 2019 Carreathers-Scott Innovative Advisor Award at the Southwestern Black Student Leadership Conference, 2019 Tribute to Excellence Award with the National Association of University Women, 2019 Southwest Champion of Service Award with Volunteer Louisiana, 2019 Sunbelt Conference Faculty of the Year Award and the 2019 Outstanding Graduate and Professional Student Award with the Louisiana Association of College and University Student Personnel Administrators.

Vanessa Hill Vanessa Hill is an Associate Professor of Management at the B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration, University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She currently holds the Alexandre Theriot and Loretta Durand Theriot Board of Regents endowed professorship in Business Administration. Dr. Hill earned her B.A. in Sociology, Anthropology and Psychology from Swarthmore College; her M.S.I.A. and Ph.D. from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University.

Before joining the faculty at UL Lafayette, Dr. Hill served on faculties at the University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ and Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC. Dr. Hill is an Associate Editor for Business and Society Review and serves on the editorial review boards for the journals Business & Society and The Journal of Business Ethics. She has been an active member of the International Association of Business and Society (IABS) since 2001. She was inducted as a Fellow in the Society in 2018. Locally, Dr. Hill is a graduate of Leadership Lafayette Class XXV. She served on the Lafayette Public Library Board of Control, the Lafayette Public Library Foundation, and Girl Scouts of Louisiana, Pines to the Gulf.

Holly Howat Dr. Holly Howat is the Founder and Executive Director of Beacon Community Connections, a non-profit committed to bridging gaps in care and support through non-clinical case management. Holly has had a long and varied career path, beginning her professional career as a speech- language therapist. She also worked as a Project Director at the Picard Center for Child Development and Lifelong Learning conducting action research and program evaluation on topics such as juvenile justice, coordinated school health, and teacher professional development. More recently, Holly served as the Executive Director of the Lafayette Parish Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee and continues to facilitate multiple community workgroups including the Justice and Health Collaborative and the Lafayette Reentry Coalition. Holly also owns Candesto, LLC, which provides project development and grant-writing (i.e., her side hustle). She is married with one son and two stepchildren. Holly is passionate about lifelong learning and community collaboration. Corey Jack Corey Jack is the Manager of Chamber Affairs for One Acadiana. He is also the owner of Jack & Associates, a consulting firm that specializes in assisting startup businesses and nonprofits throughout Louisiana with creating and operating their business or social enterprise.

Corey obtained his bachelor’s degree in Psychology, with a minor in English from UL Lafayette and his Master’s in Business Administration. He has spoken at regional business conferences and workshops, including the South Regional Minority Supplier Diversity Council’s 2019 Gateway Conference, the Opportunity Machine’s Innov8 South Conference, and as a panelist for the Acadiana Advocate’s Economic Outlook Summit in 2020.

Corey also mentors youth and teach financial literacy and entrepreneurship to teenagers across the Acadiana region. He has received the 2016 Acadiana Top 20 Under 40 Award, 2018 Louisiana Association of Educators Trailblazer Award, 2018 Leadership Lafayette Class Graduate, and 2019 100-Black Men of Greater Acadiana Mentor of the Year award.

Christiaan Mader Christiaan Mader is the founder and editor of The Current, Lafayette's first nonprofit news organization. An award-winning investigative and culture journalist, Christiaan’s work as a writer and reporter has appeared in The New York Times, Vice, Offbeat, Gambit, and The Advocate.

Taniecea Mallery Dr. Taniecea Mallery currently serves as the Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives & Chief Diversity Officer at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. In this role, she is responsible for leading the strategic vision for diversity, equity and inclusion at the University. She is also a member of the graduate faculty, teaching doctoral-level courses in the College of Education.

Taniecea earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Loyola University New Orleans, as well as a master’s degree and Ph.D. in applied and computational mathematics from Princeton University. She is a Chief Diversity Officer Fellow for the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education and a member of the 2018 class of the Institute for Educational Management at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. In the local community, she currently serves on the Board of Directors for the United Way of Acadiana, Leadership Institute of Acadiana, Lafayette Education Foundation, Louisiana Budget Project, and the Ernest J. Gaines Center at UL Lafayette. She is a member of Leadership Lafayette, Class XXIX and a recipient of the 20 Under 40 Young Leader Award.

Darla Montgomery A native of Opelousas, Darla Montgomery has been on the air in Acadiana since 1992, anchoring and reporting. Darla is an Associated Press award winner for spot news, feature reporting and public affairs. Her public affairs award recognized a half-hour documentary chronicling the life of an Acadiana priest and his mission in Haiti.

Darla has covered many stories in her career, including local and state elections, as well as tourism promotion traveling with Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco and a delegation to Canada. She has interviewed numerous political figures in the local and national spotlight like former Vice President Al Gore and political mastermind, James Carville.

Darla attended the University of Southwest Louisiana from 1980 to 1985 majoring in broadcast communication. She was voted “Best Local News Anchor” in The Times Of Acadiana 2018 campaign. It’s a title she has held for 15 years with the exception of one year when she took 2nd place.

Angela Morrison Angela Morrison serves as the Community Development Manager for Meritus Credit Union. In this role, she is responsible for developing high impact community outreach programs, events and communication materials that promote the credit union’s partnership with the community. Angela is a graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology.

Angela brings to her present role a 30-year history of working in community development and public relations. She is a trustee for the Lafayette Public Trust Financing Authority, a board member for Inclusiv’s (formerly known as the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions) national board, the One Acadiana Board and the Hospice of Acadiana’s Foundation Board. She has served on the UL Lafayette Alumni Association’s executive board for seven years, and she was the first African American woman to serve as President. She served on: Women’s and Children’s Hospital Board of Trustees; boards of United Way of Acadiana; Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, Junior League of Lafayette Acadiana Youth; Workforce Investment (LA District 40); Acadiana Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster and the City of Lafayette Commission on the Needs of Women (Past-President). Angela is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and a Class XV graduate of Leadership Lafayette.

Missy Rogers Missy Rogers is the owner of Noble Plastics Inc. of Grand Coteau. Noble offers product realization services through engineering and design, robotic assembly systems, and injection molding services. She is on the advisory boards of the LSU Mechanical Engineering Department, the Manufacturer’s Association of Plastics Processors, Centre International, and One Acadiana, where she serves on the Workforce and Education Committee. Missy earned her bachelor of science in Mechanical Engineering from LSU. She was named one of Acadiana’s Women Who Mean Business in 2015, and Noble Plastics was awarded the Junior Achievement Small Business of the Year for 2014, and the Louisiana Lantern Award in 2015. Missy is a proud graduate of Leadership Lafayette, Class XXX. In addition to serving at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Missy regularly volunteers at UL Lafayette Engineering and Career Center events and is a 705 Mentor to foster development of professionals.

Lawana Stokes Lawana Stokes is an educator and leader with 30+ years of varied experience working with diverse student populations. She is currently the Director of South Louisiana Community College at the Gulf Area Campus in Abbeville, Louisiana and also serves as an Adjunct Professor. While at South Louisiana Community College, Ms. Stokes has served in many capacities over the past 9 years. She has served as an Academic Advisor, Adjunct Professor, Admissions Counselor, Student Activity Coordinator, Interim Campus Director for 3 of the outer campuses and Outreach Coordinator.

Ms. Stokes holds a bachelor’s degree from the former University of Southwestern Louisiana (USL) which is now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and a master’s degree in Professional Counseling from Liberty University. She was a member of the Ragin’ Cajuns Women’s Basketball Team and currently serves as a mentor and Commentator for the team. Ms. Stokes served as an educator and coach in the Iberia Parish School System prior to her transition to South Louisiana Community College. She coached high school girls’ basketball at New Iberia Senior High and Anderson Middle School. In addition to basketball coaching at Anderson, she was also a teacher and the head cheerleading coach for nearly 25 years.

Amy Thibodeaux Amy Thibodeaux currently serves as the President and CEO of the Acadia Parish Chamber of Commerce. Under her leadership, the Acadia Chamber of Commerce was awarded the Louisiana Chamber of the Year in 2018. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and a Master’s of Business Administration from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

She is actively involved in the local community, serving as a member of the Boards of Directors for the United Way of Acadiana, Acadiana Economic Development Council, Louisiana Industrial Development Executives Association, and Louisiana Chamber of Commerce Executives. She was also selected for the inaugural term of the Emerging Leaders Council of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI) in 2016. She completed Leadership Louisiana in 2015 and was a 2017 recipient of the Acadiana Top 20 Under 40 Award.

Margaret Trahan Margaret Trahan, is the Director of Stewardship and Development for the Diocese of Lafayette. Her duties include fund development and marketing, donor relations, gift acquisition and management. Previously she served as President/CEO of United Way of Acadiana for 24 years. She is a past president of the Louisiana Association of United Ways, the Junior League of Lafayette and the UL Alumni Association. She is a graduate of Leadership Louisiana and Leadership Lafayette, and she was previously inducted into the Acadiana Business Hall of Fame. In 2019 she was recognized by the Community Foundation of Acadiana with its first-ever Community Impact Award as a Leader in Philanthropy.

She is one of the founders of the Lafayette Public Education Stakeholder’s Council, a coalition that focused on policy advocacy and leadership for the Lafayette Parish Public School System. United Way of Acadiana was one of two United Ways nationally that received a federal grant for Early Head Start in 2010. Experienced also in disaster response and recovery, Margaret is a past President of Louisiana VOAD and Acadiana VOAD which are coalitions for disaster preparedness, response and recovery.