[ Business Briefs
Fivecharitiesthatfocusontheartsinourareahave takenasteptosecuretheirfuturesbybuildingan endowmentfundattheCommunityFoundationofNorth Louisiana,thankstoa$500,000challengegrantfromthe Foundation.Adollar-for-dollarmatchof$100,000willbe providedforeachselectedorganizationthatraisesatleast $100,000inendowmentfunds.Thefiveselectedwinners oftheCarolynQ.NelsonArtsandMuseumsEndowment ChallengeareTheLittleTheatreofShreveport,Robinson FilmCenter,ShreveportRegionalArtsCouncil,Shreveport SymphonyandTheStrandTheatreofShreveport.An agencyendowmentprovidesasimpleandefficientwayfor anonprofitagencytocreatesustainability.Anendowment isafundthatdoesnotspenddownitsprincipal. Aportion oftheincomeandappreciationfromthefundispaidout annuallytoprovideasteadystreamofrevenueforthe agency. Withanendowment,anagencycanhelpensure thatitsprogrammingisuninterruptedandthatthereare fundstosupplyfutureneeds.Theendowmentchallengewas madepossiblethroughagenerousbequestfromCarolynQ.
Nelson,aformerCommunityFoundationboardmemberand anavidsupporteroftheartsandmuseumsofallkinds.
BobbyS.Gilliam,alongtime memberoftheShreveportBar, hasbeenelectedpresidentof theLouisianaAssociationof DefenseCounsel,thelargest organizationofdefensecounsel inLouisiana.TheLADC,founded in1963,isoneofthelargest defenseorganizationsinthe countrywithover1400members. Gilliamhasservedontheboard Gilliam andmostrecentlyasvicepresidentoftheorganizationwith ProfessorWilliamCorbettoftheLSULawCenterserving asexecutivedirector.Gilliamisthemanagingpartnerof Wilkinson,Carmody&Gilliam,theoldestlawfirminNorth Louisiana,whichwasfoundedin1895.Heisregisteredwith theBarRegisterofPreeminentLawyersandisalsolistedin
BestLawyersinAmericaandSuperLawyers,mostrecently in2015.Hehasanactivefederalandstatelitigationand appellatepractice,appearingincourtsthroughoutLouisiana andinsurroundingstates,includingtheU.S.5thCircuitCourt ofAppeals.HealsopracticesextensivelybeforetheLouisiana PublicServiceCommission.Hispracticefocusesoncorporate andcommerciallitigationandincludespublicutilityand regulatorylaw,railroadlaw,employmentandlaborlaw,and insurancelitigation.
TheCampingWorldIndependenceBowlannouncedAmanda LangstonofPlainDealingHighSchoolandChelseaRomphof CaddoMagnetHighSchoolasrecipientsofthe2015Willis- Knighton/IndependenceBowlFoundationCommunityService Scholarship.For10-consecutiveyears,Willis-KnightonHealth SystemhaspartneredwiththeIndependenceBowlFoundation todelivera$2,500scholarshiptoagraduatingseniorfrom BossierandCaddoparishesbasedonacademicexcellence andservicetothecommunity.Langston,representingBossier ParishSchools,isa4.0-studentatPlainDealingHighSchool,
wheresheisinvolvedinnumerousextra-curricularactivities, includingNationalHonorSocietyand4-HClub.Romphisthe fourthstudentfromCaddoMagnetHighSchooltobeselected asarecipientofthescholarship.
CentenaryCollegeisrankedintheTop100“bestvalues” forprivateinstitutionsbyKiplinger’sPersonalFinance.Inmid- December,Kiplinger’salsoincludedCentenaryinanexclusive listof300publicandprivatecollegesthatcombineoutstanding academicswithaffordablecost.Kiplingerassessesvalueby measurablestandardsofacademicqualityandaffordability. Qualitymeasuresincludetheadmissionrate,thepercentage ofstudentswhoreturnforsophomoreyear,thestudent-faculty ratio,andfour-yeargraduationrate.Costcriteriainclude stickerprice,financialaidandaveragedebtatgraduation. Centenaryhasappearedonthelistmultipletimes,atestament totheconsistentvaluethecollegeprovides.Completerankings areavailableonlineatwww.Kiplinger.com/links/college andwillalsoappearinprintintheFebruary2016issueof Kiplinger’sPersonalFinance.
