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Green awards

MAPP Construction completed the Chevron Northpark project in Covington. Since completion, the project was awarded a Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. This is the first LEED Gold for Chevron and MAPP, and the first in the state of Louisiana. The project included 292,000 square feet of Class A office space and a five-story, 650-space parking garage and is used as the regional corporate headquarters for Chevron.

Recycle the TV

The Capital Area Corporate Recycling Council was featured on Sundance Channel’s original series Big Ideas For a Small Planet in the episode “Recycle” on May 13. Big Ideas for a Small Planet is a documentary series presenting the forward-thinking designers, products and processes that are on the leading edge of the green movement. The council was featured for their program that promotes e-waste reduction and the use of recycled goods through leadership and education programs for public and private entities. In 2007, the CACRC refurbished and recycled more than 1,000 tons of used electronics for schools, nonprofits and low-income families.

Trial partners

Baton Rouge residents have a new location where they can become involved with the clinical research trials conducted by Pennington scientists. The center, created by the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in partnership with the Family Health Center of Baton Rouge General, is located at 3801 North Blvd. and will screen residents for participation in the trials.

Arkansas hold’em

IberiaBank Corp., the holding company for Pulaski Bank and Trust Co. in Little Rock, Ark., announced that Pulaski has entered into a Purchase and Assumption Agreement with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. as receiver of ANB Financial of Bentonville, Ark. The nine Arkansas offices of ANB reopened on May 12, 2008, as offices of Pulaski. With the completion of this transaction, IberiaBank Corp. will have 89 bank branch offices, 32 title insurance offices and 39 mortgage locations, including 68 combined offices serving clients in Arkansas.

Patriotic duty

First Bank and Trust announced approval by the U.S. Small Business Administration to provide the SBA’s fastest loan approval turnaround time for military veterans and members of the military community wanting to establish or expand small businesses. Patriot Express Loans are available up to $500,000 and qualify for the SBA’s maximum guaranty of up to 85% for loans of $150,000 or less and up to 75% for loans of more than $150,000 up to $500,000. The Patriot Express Loan can be used for most business purposes, including startup, expansion, equipment purchases, working capital, inventory or business-occupied real-estate purchases.

Cox goes gold

A long-term agreement was announced between the New Orleans Saints and Cox Communications whereby Cox becomes the Saints’ “Exclusive Telecommunications Provider” through March 2011. The multifaceted agreement showcases the broad array of Cox’s services across Saints’ promotional vehicles and at Saints’ training camp, which will use Cox Digital Cable, Cox High-Speed Internet and Cox Digital Telephone. The agreement also enables the Cox-owned regional sports network, CST, to continue carrying Saints pre-season games.

AWARDS/HONORS

Smith Research Corp., a minority 8A-certified graduate company of LSU’s Louisiana Business & Technology Center, has been selected as the 2008 National Business Incubation Association Incubator Graduate of the Year. The company provides a number of specialty disciplines, including architectural design and renovations, civil/structural engineering, facility operations and maintenance, construction management and project management.

Katherine F. Hill, LSU College of Education Department of Kinesiology Undergraduate Programs coordinator, received the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Honor Award. The award is bestowed upon individuals who exemplify personal integrity and devoted service to the profession and who have, through their leadership and industry, made an outstanding and noteworthy contribution to the advancement of health, physical education, recreation or dance.

Mark C. Rohr was named chairman of the board for Albemarle Corp. Rohr has served as president of Albemarle since 2000 and chief executive officer since 2002.

The Louisiana Bankers Association named its 2008-2009 board of directors. From the Capital Region are Community Bank Group Representative Stephen Panepinto, president and CEO of Plaquemine Bank and Trust, and Robert T. Taylor, CEO of Louisiana Bankers Association.

SJB Group received seven awards from the Louisiana Society of Professional Surveyors. Among the awards were first place honors in the Boundary/Cadastral Maps, the Topographic Maps, the Subdivision Maps, the ALTA/NSPS Survey Maps and the Miscellaneous Maps categories. The Boundary Survey measures the perimeter of a piece of property or parcel, while the Topographic Survey measures the existing elevations and improvements. The Subdivision Map shows the arrangement of property lines, lots and other features that will occupy the site.

John Valluzzo with McDonald’s Baton Rouge/Valluzzo Management was named Volunteer Executive of the Year at the 15th annual Excellence in Corporate Volunteerism Awards presented by Volunteer! Baton Rouge. ExxonMobil received the Most Outstanding Company Project award for their efforts in building a home in North Baton Rouge in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity. Good Fellows Good Samaritans was awarded the Most Outstanding Nonprofit Partner Award for its collaboration with Sunrise Rotary to fundraise and coordinate the distribution of gifts for needy families in the area. The Volunteer Employee Spirit Award was given to Keshala Jackson with YWCA for her work in the community with children through CASA, Girl Scouts, YWCA and the Greater King David Youth Choir.

Judy Myhand, instructor in the LSU School of Human Ecology, is the recipient of the 2008 TIAA-CREF Outstanding Service-Learning Faculty Award for her exceptional and long-standing commitment to integrating quality service-learning activities in her nutrition courses and for her efforts to improve health in the community. Myhand’s “Food Fundamentals” service-learning classes have worked with the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank to create healthy alternatives using foods available at the food bank.

Adams and Reese ranked among the Top 100 law firms for its trademark practice in the United States in a survey released by Intellectual Property Today. The list is comprised of nearly 400 law firms and individuals whose rankings are based on the number of trademark registrations issued in 2007. The firm was also ranked in the Chambers USA® Directory as Leaders in Their Field. The firm ranked in the following categories: Bankruptcy/Restructuring, Environment, Labor & Employment, and Real Estate. Daniel K. Rester and Patricia B. McMurray also ranked in Gaming & Licensing and Real Estate, respectively.

The Baton Rouge Area Chamber was recognized by the American Chamber of Commerce Executives for the second year in a row with several national awards in the Awards for Communication Excellence competition. Receiving Grand awards were BRAC’s 2006 annual report and business development direct mail pieces. Excellence awards were given for the LA Ethics 1 initiative and LIVE!, the electronic program shown at BRAC’s annual event, BRAC IMPACT. The Baton Rouge Area City Guide, published in partnership with Business Report, received a Merit award.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana has been awarded HIPAA privacy accreditation from URAC, a Washington, D.C.-based health care accrediting organization that establishes quality standards for the health care industry. URAC’s HIPAA privacy accreditation program enables health care organizations to display a commitment to fair information practices and demonstrate that they have taken the necessary steps to protect health information privacy in accordance with the HIPAA Privacy Rule.

Henry Insurance Service received the 2008 President’s Award, which is presented to the highest performing insurance agencies appointed with America First Insurance, a Liberty Mutual Agency Markets regional company. The company was honored for its superior results during 2007. America First Insurance recognizes agencies with this award when an agency achieves size, growth and loss ratio goals.

Monique Polara, enrolled at Remington College majoring in medical insurance coding, and Joy Sessions, enrolled at Baton Rouge General School of Nursing, were awarded the Baton Rouge Chapter of Executive Women International’s $1,000 Thomas Airhart ASIST Scholarship Awards. The ASIST program is available to adults facing economic, social or physical challenges who are looking to improve their situation through education.

Frank Glaviano Sr. of Shell was selected as the new chairman of the Louisiana Mid Continent Oil and Gas Association. He has held a number of positions with Shell over the years and is currently vice president-production Americas, Shell Energy Resources Co., with responsibility for assets in the United States, Venezuela, Brazil and Argentina.

Richard A. Lipsey, chairman of Lipsey’s, was re-elected to serve as the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center’s board chairman. Robert S. Greer Jr. will remain on the board for an additional year as immediate past chairman. Other officers re-elected include Vice Chair and Treasurer J. Gerard Jolly of KPMG and Secretary Dr. Tom Meek. Board members re-elected for an additional term include Dudley W. Coates of Shelley Mockler and Gary A. Sligar. New board members elected for three-year terms include Dean Kevin R. Carman of LSU’s College of Basic Sciences, William “Bill” T. Firesheets II of Buquet & LeBlanc and Rose J. Hudson of Louisiana Lottery. Welcomed to the board of directors for a period of one year was Bill O’Quin of Financial Services Online.