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Pumped up

Bally Total Fitness celebrated the grand opening of its 33,000-square-foot facility in Perkins Rowe on Saturday, June 28. The LEED-certified fitness center, which opened in February, features a cardio room with more than 70 exercise machines equipment and a weight training room with more than 100 free weights and equipment. The facility also offers rooms for child care and child fitness, women’s fitness, yoga and pilates, spinning, tanning and massage therapy.

Money market

Covington-based Parish National Bank has reached a $165 million deal to merge with New Orleans-based Whitney National Bank in a move that will increase Whitney’s presence on the Northshore. Under terms of the deal, scheduled to close at the end of the year, Whitney will take over Parish National’s 17 branches, most of which are in St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Washington parishes. Parish National also has branches in New Orleans, Metairie and Destin, Fla., and a loan production office in Fairhope, Ala.

Grand opening

Guaranty Bank and Trust opened its Port Allen branch on Wednesday, June 4 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by Chairman Donald Doucet and CEO J. Wade O’Neal III. The branch, at 1086 Lobdell Hwy., is the fourth for the New Roads-based bank.

New security

TraceSecurity has introduced the newest version of its Compliance Manager. TSCM 4.5 offers improved functionality, including auto creation of policies and policy change management and support for Identity Theft “Red Flags,” NERC CIP Standards and NIST.

AWARDS/HONORS

Gas and Supply Co. ranked No. 30 on Industrial Distribution’s annual list of largest industrial distributors with $210.3 million in sales. The company, which moved up five spots from last year, has 36 locations and 490 employees.

Lois Warrington of Woman’s Hospital received the Medela’s Lactation Consultant Breastfeeding: The Gold Standard Award of Excellence, a peer-nominated recognition program designed to acknowledge the hard work and best practices of lactation consultants across the United States.

Jan R. Breen was elected vice president of the board of directors for the Association of Junior Leagues International. Breen, the director of public relations for Catholic High School, previously served as president, community vice president and public affairs chair for her league. She currently serves as vice president of Young Leaders Academy.

Rafael Bermudez, owner of Rafael Bermudez and Associates Public Relations, was elected to the Keep Louisiana Beautiful Board of Directors. Bermudez has been active in numerous civic, professional and education-oriented organizations, including Baton Rouge Press Club, Academic Distinction Fund Executive Committee and Public Relations Society of America’s Baton Rouge Chapter.

Ralph E. Tureau, a judge in Division A of the 23rd Judicial District, was named a fellow of the Louisiana Bar Foundation.

Carol O’Neil, Ann Peltier Professor of Dietetics and a TIAA-CREF Service-Learning Fellow, was named the Louisiana 2007 Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for her influence on teaching and her outstanding commitment to undergraduate students.

Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center earned quality respiratory care recognition under a national program aimed at helping patients and families make informed decisions about the quality of the respiratory care services available in hospitals. Fifteen percent of hospitals in the United States have received this award.

Placid Refining Company of Port Allen was honored with a Louisiana Economic Development Lantern Award, which recognizes outstanding manufacturing businesses across the state. The winners are selected from the state’s eight regional planning and development districts and are chosen based on community contribution, employee growth and facility expansion.

T.L. Richie, chair of the LSU Department of Interior Design, and Will Rheim, LSU Department of Interior Design professional in residence, received special recognition in education by the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation. The honor stems from a partnership between Oak Street-Main Street Program and students from the LSU Department of Interior Design involving 18 business and properties along the Oak Street commercial corridor in New Orleans.

Marty Loupe, a science instructor at University High School, was honored by the National Association of Biology Teachers as Outstanding Biology Teacher 2008 for Louisiana. In three years at U-High, Loupe has led a student tour to Costa Rica for cultural, environmental and conservation studies, engaged students in community service through the Earth Day Groceries Project and received funding from the University Laboratory School Foundation to enroll and lead middle and high school students to successful outcomes in the NABT Science Olympiad.

Phelps Dunbar was listed as a leading law firm in the state and nation in the 2008 reference book Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. The firm was ranked as a leading law firm in 13 categories, including banking and finance, corporate/M&A, energy and natural resources, environment, gaming and licensing, labor and employment, general commercial litigation and real estate. Attorneys Jeffrey M. Barbin [gaming and licensing], Susan W. Furr [labor and employment], Thomas H. Kiggans [labor and employment], Steven J. Levine [environment] and Randy P. Roussel [real estate] also were recognized.

Lance Roux was named president of the Greater Baton Rouge American Society of Safety Engineers. Other officers elected include Vice President Richard Roy, Secretary Matthew Buvens, Treasurer Karen Saurage, Delegate Paul Amedee, Member at Large Ronald Meyers and Past President Brett Beobay.

Karl Landreneau, manager for NAI/Latter & Blum, was invited to become an instructor certified to teach courses offered by CCIM Institute, the governing body of the largest commercial real estate association in the world. Landreneau will become part of a cadre of commercial real estate professionals from across the nation teaching CCIM courses, which are widely acknowledged as the most comprehensive in the industry.

Valarie Hodges, Livingston Parish Republican activist, was elected to serve on the executive committee of the Republican Party of Louisiana. Hodges, vice president of the Livingston Parish Republican Women’s Club, was chosen by state central committee members who are also members of the Louisiana Federation of Republican Women.

CERTIFICATIONS

Darryl Conkerton accepted regional director for Certified Realtor Specialists for greater Baton Rouge. Less than 4% of licensed Realtors nationwide hold a CRS with advanced training in residential real estate, and CRS is the largest affiliate of the National Association of Realtors. Conkerton is a real estate consultant for Coldwell Banker One.

David Thomas of Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center was board certified in pediatric sleep medicine, a new certification by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Before becoming board certified, physicians are required to complete specialized training and an extensive competency exam. In addition to pediatric sleep medicine, Thomas is also board certified in adult sleep medicine, pediatric pulmonology and pediatrics.

Brent Garrett of Beau Box Commercial Real Estate achieved the SIOR designation awarded by the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors, an international association of professional commercial real estate brokers. To achieve the SIOR designation, Garrett completed five years of experience in industrial and office real estate and demonstrated professional ability, competency, ethical conduct and personal integrity.

NOMINATIONS

The Foundation for Historical Louisiana is calling for nominations for historic properties that have potential for restoration and redevelopment or are “endangered.” The nomination deadline is Monday, June 30. FHL Chair Lenore Feeney and the Board of Directors will announce the 2008 Treasures in Trouble list at the organization’s annual preservation awards banquet scheduled for July 24.