South Louisiana businesses and nonprofit groups recently announced the following promotions, new hires and resignations.
New Orleans
Disaster resilience and recovery nonprofit SBP has hired Leigh Thorpe as its first chief advancement officer to oversee fundraising and marketing efforts. Thorpe was most recently vice president of partnership and advancement for the National Urban League has previously worked at the United Way of Southeast Louisiana and The National WWII Museum.
Adams & Reese has promoted Linda Soileau to chief human resources officer, where she oversees more than 600 attorneys and staff across the law firm's 20 regional offices. Soileau has worked for Adams & Reese since 2001 after starting her human resources career at TDC Energy in 1990 and later working for Southern Abstracts and Columbus Properties.
Baton Rouge
Pelican Credit Union has promoted Dawn Matthews to vice president of retail, where she will lead retail operations and handle lending and operations systems oversight. Matthews joined Pelican as a loan officer at the Denham Springs branch in 2012 and has since been promoted through jobs in branch operations and member experience.
Ochsner Baton Rouge named several new specialists to its staff at Ochsner Medical Complex-The Grove. Marie Barker is a nurse practitioner who specializes in cancer care at the hereditary and high-risk clinic. Dr. Adaku Adebamiji is a children's gastroenterologist who diagnoses and treats gastrointestinal, liver-related and nutritional disorders in infants. And Dr. David Osafo is a hematologist-oncologist who specializes in malignant tumors and cancerous and noncancerous blood disorders.
The Louisiana Bankers Association elected new officers and board members at its 126th convention. Jason Smith, president and CEO of Bonvenu Bank in Bossier City, was picked as the 2026-27 chair. Brooks Lewis, of Citizens Bank and Trust Co. in Plaquemine, was picked as chair-elect. Kip Bertrand, of Washington State Bank, becomes treasurer. And Shannon Scott, of Bank of Louisiana in Metairie, is the at-large member. Other new directors elected by delegates to the convention include Charles Plaisance, of State Bank and Trust in Golden Meadow; Elizabeth Hefler, of Hancock Whitney Bank in New Orleans; and John LeBlanc of Metairie Bank and Trust Co.
Acadiana
M C Bank announced the addition of several executives in the Acadiana market. Bill Fenstermaker, chair and CEO of C.H. Fenstermaker & Associates and a former IberiaBank board chair, was named to the M C Bank board. Hayes Berthelot was named Acadiana market president. Pat Trahan, a former Lafayette market president for IberiaBank, and Brandon Boudreaux have also joined the Acadiana banking team. And Mike Pelletier, who spent 17 years as chief human resource officer for IberiaBank, has been named M C Bank's senior executive vice president and chief human resources officer.
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