[ Business Briefs

NorthLouisianaEconomicPartnershiphasbeen designatedanAccreditedEconomicDevelopment OrganizationbytheInternationalEconomicDevelopment Council,thelargestmembershipassociationfor economicandcommunitydevelopmentprofessionals intheworld.NLEPstandsamongaselectgroupof 43economicdevelopmentorganizationsacrossNorth AmericatoreceivetheAEDOdesignation.Earningthe AEDOdesignationtellsthecommunityandprospectsthat NLEPattainedahighlevelof excellence,assuringthattheir trustiswellplacedandtheir businessisingoodhands.

SheldonSnow,of Shreveport.isthe2014 PreferredCareatHome NationalCaregiverofthe Year.Snowwasnominatedby ScottGreenandRobertSmith,

Snow

ownersofPreferredCareatHomeofNorthwestLouisiana, aswellasclientsforwhomhehascared.Snowwasone ofsixfinalistsselectedfromthousandsofcaregiverswith PreferredCareatHome.Sheldon’sjourneyasacaregiver beganwhenhecaredforhisowngrandfatherwho sufferedfromAlzheimer’sdisease.Afterhisgrandfather passedawayhemovedinwithhisgrandmothertohelp careforher.Itwastheseformativeexperiencesthat ledhimtohispassionandhiscareerasacareprovider. Formoreinformationabout PreferredCareatHome,contact ScottGreenorRobertSmithat 861-4632.

CaddoSchools’ownVictor Mainierohasbeennamed amongthisyear’sLSUSCircle ofExcellenceAwardwinners. Theaward,whichisgiven annuallytofivealumni,honors

Mainiero

individualsbasedontheirleadershipandprofessional achievements.Firstinstitutedin2007aspartofthe university’s40thanniversarycelebration,Mainiero andotherawardrecipientswillbehonoredatthe AlumniAssociation’sannualmeetingpartyintheLSUS UniversityCenterBallroomat6p.m.Friday.Mainiero servesasthedirectorofhighschoolsforCaddoParish PublicSchools.Inhisrole,heoverseesninehighschools andservesdirectlyunderthedistrict’schiefacademic officer.Inhis21yearswithCaddoSchools,Mainierohas servedasaclassroomteacher,soccercoach,assistant principal,principalanddirectorofcommunicationsand marketing.

CaptainShreveHighSchoolEnglishandsocialstudies teacherNicoleVasquezwasnamedoneofninefinalists fortheLouisianaTeacherofTheYearawardbythe LouisianaDepartmentofEducation.ANorthwestern StateUniversitygraduate,Vasquezrecentlycompleted hereighthyearofteachingatCaptainShreve.Each

yearthestateDepartmentofEducationrecognizesand honorsthestate’smostexceptionalteachersthrough theTeacheroftheYearprogram.Teachersareselected basedontheirteachingskillsaswellastheirdedication andrespectofstudents,parentsandcolleagues; demonstratedschoolandcommunityleadership; affiliationswitheducationalorganizations;abilityto inspirestudentsofallbackgroundsandabilities;and theircommitmenttotheirprofession.Finalistsare interviewedbyastateselection committeecomprisedof communityandeducational leaderswhowillselectthe 2016stateTeacheroftheYear. VasquezwillbehonoredonJuly 11attheninthannualCecil. J.PicardEducatorExcellence SymposiumattheCrowne PlazaExecutiveCenterinBaton Rouge. Vasquez